Chippewa County Recent Bookings
Chippewa County recent bookings are available through the sheriff's office in Sault Ste. Marie. Unlike many smaller Michigan counties, Chippewa County offers an online inmate search with photos. Sheriff Mike Bitnar's office runs the jail and posts booking data that you can look up from home. The facility holds up to 178 inmates on a given day. This page covers how to search Chippewa County recent bookings online, by phone, and through FOIA requests. Whether you need current custody info or older records, the tools here will help.
Chippewa County Overview
Chippewa County Sheriff's Office
The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office is at 325 Court Street in Sault Ste. Marie. Sheriff Mike Bitnar leads the department. The corrections division runs the jail and handles all bookings. You can call the jail at 906-635-7620 or the sheriff's office at 906-635-6355. The fax number is 906-635-6336.
Chippewa County sits at the eastern tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Sault Ste. Marie is the county seat and the largest city. The jail processes arrests from across the county, including those made by state troopers, city police, and tribal law enforcement. Each booking generates a record with the person's name, charges, bail amount, and a photo. Chippewa County is one of the few smaller Michigan counties that posts mugshots online as part of its inmate search system.
| Address | 325 Court Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 |
|---|---|
| Corrections/Jail | 906-635-7620 |
| Sheriff's Office | 906-635-6355 |
| Fax | 906-635-6336 |
| Sheriff | Mike Bitnar |
Chippewa County Online Inmate Search
Chippewa County has an online inmate search. This is a big deal in the Upper Peninsula, where many counties only offer phone inquiries. The Chippewa County Sheriff's website lets you look up who is currently in custody.
To search, you need the person's full legal name. You can also try a date of birth or booking number. The results show the booking number, full name, photo, charges, and bail amount. Mugshots are included for most bookings. This is free to use and available around the clock. The data updates as new bookings come in and people are released.
For broader searches, the Michigan ICHAT system costs $10 and covers statewide conviction records. The MDOC OTIS portal is free and shows state prison inmates. VINELink at vinelink.com offers free custody change alerts for any Michigan county.
Note: The online search shows current inmates only; for older booking records, submit a FOIA request to the sheriff's office.
Booking Records and FOIA in Chippewa County
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL 15.231 gives the public a right to government records. Chippewa County booking logs, arrest reports, and jail intake data all qualify. To get copies, file a written FOIA request with the sheriff's office.
Send your request to 325 Court Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. Describe the records you need. Include names, dates, and any booking numbers you know. The county must respond within five business days. An extension of up to ten more days is allowed for large or difficult requests. Fees follow the standard Michigan schedule: copies cost $0.07 to $0.25 per page and labor is billed in 15-minute blocks. If you can show financial hardship, the first $20 in fees may be waived.
Some records are exempt. MCL 15.243 protects medical data, mental health screening results, and information that could risk jail security. Active investigation files may also be held back. But basic booking facts, the name, date, charges, bond, and mugshot, are public in Chippewa County. Michigan case law (Patterson v. Allegan County Sheriff) confirmed that booking photos are public records.
Statewide Search Tools
Beyond the Chippewa County inmate search, Michigan offers several state-run databases. The MDOC OTIS system tracks everyone in state prison, on parole, or on probation. It is free and open to the public. Use it if you think someone was transferred from the Chippewa County jail to a state facility.
The CLEMIS Inmate Locator, shown above, covers Oakland County and nearby areas. It does not include Chippewa County, but it shows how some Michigan counties handle online searches. The Statewide Records Management System connects law enforcement across the state. The Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center in Lansing oversees reporting from all 83 counties under MCL 28.241.
The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is free and lets you search by name, county, or zip code. Clean Slate legislation that took effect in April 2023 may affect older conviction records in systems like ICHAT, but it does not change current booking data in Chippewa County.
Chippewa County sits near the Canadian border. The Sault Ste. Marie area sees a good amount of cross-border activity. Border-related arrests are handled differently depending on whether federal or state charges are filed. Federal cases go through the U.S. District Court system and will not appear in the county jail search. State charges, though, show up in the Chippewa County booking system just like any other arrest. MCL 750.491 governs records retention for all Michigan public bodies. Court records follow a separate process under MCL 600.880. Both affect how long Chippewa County keeps booking data on file and who can access it.
Cities in Chippewa County
Chippewa County includes Sault Ste. Marie, Kinross, and several smaller townships. All arrests are processed through the county jail on Court Street. None of the cities in Chippewa County have their own pages on this site.
Nearby Counties
Chippewa County borders several other Upper Peninsula counties. If an arrest happened near a county line, check these neighboring jails too.