How to file to clear a record in Michigan

Where and how you file in Michigan, the fee and the official forms.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

File the application, signed in front of a notary, with the court where you were convicted, attaching a certified copy of each conviction. Mail copies to the Michigan State Police with a fingerprint card and the $50 fee, to the Attorney General, and to the prosecutor.

Main remedy
Application to Set Aside Conviction(s) (MCL 780.621)
Cost
$50 processing fee to the Michigan State Police with the fingerprint card.
Forms
3

Where and how to file in Michigan

Application to Set Aside Conviction(s) (MCL 780.621)

File the application, signed in front of a notary, with the court where you were convicted, attaching a certified copy of each conviction. Mail copies to the Michigan State Police with a fingerprint card and the $50 fee, to the Attorney General, and to the prosecutor. Victims of assaultive crimes or serious misdemeanors are notified and may speak. The court holds a hearing and may grant the set-aside if it finds your conduct since conviction warrants it and it is consistent with the public welfare.

Cost
$50 processing fee to the Michigan State Police with the fingerprint card.

Law: MCL 780.621d(9)

Destruction of fingerprints and arrest card after a non-conviction (MCL 28.243)

The court completes form MC 235 (Motion for Destruction of Biometric Data and Arrest Card), the judge signs it, and it is sent to the Michigan State Police CJIC (fax 517-241-0866 or P.O. Box 30266, Lansing, MI 48909-7766).

Court self-help

Checklist: what to gather before you file

Records that are not eligible in Michigan

  • Application to Set Aside Conviction(s) (MCL 780.621): Felonies punishable by life (or attempts); CSC 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree and assault with intent to commit CSC; CSC 4th degree on or after Jan. 12, 2015; second-degree child abuse; abuse of a vulnerable adult; child sexually abusive material/activity; using a computer to commit certain crimes; any OWI except one first offense; traffic offenses causing injury or death or committed in a commercial vehicle; felony domestic violence with a prior DV misdemeanor; human trafficking and terrorism offenses. You must have no pending charges and no new conviction during the waiting period.
  • Destruction of fingerprints and arrest card after a non-conviction (MCL 28.243): Cases dismissed under deferral programs such as MCL 333.7411 (drug), 762.14 (HYTA), 769.4a (spouse abuse), 750.350a, 750.430, and drug, veterans or mental-health treatment courts.

Law: MCL 780.621, 780.621b, 780.621c, 780.621d; MCL 28.243

What you can say afterwards

After a set-aside you are considered not previously convicted for most purposes, and anyone (other than you or a victim) who knowingly shares or uses information about it can be charged with a misdemeanor. Exceptions: the State Police keep a nonpublic record for courts, police, prosecutors, the Department of Corrections and judicial-branch licensing (such as the State Bar); it can count for charging repeat offenses and sentencing; sex-offender registration duties continue; fines and restitution are not erased; traffic offenses stay on your driving record.

Law: MCL 780.622, 780.623, 780.621c(5)

Get your own record in Michigan

Michigan State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center (CJIC) · 517-241-0606

Public convictions: search ICHAT online (does not show juvenile cases). Full personal record (including nonpublic set-aside convictions): get fingerprinted on card RI-008 (FD-258 if out of state), add a cover letter, and mail it with a $30 check or money order payable to the State of Michigan to MSP CJIC, P.O. Box 30266, Lansing, MI 48909-7766; allow 3-5 weeks.

Letter: ask the state records office for a copy of your record

In nearby states

  • Wisconsin: No fee.
  • Ohio: No filing fee to seal a dismissal, not-guilty or no-bill case (Ohio Legal Help).
  • Indiana: No filing fee.

Steps to file in Michigan

  1. Collect what you need

    Gather the papers for each case before you start. Checklist: what to gather before you file.

  3. File and serve

    File the petition with the clerk and follow the court's rules for notice to the prosecutor.

Where to get free help in Michigan

Questions about filing in Michigan

How long do I have to wait in Michigan?

Misdemeanor (not a serious misdemeanor, assaultive crime or OWI): 3 years, counted from the last of: sentencing, end of jail, or end of probation; Serious misdemeanor(s) or one first-offense OWI: 5 years, counted from the last of: sentencing, end of probation, discharge from parole, or end of imprisonment; One felony: 5 years, counted from the last of: sentencing, end of probation, discharge from parole, or end of imprisonment; More than one felony: 7 years, counted from the last of: sentencing, end of felony probation, discharge from parole, or end of imprisonment.

What is the filing fee in Michigan?

Application to Set Aside Conviction(s): $50 processing fee to the Michigan State Police with the fingerprint card.

How can I see my Michigan record?

Public convictions: search ICHAT online (does not show juvenile cases). Full personal record (including nonpublic set-aside convictions): get fingerprinted on card RI-008 (FD-258 if out of state), add a cover letter, and mail it with a $30 check or money order payable to the State of Michigan to MSP CJIC, P.O. Box 30266, Lansing, MI 48909-7766; allow 3-5 weeks.

Is there free help to clear a record in Michigan?

Michigan Legal Help (statewide self-help and legal aid finder) and Michigan Attorney General expungement fairs.

Related Michigan pages