The Archives of Michigan is the official repository for Michigan’s historical state and local government records. Preserving and providing access to the records of state government are core functions of the archives. Collections include commission and board meeting minutes, department directors’ subject files, photographs and maps, legislative records, Michigan’s constitutions and more. These records offer evidence of the work of state employees, document how important decisions were made and show how agencies operated. State employees often use these records to document their history, review past decisions and plan for the future.

Documenting History

Preserving the records of state government and making them available for research are core functions of the Archives of Michigan. Records are kept in a temperature and humidity-controlled vault or in a secure electronic records preservation system. They are used not only by state employees, but also by family historians, academic researchers and the public.

Topics documented in the archives include:

• State park histories
• School inspectors' reports
• Michigan's 1963 constitutional convention 
• Highway and bridge construction projects
• Legislative history
• Supreme Court and Court of Appeals cases
• and much more...

Learn more about our collections

What We Do

Preservation

• Site visits to review records in agency offices
• Assistance with transferring paper and electronic records to the archives
• Storage in climate-controlled vault or secure electronic records preservation system

Research

• Assistance with identifying which agency records are held at the Archives
• E-mail and phone assistance with quick reference questions
• In-person assistance for more in-depth research in the reading room

How to Transfer State Government Records

Contact Us

The government records team can be reached at govarchives@michigan.gov.