Antrim County Marriage Records

Antrim County marriage records are filed with the County Clerk in Bellaire, a small northern Michigan county seat near Torch Lake. The clerk's office keeps official marriage licenses and certificates for all marriages that took place in the county. If you want to get a certified copy of an Antrim County marriage record or need to apply for a license to marry here, this guide covers what you need to know.

Antrim County Clerk Office

The Antrim County Clerk sits on East Cayuga Street in Bellaire and handles marriage records for the entire county. The office issues licenses to couples planning to marry, receives signed licenses back from officiants after ceremonies, and provides certified copies on request. It is the main point of contact for anything related to Antrim County marriage records.

Because Antrim County is a smaller rural county, the office can be busy at certain times of year, particularly in summer when the area draws visitors. If you are coming in person, calling ahead to (231) 533-6353 is a good idea to confirm current wait times and what to bring. The staff are accustomed to helping both local residents and people who have moved away and need records mailed to them.

How to Get Antrim County Marriage Records

There are two ways to get a certified copy of an Antrim County marriage record: in person or by mail. In-person visits are faster since you can often get the copy the same day. Mail requests are convenient if you are not nearby.

To request in person, go to 203 E Cayuga St in Bellaire during office hours. Bring a valid photo ID. You will need to give the clerk the full names of both people in the marriage and the year or approximate date. If you have a case or license number from before, bring that too. It will speed up the search. The clerk collects the fee at the time of the request, and you usually get your copy before leaving.

For a mail request, write to the Antrim County Clerk and include the names of both parties, the marriage date, your contact information, and a check or money order for the fee. Don't send cash. Give the office about two weeks to respond. If you need the copy faster, call and ask whether they can expedite it.

For older Antrim County marriage records, the Michiganology online archive may have an index or scanned copy available for free search. This is especially useful for genealogy research going back several generations.

Marriage License Application in Antrim County

Couples who want to get married in Michigan must get a marriage license first. Both people must go to the county clerk's office together. Under Michigan law at MCL 551.101, you apply in the county where one of you lives. If neither person lives in Michigan, you can apply in Antrim County if that is where the ceremony will be held.

Bring a valid photo ID for each applicant. A driver's license or passport is fine. You'll need to provide your Social Security number during the application. If you or your partner has been married before, bring information about when that marriage ended. A divorce decree or death certificate helps the clerk confirm the prior marriage is resolved. You don't always need the actual document, but having it can prevent delays.

The license fee is $20 for Michigan residents. Non-residents pay $30. After the clerk issues your license, you must wait three days before you can hold the ceremony. This is required by MCL 551.103. The license is valid for 33 days, so plan your ceremony to fall within that window. If the 33 days pass, you have to apply again and pay again.

After the ceremony, the person who officiated signs the license and returns it to the Antrim County Clerk within 10 days. That step makes the marriage official in the county records. From that point, you can request certified copies from the clerk's office.

Searching Antrim County Marriage Records Online

Antrim County does not have a public online database for searching marriage records. Most smaller Michigan counties are in the same position. But you do have a few online options at the state level.

The Michigan MDHHS maintains state vital records including marriages from 1867 forward. The MDHHS vital records office can be contacted by mail or by ordering through VitalChek. VitalChek lets you place an order online and have a certified copy sent to you by mail. The cost from the state is $34 for the first certified copy. This is more than the county fee but is useful if you cannot access the Antrim County Clerk directly.

For free online searching of historical records, the Michiganology archive has indexed many older Michigan vital records by county. If you are doing genealogy research on Antrim County families, start there before making a formal records request.

The VitalChek ordering platform connects you to the Michigan MDHHS vital records office for official certified copies of marriage records. Visit VitalChek's Michigan page to begin an order for Antrim County or any other Michigan county.

VitalChek-processed orders for Michigan vital records are fulfilled by the MDHHS office and carry the same legal weight as a county-issued certified copy.

Antrim County Marriage Record Fees

Antrim County follows the standard Michigan county fee structure. These fees apply to both in-person and mail requests.

• First certified copy of a marriage record: $15.00
• Each additional copy at the same time: $5.00
• Marriage license (Michigan residents): $20.00
• Marriage license (non-residents): $30.00

If you use the MDHHS state office or order through VitalChek, the first certified copy runs $34. That's more than double the county rate, so getting your copy directly from Antrim County is worth the effort if you're able to do it. Bring a check or money order to the office. Don't send cash in the mail. Call the office at (231) 533-6353 to confirm any changes to the fee schedule before your visit or before mailing your request.

Note: Order multiple copies at once when possible; the additional copy fee of $5 is a much better deal than making a second trip or mailing a second request.

Michigan Marriage Laws and Antrim County Records

Michigan marriage law covers every county uniformly. In Antrim County, the same rules that apply in Wayne or Oakland County apply here. The main statute set is MCL Chapter 551. This covers the license process, who can officiate, and what makes a marriage valid under state law.

Both people in the marriage must be at least 18 years old. No blood test is required. Michigan dropped that requirement years ago. There is no HIV counseling requirement either. Both parties appear in person at the county clerk; you cannot apply by proxy or online. After the license is issued, the three-day wait begins. Only a circuit court can waive this, and waivers are not handed out routinely.

Certified copies of Antrim County marriage records can be used as legal proof of marriage. Under the Michigan Attorney General opinion on marriage certificate evidence, a certified copy from a county clerk is valid evidence of the fact of marriage in court and in administrative proceedings. That means your copy from Antrim County works for name changes, passport applications, insurance claims, and similar needs.

Under MCL 333.2885, Antrim County marriage records that are at least 75 years old are available as public records. Anyone can request them. For records less than 75 years old, you need to be a party to the record, a close family member, or have a legal need established in writing.

Cities in Antrim County

Antrim County has no cities above the qualifying population threshold for dedicated city pages. Bellaire is the county seat. Marriage license applications and record requests for all parts of the county go through the clerk's office there.

Nearby Counties

Antrim County is in northern Michigan and shares borders with the following counties. If you need to check neighboring county records, use these links.