Ontonagon County Clerk and Register of Deeds

About the Ontonagon County Clerk and Register of Deeds

Ontonagon County uses a combined County Clerk / Register of Deeds model, not a separate district clerk. Haley Rasmussen serves as County Clerk and Register of Deeds. The office sits on the first floor of the Ontonagon County Courthouse and answers questions about vital records, recorded land documents, and circuit court files. Two deputies handle the day-to-day work by subject area. Jerri Corey is Chief Deputy for Circuit Court and Vital Records, and Kimberly Gilmer is Deputy for the Register of Deeds. Melissa Picotte handles accounting and human resources through a separate office line.

The clerk's office is one of the few county offices that stays open through the noon hour. While most departments close for lunch, the County Clerk, Register of Deeds, Friend of the Court, and Treasurer stay open all day. That makes it easier to fit a certified-copy pickup or a land-record search into a short courthouse visit. Because the office carries several roles, it helps to name the record type you need when you call or write.

What the Ontonagon County Clerk Handles

The office wears two main public-record hats. As County Clerk it keeps vital records and acts as the county's access point for circuit court and family division files. As Register of Deeds it records, indexes, and preserves real-property documents such as deeds, mortgages, and liens. The same office also runs a Property Fraud Alert program tied to those recorded documents. Knowing which hat applies to your request points you to the right staff member and the right form.

• Certified copies of birth, marriage, and death records for the county
• Recording and indexing of deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land documents
• The Register of Deeds public record search and document purchase portal
• Circuit court and family division filing access for Ontonagon County
• Property Fraud Alert enrollment for recorded property owners
• Accounting, payment intake, and other county clerk duties at the courthouse

Vital Records at the Ontonagon County Clerk

Vital records are the office's most requested service. The clerk issues certified copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death records for events tied to Ontonagon County. A certified copy carries the county seal and is the version accepted for passports, benefits, estate work, and other legal uses. An uncertified printout is not a substitute when an agency asks for the official document. Birth, marriage, and death records each use a slightly different set of identifying fields on the request form.

Birth records carry the tightest access rules. A certified birth record is released only to a person named on the record, such as the child or a parent, or to an eligible heir who completes an Affidavit of Heir available at the clerk's office. That restriction lifts once a birth record is at least 100 years old. A copy of a photo ID, such as a driver's license, is required to prove identity for a certified birth-certificate purchase. Marriage and death records are less restricted but still need accurate names and dates to locate the right file.

The county page for the office explains the ordering paths and eligibility in plain terms. The official County Clerk / Register of Deeds page lists the fees, the request form, the land-record search, and the fraud-alert program in one place.

That single county page is the anchor for most vital-record and land-record tasks, and it links straight to the request form covered below.

Vital Record Fees in Ontonagon County

The fee structure for certified vital records is simple and flat. The first copy of any single record costs $10, and each additional copy of that same record costs $3. Register of Deeds recording and search fees follow a separate schedule that the office links from its page, and those amounts are set by that schedule rather than a flat vital-record rate. When you pay online, a service fee is added on top of the record amount and shown separately.

Checks for mailed requests should be made payable to Ontonagon County Clerk. Count your copies before you send payment so the enclosed amount matches the $10 first-copy and $3 per-additional-copy math.

Note: The Register of Deeds recording and search amounts come from the office's linked fee schedule, so confirm the current figure before sending payment for a land document.

How to Request a Certified Copy

Ordering a certified vital record follows a short, predictable path whether you visit, mail, or order online. The key is matching the request form to the correct record type and including the right identity proof for birth records. The steps below move from confirming the record to receiving the copy.

1. Confirm the record type, birth, marriage, or death, and that Ontonagon County holds it.
2. Complete the Vital Records Request form with the identifying names and dates for that record.
3. For a birth certificate, add a copy of your photo ID, since birth records are restricted to named persons and eligible heirs.
4. Include payment of $10 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy, with mailed checks payable to Ontonagon County Clerk.
5. Submit in person, by mail, by email, or by uploading the form for an online purchase.
6. Pick the copy up at the first-floor office or wait for it to arrive by mail.

If you are unsure which record you need or whether you qualify to receive a birth record, call 906-884-4255 before you send payment. A quick question can prevent a rejected request and a second mailing.

Vital Records Request Form Fields

The office uses one Vital Records Request form for birth, marriage, and death copies. It can be brought in person, mailed, or emailed, and the same form must be uploaded for an online purchase. The form is addressed to the Ontonagon County Clerk and lists the courthouse address, the office phone, and the fax line. Some fields apply to every request, while others are conditional on whether you are asking for a birth, marriage, or death record.

The form is not a general court-record request form. For a court case file, use MiCOURT Case Search where the case appears, then contact the court that owns the case for copies. Marriage and divorce filings are described in more depth on the county marriage and divorce records page.

Ontonagon County Register of Deeds Records

As Register of Deeds, the office records and preserves documents that affect real property in the county. That includes deeds, mortgages, discharges, liens, easements, and similar instruments. Once recorded, these documents become part of the public land record and can be searched and purchased. The office maintains a public record search portal for this purpose, and a deputy dedicated to Register of Deeds work handles recording and indexing questions.

The Register of Deeds public record search lets users look up recorded documents and buy copies through the portal. The exact search fields change with the dynamic interface, so plan to search by name, document type, or recording detail as the tool allows.

Because that portal handles both searching and purchasing, it covers most self-service land-record needs without a trip to the courthouse. For older documents, recording questions, or the current fee schedule, contact the office directly at 906-884-4255.

Property Fraud Alerts in Ontonagon County

A standout Register of Deeds feature is the county's Property Fraud Alert program. Property fraud happens when someone records a forged deed or lien against a property without the owner's knowledge. The alert program lets owners monitor activity tied to their name in the recorded land records. The office publishes both an information sheet and a sign-up form for the program on its page.

Enrollment is a low-effort, proactive step for anyone who owns property in the county. When a document is recorded that matches the monitored name, the program can flag it so the owner can act early. It shows that the Register of Deeds portal is not only for looking up past documents but for keeping watch on future ones. Owners who want the added protection can request the information sheet and complete the sign-up form through the office.

Circuit Court and Family Records Access

Beyond vital and land records, the clerk is the county's local access point for circuit court files. Under the shared 32nd Circuit family court plan, the county clerk's office is designated as the central point for family division information, including where to file documents, how records are stored, and how the public reaches case scheduling details. Family division documents are filed in the county clerk's office, while juvenile documents are filed in juvenile court.

Divorce, custody, paternity, and personal protection matters are circuit and family cases rather than vital records. The clerk holds or routes the file, and the Circuit Court itself sits on the second floor of the courthouse. For the court's overview, judge, and jurisdiction, see the county Circuit Court page. For a certified divorce judgment or a full case file, ask the clerk about certification fees and whether the record is available at the courthouse.

Note: A family case may be assigned between the circuit and probate judges under the local plan, so confirm with the clerk which office physically holds the file you need.

Online Payments and Service Fees

The office accepts online payments for Clerk and Register of Deeds services through a GovPros portal. Vital-record purchases and other clerk payments run through this path, which requires the completed request form to be uploaded for a certified copy. A service fee applies on top of the record amount and appears on the checkout as a separate GovPros service fee, so the total is the record cost plus that fee.

Paying online does not skip the form step for vital records. Upload the Vital Records Request form so the office can match your payment to the correct certified copy.

Ways to Reach the Ontonagon County Clerk

The office supports several channels, and the best one depends on the record. Vital records can be handled in person, by mail, by email, or online. Land records are searched and purchased through the Register of Deeds portal. Court case files are a different animal and are governed by court rules rather than a simple over-the-counter copy request.

• In person: first floor, Ontonagon County Courthouse, 725 Greenland Road, open all day
• Phone: 906-884-4255 for clerk, vital, and land-record questions; 906-884-4257 for accounting
• Mail or email: send the completed Vital Records Request form to the office
• Fax: 906-884-6796 for the vital-records request form
• Online: GovPros for payments and the Register of Deeds portal for land records

Public records held by county offices fall under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, which sets how a written request is made and how a public body must respond. The FOIA request and response statute, MCL 15.235, lays out that process for public-body records.

FOIA governs county public records, but court case files follow Michigan Court Rules and the clerk's record procedures instead, so a certified court copy is requested from the owning court rather than through a FOIA letter.