Washtenaw County, Michigan public records

In Washtenaw County, deeds are recorded by the Clerk / Register of Deeds: Register of Deeds; property values come from Equalization; court files are split between the Trial Court: Records Unit and the Probate Court.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Business names (DBA)
11. Voter records
12. Historical records
13. Good to know about Washtenaw County records
14. Office addresses, phones and hours
15. Records that are not online: public records requests
16. Questions people ask
17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
18. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Washtenaw County are recorded by the Clerk / Register of Deeds: Register of Deeds.²

Online search

ssclerk.ewashtenaw.org/web²

Who runs it

Tyler Technologies Self-Service (county host ssclerk.ewashtenaw.org)¹⁴

Copy fee

$1 per page in person or by mail; $1.20 per page online; plats $2 per page; state or federal tax lien copy $1³

Certified copy fee

$5 certification of any copies, in addition to the copy fee³

Recording fee

$30 per document; $3 for each additional instrument assigned or discharged; transfer tax county $1.10 and state $7.50 per $1,000³

Search certificates

Federal tax lien search certificate $3; UCC search certificate for 1 debtor name $6; state tax lien search certificate $3³

How to order

Online, or in person by appointment at 734-222-6710¹⁵

Fraud alerts

Fraud Guard sends an alert when a document naming you is recorded²

How deeds work in Michigan

Property values, owners and tax bills

Equalization (county) sets property values⁴; the County Treasurer bills and collects the tax⁵.

Property search

secure4.ewashtenaw.org/parcelsearch⁴

Tax bill search

washtenaw.org/2370/Delinquent-Tax-Search⁵

Local assessors

Annual assessment by the assessing officer of the township or city (villages use the township's assessment)¹⁶

Parcel map (GIS)

data-washtenaw.opendata.arcgis.com (free GIS data); MapWashtenaw parcel viewer; MapStore for printed maps¹⁷

Tax certificate

$5 to certify a deed with up to 25 legal descriptions, plus $0.20 per parcel above that (Treasurer page, MCL 48.101)¹⁸

Appealing a value

March Board of Review of the city or township, then Michigan Tax Tribunal by July 31¹⁹

How property tax works in Michigan

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Statewide

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 court²²

Fees

Normal $2 per page; certified $10 plus $1 per page; exemplified $10 plus $1 per page⁷

How to order

In person, by mail with form and self-addressed stamped envelope, or by phone with credit card⁷

Retention

Circuit Court records for the last 25 years at the main office, five files per hour; 1883 to older than 25 years purged except possible final orders; 1828-1883 at the Michigan State Archives, 517-335-2576²³

Criminal records and background checks

Which court

Trial Court public terminals or the court website²⁰

Sheriff

Sheriff Records Bureau: incident and accident reports, county local jail checks, booking photo IDs²⁴

State repository

Michigan State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center²⁵

How Michigan courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Clerk / Register: Vital Records Division.⁹

Online search

ssvital.ewashtenaw.org/web⁸

About this search

Index for marriage records filed after January 1959⁸

Marriage license fee

$20 Michigan residents; $30 out-of-state residents; $50 waiver of three-day waiting period²⁶

Certified copy fee

$15 first copy; $5 each additional of the same record ordered at the same time; extra service fees online⁸

How to order

Online; or by mail to Vital Records Division with form and check or money order⁸

Earliest

Marriage index and records begin in 1833¹¹

Michigan marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Trial Court case files (case type DM); order copies from the Records Unit²⁰

State

Circuit court clerk (county clerk) keeps the case file; MDHHS holds the state record from 1897²⁷

Michigan divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

County Vital Records, births in Washtenaw County since 1867¹⁰

Fee

$15 first copy; $5 each additional same record same time; $5 senior (65+) own certificate¹⁰

Restrictions

Confidential: person on the record, a parent named on the record, or legal guardian/representative¹⁰

How to order

Online; or by mail with form and photocopy of front and back of valid ID¹⁰

Older records

Birth records 100 years and older may be issued on written request and payment¹¹

Ordering a Michigan birth certificate

Death certificates

County Vital Records; index and records begin in 1867¹¹

Online search

ssvital.ewashtenaw.org/web¹¹

About this search

Death index 1959 to present¹¹

Fee

$15 first copy; $5 each additional same record same time; extra service fees online¹²

Ordering a Michigan death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Probate Court.⁶

Contact

101 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor; (734) 222-3072⁶

Fees

Filing fees follow the state schedule linked as Probate Court Fees²⁸

Finding a will or probate case in Michigan

Business names (DBA)

Assumed names and co-partnerships at Clerk/Register Vital Records; LLCs and corporations at Michigan LARA¹³

Fee

$10 certificate of assumed name; $10 co-partnership; $2 certified copy; valid 5 years¹³

Voter records

Kept by the Clerk / Register: Elections & Administration.²⁹

Access

Qualified Voter File is available on request under FOIA, with listed fields withheld³⁰

Local

Registration and verification via Michigan.gov/Vote; local election office is the city or township clerk²⁹

Historical records

Genealogy

Appointment recommended; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; photo ID required¹¹

Circuit early

Full circuit records 1828-1883 at the Michigan State Archives²³

Naturalization

Michigan Library and Historical Center, Lansing, 517-373-1408¹¹

Good to know about Washtenaw County records

• Clerk and Register of Deeds are one combined office.³¹
• Circuit court records from 1883 to older than 25 years have been purged, except final orders that may be available.²³
• Marriage records begin in 1833; birth and death records in 1867.¹¹
• Ann Arbor, Scio Township and Ypsilanti Township verify their own legal descriptions for deed certification.¹⁸
• Three district courts serve the county: 14A, 14B (Ypsilanti Township) and 15th (Ann Arbor).⁶
• Personal protection case types are not available in the online case search.²⁰

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page

washtenaw.org/…³³

Where to send it

FOIA Coordinator, P.O. Box 8645, Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645; fax 734-222-6758; general coordinator phone 734-222-6737; online form³³

Online form

washtenawsheriff.formstack.com/forms/foia³³

Judiciary exempt

Courts and the clerk acting as circuit court clerk are not covered: use the Trial Court records process³³

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in Michigan with a full guide: Allegan County, Bay County, Calhoun County, Clinton County, Eaton County, Genesee County, Grand Traverse County, Ingham County, Jackson County, Kalamazoo County, Kent County, Lapeer County, Lenawee County, Livingston County, Macomb County, Midland County, Monroe County, Muskegon County, Oakland County, Ottawa County, Saginaw County, St. Clair County, Wayne County. Every county in the state: Michigan county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 34 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
2. Register of DeedsWashtenaw County, Michigan
3. Register of Deeds Fee ScheduleWashtenaw County, Michigan
4. EqualizationWashtenaw County, Michigan
5. TreasurerWashtenaw County, Michigan
6. Trial Court Directory: Washtenaw CountyMichigan Courts
7. Trial Court Records RequestWashtenaw County, Michigan
8. Certified Copies of Marriage LicensesWashtenaw County, Michigan
9. Vital RecordsWashtenaw County, Michigan
10. Birth CertificatesWashtenaw County, Michigan
11. GenealogyWashtenaw County, Michigan
12. Death CertificatesWashtenaw County, Michigan
13. Business Names (DBA)Washtenaw County, Michigan
14. Washtenaw County Self-Service (land records search) disclaimer pageWashtenaw County Clerk/Register of Deeds (Tyler Technologies)
15. Search and Request RecordsWashtenaw County, Michigan
16. 211.10 Annual assessment of property.Michigan Legislature
17. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)Washtenaw County, Michigan
18. Deed CertificationWashtenaw County, Michigan
19. Appeal Your AssessmentWashtenaw County, Michigan
20. Name and Calendar SearchWashtenaw County, Michigan
21. Probate CourtWashtenaw County, Michigan
22. SCAO memo: MiCOURT Case Search & Automatically Set Aside ConvictionsMichigan Courts
23. Records AccessWashtenaw County, Michigan
24. Sheriff's Office Records RequestWashtenaw County, Michigan
25. Criminal History RecordsMichigan State Police
26. Marriage LicensesWashtenaw County, Michigan
27. Order Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce RecordsMDHHS
28. Trial Court FeesWashtenaw County, Michigan
29. ElectionsWashtenaw County, Michigan
30. Qualified Voter File Data Request Form and InstructionsMichigan Department of State
31. Clerk / Register of DeedsWashtenaw County, Michigan
32. Trial CourtWashtenaw County, Michigan
33. FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)Washtenaw County, Michigan
34. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau