14A District Court Overview
The 14A District Court is a countywide district court for Washtenaw with four service locations. It handles misdemeanors, traffic and civil infractions, landlord-tenant, small claims, and most lower civil cases for the parts of the county not served by the 15th District Court (Ann Arbor) or the 14B District Court (Ypsilanti Township). The court's general info page sits at washtenaw.org/1026.
The 14A District Court is also the local clerk team for these district matters. As Michigan splits clerk duties between the County Clerk (acting as Clerk of the Circuit Court for circuit work) and the district court clerks (for district work), the 14A clerk staff handles the district court records side of the county.
14A District Court Locations
The four 14A service locations split coverage across the county. The image below is from the official 14A locations page.
The 14A locations page at washtenaw.org/1035 lists each spot and the cities and townships each one serves. The contact page is also useful.
The contacts page at washtenaw.org/1409 lists phone routes for each 14A office.
| Court | Location | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 14A-1 | 4133 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 | Pittsfield Township; general civil, landlord-tenant, and small claims for Pittsfield, Augusta, Superior, Barton Hills, and Ypsilanti listed jurisdictions |
| 14A-2 | Downtown Ypsilanti | City of Ypsilanti and Eastern Michigan University plus listed surrounding jurisdictions; criminal misdemeanor and traffic |
| 14A-3 | Downtown Chelsea | Chelsea, Dexter-area townships, Northfield, Scio, Sylvan, Webster, Village of Dexter; criminal misdemeanor and traffic. Closed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday per the 14A general info page. |
| 14A-4 | City of Saline | Saline, Milan, Bridgewater, Freedom, Lodi, Manchester, Sharon, York, Village of Manchester; criminal misdemeanor and traffic |
Other Washtenaw District Courts
Two other district courts serve parts of Washtenaw County. They are not part of 14A. They run their own dockets and have their own clerks.
- 15th District Court - Located in Ann Arbor; handles district matters inside the city of Ann Arbor.
- 14B District Court - Located in Ypsilanti Township; handles district matters inside Ypsilanti Township.
If a case sits in one of those courts, the 14A District Court tools will not find it. Check the city or township court website for the local docket route.
District Court Jurisdiction
District court jurisdiction in Michigan is set out by statute. The image below shows the civil jurisdiction statute.
MCL 600.8301 sets the civil jurisdiction limit. MCL 600.8351 sets the criminal jurisdiction, shown below.
Small claims sits in district court under a separate statute. The image below shows the small claims statute.
MCL 600.8412 sets the small claims limit. Civil infractions sit under MCL 600.8701 and follow a separate process from criminal cases.
14A District Court Case Types
The 14A District Court handles a wide mix of cases. Each one has its own filing path and its own docket. The list below covers the main case types.
- Misdemeanors charged under state law.
- Local ordinance criminal cases tied to the cities and townships the court serves.
- Felony preliminary work: arraignment and preliminary examination before bindover to the 22nd Circuit.
- Traffic and civil infraction cases.
- Landlord-tenant summary proceedings.
- Small claims cases up to the statutory limit.
- General civil cases within district-court limits.
District Court vs Circuit Court vs Probate Court
The three Washtenaw trial courts handle different work. The table below sets out the splits.
| Feature | 14A District Court | 22nd Circuit Court | Probate Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal scope | Misdemeanors; felony preliminary work | Felonies after bindover | None directly; mental health matters |
| Civil scope | Up to statutory limit; landlord-tenant; small claims | Above district-court limit | None directly; conservator and guardian work |
| Traffic scope | Tickets and civil infractions | None; DUI/DWI moves up only when charged as felony | None |
| Family scope | Some PPO duties | Divorce, custody, support, juvenile | Some juvenile work in mental health |
| Appeals up | 22nd Circuit Court | Michigan Court of Appeals | 22nd Circuit Court |
Requesting 14A Court Records
The 14A District Court runs its own record request route. The image below shows the request page.
The page at washtenaw.org/4556 links case lookup, dockets, Online Warrant Review, online traffic review, and online payment. Most 14A users start here for any record-related task.
For older 14A files not in the online portal, visit or call the matching service location. Bring or quote the case number for the fastest counter service.
Searching 14A District Court Records
The MiCOURT route for 14A is the state's main search route. The Trial Court Public Access portal does not always include 14A; use MiCOURT for D14A files. The 14A docket calendar is at washtenaw.org/1062.
- Open MiCOURT D14A for a 14A District Court case.
- Search by case number or by last name and first name.
- Open the case and read the docket.
- Note the next hearing date, the judge or magistrate, and any bond status.
- Visit the matching 14A service location for documents not online.
ADA, Sobriety Court, and Zoom Hearings
The 14A District Court general info page links several specific resources. ADA accommodation requests should be submitted to Court Administration as far in advance of the proceeding as possible. Zoom hearing instructions are linked from the same page. The 14A Sobriety Court is the court's problem-solving court for eligible alcohol or drug substance-related misdemeanors.
The general info page also links interpreter resources, the media guide, prohibited items at security, and other operational details.
Landlord-Tenant in the 14A District Court
Landlord-tenant work in Washtenaw runs through the 14A District Court for areas the court serves. Summary proceedings cover eviction for nonpayment of rent, end of term, and other grounds under Michigan law. The matching 14A service location handles these cases for its coverage zone.
Tenants in a Washtenaw eviction case can request a court hearing, raise defenses, and ask about payment plans or alternatives. The Public Defender's office does not typically take civil eviction cases, but several local legal aid resources do. Always check the deadlines on a summons before any hearing date.
Landlords filing an eviction need to follow Michigan's notice rules first. The wrong notice period can sink the case. The 14A small claims and civil counter staff cannot give legal advice but can point parties to the right SCAO forms.
Small Claims in the 14A District Court
Small claims is a simplified civil track in district court. Parties usually represent themselves. The dollar limit is set in MCL 600.8412. Cases that go over the limit need to be filed as regular civil cases or scaled down.
Small claims forms come from the SCAO library at courts.michigan.gov/scao-forms. The 14A counter staff can help with the filing process but cannot give legal advice. The other side can ask to move a small claims case to the regular civil track in some situations.
Traffic and Civil Infractions
Traffic and civil infraction cases sit in the 14A District Court for most of Washtenaw County. Civil infractions follow a separate, lighter process than criminal cases. MCL 600.8701 sets the rules. Many cases are handled by mail, online payment, or a single court appearance.
The 14A online resources page links online traffic review at washtenaw.org/4556. The Washtenaw traffic court records page covers the full traffic flow.
DUI and other alcohol-related driving offenses are usually charged as criminal cases, not civil infractions. Those run through the regular criminal docket in 14A. The 14A Sobriety Court can handle qualifying alcohol or substance cases as a problem-solving track.
Filing in the 14A District Court
Most 14A filings go to the matching service location for the city or township at issue. The 14A general info page links the court's intake routes. The Trial Court forms page at washtenaw.org/1289 covers SCAO forms used across Washtenaw courts.
Some case types accept eFiling through Michigan's MiFile system. Paper filings still go through the counter for case types not yet on eFiling. Pay attention to filing fees and SCAO form versions before mailing in any documents to the right 14A service location.
14A District Court Contact
Use the cards below for the main 14A contact points. Each 14A location has its own counter team; phone routes are listed on the contacts page.
14A-1 District Court
4133 Washtenaw Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Pittsfield Township location
14A District Court Contacts
Phone routes for each office
14A-1, 14A-2, 14A-3, 14A-4
Plus Court Administration