Michigan birth, death, marriage and divorce records: where to look
Michigan's state office holds birth, death and marriage certificates back to 1867 and divorces back to 1897. Birth records over 100 years old are not restricted. Processing times are long: the state page currently shows 10 to 12 weeks for regular orders.
At a glance
| Record | Years at the state | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | Births registered in Michigan back to 1867. [2] | Standard record: $34 search fee, plus a $14 online processing fee. Apostille copies $42. People 65 or older requesting their own record pay a reduced $14 for one copy. [2] |
| Death | Death records back to 1867. [2] | Standard record: $34 search fee plus $14 online fee. [2] |
| Marriage | Marriage records back to 1867. A probate court confidential marriage is available only to the bride or groom. [2] | Standard record: $34 search fee plus $14 online fee. [2] |
| Divorce | Divorce records back to 1897. [2] | Standard record: $34 search fee plus $14 online fee. [2] |
Superscript numbers point to the official page each fact came from, listed at the bottom of this page.
Birth records
- Where it is kept
- The state Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics (Lansing), by mail, online, phone, drop box or appointment. [2]
- Years covered
- Births registered in Michigan back to 1867. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- The person named, parents named on the record, a legal heir, a court-appointed guardian, a power of attorney whose document grants access to vital records, or a licensed attorney for the subject or parents. Registered records greater than 100 years old are not restricted. [2]
- Fee
- Standard record: $34 search fee, plus a $14 online processing fee. Apostille copies $42. People 65 or older requesting their own record pay a reduced $14 for one copy. [2]
- Processing time
- The page shows regular 10 to 12 weeks and expedited 8 to 10 weeks. Birth genealogy requests: regular 12 to 16 weeks. [2]
Search fees are non-refundable and a search does not guarantee a record will be found.
Death records
- Where it is kept
- The state office. [2]
- Years covered
- Death records back to 1867. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- Standard record: $34 search fee plus $14 online fee. [2]
- Processing time
- 10 to 12 weeks regular; 8 to 10 expedited (current figures on the page). [2]
The page says photo ID is not required for death certified copies.
Marriage records
- Where it is kept
- The state office. [2]
- Years covered
- Marriage records back to 1867. A probate court confidential marriage is available only to the bride or groom. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- Standard record: $34 search fee plus $14 online fee. [2]
- Processing time
- 10 to 12 weeks regular. [2]
Divorce records
- Where it is kept
- The state office. [2]
- Years covered
- Divorce records back to 1897. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- Standard record: $34 search fee plus $14 online fee. [2]
- Processing time
- 10 to 12 weeks regular. [2]
About ordering online
Michigan says VitalChek is the only authorized online provider and adds a $14 online processing fee; it also offers a Will Call pickup option (Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Mail applications avoid the online fee; their fees are printed on each application PDF, which we did not open. [2]
Archives and other places to look
We did not confirm a state-archive source for these records on the official pages we read.
The National Archives describes FamilySearch.org as free with account creation (see our census page), but we could not open FamilySearch's own pages, so we do not describe what it holds for Michigan.
Historical newspapers
The Library of Congress's Chronicling America lists 56 digitized newspaper titles published in Michigan, with issues dated from July 13, 1836 to December 28, 1963. Coverage is uneven inside that span: it is a list of titles, not a promise that every town or year is there. Chronicling America includes select digitized newspapers through 1963.
Browse Michigan titles at the Library of Congress
New to newspaper research? See our guide to finding old newspapers (obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements).
Counts come from the Library of Congress's "All Digitized Titles" list, read October 27, 2026. The Library of Congress says it believes these newspapers are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions.
How we verified this page
Last verified October 27, 2026. Offices change fees and rules without notice. If something here no longer matches the official page, trust the official page.
Confirmed on official pages
- Birth, death and marriage records from 1867; divorce from 1897.
- Birth records over 100 years old are not restricted.
- Online fee schedule: $34 search + $14 online fee for a standard record.
- Current processing times as shown on the state page the day we read it.
Could not verify
- Who may order death, marriage and divorce records (the page lists eligibility only for births).
- Mail-in fees. They are on each application PDF, which we did not open.
- County clerk records (Michigan counties hold their own marriage and divorce files; we did not read a county page).
- Any free state-archive source. We did not fetch an Archives of Michigan page.
- A free FamilySearch collection for Michigan. We could not open FamilySearch's pages.
Sources
- MDHHS: Vital records home Official state page read 2026-10-27
- MDHHS: Order a copy of a vital record Official state page read 2026-10-27