Michigan Expungement Application Form MC 227: How to Fill It Out and File

Which Form You Need

For adult convictions, Michigan uses three SCAO forms for set-aside applications, depending on the offense:

• MC 227 — standard form for petition-based set-aside applications, including eligible felony and misdemeanor convictions and first-offense OWI. Most recent revision: March 2025.
• MC 227a — specialized form for pre-legalization misdemeanor marijuana offenses (possession, use, paraphernalia). No waiting period.
• MC 227b — for victims of human trafficking seeking to set aside convictions that resulted from their victimization.

All three forms are available from the Michigan State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) at courts.michigan.gov. Use the current revision — outdated versions can result in a clerk refusing the filing.

MC 227a has separate instructions: it requires no filing fee, RI-008 fingerprint card, or $50 MSP payment. File the application with the convicting court and mail a copy to the prosecuting official; follow the form's three-copy and Certificate of Mailing instructions.

Completing Form MC 227

The form is three pages. Do not sign it until you are in the presence of a notary public or court clerk, who will witness your signature under oath.

Page 1 — Personal Information and Case Details. Enter your full legal name and contact information, and the details of the conviction you are requesting to set aside: case number, convicting court, offense description, statute violated, and date of conviction. If you are bundling multiple convictions under the "One Bad Night" 24-hour transactional rule (MCL 780.621b), list each conviction separately.

Rehabilitation evidence for the hearing. Prepare evidence of what you have done since the conviction: employment history, education, community involvement, family obligations, or substance-abuse treatment completion. Present it at the hearing; the form does not have a rehabilitation statement section on page two.

Page 3 — Proof of Service. After mailing copies to the required agencies, record the exact dates of mailing on this page.

Required Attachments for MC 227

Besides the completed MC 227, the filing package requires:

1. Certified copy of the judgment of conviction. Obtained from the clerk of the convicting court. Fees: approximately $10 plus $1 per page.
2. Fingerprint card (Form RI-008). Official fingerprints taken at a local sheriff's office, police department, or Michigan State Police post. Fees: $15 to $25.
3. $50 check or money order payable to "State of Michigan" for the MSP background check processing fee.
4. Five complete copies of the entire notarized application package.

Indigent filers can request a waiver of local court fees using SCAO Form MC 20. The $50 MSP fee cannot be waived by any court.

Service Requirements

After filing the application with the convicting court, current MC 227 instructions direct you to mail copies of the application package to three agencies by first-class mail:

1. Michigan State Police (Criminal Justice Information Center, Lansing) — one copy of the MC 227 packet, the original RI-008 fingerprint card, and the $50 payment.
2. Michigan Attorney General (Lansing) — one copy of the MC 227 packet.
3. The prosecuting official — the county prosecutor, city attorney, or township attorney who originally handled the case. One copy of the MC 227 packet.

After mailing, complete the Proof of Service on page three with the exact dates each package was sent.

Filing and What Happens Next

File the application in the court where the conviction occurred and follow the clerk's instructions for copies. After mailing the service packets, complete the Proof of Service on the two remaining copies; return one completed copy to the court and keep one for your records. If you have convictions in multiple courts, each court requires its own separate filing.

Hearing scheduling depends on local court practice. The current SCAO instructions say the clerk may set a hearing date at filing, but the hearing cannot be held until the court receives the Michigan State Police report. The prosecutor may file written objections.

At the hearing, you present your rehabilitation evidence and answer the judge's questions. The court considers whether your circumstances and behavior warrant setting aside the conviction and whether relief is consistent with the public welfare.

The Michigan Expungement & Record Sealing Guide provides field-by-field form instructions, a hearing preparation checklist, and the complete service mailing address list.

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