How To Get A Birth Certificate In Michigan

The Birth & Death Records Division of the Wayne County Clerk's office maintains the birth records for cities and townships in Wayne County.

Birth records are not public and may ONLY be requested by the individual on the record, a parent who is named on the record, or a legal guardian/representative.
For births that took place prior to October of 1978, where the parents were not married, then the records are maintained by the State of Michigan and are NOT AVAILABLE at the Wayne County Clerk's Office.
We issue adoption birth records only for the years 1960 to 1968 for children adopted in Wayne County. All other years for adopted birth records must be obtained from the State of Michigan.

For your convenience, Wayne County has partnered with an independant company, VitalChek Network, Inc.
You can now order and pay for your document requests online, through their website.

VitalChek charges an additional fee to use their service
VitalChek accepts all major credit cards, including American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa.

Order Online

Order Birth Certificates (for INSIDE the City Of Detroit)

Certified copies of birth certificates FOR THE CITY OF DETROIT can also be obtained by in person, or by mail. Please print out the appropriate application and follow the instructions listed below.

Birth Certificate Application - Detroit Birth Only Detroit Birth Certificate Application (rushed delivery)

Please visit our Birth & Death Records Division at:

400 Monroe Street, Suite 605
Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: (313) 202-7190

Hours of operation:
Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Please forward a written request
(along with a copy of Driver's License or State I.D.) to:

Wayne County Clerk's Office
c/o City of Detroit Birth & Death Records Division
400 Monroe Street, Suite 605
Detroit, MI 48226

Order Birth Certificates (for OUTSIDE the City Of Detroit)

Certified copies of birth certificates OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF DETROIT may be obtained in person or by mail. Please print out the appropriate application and visit us, or forward a written request (along with a copy of Driver's License or State I.D.) to the address below.

Birth Certificate Application - Downtown Office Birth Certificate Application (rushed delivery)

The Office of the Wayne County Clerk
C/o Birth and Death Records Division
2 Woodward Ave., Room 201
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 224-6262

Please Note:

All requests must be written in letter form and must include the signature, phone number, and return address of the individual requesting the record. Additionally, please include the DATE OF BIRTH, FULL NAME AT THE TIME OF BIRTH, and THE CITY OF BIRTH. Please note that valid identification is required [i.e. a driver's license or state I.D. card] for IN PERSON AND MAIL REQUESTS. If no such identification is available, two pieces of other I.D. that require a signature may be used [i.e. a social security card, voter registration card, passport, school I.D., and/or work I.D.]. Identification must be presented at the time of the request. And again, if you are sending a request by mail, A PHOTO-COPY OF YOUR I.D. MUST BE INCLUDED.
Home births may be recorded in our DOWNTOWN office within one year of the birth only if it occurred in a city within Wayne County that DOES NOT register their own births. Otherwise, if a home birth occurred in a city that DOES register its own births, it must be recorded in that office.
Forms for Acknowledgement of Paternity can only be obtained by coming to our DOWNTOWN office location. These forms are used to add the father's name to the birth certificate and/or change the child's name to the father's name.
To make a change or correction to a Michigan Birth Certificate you must do so through the State of Michigan.
Fees for obtaining a certified copy of a birth certificate are $24 for the first copy, and $7 for each additional copy of the same record. For senior citizens that are at least 65 years of age and are purchasing THEIR OWN birth certificate, the first certified copy is $2, and it is $3 for each additional copy of the same record. Mail requests must be paid for with a money order or certified check made out to the Wayne County Clerk. NO PERSONAL CHECKS!

Valid identification is required (i.e. a driver's license or state I.D. card) in order to process the request. If no such identification is available, two pieces of other I.D. with a valid signature may be used (i.e. a social security card, voter registration card, passport, school I.D., and/or work I.D.). Identification must be presented at the time of a request, and if you are sending a request by mail, A PHOTO-COPY OF YOUR I.D. MUST BE INCLUDED.

Birth certificates ARE NOT public record and can ONLY be requested by the individual on the record, a parent who is named on the record, or a legal guardian and/or representative. Valid identification must be presented by the recipient or recipient's parent or legal guardian.

Yes, for senior citizens that are at least 65 years of age, the first certified copy is $2, and $3 for each additional copy of the same record. They must also present a valid state-issued I.D. and have the option of requesting a birth certificate via mail.