St. Joseph County Death Index

St. Joseph County death index records are kept by the County Clerk in Centreville. The office holds death certificates going back to 1867 and offers several ways to access them, including in-person visits by appointment, mail requests, an online records portal, and VitalChek. The county's online death record search covers entries from 1993 to the present, giving researchers quick access to more recent records.

St. Joseph County Clerk - Death Records

The St. Joseph County Clerk is located on the second floor of the Historic Courthouse at 125 W. Main Street, Centreville. The clerk handles vital records for the county including death certificates from 1867 through the present. Phone: (269) 467-5602. Fax: (269) 467-5596. The office is open Monday through Friday with a break from noon to 1:00 PM. If you plan to visit in person, call ahead for an appointment. The mailing address is PO Box 189, Centreville, MI 49032.

St. Joseph County stands out among Michigan counties for its online death record search portal, available through the county website at stjosephcountymi.gov. The online portal covers death records from 1993 to the current year. This is a convenient option for researchers looking for more recent entries without making a trip to Centreville. Older records from before 1993 require an in-person visit or mail request.

VitalChek is also available for ordering certified copies from St. Joseph County. This third-party service charges an extra processing fee but allows you to complete your request from home. The MDHHS vital records page links to VitalChek and other ordering options statewide.

St. Joseph County Death Certificate Fees

Certified death certificates in St. Joseph County cost $20 for the first copy. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $10. These are among the higher local rates in Michigan, but the price includes a full search of the county's records. Payment for mail requests must be a check or money order made out to the St. Joseph County Clerk. In-person payments can typically be made by cash or check.

Under MCL 333.2885, death certificates in Michigan are available to the deceased's immediate family, legal representatives, and anyone with a tangible interest. If you are requesting for genealogy purposes, records more than 25 years old are generally accessible. The clerk reviews eligibility at the time of the request and may ask for documentation supporting your relationship to the deceased.

VitalChek adds a service fee on top of the county's $20 base rate. If you use VitalChek, review the total cost before confirming your order. For cost-sensitive requests, mailing a form directly to the county is the less expensive option.

Note: Call the clerk at (269) 467-5602 to arrange an appointment before visiting in person, as walk-in availability may be limited.

Michigan Death Index - Statewide Resources

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services manages the statewide vital records system. The image below shows the MDHHS portal, which covers death records from St. Joseph County and all other Michigan counties. It includes links to ordering options, fee schedules, and downloadable request forms.

The MDHHS vital records page lists all options for ordering Michigan death certificates by mail or online. For free genealogy searching, use the GENDIS death index at the state's vital statistics site. FamilySearch also has indexed St. Joseph County death records going back to the late 1800s. Michiganology holds additional historical collections from southwest Michigan.

Tracing Family History in St. Joseph County Death Records

St. Joseph County death records go back to 1867. The county's rural and agricultural character over its history means many early death records document farming families and small-town residents from communities like Three Rivers, Sturgis, and Centreville. For researchers tracing Michigan family lines in the southwestern part of the state, St. Joseph County records are a solid starting point.

The county's online death portal at stjosephcountymi.gov covers 1993 to present, which is useful if you need to confirm a death date or find a file number before ordering a certified copy. For older records, the GENDIS index and FamilySearch are helpful online resources that cover earlier time periods. The State Archives of Michigan holds supplemental materials for records that predate consistent county-level registration.

Michigan Death Record Law in St. Joseph County

Michigan's Public Health Code at MCL 333.2843 governs how vital records are registered and made available in the state. The St. Joseph County Clerk serves as the local registrar and is responsible for maintaining accurate death records and issuing certified copies to qualified requesters. Death certificates are public records in Michigan, with the cause of death section restricted based on the requester's relationship to the deceased.

The MDHHS in Lansing holds state-level copies of all Michigan death records, including those from St. Joseph County. If the county clerk cannot locate a specific record, the state office may have it. For records where jurisdiction is unclear or where a death occurred near a county border, the state office is a useful fallback for confirming the proper registrar.

Nearby Counties

These counties are adjacent to St. Joseph County in southwestern Michigan. Each has its own clerk handling death records for that area.