St. Clair County Inmate Population
St. Clair County inmate population records are maintained by the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office in Port Huron, which operates the county jail at 1170 Michigan Road along the Lake Huron shoreline. This page explains how to search for current and recent inmates in custody, how to use Michigan's OTIS and VINELink tools, what contact information you need, and how public records laws give you access to booking and custody data in this southeastern Michigan county.
St. Clair County Overview
St. Clair County Jail and Inmate Population
The St. Clair County Jail sits at 1170 Michigan Road in Port Huron. The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office runs the facility and handles all detention, booking, and records for county inmates. Port Huron is the county seat and the largest city in the county. The jail holds people arrested in St. Clair County who are awaiting arraignment or trial, as well as those serving shorter sentences at the county level.
St. Clair County occupies the southeastern corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, running along Lake Huron and the Canadian border. Its location near the Blue Water International Bridge connecting Port Huron to Sarnia, Ontario means law enforcement activity sometimes involves federal agencies. The county's 31st Circuit Court handles felony matters, while district courts manage lower-level criminal cases. Both court systems generate records that link to the jail's inmate population data.
When a person sentenced to a Michigan state prison is transferred from the St. Clair County Jail, they leave the local system and become part of the Michigan Department of Corrections population. At that point, local jail records no longer apply and you need to search through OTIS to find them.
Note: St. Clair County's proximity to the Canadian border occasionally results in federal detainees being held at other facilities rather than the county jail.
Searching St. Clair County Inmate Records
To find out if someone is currently held at the St. Clair County Jail, contact the Sheriff's Office directly at (810) 987-1700. Staff can check custody status by name. Having a full legal name and date of birth ready makes the search faster and more accurate. The St. Clair County website at stclaircounty.org may also provide links to additional resources or updates about the jail and sheriff's office services.
For people who have been sentenced and transferred to a Michigan state prison, use the free OTIS search at mdocweb.state.mi.us. OTIS covers all active and recently released state inmates. You can search by name or by MDOC number. Results include the facility where the person is held, their earliest release date, and a photograph when available.
Court records for St. Clair County criminal cases are searchable through the MiCOURT portal at courts.michigan.gov. This system shows charges, bond conditions, upcoming hearing dates, and case status. Court records and jail records are separate but often used together to build a full picture of someone's legal situation.
St. Clair County Sheriff's Office Contact
The Sheriff's Office is your primary point of contact for all inmate population questions in St. Clair County. Use the details below for custody checks, visitation questions, and records requests.
| Office | St. Clair County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Jail Address | 1170 Michigan Road, Port Huron, MI 48060 |
| Phone | (810) 987-1700 |
| County Website | stclaircounty.org |
| State Inmate Search | OTIS - Michigan MDOC |
| Court Records | MiCOURT Case Search |
When contacting the sheriff's office about an inmate, have their full legal name and ideally a date of birth ready. This helps staff locate the correct record, especially when the person has a common name. For certified booking documents or official custody reports, a written records request may be needed.
VINELink Custody Notifications in St. Clair County
VINELink provides automated custody status alerts at no cost. If you need to know when a specific person is released, transferred, or moved, you can register with VINELink and choose to receive alerts by phone, email, or text. The system is available 24 hours a day. Call 1-800-770-7657 or sign up at vinelink.com.
VINELink covers the St. Clair County Jail and all Michigan state MDOC facilities. Your registration is confidential. The person in custody does not receive any notification that you signed up. This is especially useful for crime victims and family members who want ongoing updates without having to call the jail each time there is a change.
Note: VINELink relies on data from the jail's booking system. There may be a short lag between a custody change and when the alert is sent.
VINELink Victim Notification System
The VINELink notification platform allows anyone connected to a case in St. Clair County to register for automatic alerts when custody status changes at the local jail or at a state MDOC facility.
Sign up takes just a few minutes online, and the service is free. Alerts are sent to your phone, email, or both, depending on your preference settings.
State Inmate Search Through Michigan OTIS
The Michigan Department of Corrections operates the Offender Tracking Information System. OTIS shows every person currently housed in a Michigan state prison, along with many who have been released. If a St. Clair County resident was convicted of a felony and transferred to state custody, OTIS is where you find them. Search by name at mdocweb.state.mi.us.
The main Michigan DOC page at michigan.gov/corrections has facility-level details, policies, and program information. It is also the place to go if you need to contact a specific state prison where someone from St. Clair County is housed.
Requesting St. Clair County Jail Records Under Michigan FOIA
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to ask for records from the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office. The relevant statute is MCL 15.231. Under that law, the sheriff's office has five business days to respond to a written records request. They can extend by five more days in certain circumstances. The office may charge a fee for copying and staff time.
Submit your request in writing to the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office at 1170 Michigan Road, Port Huron, MI 48060. Be specific: name the records you want, the person they concern, and the date range. If any portion of your request is denied, the office must identify the FOIA exemption it is using. Jail authority in Michigan is established under MCL 801.1, and jail condition standards fall under MCL 800.31.
St. Clair County Court Records
The 31st Circuit Court handles felony cases in St. Clair County, and several district courts cover misdemeanor and civil matters. Court records are not the same as jail records, but they show charges, bond amounts, court dates, and outcomes. The MiCOURT portal at courts.michigan.gov gives you free access to search by name or case number.
Combining a court record search with a jail roster inquiry gives you a more complete view of why someone is in custody and what the legal process looks like going forward. This is helpful for family members, attorneys, and anyone who needs to understand the current status of a criminal case in St. Clair County.
Cities in St. Clair County
Port Huron is the county seat and the largest city in St. Clair County. Other communities include Marysville, St. Clair, Yale, and Algonac, but none of these cities reach the population threshold for a dedicated inmate population page. For the full list of qualifying Michigan cities, visit the cities directory.
Nearby Counties
These counties border St. Clair County. If you are unsure which county holds a person in custody, check where the arrest took place to determine the right jurisdiction.