Midland County Clerk Office

About the Midland County Clerk

Jim Stamas serves as the Midland County Clerk. The county clerk is an elected official in Michigan. Stamas also acts as the chief election official for the county. His office runs Midland County elections and keeps the results required by law. John Keefer is the Chief Deputy County Clerk and helps oversee daily work. The Midland County Clerk handles far more than court files. It touches vital events, business filings, and public services that most residents need at some point.

The main Midland County Clerk office sits at the County Services Building on West Ellsworth Street. This is where you go for birth, death, and marriage records. It is not the courthouse. Court case files sit at a second address, which the next section explains. The clerk's staff answer questions by phone during business hours. Keeping the two locations straight is the key to a smooth visit.

The official Midland County Clerk page lists the office duties and contact block for the public.

The page names the clerk, the chief deputy, and the services the office provides to Midland County residents.

Two Clerk Roles in Midland County

Michigan county clerks often wear a second hat. In Midland County, the same elected clerk also serves as Clerk of the Circuit Court. That means one person oversees vital records at one building and court filings at another. The County Clerk office on West Ellsworth Street handles marriage, birth, and death records. The Clerk of Circuit Court presence at the courthouse on West Main Street handles Circuit Court case files and judgments.

The split matters for anyone chasing a record. Marriage and vital-record copies come from the Ellsworth Street office. A felony case file, a divorce judgment, or a high-value civil case lives at the courthouse. Domestic and family records also route through the 42nd Circuit Court. The table below shows which role covers which task.

What the Midland County Clerk Does

The Midland County Clerk's work reaches many parts of daily life. Some tasks are about court records. Many are not. The office runs elections, keeps vital records, and files business names. It also processes several state forms that need a local filing point. Residents come in for a mix of these reasons every week.

• Serves as chief election official and administers county elections
• Keeps vital records, including birth, death, and marriage files
• Issues marriage licenses and certified marriage copies
• Files assumed names, DBA filings, and co-partnership papers
• Processes concealed pistol license (CPL) applications
• Handles notary bonds and DD-214 military discharge records

Each service has its own form and fee. Bring identification for anything tied to your own record. Staff can point you to the right window when a request spans more than one office.

Midland County Vital Records and Licenses

Vital records are the heart of the Midland County Clerk's public counter. Marriage records reach back to 1867. Birth and death records are also held here. Marriage licenses are issued to couples when at least one party is a county resident, and the office can only process a certified marriage copy if the license was applied for in Midland County. These files are public records under Michigan practice, so anyone may request a certified copy.

Fees are set and simple. A certified marriage or birth copy costs $14 for the first copy. Each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $6. A marriage license costs $20 for Michigan residents and $30 for out-of-state couples marrying in the county. The county vital records page links to the birth, death, and marriage request forms. Divorce records are court files, not vital-record requests, and are covered under Midland County marriage and divorce records.

Note: The clerk can process a marriage certified copy only when the original license was applied for and filed in Midland County.

Midland County Clerk Fee Schedule

Most Midland County Clerk fees fall on a short, fixed list. The prices below cover the requests residents make most often. Certified copies carry the same first-copy price for marriage and birth records. Marriage license cost depends on where the couple lives. Always confirm the current amount before mailing payment.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's seal. Courts, agencies, and banks accept it as proof when a plain printout will not do. The steps below work for a marriage or birth copy from the Midland County Clerk. Court case copies follow the same idea but route to the courthouse counter instead.

1. Gather the record details, such as full names and the date of the event.
2. Choose the right office. Vital records go to the County Clerk; Circuit Court files go to the courthouse.
3. Complete the matching request or copy application form.
4. Add the fee. The first certified copy is $14, and each extra copy of the same record is $6.
5. Submit in person, by phone with a card, or by mail with a check or money order.
6. Pick up the copy at the counter or wait for it to arrive by mail.

Midland County Copy Request Fields

The marriage certified-copy application asks for a small set of details. Some fields are needed only if you know them, which helps when a family record is old. The applicant fields and payment are always required for a mail request. The table lists each field and what the office expects.

Ways to Reach the Midland County Clerk

The Midland County Clerk offers more than one way to request a record. You do not always need to visit in person. Each channel has its own payment rule, so pick the one that fits your record and your timing.

• In person at 220 W Ellsworth St during regular business hours
• By phone at (989) 832-6739 using a credit card for certified copies
• By mail with the application form and a check or money order
• At the courthouse counter on West Main Street for Circuit Court case files

Mail requests go to the Midland County Clerk, 220 W. Ellsworth St., Midland, MI 48640. Include the completed form and full payment so staff can process the copy without a follow-up call. Phone requests need a card on hand. In-person visits are best when you need the copy the same day.

Register of Deeds Records in Midland County

Many people confuse Midland County court records with land records. The Register of Deeds is a separate office. It records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other real-estate documents. It does not hold court case files or vital records. Recorded documents are public, and anyone may review or copy them. The online index and copy purchase cover documents recorded since 1949.

Land records use two Fidlar tools for remote access. The Tapestry search lets casual users pay per document with a card.

Tapestry suits a person who needs one or two documents without a standing account. Frequent users, such as title companies, choose a subscription instead. That subscription is the Laredo land-record service.

Laredo gives heavy searchers ongoing access under a monthly plan. Recording hours run 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and vault hours run 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Register of Deeds page explains both tools and the public access rules.

Note: Land records answer property questions, while court records answer case questions, so start at the office that matches the record you actually need.

Midland County Public Records Access

Two different rules govern access, and mixing them up causes delays. Court records follow Michigan Court Rule 8.119. Under that rule, public access exists unless a statute, rule, or court order restricts it. General Midland County government records follow the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. The two paths are not the same, and one is not a shortcut around the other.

Court case files, dockets, and certified copies come from the court under MCR 8.119. Courts are limited from posting full document images online, so an online docket is not the same as the full file. Administrative records, such as county emails or sheriff paperwork, use FOIA under MCL 15.233. Public bodies may charge search and copy fees under MCL 15.234. For statewide case lookup, the MiCOURT Case Search shows public docket data across Midland's trial courts. Full pleadings, older files, and sealed matters still need a court-counter request.

Online Tools and E-Filing in Midland County

Midland County courts have moved much of their intake online. The 75th District Court became a MiFILE court on October 31, 2024. MiFILE is Michigan's statewide electronic filing system. Attorneys and self-represented filers submit court documents through it for supported case types. The move changed how new filings reach the district clerk's staff.

The county's MiFILE notice page explains the rollout for local filers.

The notice tells filers what changed and where to start an e-filing. E-filing handles submission of documents, while MiCOURT handles public case lookup. For certified copies and older files, the clerk's counter and mail channels still apply. Between the two locations, the online tools, and the phone lines, most Midland County record requests can start without a wasted trip.