The current basic search fee for a certified copy of a Michigan vital record is $26.00. The $26.00 basic search fee will provide for a search of up to three years of record filings, the year specified on your application for the vital event, as well as the year before and the year after. If the information provided on your application allows us to find the record, one certified copy is sent to you. If no record is found, you will receive, in place of the certified copy, an official statement that the record requested is not on file with the State of Michigan. This $26.00 basic search fee is non-refundable..

Michigan vital records orders placed online thru VitalChek, Michigan's online service provider, are considered to be RUSH requests.

Processing time is 1-2 business days for a United Parcel Service (UPS) delivery and 2 weeks for a regular mail delivery. A $10.00 RUSH fee will be charged for each online order, in addition to VitalChek's $8.50 credit card handling charge and the regular processing fee of $26.00. The total for the search and one certified copy ordered online with a regular mail delivery would be $44.50. The same order with a UPS 1-2 business day delivery would be a total of $60.50. (The exception would be a senior citizen age 65+ ordering their own birth record. A regular mail delivery would be $25.50 and a UPS delivery would be $41.50). Requests for "authenticated" documents requiring an apostille have different fees and require longer processing times.

If you want to order more than one certified copy of a record, the first certified copy is $26.00 (senior citizen $7.00) and each additional certified copy ordered for the same record at the same time is $12.00. If the record requested was not filed with the State of Michigan, the amount paid for the additional copies will be refunded. The refund check preparation process usually takes 3 to 4 weeks.

If the year of the event is not known and a search of more than three years is requested, there is a charge of $12.00 for each additional year over the initial three years requested to be searched. Any additional years that are paid for, but no search was needed in those years to find the record, are refunded. Refund processing takes approximately three to four weeks.

The necessary fee(s) must accompany your mail order. No search will be made or certified copy issued if the correct fee is not received with your completed application. Payment with a mailed-in application must be made by money order or a check payable to the State of Michigan in US funds only. Do not send cash. Online orders are billed to your credit card as soon as the card is authorized by VitalChek.

For requests for administrative use copies, fees for the basic search, additional copies and additional years searched and the prepayment requirements are the same as those indicated above for certified copies.

The basic search fee is reduced for persons who are 65 or older applying for a certified copy of his or her own birth record. The reduced basic search fee is only $7.00 and one certified copy is provided. Each additional copy ordered at the same time continues to be $12.00.

The charge for the first copy of an authenticated copy of a record, which contains the Great Seal of Michigan, is $29.00. Authenticated records are also referred to as records containing an apostille. Each additional authenticated copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $15.00. Please note that the turn-around time for an authenticated record is longer because an additional 3-4 weeks processing time is needed to complete the authentication process at the Office of the Great Seal.

Authenticated records are required by some foreign countries for an adoption, work visa, marriage, or to establish residency. An authenticated record is not required for foreign travel. You must provide the name of the FOREIGN country where the document will be used. An apostille CANNOT be applied to a document that will be used in the United States.

You can receive an expedited search for the record requested by mail for an additional fee of $10.00. For information on turn-around times for an expedited search, click here.

Order a birth, death, marriage or divorce record:
- Online RUSH order using a debit or credit card
- By mail