Not a government site. We do not sell records or host personal data. About us

County Records Guide
Menu

Finding a will or probate case in Michigan

Who holds it: County probate court (probate register); some counties share a probate district1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Fees
  2. Who may order and what is restricted
  3. More details
  4. Related records in Michigan
  5. How Michigan handles it
  6. Probate and wills in Michigan counties with a full guide
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Certified copy fee

$10.00 certification plus $1.00 per page2

Fees

Will deposit fee
$25.00 for safekeeping (SCAO table, February 2025)3
Copy fee
Actual cost under MCR 8.119(J)4
Filing fee
$150.00 civil action or proceeding5

Who may order and what is restricted

Access during life
Delivered only to testator or authorized person during life; publicly opened after death6

More details

Will deposit
Will may be deposited in a sealed wrapper with the court where the testator lives6
Courts: court system
One court of justice: Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit court, probate court, and courts of limited jurisdiction7
Courts: statewide case search
MiCOURT Case Search (micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search), described by SCAO as covering Judicial Information Services (JIS) courts, so it is not stated to be every court8
Courts: fees
Viewing is free; copies at actual cost of labor and supplies (no fixed statewide per-page figure in the rule)4
Death certificates: who holds it
MDHHS Vital Records from 1867; local registrars may issue9
Death certificates: fee
$34.00 search including one certified copy10

How Michigan handles it

  • Probate court districts. Some counties share a probate district1
  • Confidential marriage. Probate court issued; limited to spouses9

Probate and wills in Michigan counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Allegan CountyAllegan County Probate Court11—Certified copy fee: $10.00 certification plus $1.00 per page12
Bay CountyBay County Probate Court14Search13—
Calhoun CountyProbate Court15——
Clinton CountyProbate Court16——
Eaton CountyProbate Court18Search17Certified copies $10 + $1 for each page19
Genesee CountyGenesee County Probate Court21Search20—
Grand Traverse CountyProbate Court22—$1.00 first page, $0.50 each additional page; a 2-sided document counts as 223
Ingham CountyIngham County Probate Court25Search24$1.50 per page; transcripts on file $0.30 per page; certification $10 per record24
Jackson CountyJackson County Probate Court26——
Kalamazoo CountyKalamazoo County Probate Court27—$2 per page (photocopies for genealogy research)28
Kent CountyKent County Probate Court30Search29Copy fees: Certified copy $12; standard copy $2 per sheet; exemplified $10 + $2 per sheet31
Lapeer CountyProbate Court32——
Lenawee CountyProbate Court33—$1.00 per page34
Livingston CountyLivingston County Probate Court35Search35$1.50 per page; certified letters of authority $13 each35
Macomb CountyProbate Court36Search36$1 per page photocopies37
Midland CountyMidland County Probate Court38——
Monroe CountyProbate Court40Search39—
Muskegon CountyMuskegon County Probate Court41—small estates $25 plus inventory fee and $12 for certified copies42
Oakland CountyOakland County Probate Court43——
Ottawa CountyProbate Court44—Certified copy fee: $10.00 certification plus $1.00 per page45
Saginaw CountySaginaw County Probate Court46——
St. Clair CountySt. Clair County Probate Court48Search47—
Washtenaw CountyProbate Court49——
Wayne CountyWayne County Probate Court51Search50Certified copy fee: $10.00 certification plus $1.00 per page; copies $2.00 per page52

For any other county, see the county list on the Michigan guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Michigan office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: probate records and wills in every state. Everything else in Michigan: Michigan public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. 600.803 Probate court district.Michigan Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  2. 600.2546 Certified copies, exemplifications of records, pleadings, and proceedings; fee.Michigan Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  3. Probate Court Fee TablesMichigan Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  4. Michigan Court Rules Chap 8. Administrative Rules of CourtMichigan Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  5. 600.880 Filing fees for civil action to probate register; exceptions; disposition.Michigan Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  6. 700.2515 Deposit of will with court in testator's lifetime.Michigan Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  7. § 1 Judicial power in court of justice; divisions.Michigan Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  8. SCAO memo: MiCOURT Case Search & Automatically Set Aside ConvictionsMichigan Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  9. Order Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce RecordsMDHHSchecked November 4, 2026
  10. 333.2891 Search for vital record; request; fee; official statement if record not locatedMichigan Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  11. #### TAB: Locations & JudgesMichigan Courtschecked November 7, 2026
  12. 600.2546 Certified copies, exemplifications of records, pleadings, and proceedings; fee.Michigan Legislaturechecked November 7, 2026
  13. Bay County Courts Web SiteBay County Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  14. Bay County, MI home pageBay County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  15. Calhoun County, MICalhoun County, Michiganchecked November 7, 2026
  16. Probate Court | Clinton County, MIClinton County, Michiganarchived copychecked November 7, 2026
  17. Public Case SearchEaton County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  18. Probate CourtEaton County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  19. Online Payment and Fees (Probate)Eaton County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  20. Genesee County Probate Court (home)Genesee County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  21. Genesee County, MI (home)Genesee County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  22. Probate CourtGrand Traverse County, Michiganchecked November 7, 2026
  23. Probate Fee ScheduleGrand Traverse County, Michiganchecked November 7, 2026
  24. Ingham County - Probate CourtIngham County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  25. Welcome to Ingham CountyIngham County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  26. Jackson County Probate CourtJackson County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  27. Probate CourtKalamazoo County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  28. Genealogy (Probate Court)Kalamazoo County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  29. Probate Name SearchKent County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  30. Probate CourtKent County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  31. Fee ScheduleKent County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  32. CourtsCounty of Lapeerchecked November 7, 2026
  33. Probate CourtLenawee County, Michiganchecked November 7, 2026
  34. Genealogy/MicrofilmLenawee County, Michiganchecked November 7, 2026
  35. Probate CourtLivingston County, MIchecked November 4, 2026
  36. Probate CourtMacomb County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  37. Probate Court FeesMacomb County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  38. Midland County CourtsMidland County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  39. Online Services | Monroe County, MIMonroe County, Michiganchecked November 7, 2026
  40. Probate Court | Monroe County, MIMonroe County, Michiganchecked November 7, 2026
  41. Probate CourtMuskegon Countychecked November 4, 2026
  42. Probate Court FeesMuskegon Countychecked November 4, 2026
  43. Trial Court Directory - Oakland County, Locations & JudgesMichigan Courts (Michigan Supreme Court)checked November 4, 2026
  44. Probate Court | Ottawa County, MIOttawa Countychecked November 4, 2026
  45. 600.2546 Certified copies, exemplifications of records, pleadings, and proceedings; fee.Michigan Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  46. County of Saginaw home pageSaginaw County, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  47. St. Clair CountySt. Clair County, Michiganchecked November 6, 2026
  48. St. Clair CountySt. Clair County, Michiganchecked November 6, 2026
  49. Trial Court Directory: Washtenaw CountyMichigan Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  50. Contact UsWayne County Probate Courtchecked November 4, 2026
  51. Records (Clerk Records Division)Charter County of Wayne, Michiganchecked November 4, 2026
  52. Filing/Probate FeesWayne County Probate Courtchecked November 4, 2026