Crawford County Death Index

Crawford County death index records and certified death certificates are available through the combined Clerk and Register of Deeds office in Grayling, Michigan. Records go back to 1873, and requests can be made in person, by mail, or through the Official Records Online portal. This page covers the request process, applicable fees, and how to use state genealogy tools to supplement your search.

Crawford County Clerk Vital Records

The Crawford County Clerk and Register of Deeds is a combined office in Grayling. The Crawford County vital records page covers how to request death certificates and other vital documents. The office holds documents going back to 1879, making it one of the older county archives in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Death records specifically go back to 1873.

The combined clerk and register of deeds structure means you can handle vital records and property record needs in the same office. If you are settling an estate and need both a death certificate and a deed, this is worth knowing. The vital records page at crawfordco.org has the application form and instructions for requesting a certified death certificate.

The county also offers access through Official Records Online (ORO), an online portal for document access. ORO is useful for viewing and printing certain records without a trip to the office. Check the county website to confirm what record types are available through ORO before relying on it for your specific request.

The Crawford County Clerk vital records page shows the office's online presence and the resources available for requesting death records.

The Crawford County Clerk is at 200 W. Michigan Avenue in Grayling, which is also home to the county courthouse and other county offices.

How to Request Crawford County Death Certificates

In-person requests are handled at 200 W. Michigan Avenue in Grayling. Bring the full legal name and date of death of the person on the record. Staff will search the index and process a certified copy for you. Call (989) 344-3200 ahead if you want to confirm hours or ask what to bring. The fax number for the office is (989) 344-3203 if you prefer to send a written request that way.

Mail requests should be directed to the County Clerk at 200 W. Michigan Avenue, Grayling, MI 49738. Include your application form (available on the county website), a clear statement of the name and death date, your mailing address, and a check or money order for the fee. Do not mail cash. Mail requests take longer than in-person service, so plan ahead if you have a deadline. If you are not sure the record exists, use the state death index tools first to confirm before mailing a request.

Online orders are available through the Official Records Online portal. Check the county website to confirm current access and which records are available through ORO. The Michigan MDHHS vital records office also handles statewide death certificate orders and works with VitalChek for online requests.

Under MCL 333.2885, records 75 years or older are available for public genealogical research in Michigan.

Crawford County Death Certificate Fees

The fee for a certified death certificate in Crawford County is $15.00 for the first copy and $5.00 for each additional copy. Fees for vital records in Michigan are governed by MCL 333.2843. The $15 first-copy rate is the standard charge across most Michigan counties. Order all the copies you need at once to take advantage of the lower per-copy rate for additional copies.

Payment is typically by check or money order for mail requests. In-person payments may also accept cash. For online requests, payment is by credit card through the applicable portal. Confirm accepted payment methods with the clerk's office before sending a mail request.

Michigan Death Index Resources for Crawford County

Crawford County has records going back to 1873. For genealogy research in the period before the county's records are well indexed online, several state tools are useful. The GENDIS database at vitalstats.michigan.gov covers Michigan deaths from 1971 through 1996. It is free and maintained by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. GENDIS does not give you a certificate, but it confirms the record and tells you the county of death.

For older records, Michiganology.org is a state-funded site with digitized historical Michigan vital records. It has death records from the 1800s and is searchable by name. FamilySearch.org also has Michigan death collections indexed by volunteers, all free to search. If you need a certified copy after confirming a record in these databases, contact the Crawford County Clerk or the MDHHS vital records office for statewide records.

Nearby Counties

Crawford County is in the northern Lower Peninsula. These are the counties that border it.