Getting a Marriage License in Washtenaw County
A marriage license in Washtenaw County starts at the Vital Records office. That office sits inside the Washtenaw County Clerk / Register of Deeds. The same elected office handles birth, death, and marriage records, business names, notary commissions, and concealed pistol license applications. Court case files are handled elsewhere. For any wedding record, the Clerk / Register of Deeds is the first stop.
Couples do not need an appointment to apply. Walk-in applications are taken Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Both people fill out an Application for a Marriage License. Persons 18 and older may marry in Michigan without parental consent. The office also runs a Secure ID Submission Site, which lets applicants send identification for a remote application.
The county page for marriage licenses explains how walk-in applications work.
The license, not the ceremony, is what the county issues. A valid Michigan marriage still needs an officiant and a signed return, which the office files back into the record.
How to Apply for a License
Applying is simple when both people come prepared. Bring valid identification and know the basic facts each partner must provide. The office reviews the application, collects the fee, and issues the license after the state waiting period. A short checklist keeps the visit quick.
A source-linked look at the Vital Records office shows the counter where couples apply.
Use the following steps as a guide before and during the visit.
- Fill out the Application for a Marriage License. Both partners complete their own portion using legal names.
- Bring valid photo identification, or use the Secure ID Submission Site if applying remotely.
- Apply in person Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. No appointment is required.
- Pay the license fee at the counter. Confirm the current amount on the county fee schedule.
- Wait out the Michigan waiting period, then pick up the license and arrange an officiant.
Note: Persons 18 and older may marry in Michigan without parental consent, so most adult couples need only identification and the completed form.
Washtenaw County Marriage Application Fields
The application asks for a small set of facts about each partner. Most of it is basic identity and status information. Residency matters because Michigan license rules differ for residents and nonresidents. The table below lists the fields the county process collects.
| Field / Requirement | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant names | Yes | Use full legal names for both partners. |
| Identification | Yes | Photo ID in person, or the Secure ID Submission Site for remote applications. |
| Residency / applicant status | Yes | Michigan rules depend on resident or nonresident status. |
| Application submission | Yes | In person, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; no appointment needed. |
| Fee | Yes | Paid at the counter; confirm the current amount before applying. |
| Ceremony / officiant | Yes for a valid marriage | The office does not schedule or perform the ceremony. |
Certified Copies of Washtenaw County Marriage Records
Once a marriage license is filed, the county can issue certified copies. A certified copy is the official version accepted for a name change, a passport, benefits, or a court matter. It applies to any marriage license filed in Washtenaw County. Copies can be ordered online, in person, or by mail.
The first certified marriage copy costs $15. Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $5 each. Certified copies print on special security paper with a raised embossed seal, which is how offices confirm the document is genuine. That security feature is why a plain photocopy will not stand in for a certified one.
The county page on certified copies of marriage licenses covers ordering and eligibility.
Anyone may request a certified copy of a Michigan marriage record if the request is in writing and the search fee is prepaid, so these records stay broadly accessible.
Correcting a Washtenaw County Marriage License
Errors on a marriage license can be fixed through the Clerk. A misspelled name or a wrong date on a License of Marriage is corrected by filing the county correction form. The fee to correct a License of Marriage is $100. Payment rules depend on whether the request comes by mail or in person.
The $100 correction fee is paid by check or money order made out to Washtenaw County Clerk when mailing the request. In person, the office accepts cash or a credit or debit card. Cash should never be mailed. Correction forms go to Washtenaw County Clerk, Vital Records, P.O. Box 8645.
The county posts marriage license correction instructions with the form and payment details.
After a correction posts, order a fresh certified copy so the record you hold shows the fix.
Marriage Ceremonies and Officiants
The county issues the license but stays out of the ceremony. The Vital Records office does not schedule or perform marriage ceremonies. Couples arrange their own officiant and their own date. Michigan law, not the county, sets who may legally solemnize a marriage.
Who can officiate is governed by MCL 551.7. That statute lists judges, certain clergy, and other authorized officials. After the ceremony, the officiant completes and returns the license so the marriage can be recorded. A wedding is not on record until that signed return reaches the office.
The county page on marriage ceremonies confirms the office does not perform them.
Planning the officiant early avoids a gap between getting the license and having a return the county can file.
Finding Washtenaw County Divorce Records
Divorce records follow a different path than marriage records. A divorce is a court case, so the file lives with the Washtenaw County Trial Court family division. That division handles the case from filing through the final judgment. The county office that issues marriage licenses does not hold divorce files.
The family division sits at 101 E Huron Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1446. Its phone line is 734-222-3791, and hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Online public case access may show case events for a divorce. When a document is not online, it must be requested from the court records department. The divorce division page lists the contact details.
A full divorce decree, with custody, support, or property terms, is a court file. Those pages come from the Trial Court records department, and they read alongside the county's broader court records channels.
Note: A state divorce certificate is not the same as the court decree, so match the document to what the requesting agency actually asks for.
Filing for Divorce in Washtenaw County
Starting a divorce in Washtenaw County means filing with the family division. Michigan sets residency and venue rules that decide where a case belongs. State SCAO forms or local family division instructions guide the paperwork. The steps below outline the path from filing to judgment.
- Confirm residency and venue under Michigan divorce law before filing anywhere.
- File in the Washtenaw County Trial Court family division when Washtenaw is the proper venue.
- Use Michigan SCAO divorce forms or the local family division instructions.
- Pay the filing fees, or request a fee waiver if you qualify.
- Serve the other party, then follow scheduling, Friend of the Court, mediation, and custody or support steps.
- Use Trial Court records for decree copies, and use the state for a divorce certificate.
Friend of the Court handles custody, parenting time, and support enforcement inside the family division, so many divorce files carry those orders too.
Washtenaw County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Costs differ by record type and by how a copy is certified. Marriage copies carry a set county fee. Court copies of a divorce file use the Trial Court copy rates. The table below gathers the fees documented for these records.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified marriage copy, first copy | $15 |
| Certified marriage copy, each additional same record | $5 (ordered at the same time) |
| Marriage license correction | $100 |
| Normal court copy (divorce file page) | $2 per page |
| Certified court copy (divorce file) | $10 plus $1 per page |
| Exemplified court copy (divorce file) | $10 plus $1 per page |
Confirm the current marriage license application fee on the county fee schedule before applying, since that figure is set separately by the Clerk.
State Certified Divorce Certificates
A certified divorce certificate comes from the state, not the county. Michigan MDHHS Vital Records issues certified death, marriage, and divorce records at the state level. Use this office when an agency asks for a state divorce certificate rather than the court decree. The county divorce process does not produce that certificate.
The Michigan Vital Records office explains what the state holds and how to order it.
For custody, support, or property terms, still request the decree from the Washtenaw County Trial Court, because the state certificate confirms the divorce without spelling out those terms.
Requesting a Certified Copy
Eligibility for certified copies is broad at both levels. Anyone may request a certified copy of a Michigan death, marriage, or divorce record when the request is in writing and the search fee is prepaid. The record still has to be located, so accurate names and dates help. State certified copies print on security paper with a raised embossed seal.
Washtenaw County marriage copies come from the Clerk, and the same office covers other vital records through the Clerk of the Court and Register of Deeds. The state page on certified copy eligibility lists the written-request and prepaid-fee rules.
Matching the copy to its purpose, county marriage copy or state divorce certificate, keeps a request from bouncing between offices.