Information on
Ottawa County Clerk's Office

Ottawa County Clerk
414 Washington, Room 301
Grand Haven, MI  49417
Phone: (616) 846-8310
Fax: (616) 846-8138

• Genealogy Research Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am - 5pm

• Identification Requirements: Drivers License

• Certified Copy/Additional: $10.00/$3.00

• Other Copy Fees: $.50 per page (photocopies); $1.00 per additional page (first copy of Military Discharge is free)

• Space Allows for 3 to 4 genealogists at one time.  Children are allowed.

• Births:  1866 to present.  Birth records are available only to individual named on the birth record (registrant), the parents of the registrant, a legal guardian of the registrant, a legal representative of the registrant or an heir of the registrant.  An heir is defined as any relative of a deceased individual.  Heirs must supply the date and place of death of the registrant when requesting a copy.  This policy is in accordance with MCL 333.2882.

• Deaths: 1867 to present

• Marriages: 1848 to present

• Divorces: 1898 to present

• Naturalization Records: 1852-1910; Petition for Naturalization, 1907-1911; Declaration of Intention: 1910 to 1929.  Original records have been given to State Archives.  We have 35 mm microfilm, bur our microfilm machine only takes 16mm film at the present time.

• Criminal Cases: 1859 to present

• NEW RULES REGARDING VITAL RECORDS - 2007
  Birth, Marriage and Death indexes are available to look at.
  Birth records are open 110 years ago, if you can prove direct line, or can get a court order.  If you find the name you want in the index, the clerk will check the record for you.  You will need to have proof that you are a direct line to the person.  You will need your birth certificate, your parents birth certificate, and if the lineage goes back that far, your grandparent's birth certificate.  It would also help if you have the death certificate of the person for whom you are looking.
  Marriage and Death records are available to look at over 75 years ago.  For newer ones, the clerk will need to read you the information from the record.
  

• Michigan County Clerk's Offices - For Death Certificates, Marriage/Divorce Records
  http://www.michigan/gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17449_18635_20736-56637--,00.html

Transcriber: Evelyn M. Sawyer
Create: 15 April 2003
URL: http://ottawa.migenweb.net/

Contact County Coordinator: evlynsaw@comcast.net