21 October, 2026
How Much Does It Cost to Expunge Your Record in Michigan?
Fifty dollars sounds manageable. Then you start hearing about fingerprints, certified records, notarization, and maybe hiring a lawyer. If you are asking: How much does it cost to expunge your record in Michigan, there is no one-size-fits-all price.
For a typical expungement application, you pay a $50 processing fee to the Michigan State Police (MSP). You may also pay separate costs for certified court records, fingerprinting, notarization, copies, and postage. Attorney fees are separate. If your conviction qualifies for automatic Clean Slate relief, you do not file an application or pay the fee.
Coontz Law is here to give you a straight answer about your eligibility to expunge your record, and where to go from there.
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What Costs Should You Budget For?
Michigan’s current application instructions require a $50 check or money order to the State of Michigan when you send your application packet and fingerprint card to the MSP.
Before you reach that point, a typical application may involve several smaller expenses:
- An optional $10 ICHAT (Internet Criminal History Access Tool) search to review your public Michigan criminal history;
- Certified copies of the convictions you want set aside, with fees that vary by court;
- Fingerprinting, which may carry a fee depending on the law enforcement agency;
- Notarization if you do not sign before a court clerk; and
- Copies and first-class postage for the required application packets.
The initial fee is predictable. The rest depends on where your records are and which services you need.
Can Automatic Expungement Cost Nothing to File?
Before paying for certified records or fingerprints, find out whether the conviction should already be cleared automatically.
Michigan’s Clean Slate system automatically sets aside certain qualifying convictions after the waiting period. You do not need to apply, go to court, submit fingerprints, or pay the MSP fee for automatic relief.
You can pay for an ICHAT report to see what is publicly visible. If a conviction that should have been automatically set aside still appears, find out why before spending money on a court application.
Michigan State Police has a process for addressing convictions that appear eligible for automatic set-aside but remain public. Check that status before paying for certified records, fingerprints, or an application you may not need.
Why Can Convictions in Different Courts Cost More?
Michigan requires you to file with the court where the conviction occurred, with a separate application required when convictions come from different courts.
This is important if you now live in Lansing but have old convictions from both Ingham and Kent counties. Multiple courts can also mean multiple MSP processing fees.
If convictions are in the same court, they may be included in a single application. But an Ingham County conviction and a Kent County conviction require separate applications, which can increase the total cost.
Before calculating your expungement cost, identify every conviction you want addressed and the court that entered it. Otherwise, a low estimate may cover only part of your record, and the full total may be higher.
Saving on a Lawyer Does Not Help if You File the Wrong Case
You do not have to hire an attorney to apply for an expungement in Michigan. Michigan provides application forms and self-help resources, and many people handle simple cases on their own.
The issue is not that filing without a lawyer always leads to mistakes. The problem is spending money on records, fingerprints, notarization, and service before discovering that:
- The conviction is not eligible,
- The waiting period has not expired,
- Another conviction changes your eligibility,
- Automatic relief already addressed the conviction, or
- You prepared the wrong application or filed it in the wrong court.
These problems can cost more than another copy or stamp. If the court denies an application, Michigan usually requires you to wait 3 years before applying again unless the judge allows you to apply sooner. A cheap filing is not cheap if you have to wait three years to fix it.
What Are You Paying a Michigan Expungement Lawyer to Do?
Attorney fees are separate from the state processing fee and can vary depending on the lawyer and your case. The better question is what you receive for that fee.
Your attorney should determine whether you need a court application before starting paperwork. At Coontz Law, that means reviewing the complete record, identifying which convictions can legally be set aside, checking for automatic relief, calculating the applicable waiting period, and spotting issues involving multiple courts or jurisdictions.
If filing is the right step, we handle the application, certified records, service requirements, supporting evidence, hearing preparation, and court presentation. This is the work we do at Coontz Law for expungement cases.
Coontz Law uses flat-fee billing, so clients do not have to worry about extra charges for phone calls or emails. We tell you the legal fee up front before you pay. That lets you compare the legal fee against the work involved instead of wondering what every call, filing, or hearing will add to the bill.
Price the Record Before You Pay for the Process
A little work at the beginning can prevent unnecessary expense. Start by identifying the exact conviction, court, and case number. Check whether the conviction is still publicly visible and whether the automatic set-aside should already have applied. Then, determine whether the rest of your criminal history changes eligibility before ordering records or fingerprints.
This is especially important when an old case was handled in a place where you no longer live. Someone working in East Lansing should not assume a Grand Rapids conviction can be handled at a nearby courthouse.
Coontz Law can review your record and let you know whether your next step should be a court application, additional documentation, or that the law does not currently offer a way forward.
Overcome With Coontz Law.
Michigan Expungement Questions
Is an ICHAT Report Required Before I Apply?
No. ICHAT is a useful way to review your public Michigan criminal history, but the application process requires certified records from the court that convicted you, rather than an ICHAT printout. If you are unsure what appears on your record, the $10 search can be a practical starting point.
Does Expungement Cancel Restitution I Still Owe?
No. Setting aside a conviction does not cancel unpaid restitution. If restitution remains from the original case, you must continue paying it after the conviction is set aside. Unpaid financial obligations can also create issues during the application process, so address them during your record review rather than assuming expungement makes them disappear.
Legal References Used to Inform This Page:
To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal and other resources during the content development process:
- Michigan Supreme Court, State Court Administrative Office. MC 227, Application to Set Aside Conviction(s) and Filing Instructions.
- Michigan State Police. Michigan Clean Slate.
- Michigan Department of Attorney General. Expungement Assistance.
- MCL § 780.621d. Application and procedures for setting aside felonies and serious misdemeanor convictions.
- Michigan Department of Attorney General. Expungement Frequently Asked Questions.
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