Livingston County Clerk of the Circuit Court

About the Livingston County Circuit Court Clerk

The elected County Clerk, Elizabeth Hundley, also serves as Clerk of the 44th Circuit Court. In that role the office runs the Circuit Court Clerk division at the county's Judicial Center. Chief Deputy County Clerk Kristi Cox helps oversee daily record work. The division files civil, family, and felony pleadings, keeps the official case files, issues process, and collects fees for the court of general jurisdiction.

The Clerk of the Circuit Court page links forms, the motion schedule, online payments, record requests, transcript ordering, and legal self-help resources. Paperwork at the counter is processed until 4:45 p.m., a little before the office closes. The contact card below shows how to reach the division by phone, fax, or email.

Requesting Livingston County Circuit Court Records

Circuit Court records travel through three main channels, and the right one depends on what you need. A case history or register of actions is free and online. An actual pleading, order, or certified copy usually requires the counter or a mailed request. The Circuit Court Records page lays out each route.

• Search the 44th Circuit Court register of actions at no cost through MiCOURT Case Search.
• Inspect the self-service court indexes in person at the Circuit Court Clerk's counter for no fee.
• Mail a completed copy request form with payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope for copies or certified documents.

MiCOURT shows case activity, parties, and hearing entries, but it does not post document images. Under Michigan court rules, the images of the filings themselves are viewed at the courthouse or ordered by copy request. For divorce case files, the same channels apply because divorce is a Circuit Court, Family Division matter.

Livingston County Circuit Court Copy Fees

Copies of Circuit Court records carry a flat per-page charge, and certification adds a separate fee. Payment for mailed copies is made to the Livingston County Clerk using in-state checks or money orders only. The counter also takes cash, in-state checks, and Visa or Mastercard.

Note: Mailed copy payments must be made out to the Livingston County Clerk, and only in-state checks or money orders are accepted for those requests.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's stamp and proves a court document is a true copy of the record. Banks, employers, and other courts often require one. The mailed request runs through a short set of steps.

1. Identify the case by name and, if known, case number, or give an approximate year so staff can find the file.
2. Download and complete the Circuit Court Record Copy Request Form, describing the document you want copied.
3. Mark that you are requesting a certified copy and include the certification fee plus the per-page copy cost.
4. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and mail the form with an in-state check or money order to the Livingston County Clerk.
5. Pick up in person or wait for the certified copy to arrive by return mail.

Livingston County Court Records Are Not FOIA

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act does not cover court records. The Circuit Court Record Copy Request Form states plainly that court records are not subject to FOIA. The county FOIA page repeats this and notes that the courts, and the County Clerk and staff when acting as Clerk of the Circuit Court, are exempt from FOIA requests.

Court files instead follow Michigan Court Rule 8.119 and the copy-fee statute. The rule supports public inspection of case records while limiting online document images. That is why a case shows online yet the pleading still needs a counter visit or written request. County agency records, such as many Sheriff's Office reports, do go through the county FOIA portal instead.

MCL 15.232

Defines a public body and excludes the judiciary, including County Clerk staff acting as Circuit Court Clerk.

MCR 8.119

Governs access to court records outside FOIA and limits public internet access to document images.

MCL 600.2546

Sets certification and copy fees unless another law provides otherwise.

Livingston County Circuit Court Filing Fees

The Circuit Court Clerk collects filing fees when a case opens and when certain motions are filed. Most civil cases add a one-time electronic system fee unless it is waived or exempt. The filing fees page lists the full schedule; common charges appear below.

Counter payments accept cash, money orders, in-state checks, and Visa or Mastercard. A support case totals $215, and a post-judgment support-only motion is $60. Fee waivers are available for filers who qualify by affidavit.

Fax Filing and the Motion Schedule

The Circuit Court Clerk accepts fax filings under the court's filing procedures, which cover fax timing, document verification, and payment by credit card over the phone with a convenience fee. The filing procedures page explains when a faxed document is treated as filed and how the clerk confirms receipt.

Motions are heard on a published schedule rather than any open date. The clerk's page links the current motion schedule so attorneys and self-represented filers can match a hearing slot to the assigned judge. Divorce and family motions follow the Family Division calendar, and the divorce filing page lists the forms each type of case needs.

Beyond filings, the division links online payments for court costs and offers transcript ordering for hearings and trials. A transcript is a written record of what was said in court, prepared by the court reporter for appeals or review. Legal self-help links on the same page point self-represented parties to state forms and instructions. Counter paperwork is taken until 4:45 p.m., so plan a visit before the last fifteen minutes of the day.

Livingston County Record Request Form Fields

The Circuit Court Record Copy Request Form asks for enough detail to locate a file and return the copies. If the case number is unknown, an approximate year or date helps staff pull the record. The form also carries a Social Security number notice tied to the Michigan Social Security Number Privacy Act.

Note: The clerk must redact Social Security numbers from photocopies unless a true or certified copy lawfully requires the number to appear.

County Clerk and Circuit Court Clerk Split

Livingston County splits its clerk work across two counters, and readers save a trip by picking the right one. Divorce judgments and felony case files sit with the Circuit Court Clerk. Marriage licenses, certified marriage records, and birth and death certificates sit with the County Clerk vital-records side. The office publishes its divisions and services on the official County Clerk homepage.

The homepage lists Vital Records, Elections, Circuit Court Clerk, and Record Keeping as the four divisions of the County Clerk. For marriage certificates and other vital records, the Livingston County County Clerk page covers ordering, fees, and forms. Certified marriage copies are ordered through the county's marriage records page.

A divorce is different from a marriage record. The marriage certificate is a County Clerk vital record, while the divorce judgment and full case file are Circuit Court records held at this office. The Livingston County Circuit Court page explains how family and civil cases move through the court.

Clerk's Office Scam Warning

The Circuit Court Clerk's Office publishes a warning about phone scams. The office does not call people to collect debts. Anyone who gets such a call should not send money.

Callers sometimes claim to be from the court and demand payment for a missed jury date or an unpaid fine. The clerk's guidance is direct. Check with the office at (517) 546-9816 before sending any money, because a real court matter is handled through official filings and the counter, not a surprise phone demand.