This is a private reference site, not a Bay County government office. It cannot confirm whether someone is in custody, release a person from jail, post bond, schedule visitation, or retrieve an official booking record. Use the official office or locator that handles the record you need.
Where to Start for Bay County Records
For Bay County jail custody, bond, and sheriff records questions, start with the Law Enforcement Center contact information below. County business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, when using county office routes such as records or FOIA.
Bay County Sheriff's Office / Bay County Law Enforcement Center503 Third St.
Bay City, MI 48708
Phone: (989) 895-4050
The Sheriff's Records Division uses the same phone number, (989) 895-4050. Bay County public-records requests are coordinated through Corporation Counsel and the county's JustFOIA portal. For court case questions after an arrest, Bay County Courts are based at 1230 Washington Avenue, Bay City, MI 48708.
Use the list below to choose the most direct path for the record type:
- For a person who may be in the Bay County Jail, begin with jail inmate records and the county's VINELink or sheriff phone route.
- For booking-photo availability and limits, use jail roster mugshots before assuming a photo is posted online.
- For charges, arraignment movement, and case lookup after booking, use court records after a jail arrest.
- For facility details, use the detention facility page listed in the footer for the Bay County Jail / Bay County Law Enforcement Center.
- For a person sentenced to state prison or under Michigan corrections supervision, use the Michigan Department of Corrections OTIS locator rather than the county jail path.
- For federal custody or immigration detention, use the federal BOP locator or ICE Online Detainee Locator System, because those records are not held by the Bay County Jail.