How to Find Michigan Birth Records

How to Find United States Births Michigan Michigan Births

Michigan was admitted into the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. Death records for each county, with copies also sent to the state, began no later than January 1867, although registration of all vital records was certainly not enforced. A 1905 law required more effective record keeping and was generally complied with by 1915.

Next Step: When did the birth occur?	Birth Records Choose a time period: Before 1867 1867 thru 1911 1912 thru Present Birth year unknown

Learn more about U.S. Birth Records

Births before 1867

Before 1867, births were not recorded formally by the county or the state. However, FamilySearch Historical Records includes an index of some pre-1867 births.

Michigan Births Databases - Includes Index Only
Try
	1775-1995-At FamilySearch	Free; Michigan Births and Christenings, 1775-1995; Name index only to birth, baptism and christening records; Incomplete for all counties.

If your ancestor's birth was not found in this database, you must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.

Records that give birth information:
Death Records Cemetery Records Newspapers	Church Records Census Military Records

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1867 thru 1911

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information

If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in other records.

For births which occurred during the time period, try the following databases.

Michigan Births Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images
Try
	1775-1995-At FamilySearch	Free; Michigan Births and Christenings, 1775-1995; Name index only to birth, baptism and christening records; Incomplete for all counties.
Try:
	1867 - 1902 - At FamilySearch	Free; Michigan Births, 1867-1902: Name index and images of Michigan statewide birth registration entries.
Try:
	1867 -1911 - At Ancestry.com	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Michigan, Births and Christenings Index, 1867-1911; Indexes to Michigan birth, baptism and christening records.Find your local FamilySearch Center OR use your own Ancestry.com account.
Can't find your ancestor in the online index?		Tips for searching online indexes
No birth record for your ancestor?		Other records with birth information

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate

PART A: You know the exact date of birth

With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:

To Order Birth Certificates
From County of Birth		From MI Dept. of Health State office
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use	Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee	May be more expensive than ordering from the county

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

PART B: You don't know the exact date of birth

If you do not know the exact date or place of birth, the fee paid to the Michigan State Department of Health includes a 1 year search. Searches for additional years are available for an additional fee.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1912 thru Present

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information

Currently there are no indexes to Michigan births later than 1911. To locate your ancestor's birth you must search substitute records for birth information.

Records that give birth information:
Death Records Cemetery Records Newspapers	Church Records Census Military Records

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate

PART A: You know the exact date of birth

With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:

To Order Birth Certificates
From County of Birth		From MI Dept. of Health State office
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use	Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee	May be more expensive than ordering from the county

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

PART B: You don't know the exact date of birth

If you do not know the exact date or place of birth, the fee paid to the Michigan State Department of Health includes a 1 year search. Searches for additional years are available for an additional fee.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Restrictions for Obtaining Birth Records

Restrictions for persons born within the last 100 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born in Michigan the following restrictions may apply. State law restricts who may obtain a certified copy of a birth certificate. A certified copy may be issued to:

• The person named on the record
• The current spouse of the person named on the record
• The current domestic partner of the person named on the record
• A parent of the person named on the record
• A sibling of the person named on the record
• A child of the person named on the record
• A grandparent of the person named on the record
• A person authorized in writing by one of the above. The written authorization must accompany the request and the relationship of the authorizing party to the subject of the record must be clearly explained.
• A person who can demonstrate that the record is required to protect a personal or property right.
• If you do not meet one of the above criteria, you cannot receive a certified copy of a birth certificate.
• An uncertified copy of a birth certificate is available to anyone who applies. An uncertified copy will contain the same information as a certified copy but will not be acceptable for legal purposes, such as obtaining identification.

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Related Wiki Articles

Michigan

Michigan Online Genealogy Records

Michigan Vital Records

• Learn more about U.S. birth records
• How to find U.S. birth records
• How to find U.S. marriage records
• How to find U.S. death records
• United States Record Selection Table
• U.S. Vital Records Overview
• United States Vital Records
• Locating United States Vital Records
• United States Death Records
• United States Marriage Records [[Category:How_to_arti

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.