Washtenaw County Courthouse
Census | Court | Election | Land | Military Discharge | Naturalization | Probate | Proceedings | Vital Records
Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Inc.
Washtenaw County Records Research
County Formation
See Everton's map of Michigan Counties.
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Year 1810 1820 1827 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 |
Washtenaw County n/a n/a ca 1,000 4,042 28,567 35,686 41,440 41,848 46,776 47,751 44,714 49,520 65,530 80,810 134,606 172,440 234,103 264,748 290,546 |
Michigan (approx.) 4,762 8,896 31,639 212,267 397,654 749,113 1,184,059 1,636,937 2,093,890 2,420,982 2,810,173 3,668,412 4,842,325 5,256,106 6,371,766 7,823,194 8,875,083 9,262,078 9,295,297 |
(territory) (territory) (territory) (territory) |
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Type of Record |
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Kept Since |
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Not Required |
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Enforced After |
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Notes |
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birth marriage divorce death |
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1867 1827 1897 1867 |
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1867-1905 1867-1905 |
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1905 1905 |
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state records 1805-33 some records 1838-97 |
Birth records are available only to the individual, parents, guardians, heirs (by blood or marriage), and legal representatives. All other vital records are open to the public. Some birth, marriage and death records may exist prior to 1867 and would have been retained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Where to write for divorce records:
Divorce records are held in the Court Services Division. A copy of a divorce certificate or annulment decree can be obtained from the Michigan Department of Community Health in Lansing. If your browser can read frames, an application for a divorce certificate or annulment decree can be printed out from the Michigan Department of Community Health website.
Some very early divorce records (prior to 1897) may be found in county court and chancery books and are published in the LDS Family History Catalog. A state-wide index is available at the Library of Michigan and at the Michigan Department of Community Health. See Vital Records, State Archives of MI, Circular 19 for a list of reel numbers.
Where to write for birth, marriage and death records:
A state-wide index is available at the Library of Michigan and at the Michigan Department of Community Health. See Vital Records, State Archives of MI, Circular 19 for a list of reel numbers.
(1) LDS microfilm records:
We advise researchers to use the LDS microfilm when possible due to busy courthouse staff, except when searching for more recent marriage and death records.
(2) Michigan Department of Community Health:
Volunteers for the Michigan Department of Community Health death records project are transcribing Michigan death records from the 1800s. As they are completed, the MDCH is making them available online at http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/PHA/OSR/gendis/index.htm.
Uncertified genealogical copies of birth, marriage, and death records may be ordered from the State if accompanied by an Application to Request a Vital Record for Genealogical Research form. Order this form and copies of vital records from the Michigan Department of Community Health.
Certified copies of birth, marriage, and death records may also be ordered from the State using a standard application form. Order this form and copies of records from the same address, or if your browser can read frames, print a copies of these application forms from the Michigan Department of Community Health website.
Available are birth, marriage, and death records since 1867 and divorce records since 1897. The cost for a certified copy is $13 including a 3-year search, $4 for each additional copy, and $4 for each additional year of search. Rush orders cost an extra $19. Money orders are accepted; personal checks are not; credit card payments cost an extra $19. An SASE is required. The processing time is three weeks.
(3) Washtenaw County Clerk/Register:
Birth, marriage, and death records may also be ordered from the Washtenaw County Clerk/Register. All copies of vital records issued by this office are certified copies. For a recording with up-to-date information about getting copies, call 313-994-6535 anytime. The cost is $3.00 for the search, $10.00 for the first copy, $3.00 for each additional copy requested at the same time. See Requesting Vital Records from the Washtenaw County Clerk/Register for requirements.
To visit the vital records office in person, you must have an appointment; call the office at 313-994-2502. The office, open 8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday, is located on the first floor of the county courthouse at Main and Huron, at the west end of the building in Room 106. Genealogy research hours are 10am-4pm Tuesday-Thursday. A small table is provided. Space allows for two genealogists searching the same records at a time. No children are allowed. Birth records may not be viewed by the public. Marriage and death records and indexes are on microfiche; original books are not available for research.
If the staff needs to search the index (1970 to the present), a certified copy must be requested. A minimum five-year search is conducted for a cost of $3.00. Additional years cost $1.00 per year. If the record is not located, the search fee is retained by the clerk.
No phone requests are accepted. For mail requests, allow a minimum of 3-4 weeks response time. Make out your check or money order payable to the Washtenaw County Clerk. Your check must include a current valid driver's license number or state issued id number, expiration date, and daytime phone number with area code.
Land records may be ordered from the Washtenaw County Clerk/Register's Office if you give them the citation, but they will not check indexes. Indexes are available at the Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County Library.
Court records may be requested from the Washtenaw County Clerk's Office.
Probate records may be requested from the Washtenaw County Judge of Probate. The cost for a certified copy is $3.00 for the first page copied, $1.00 for each additional page. The cost for an uncertified copy for genealogical purposes is $.50 per page. The entire document must be copied (such as all of the inventory or all of the petition). There is no charge for searching. Both testate and intestate indexes are available at the Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County Library.
There are no naturalization records at the county level, although the filing of naturalization information began in 1833. Naturalization records held in the State Archives (Lansing) are available on microfilm at the GSWC/LDS Library and are listed in the catalog.
Washtenaw County naturalization records are held in Lansing and may be ordered from the State Archives. These were filmed in 1993 by the LDS and are listed in the LDS Family History Center's Catalog. Other naturalizations may be found in Circuit Court books at the county courthouse.
(See Wayne and Oakland Counties for 1820 Federal Census)
Federal Census for 1830, 1840, 1850 (indexed)
Federal Census for 1860, 1870 (not indexed)
Federal Census for 1880, 1900, 1910 (Soundex)
Federal Mortality Census for 1850 (printed)
Federal Mortality Census for 1860, 1870, 1880
Federal Veterans Census for 1890
Federal Agricultural and Manufacturing Census for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880
Michigan Census for 1845, 1854, 1864, 1874 (heads of households, white males over 21)
Michigan Census for 1884 (1/5 of populace; families, children married in census year)
Michigan Census for 1894 (families, children married in census year)
Michigan Civil War Veteran Census for 1887
Washtenaw County Census for 1827, 1834, 1845 (printed)
The Index of 1894 Census for Washtenaw County is available from the GSWC. As a future project, the GSWC expects to publish the Washtenaw County portion of the 1827 and 1834 Michigan State Census. Watch listings under Publications.
Census Schedules:
A list of state census schedules is available from the Bentley Historical Library, 1150 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, also available on their web site. (See:
- City Directories http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/mhchome/director.htm,
- Population Census http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/refhome/gcensus.htm,
- Census Indexes http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/refhome/gindex.htm,
- Washtnaw County http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/refhome/washco.htm,
- University of Michigan http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/refhome/ugenie.htm.)
- The Bentley has the Index of 1894 Census for Washtenaw County and Washtenaw County state and federal census
records for 1845, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1884, and 1894 on microfilm.
GSWC census research tools:
Facts in U.S. Census, 1790-1860
Facts in U.S. Census, 1870-1910
Facts in Michigan Census, 1827-1894
Washtenaw County in 1884/1894 Michigan Census
Election records may be researched at the Washtenaw County Clerk's Office.
Proceedings may be researched at the Washtenaw County Clerk's Office.
Military discharges are confidential; call for legal restrictions. Discharges can be found at the Washtenaw County Clerk's Office.
