Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking.
Michigan State Vital Records Office
Michigan Dept of Community Health
3423 N. Martin Luther King Blvd
P. O. Box 30195
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 335-8666
Fax: (517) 321-5884
Fill out the appropriate application form from the MDCH web site. Make check or money order payable to State of Michigan. Faxed requests are $5 additional and the turnaround time is two days. The faxed request must include your name, credit card number, expiration date and your signature.
Copies of most records since 1867 may also be obtained from the County Clerk in the county where the event occurred. Fees vary.
Ancestry.com Michigan State Database
A large collection of databases of births, deaths, marriages, census, obituaries, directories, estate records, and service records. Get 14 Days Free Access!!!
Birth $26.00 Since 1867 Order Form
Death $26.00 Since 1867 Order Form
Genealogical Death Indexing System – Michigan
Marriage $26.00 Since 1867 Order Form
Michigan Marriages to 1850
This database of Michigan marriages to 1850 contains 13,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.
The marriage date is usually the date of marriage as given in the original entry. However, when no marriage date is given (e.g., the “marriage return” was not provided to the record keeper), the date of the license is used. In a few cases, a marriage will be listed twice, but in two different counties. This most often happened when a couple obtained a license in one county, but were actually married in another. (Free Database)
Divorce $26.00 Since 1867 Order Form
