Michigan background check: ICHAT, workforce checks and set asides

How ICHAT works

ICHAT lets anyone search public criminal history kept by the State Police. You enter a full name plus birth date, pay the search charge, and get a list of possible matches. It is the tool many employers and landlords use for a quick Michigan check.

• Michigan only. It does not include federal arrests or records from other states.
• Public records only. Nonpublic records, such as convictions that were set aside, are left out.
• A finished search is not a finding. The State Police warn that the result page only confirms the search was completed; you must open the response to see whether a record matched.

Because ICHAT matches on what was typed in, two residents who share a name and birth date can be mixed up. A fingerprint check is the way to settle that. Read how to check yourself for a wider self check.

When a Michigan background check needs fingerprints

Some jobs require a fingerprint based check instead of, or on top of, ICHAT. The State Police site lists fingerprint checks done through a local law enforcement agency on a non criminal fingerprint card, used for licensing, employment and personal reviews.

The Michigan Workforce Background Check

Long term care and other covered health facilities use an online system to decide whether new employees, contractors and people seeking clinical privileges can work around patients. The facility starts the request, you are fingerprinted, and the State Police send the criminal history to LARA, which reviews it against the law's list of disqualifying offenses. LARA's guidance says the system also keeps watching after you are hired: if your record is updated with an arrest, charge or conviction, the department and the employer are told.

Students in clinical placements and most volunteers are generally not fingerprinted under these laws, according to LARA. If you are applying through a staffing agency, the facility is still the one responsible for the check. Details are on the state's Workforce Background Check page.

Set asides and Michigan Clean Slate

A set aside is Michigan's version of expungement. When a conviction is set aside, it becomes nonpublic and should no longer appear on ICHAT. Michigan's Clean Slate law added automatic set asides for some older convictions, in addition to the petition process through the court. Law enforcement and some licensing agencies can still see nonpublic records, so a set aside conviction may come up in a fingerprint check for certain jobs.

If a private screening report still lists a case that was set aside, dispute it with the company and include the order. See expunged and sealed records for why old copies can linger.

Your rights with a Michigan employer

Whether the employer uses ICHAT directly or a screening company, federal law sets the basic steps when a screening firm builds the report: written notice and permission before the check, then, before any rejection that rests on it, the report itself plus the federal list of your rights. The FTC guide for job seekers walks through each one.

Under the EEOC's guidance, employers should not treat every record the same. A theft conviction may matter for a cashier job and matter little for a landscaping crew. If you are turned down, ask for the specific reason and answer it with facts.

Fixing an error on your Michigan record

Most errors are missing outcomes or cases that belong to someone else. Get certified court papers first. If the State Police file is wrong, the department's site points people to a fingerprint based check to review and update a record. If the problem is identity, a fingerprint comparison shows whether the record is really yours.

For screening reports, the company must reinvestigate a written dispute, usually within 30 days, and fix or delete what it cannot verify. Use the letter in our dispute guide.

We summarize the Michigan State Police and LARA pages here and cannot judge your case. For personal advice, contact legal aid in Michigan or an attorney who takes workplace cases.