How to Get a Death Certificate in Michigan

Anyone can order a Michigan death certificate. Michigan law says a certified copy of a death record, including the cause of death, is issued to any applicant (MCL 333.2882).

MDHHS states that death records are not restricted documents in Michigan. You do not need to be a family member or prove a relationship. Spouses, children, executors, personal representatives, funeral directors and attorneys can all order.

The application asks for the purpose of your request and must carry your original hand signature.

Michigan has two places that can issue a certified death certificate: a local clerk and the state (MCL 333.2882).

Local clerk (county or city)

By law, the local registrar is the county clerk. In cities of 40,000 or more people, it can be the city clerk or a city department the city designates. Some smaller cities with an institution such as a hospital can also become a local registrar with state approval (MCL 333.2804, MCL 333.2814).

• A local clerk only has records for deaths that occurred in its own area. The funeral director files the record with the local registrar of the district where the death occurred.
• Local fees, hours, payment methods and ordering options are set by each office. For example, the Oakland County Clerk charges $15 for the first copy, and the Wayne County Clerk charges $24 for the first copy and $7 for each additional copy.
• We could not find an official statewide list of which clerk to use. Contact the county clerk in the county where the death occurred to confirm whether it holds the record or whether a city clerk does.

State: MDHHS Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics

The state holds records of deaths that occurred and were registered in Michigan back to 1867. If you are not sure where the death was registered, or it happened long ago, order from the state.

• Online: through VitalChek, which MDHHS says is the only authorized online provider. Orders can be placed 24/7. A processing fee is added to each record: MDHHS lists $14, while VitalChek's Michigan page mentions an $11.50 card handling charge. The exact amount is shown at checkout.
• Phone: VitalChek at 866-443-9897. VitalChek's processing fee applies.
• Mail: send the death record application (DCH-0569-DX) with your fee to Vital Records Requests, P.O. Box 30721, Lansing, MI 48909. For rush orders, address it to Vital Records RUSH at the same P.O. box. Results come back by USPS First Class Mail, and pre-paid envelopes are not accepted.
• In person by appointment: 333 S. Grand Ave., Lansing, MI 48933, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00am to 2:00pm. Appointments are limited and can be booked up to 31 days ahead on the MDHHS scheduling page.
• Will Call pickup: order online through VitalChek and choose pickup. Orders are processed in 2-5 business days, and you get an email when it is ready. Bring photo ID and the email confirmation.
• Drop box: in the main lobby at 333 S. Grand Ave., Monday-Friday, 7:00am to 5:30pm. Leave the completed application, a check or money order, a copy of your ID, and any needed documents. MDHHS does not publish a separate processing time for drop box orders.

State processing times. The MDHHS ordering page currently lists 10-12 weeks (regular) and 8-10 weeks (expedited), not counting mail time. The printed application form still shows an older estimate of about 4-6 weeks. The two official sources disagree, so check the MDHHS ordering page or call 517-335-8666 to confirm current times. Customer service phone lines are open Monday-Friday, 10:00am-12:30pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm Eastern.

State fees. $34 for a search that includes one certified copy (or a letter saying no record was found), $16 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time, and $12 per extra year searched if you do not know the year of death. Rush processing adds $12. All search fees are non-refundable. Mail orders are paid by check or money order payable to the "State of Michigan."

For a state order, you need:

• The completed and hand-signed application (DCH-0569-DX), or the details VitalChek asks for online
• The fee: check or money order payable to the State of Michigan by mail. MDHHS also lists credit card and cash for in-person orders.
• A copy of your ID. MDHHS's own page says two different things: it lists death certificates as "Photo ID not required," but its general mail instructions say applications must include a photocopy of valid ID, and the drop box instructions ask for a copy of ID too. Including a copy of your ID avoids delays. Call 517-335-8666 if you want to confirm.

MDHHS publishes an acceptable ID list with alternatives if you do not have a current photo ID. Will Call pickup requires photo ID and the email confirmation.

Local clerks set their own rules. For example, the Wayne County Clerk asks for a copy of a driver's license or state ID with mail requests.

When you order from the state, you choose one of two certified versions. Both cost the same.

• Short form: shows who died, when and where, but no medical information or manner of death.
• Long form: the full death registration, including the medical conditions reported and other circumstances that led to death.

MDHHS also offers a death verification ($18 by statute). It only confirms key facts: the name on the record, date of death, place of death and date of filing. It is not a copy of the death certificate.

An authenticated (apostilled) copy, for use in another country, costs $42, and $26 for each additional authenticated copy ordered at the same time (MCL 333.2891).

The funeral director who first takes custody of the body reports the death. They collect personal details from the family, get the medical certification from the doctor or medical examiner, and file the death record.

• The record must be filed with the local registrar of the district where the death occurred within 72 hours after the death (MCL 333.2843).
• The medical certification must generally be completed within 48 hours after death. Deaths the county medical examiner must investigate are certified by the medical examiner under a separate rule.
• If some information is missing, the funeral director must file the missing details no later than 60 days after the date of death (LARA).
• State law requires the death report to be submitted through the state's web-based death registration system.

No official source says how many days after death a certified copy can first be ordered. Whether the funeral home orders the family's first copies is up to each funeral home, so ask them.

Banks, insurers, pension plans and the probate court may each ask for a certified copy, and some keep the one you send. Extra copies from the state cost $16 each only when ordered at the same time as the first, so ordering several at once usually saves money and waiting time. See our guide on how many copies to plan your count.

Corrections are made with the Application to Correct a Michigan Death Record (DCH-0856-CHGDX).

• Who can apply: the funeral director, the informant named on the certificate, or the next of kin within 5 years of the date of death. Next of kin is determined in this order: surviving spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, then siblings.
• Medical details, including cause of death and the date or place of death, can only be corrected by the certifying doctor or medical examiner.
• Fee: $50, which includes one copy.
• Processing time: the form says 5-6 weeks when all documents are received, while the MDHHS corrections page currently lists 8-10 weeks regular and 6-8 weeks expedited. These sources disagree, so check the corrections page for current times.

For documents needed, mailing details and extra copy fees, see the form and the Changes Unit FAQ, or contact MDHHS Vital Records to confirm.

Official places to order a Michigan death certificate:

• The county clerk (or qualifying city clerk) where the death occurred
• MDHHS Vital Records in Lansing, by mail, drop box or appointment
• VitalChek, which MDHHS calls the only authorized online provider for Michigan Vital Records

Some websites look official but are not run by the government. Before you pay, start from the MDHHS ordering page or your county clerk's government website.