Oakland County Recent Bookings

Oakland County recent bookings are tracked through one of the most advanced jail systems in Michigan. The county runs the CLEMIS Inmate Locator, which lets you search for current inmates by name or booking number. With a jail that holds more than 1,400 people, Oakland County processes a high volume of arrests each day. The Sheriff's Office in Pontiac keeps all booking data and makes most of it available to the public online. You can also file a FOIA request for records that are not posted on the web.

Oakland County CLEMIS Inmate Search

The main way to look up recent bookings in Oakland County is through the CLEMIS Inmate Locator. CLEMIS stands for Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information System. It is run by Oakland County and covers many police departments in the region. The tool shows mugshots, charges, bond amounts, and housing locations for current inmates.

To search, go to the CLEMIS Inmate Locator and type in a last name. You can also add a first name or booking number to narrow your results. The system updates as new bookings come in. It only shows people who are in custody right now. Once someone is released, their record drops off the live search. If you need past booking data, you will have to file a FOIA request with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

The Access Oakland Inmate Search portal is another way to find Oakland County booking records. This tool is tied to the same jail data but has a slightly different interface. Both tools are free to use and do not need an account.

The CLEMIS system is used by more than 100 law enforcement agencies across Oakland County. This means bookings from Troy, Southfield, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, and Waterford Township all feed into the same system. You can search all of them from one place.

Note: CLEMIS only shows current inmates and does not include people who have been released or transferred to state prison.

Oakland County Jail Facility

The Oakland County Jail sits at 1200 N Telegraph Road in Pontiac. It is one of the biggest jail facilities in Michigan. The main building has a second floor that holds about 440 inmates in maximum security and general population units. The intake area can process 109 people at a time through holding tanks and observation cells. A 24/7 medical clinic with seven single cells serves inmates who need care.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office provides details about their corrections division on the county website. The page covers jail services, inmate programs, and contact numbers for the facility.

The Annex was added in 1989 and holds 487 inmates using a direct supervision model. Officers are housed within the living areas rather than behind glass. The East Annex opened in 2022 and added 398 more beds. Together, these three sections give Oakland County a total capacity of roughly 1,400 inmates.

How Oakland County Bookings Work

When someone is arrested in Oakland County, they are brought to the jail on Telegraph Road. The intake process starts right away. Staff collect personal info, take a booking photo, and record the charges. A booking number is assigned to each person. This number is different from a court case number, which comes later.

The booking record for Oakland County includes the person's name, date of birth, address, charges, bond amount, and the agency that made the arrest. Mugshots are taken during intake and posted to the CLEMIS system. Under Michigan law, booking photos are public records. The court case from Patterson v. Allegan County Sheriff confirmed that mugshots fall under FOIA rules and must be released when asked for.

Most people booked into Oakland County see a judge within 24 to 48 hours for arraignment. At that point, bond is set and the charges are formally filed. Bond amounts show up in the CLEMIS search results. If someone posts bond, they are released and their record is removed from the live inmate list.

Oakland County Booking Records and FOIA

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, found at MCL 15.231 through 15.246, gives the public the right to request government records. This includes jail booking records, arrest logs, and mugshots. Oakland County must respond to FOIA requests within five business days.

To file a FOIA request for Oakland County booking records, send your request to the Records Division at 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Building 38E, Pontiac, MI 48341. You can also email ocsorecords@oakgov.com. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. There is a $5 fee for criminal record checks, and you need an appointment.

Copy fees in Oakland County are $0.10 per page. The labor rate for staff time to search and retrieve records is $19.18 per hour, billed in 15-minute chunks. If the total cost is over $50, you may need to pay a 50% deposit before they start. People with low income can ask for the first $20 in fees to be waived by filing an Affidavit of Indigency.

Some records are exempt from FOIA. Under MCL 15.243, information that could put facility security at risk, medical records, and details from active investigations may be held back. Juvenile records are also not available to the public.

Other Ways to Search Oakland County Records

Beyond the CLEMIS tool, there are state-level databases that cover Oakland County. The Michigan State Police run ICHAT, which searches conviction records across all 83 Michigan counties. It costs $10 per search and shows felonies and serious misdemeanors. ICHAT does not show current jail bookings or pending charges.

The Michigan Department of Corrections runs OTIS, which tracks state prison inmates, parolees, and probationers. OTIS is free but only covers people sentenced to more than one year. It does not include county jail inmates. If someone was convicted in Oakland County and sent to state prison, you can find them through OTIS.

VINELink is another free tool. It lets victims register for alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. You can search by name or ID number. VINELink covers Oakland County and most other Michigan jails. The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is also free and searchable by name, city, county, or zip code.

Note: ICHAT only shows convictions, not arrests or bookings, so it is best used for background checks rather than finding recent booking information.

Oakland County Jail Visitation and Services

Oakland County offers video visitation for inmates. Both onsite and remote visits are available. You need to register and schedule through Securus Technologies. Remote visits let you connect from home, which saves a trip to the jail. Fees for remote visits typically run $0.25 to $0.50 per minute.

The jail uses a digital mail system. Physical mail is scanned and delivered to inmates electronically. This cuts down on contraband and speeds up delivery. If you want to send a letter to someone booked in Oakland County, check the current mail policy before sending anything. Rules change from time to time.

Oakland County also uses direct supervision in its Annex facilities. This means officers work inside the housing units alongside inmates. The model is designed to reduce conflicts and keep the facility calmer. The main building still uses a more traditional layout with officers stationed behind control points.

Cities in Oakland County

Oakland County has several large cities. All arrests in these cities are processed through the Oakland County Jail and show up in the CLEMIS system.

Other communities like Pontiac, Royal Oak, Birmingham, and Novi also use the Oakland County jail system for bookings.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Oakland County. If you are looking for someone who was arrested near the county line, check the neighboring county's jail records too.