Michigan Death Records

If you are looking for information about someone who died in the state of Michigan, then searching Michigan death records may be the place to start.

There are a number of reasons why you may be seeking information from Michigan death records. People interested in genealogy often begin the search using the death records from the state in which their ancestor died. Others are trying to find out information about relatives, friends or loved ones.

There are a number of online resources that can help you to locate the death records and death certificates.

• Obits Archive has listings of recent obituaries from newspapers throughout Michigan. The definition of “recent” varies, so check the listing to see how far back you can search each archive. The earliest search date appears to be from about 1995.
• Ancestry.com allows you to search through the Michigan Death Index database for various periods in time. There is a fee to search the Ancestry.com archives.
• The Michigan Department of Community Health has a searchable free death index that allows you to search death records for a range of years.
• Vital Chek allows you to search records nationwide for death certificates for a nominal fee.
• The Michigan Department of Community Health allows you to order death records by mail. Follow the link to download a PDF printable version of the application, which can then be mailed to the Michigan Department of Community Health]

• The Southwest Michigan Obituary Index has over 89,000 listings from Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo and Van Buren Counties through the year 2000.
• The Barry County Public Records Index has a searchable death certificate index for Barry County.
• The Branch County Death Index has a searchable death index from the 1800s to the present.
• The Calhoun County Department of Public Records has an index of deaths from the 1930s to the present. Ordering death records requires a fee.
• The Delta County Genealogical Society has genealogy indexes from 1873 to 1975.
• Emmet County has a searchable death records database.
• Genesee County has death records spanning back to 1930, while the Flint Genealogical Society maintains a death index from 1867 to 1930 for Genesee County.
• Grand Traverse County has death records extending back to 1867.
• Ingham County’s death records span back to 1986, while earlier death records can be searched at Ancestry.com.
• Isabella County death records are available from 1867 to the present day.
• Kalmazoo County genealogical records can be found online from 1860 to the present via a surname search.
• The Brighton Library has a death index for Livingston County from 1970 to the present, while the 1867 to 1948 Livingston County death index is available through the Memorial Library.
• Macomb County has a searchable obituary index, which is searchable by surname.
• Manistee County’s death records are available at Roots.com.
• Death records in Missaukee County can be found by searching the Missaukee County Cemetery Index.
• The Monroe Library System has death records for Monroe County.
• In Muskegon County, death records can be found through the Muskegon County Genealogical Death Indexing System. The database is searchable by name.
• A death index for Newayago County can be found through the Fremont Library.
• Oakland County vital records, including death records, can be found on Ancestry.com, and requires payment.
• Ottowa County death indexes can be found through the various city websites, listed at the aforementioned link.
• The Saginaw Public Library maintains an obituary index spanning back to the early 1900s for Saginaw County.
• St. Clair County death records are available as early as 1838.
• Vital records for Washtenaw County can be found online.
• Wayne County and Detroit indexes can be found from a variety of resources, which are listed at Deathindexes.com.

In most cases, you will need some or all of the following information to search the death records:

• Decedent last name
• Decedent first name
• Gender
• Date of death
• Father’s full name
• County of death
• Mother’s maiden name
• Spouse’s full name

The Michigan Department of Community Health has death records available spanning back to 1867. Any individual may request a copy, and authentication is not necessary. Applications can be mailed to:

Vital Records Requests, PO Box 30721, Lansing MI 48909 (517) 335-8666. You may also be able to find death records through the Social Security Death Records system.

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