Does the conviction appear at all?
If something you expected to be there isn't — it may have been set aside, or there may be a name-match issue. Both are worth understanding before you assume anything.
MICHIGAN RECORD CHECK GUIDE
How to Check Your Official Michigan Criminal Record
Michigan's ICHAT system — the Internet Criminal History Access Tool — is where you go to see your official Michigan criminal history. It's the same database that official Michigan background checks draw from. Checking it is the single most useful thing you can do before making decisions about disclosure, before disputing anything, or before assuming your record is or isn't clear.
This guide walks you through the process step by step: what you're looking for, what you'll find, and what different results mean.
What ICHAT Is — and Isn't
ICHAT is operated by the Michigan State Police. When you check it, you're seeing your official Michigan criminal history record — the same one used for most Michigan-specific official background checks.
What it shows: Convictions that are part of your official Michigan State Police record. Set-aside notations, if a conviction has been cleared. The dates and statuses of convictions as they currently appear in the system.
What it doesn't show: Arrests that didn't lead to conviction, in most cases. Juvenile records, in most cases. Records from other states. Federal records. Traffic infractions below certain thresholds.
What it can't tell you: What private background check companies currently show about you. Whether a private database has been updated to reflect a set-aside. What a specific employer's screening service is accessing.
ICHAT is one piece of the picture — and the most important one to start with.
It tells you what your official Michigan record currently shows. That is what you can act on, dispute, or rely on. Everything else comes after.
Before You Check — Know What You're Looking For
Going into ICHAT without knowing what to look for leads to misinterpretation. Most people scan for whether a record exists and stop there. That's not enough. Here's what actually matters.
If it appears — what is the status notation?
Look specifically for any language indicating "Set Aside," "Expunged," or similar wording near the record. That notation is what a successful set-aside looks like in the system.
If no set-aside notation appears
Don't assume the worst. This may mean the record is in queue for processing, the waiting period hasn't been fully reached, or there's a question about eligibility. The absence of a set-aside notation is not a final determination.
Dates matter — and conviction date is not sentence completion date.
Your eligibility waiting period runs from when your sentence was fully completed — not from your conviction date. These are frequently different, and confusing them leads people to wrong conclusions about their eligibility timeline.
THE PROCESS
Step by Step
Go to apps.michigan.gov/ichat
Navigate to Michigan's official ICHAT site. You're looking for the public access option — the tool that allows individuals to check their own record.
Select "Criminal History Request"
From the available options, select the individual record request. You are checking your own record. This is the standard public access path.
Enter your information carefully
Use your full legal name exactly as it appears on court documents — not a nickname, not an informal version. Use your date of birth. If you have ever been known by a different name or spelling, consider running a second search. Exact matches matter here.
Pay the access fee
Michigan charges a small state-set fee to access official records (currently a few dollars). This is normal and expected. It is the state's access fee — not a sign that something is wrong. You'll need a card to complete the transaction.
Review your results using this guide
Once results appear, use the interpretation section below to understand exactly what you're looking at. Do not skim. Do not panic. Read each record individually.
What Different Results Mean
"No records found"
Three possibilities: (1) no Michigan criminal history exists under the information you provided, (2) a conviction has been fully set aside and removed from the public-access record, or (3) your name or date combination didn't match exactly.
If you know a conviction should be there and it isn't showing — that is generally a positive sign, but verify before acting on it. Try searching under any name variations before assuming. If it genuinely isn't there after correct searches, proceed as if the set-aside has completed.
Record appears with "Set Aside" notation
This is what a completed set-aside looks like in the system. The conviction remains accessible to law enforcement — it doesn't disappear from the database entirely — but it is flagged as set aside. For most employment, housing, and licensing purposes, this is functionally the same as cleared. You can generally answer "no" on most applications that ask about convictions.
One important gap: this notation in Michigan's official system does not automatically update private background check companies. Those are separate databases on their own update schedules. Read the guide on private background check companies after you finish here.
Record appears without any set-aside notation
Don't assume this means you don't qualify or that nothing is happening. This status could mean: (1) the conviction isn't yet eligible based on waiting periods, (2) it's eligible but the Michigan State Police hasn't yet processed it — the automatic system runs on a schedule, and there's a gap between eligibility and processing, or (3) there is a question about eligibility for this specific record.
Before drawing any conclusion: check whether your waiting period has fully elapsed using the conviction date and your sentence completion date. If you believe the waiting period has passed and no action has occurred, that's worth investigating further — starting with the quiz on this site.
Multiple records appear
Read each one individually. Different convictions may have different statuses. A set-aside notation on one conviction doesn't affect the status of others. The picture is only complete when you've accounted for each record separately.
If you have multiple convictions and the statuses are unclear or inconsistent, that's a situation where more precise guidance is useful. The quiz on this site is designed to help sort through exactly this kind of complexity.
Common Mistakes When Reading ICHAT
"I saw my name in the system and panicked."
ICHAT results look alarming if you're not expecting the format. The presentation is clinical and designed for law enforcement use, not for the people whose records are being shown. What matters is not that a record exists — it's what the status of each record is. Seeing your name here is not the result. Reading the status is.
"I thought 'set aside' meant the record was completely gone."
Set aside means the conviction has been removed from public-access records and flagged in the system. It is not deleted from existence. Law enforcement retains access. Certain professional licensing boards have access under specific circumstances. But for most employers, landlords, and standard background checks — a properly set-aside record on the official Michigan system is not accessible.
"The record showed set aside on ICHAT, but my employer's background check still showed it."
This is the private database problem, and it is one of the most common — and most painful — experiences for people who have had their records cleared. ICHAT and the background-check services employers use are different systems. Your official record being set aside does not automatically update private company databases. Those companies collected your record at some point in the past and update it on their own schedules. This is a separate problem with a separate solution. Read the guide on private background check companies.
"My name wasn't in the system at all, and I know something should be there."
First, check that you entered your information exactly as it appears on official court documents. Spelling variations and middle names matter. If it genuinely isn't there after accurate searches — that's usually a good sign, but confirm it before acting on it. It may mean the set-aside has completed, or there may be a record-keeping issue worth clarifying.
YOUR NEXT STEP
What to Do With What You Found
→ Record shows a "Set Aside" notation
Your official Michigan record reflects the set-aside. Now the question is what private databases may still show. Read: Why Your Record Still Appears Online →
→ Record appears without a set-aside notation
The set-aside may be pending, or there may be a question about eligibility. Understanding where your waiting period stands is the next step. Take the quiz → to get a clearer picture of your pathway.
→ No record found
Verify it's not a name-match issue. If it's genuinely not there, the set-aside has likely completed. Read: What "Set Aside" Actually Does and Doesn't Do →
→ Multiple records, unclear status
Read each record individually against the interpretation framework above. If it's still unclear, take the quiz → — it's designed to sort through exactly this kind of complexity.
Still have questions about what you found?
The quiz on this site is built to help you understand which Michigan expungement pathways may apply to your specific situation. It takes about four minutes.