Access Wexford County Clerk Records

About the Wexford County Clerk's Office

Alaina M. Nyman serves as the Wexford County Clerk. The county clerk is an elected office. Beyond the usual county clerk duties, this office also operates as the clerk for the 28th Circuit Court. That means the same office that issues a marriage license also files circuit court pleadings and keeps circuit case records.

The clerk's office sits inside the county courthouse in Cadillac. For anyone filing circuit court documents or paying a circuit fee, the office is one floor below the courtroom, on the second floor of the historic side of the building. The 28th Circuit Court hears felonies, civil claims over $25,000, and family matters, and the clerk holds those files. The image below opens the official county clerk page.

The Wexford County government County Clerk page lists the office duties and staff contacts.

That county page is the best starting point when a request could go to more than one office. The contact card here gathers the details most people need for a call or a mailed request.

Services the Wexford County Clerk Provides

The office wears two hats. As county clerk it holds vital records and county filings. As circuit court clerk it manages circuit case files, accepts pleadings, and takes filing fees. Most residents come in for a certified copy or a marriage license, but the range of services is wider than that.

• Circuit court filings, case copies, and payments
• Certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records
• Marriage license applications and three-day waivers
• Genealogy searches of county vital records
• Assumed name and DBA filings for small businesses
• Notary bond filings and concealed pistol license paperwork
• Freedom of Information Act requests for county records

There are firm limits on what the staff may do. Clerks cannot give legal advice, help fill out forms, tell you which form you need, or explain service of process. Those questions go to Michigan Legal Help, which the county points to for self-represented filers.

Note: The clerk's counter also processes concealed pistol license paperwork and military discharge (DD214) records, the latter free only to qualified individuals.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is accepted for legal, benefit, and identity purposes. An uncertified printout is not. Marriage, birth, and death certificates all follow a similar request path, and the office accepts requests in person, by mail, by email, and online.

1. Identify the exact record. For a marriage record, have both applicants' full names and the date of marriage; for a birth or death record, have the name and date on the certificate.
2. Fill out the vital records order form at the office or write a signed letter that states the record details and how many copies you need.
3. Submit the request with payment. Mail it with a self-addressed stamped envelope, email it to clerkasst@wexfordcounty.org so a deputy clerk can arrange payment, or pay online by credit card.
4. Pick up the copy in person or wait for the mail. Delivery may take up to five business days, and an overnight prepaid envelope can speed the return.

Birth records are the most restricted. The applicant must be the person named, a parent on the record, an heir, or a legal representative acting under a court order. Marriage and death copies still need a signed request and the correct fee.

Wexford County Clerk Fees

Fees depend on the record and the number of copies. Circuit court filing fees are set separately from vital record fees. The table below draws together the amounts the office charges most often, from certified copies to filing a new circuit case. The image after it opens the county's own fee listing.

The Wexford County County Clerk fees page shows the official schedule the office follows.

Reviewing the fee page before a visit lets you bring the exact payment and avoid a second trip. Birth certificate copies drop to $7 for the first copy for applicants age 65 and older.

Genealogy Research in Wexford County

Family history researchers can search the county's older birth, death, and marriage records through the clerk. The office runs in-person and mail-based genealogy searches for a modest fee that scales with the number of years covered. The image below opens the county's genealogy request page.

The Wexford County genealogy requests page explains how to submit a search and what the office can look up.

In-person research is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., though general customer traffic has priority at the counter. Because of that, a mailed request with names and date ranges is often the calmer route for a longer family search. Divorce and other court files are not part of genealogy service and route to the circuit clerk instead.

Wexford County Clerk Request Forms

The vital records order form is the main request form the clerk uses for certified copies. It gathers who is asking, what record they want, and how they will pay. The table lists the fields on that form so a mailed or emailed request can include everything the deputy clerk needs.

The form warns that misstating your identity or assuming another person's identity to obtain a protected vital record can bring criminal penalties under Michigan law. Marriage records are covered in more detail on the marriage and divorce records page.

FOIA Requests in Wexford County

County administrative records that are not court case files fall under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. A FOIA request must be in writing and must describe the record well enough for staff to find it. The county accepts these through an online portal, by email, by fax, and by mail. The image below opens the county's FOIA page.

The Wexford County FOIA information page outlines the request process, response times, and fees.

Requests can be filed several ways, and the county responds within five business days with a possible ten-day extension. Fees may cover staff labor, paper copies up to ten cents per standard page, media, and mailing. When the estimated cost tops $50, the county can ask for a deposit before it starts the work.

• Online through the county JustFOIA portal at wexfordcountymi.justfoia.com
• By email to FOIA@wexfordcounty.org
• By fax to (231) 779-9745
• By mail to the county administration office

Note: Court case files follow court rules rather than FOIA, so route pleading and case-copy requests to the clerk's court counter, not the FOIA process.

Wexford County Clerk Payment Options

The office takes payment in person, by mail, and online. For vital records and marriage copies, a deputy clerk arranges card payment after an emailed or mailed request. Online credit-card payments run through GovPros and GovPayNow, which the clerk pages use for record orders.

Court payments split by court level. Circuit court fines and costs can be paid online through the linked provider on the clerk pages. District court traffic and case payments use the Michigan Courts ePAY system instead. For copies of case documents, the fee and the certified copy come from the same clerk counter that holds the file. The counter can also point you to the statewide MiCOURT search when a case lookup is all you need.