Benzie County Recent Bookings

Benzie County recent bookings come through the Sheriff's Office and jail in Beulah, a small town in northwest lower Michigan. This county has roughly 18,000 residents and sits along the Lake Michigan shoreline near Traverse City. Sheriff Kyle Rosa leads the department. The jail has mugshots available for booked inmates. There is no public-facing online roster, but you can call the booking window at 231-882-4484 for current custody info. Filing a FOIA request is the formal way to get detailed records. State databases like VINELink and ICHAT round out your search options for Benzie County booking data.

Benzie County Sheriff's Office

The Benzie County Sheriff's Office is at 505 S. Michigan Avenue in Beulah. Sheriff Kyle Rosa runs the department. The jail is at the same address. Beulah is a tiny town near Crystal Lake, about 30 miles southwest of Traverse City. The county runs along the Lake Michigan coast and draws a lot of seasonal visitors.

The Sheriff's Office handles all bookings for the county. When someone is arrested by any local law enforcement agency in Benzie County, they end up at this jail for processing. Each booking creates a record with the person's name, charges, bond, and a mugshot. Benzie County does take booking photos and they are available upon request. Call the booking window at 231-882-4484 to ask about current inmates. The jail control line is 231-882-0052.

To find someone who may have been recently booked, give staff the person's legal name and date of birth. They can tell you the custody status and release date if one has been set. A booking number speeds up the search if you have it.

The Michigan Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered offenders in Benzie County at no cost.

Searching Benzie County Bookings

Call first. Dial 231-882-4484 and ask about the person by name. Provide a date of birth or booking number if you have one. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody, what charges they face, and if a release date is set. The jail takes calls at all hours.

VINELink at vinelink.com is a free statewide tool that covers Michigan county jails including Benzie. You can search by name and get custody status. Register for alerts if you want to know the moment someone is released or transferred.

For criminal history searches, ICHAT from the Michigan State Police costs $10 at apps.michigan.gov/ichat. It pulls conviction data from all 83 Michigan counties under MCL 28.241. ICHAT shows felonies and misdemeanors carrying more than 93 days of jail time. It does not show pending charges or current jail status. The MDOC OTIS portal at michigan.gov/corrections/offender-search covers state prison inmates only.

Note: Mugshots are available for Benzie County bookings but are not posted online.

Benzie County Booking Records via FOIA

Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231), you can request copies of booking records from the Benzie County Sheriff. Send a written request to 505 S. Michigan Avenue, Beulah, MI 49617. Include your full name, contact details, and a clear description of the records you want. Dates and names help narrow the search.

The county must respond within 5 business days. An extension of up to 10 more days is allowed for complex requests. Copy fees are about $0.10 per page. Labor charges may apply for time-consuming searches. Low-income requesters can have the first $20 waived with an indigency affidavit. Mugshots are public records in Michigan as confirmed by Patterson v. Allegan County Sheriff. Medical info, mental health data, and security-sensitive details are exempt under MCL 15.243.

If the Sheriff denies your request, they must cite the specific statutory exemption. You can appeal the decision to the head of the public body or file a lawsuit in circuit court. Michigan FOIA gives you 180 days from the date of denial to file a court challenge.

Benzie County and State Records

Criminal records from Benzie County arrests flow into several state-level systems. The Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center at P.O. Box 30266, Lansing, MI 48909-7766 collects conviction data from all counties. Their phone number is 517-284-6057. All courts and law enforcement agencies must report felonies and serious misdemeanors to this center under MCL 28.243.

The Statewide Records Management System (SRMS) at michigan.gov/msp/le/srms is an information-sharing tool with over 35 modules for law enforcement and jail facilities. The public cannot access SRMS directly, but the data within it may be obtainable through FOIA requests to the relevant agency. Benzie County law enforcement uses this system to share booking and arrest data with agencies across the state.

The seasonal nature of Benzie County matters for bookings. Summer and fall bring tourists to the Lake Michigan beaches and Sleeping Bear Dunes area. That can mean more arrests for things like drunk driving and disorderly conduct during peak months. The jail handles these seasonal spikes alongside the usual local caseload. If you are searching for a recent booking during the busy season, the jail may be processing more people than usual.

Court records from Benzie County criminal cases go through the 19th Circuit Court for felonies and the 85th District Court for misdemeanors. Under MCL 600.880, these are generally public records. The Sex Offender Registry at michigan.gov is free and shows registered offenders in Benzie County by name, address, or zip code.

Nearby Counties

Benzie County is in northwest lower Michigan near Traverse City. These neighboring counties may process arrests from the area as well.