Clinton County Marriage Records

Clinton County marriage records date back to the county's formation in 1839 and are held by the County Clerk at 100 E State Street in St. Johns. The clerk maintains marriage licenses, certificates, and historical records for all marriages recorded in Clinton County. If you need a certified copy for a name change, insurance claim, or legal proceeding, or want to search older records for family research, the county clerk is the right office to contact. Walk-in visits during business hours and mail requests are both accepted.

Clinton County Clerk Office

The Clinton County Clerk in St. Johns is the official keeper of marriage records for the county. This office issues new marriage licenses, records completed marriages, and provides certified copies to qualifying requesters. The office has records going back to 1839, making Clinton County one of the older county record collections in Michigan.

Clinton County is in central Michigan, just north of Ingham County and the state capital area. The county includes St. Johns as the seat, DeWitt Township, Ovid, Elsie, Fowler, and many townships. All marriages for residents of these communities are filed with the county clerk in St. Johns.

Staff at the clerk office can search by name or by year. If you have a case where you know only the approximate decade a marriage happened, they can often narrow it down. Call (989) 224-5140 before coming in if you have questions or an unusual request.

How to Get Clinton County Marriage Certificates

Requesting a certified copy of a Clinton County marriage record is a simple process with a few clear steps. You need the names of both people and a rough timeframe for when the marriage happened.

In person is the fastest option. Go to 100 E State Street during business hours. Show your photo ID to the clerk. Provide the names and marriage year. Pay the fee and receive the certified copy the same day in most cases. Clinton County has records going back to 1839, so even very old records may be accessible at this office.

Mail requests work well if you cannot come to St. Johns. Write to the Clinton County Clerk at 100 E State Street, St. Johns, MI 48879. Include both names, the year of the marriage, your return address, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and a check or money order for the applicable fee. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow 7 to 10 business days for the office to process and return your documents.

State-issued copies are available from MDHHS vital records in Lansing at $34 per copy. Online ordering is available at VitalChek for an additional convenience fee. These options are more expensive and slower than going directly to the county.

Genealogists can search the Michiganology database for free to find historical Clinton County marriage records before making a formal copy request.

Note: Under MCL 333.2885, Clinton County marriages that are 75 years or older are public records, which means broad access for researchers and the general public.

Marriage License Applications in Clinton County

Both people who want to get married must appear in person at the Clinton County Clerk office together. Michigan law does not allow a proxy application or a mail-in application for a marriage license. Both parties must be physically present on the same visit.

Each applicant needs a valid photo ID issued by a government agency. Driver's licenses, passports, and state ID cards all work. Both people need their Social Security numbers. If either person was previously married, you need to know when that marriage ended and how, whether by divorce, annulment, or death of the former spouse. Bring a copy of the divorce decree or death certificate if you have it. The clerk records this information on the application.

After the license is issued, there is a 3-day waiting period before the ceremony can take place. Under MCL 551.103, the license is valid for 33 days. If the ceremony does not occur within those 33 days, the license expires. You must reapply and pay again. Scheduling the ceremony date before applying for the license is a smart move.

Michigan residents pay $20 for the license. Non-residents pay $30. No blood test is needed. Both parties must be at least 18. MCL Chapter 551 governs the full process from application through recording of the marriage. These same rules apply in Clinton County and everywhere else in Michigan.

Once the ceremony is done, the officiant signs the license and returns it to the Clinton County Clerk. The clerk records it. From that point, anyone with a legal right to the record can request a certified copy.

Online Resources for Clinton County Marriage Records

Several online tools are available for those who want to research Clinton County marriage records before contacting the clerk in St. Johns.

The Michiganology vital records search is free and covers historical Michigan marriage records going back to the 1800s. Clinton County has been keeping records since 1839, and many of those older marriages are indexed in this database. You can search by name and get basic index information. This is especially useful for genealogical research.

The Michigan AG office published AG Opinion 7298, which clarifies how vital records access laws apply in counties like Clinton. Understanding this opinion helps when determining whether a particular record is accessible to you.

For up-to-date information on how Michigan marriage law is structured, MCL Chapter 551 is the authoritative source. The full statute text covers everything from eligibility to license procedures to what happens when a marriage is recorded at the county level.

The AG Opinion 7298 page from the Michigan Attorney General's office addresses the rules for accessing vital records including marriage certificates held by county clerks like the one in Clinton County.

This opinion is relevant to anyone who has questions about their rights to access Clinton County marriage records, especially newer records that are not yet in the public domain under the 75-year rule.

Clinton County Marriage Record Fees

Clinton County follows the standard Michigan fee schedule for marriage records. These are the amounts you can expect to pay at the clerk's office in St. Johns.

• Marriage license (Michigan resident): $20.00
• Marriage license (non-resident of Michigan): $30.00
• First certified copy: $15.00
• Each additional copy in the same order: $5.00
• State copy through MDHHS in Lansing: $34.00

Order multiple copies at the same time to save money. The first copy is $15, but each one after that in the same order is only $5. This is the most cost-effective approach if you know you will need several certified copies for different legal or administrative purposes.

Confirm current payment methods at (989) 224-5140 before your visit to the Clinton County Clerk office.

Marriage Laws and Statutes in Clinton County

Michigan marriage law applies uniformly to all 83 counties, including Clinton County. The statutes covering marriage licenses, ceremonies, and record access are found in Chapter 551 of the Michigan Compiled Laws and in the Public Health Code.

MCL 551.101 defines who may marry in Michigan. Both parties must be at least 18. Neither can currently be married to someone else. Certain prohibited relationships are listed. These eligibility rules are the same for Clinton County as for every other Michigan county.

The rules for the waiting period, license validity, and clerk duties after the ceremony are in MCL 551.103. Three days must pass before the ceremony. The license is valid 33 days. The officiant must return the signed license to the county clerk. These procedural steps apply in Clinton County and must be followed or the marriage may not be properly recorded.

Record access falls under MCL 333.2885. Given that Clinton County has records going back to 1839, a large portion of its marriage records are already 75 years old or more and are fully public. Newer records are more restricted. The clerk follows these access rules when handling copy requests.

Cities in Clinton County

Clinton County includes several communities in central Michigan, all of which file marriage records with the County Clerk in St. Johns. No Clinton County cities currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

The county includes St. Johns, DeWitt, Ovid, Elsie, Fowler, Bath, and numerous townships. All marriage records for these areas are maintained by the Clinton County Clerk.

Nearby Counties

Clinton County borders these counties in mid-Michigan. If you need records from a neighboring county, use these links to find the right office.