CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK In the Real Estate Investment business, it’s good to know who you are doing business with. Whether you are considering hiring a contractor, want to screen prospective tenants, or aren’t sure about a new business partner, looking at the person’s background is a smart idea. Below are 4 easy methods to check an individual’s past criminal history. Since each method checks a different part of the person’s criminal history, they should be used together to get a complete picture. Keep in mind that these searches include Michigan information only. Criminal history for Federal crimes, or criminal activity in other states are not included.
OTIS is the Michigan Department of Corrections criminal history system. There is no cost for this service. A search result will provide information about any offender who is, or was, in a Michigan prison, on parole or probation under the supervision of the MDOC, has transferred in or out of Michigan under the Michigan Interstate Compact, or who has escaped or absconded from their sentence. Note that OTIS only reflects offenders convicted of a felony.*Misdemeanors normally do not show up on OTIS.
ICHAT is the Michigan State Police criminal history check. There is a $10.00 charge for this service. This search includes all Public Michigan Criminal History Information as allowed by Public Act 310 of 2005. This search does not include federal crimes or criminal records from other states. Note that some types of arrests and convictions are “hidden” from the public by court order and can be viewed only by law enforcement. These types of criminal histories will not show up in a criminal history check. ICHAT will show both felonies AND misdemeanors.*
Oakland County District Court case search. There is no cost for this service. You can search for any Circuit Court cases by Plaintiff, Defendant, or Docket Number (Case Number.) Note that Circuit Court cases are usually felony* cases and large dollar amount cases. This search does not include District Court cases which are misdemeanor* cases and small dollar amounts.
PSOR is the Michigan State Police (MSP) Public Sex Offender Registry (PSOR). There is no cost for this service. The Sex Offender Registration Act, MCL 28.721et seq., directs the MSP to develop and maintain a PSOR. Information available on the PSOR includes an offender’s name, address, offense information, and a photograph.
- *Felony – A crime punishable by one or more years in a state prison.
- Misdemeanor – A crime punishable by less than one year in a county jail.
- Jail – A facility run by local counties that may only hold offenders for up to 12 months.
- Prison – A facility run by state or federal governments that may hold offenders for over 12 months.
