Top Choice
Instant Checkmate
Criminal-record and social-profile search option.
View Records Sponsored partner optionWhat should you know about this search?
Direct answer
For a Michigan online criminal background check, ICHAT is the official public name-based starting point. It searches Michigan public criminal-history information, not a national repository. If the purpose requires fingerprint identification or the subject needs a fuller review of their own Michigan file, use the Michigan State Police fingerprint process instead of treating ICHAT as interchangeable.
ICHAT answers a Michigan public-history question, not every criminal-history question
Michigan State Police describes ICHAT as the public doorway into criminal-history information held by its Criminal Justice Information Center. Felony and qualifying misdemeanor information reported by Michigan agencies may appear, but the public search intentionally omits several categories. That published boundary matters more than the convenience of an instant name search.
A result therefore should be read as “public Michigan repository information found for these identifiers,” not as proof that the person has no federal case, no record in another state, no tribal matter, no juvenile history, or no sealed or otherwise nonpublic entry. When a decision depends on one of those layers, the search plan must add the correct source rather than stretching ICHAT beyond its scope.
Michigan routes differ by identity method and disclosure level
| Michigan route | Identity basis | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ICHAT public search | Name and personal identifiers | Public Michigan criminal-history information available through MSP. |
| Fingerprint-authorized check | Submitted fingerprints | Biometric match for a purpose permitted or required by the applicable rule. |
| Personal fingerprint review | Subject fingerprints | A self-review path that can expose public and nonpublic Michigan history associated with the fingerprints. |
| Court follow-up | Case identifiers from the repository result | Underlying docket or disposition detail from the court that owns the case file. |
A safer Michigan lookup sequence
1
Name the use before searchingSeparate personal research, personal record review, and a regulated fingerprint requirement.2
Use ICHAT for the public state layerEnter accurate identifiers and treat same-name results as candidates until identity is supported.3
Switch methods when fingerprints are requiredFollow the requesting agency or MSP instructions rather than reusing a public ICHAT result.4
Verify consequential cases at the courtUse the case-owning court for the current disposition, filing details or record copy when the repository summary matters to a decision.Three Michigan mistakes to avoid
Coverage
Do not call ICHAT nationwide
Its published exclusions include federal and out-of-state records.
Identity
Do not equate a name match with biometric confirmation
Fingerprint review exists precisely because identity method can change confidence.
Purpose
Do not reuse one product for every screening use
Authorized fingerprint programs and personal review have different rules from public ICHAT access.