Livingston County County Clerk Records

About the Livingston County Clerk's Office

Elizabeth Hundley is the elected Livingston County Clerk, with Kristi Cox serving as Chief Deputy County Clerk. The office is the official keeper of the records, and it oversees the receipt, storage, retrieval, and safeguarding of public documents. The clerk also serves as clerk to county boards, including the Board of Commissioners and the Election Commission.

The County Clerk works out of the Historic Courthouse in downtown Howell, a separate building from the Judicial Center where the court clerks sit. The County Clerk homepage lists the office hours, address, and each service. The contact card below shows how to reach the office.

Livingston County Record Divisions

The County Clerk organizes its work into four divisions. Each one handles a different set of records, and knowing which division holds a file tells you where to send a request. The keeper-of-records role ties them together under one elected officer.

• Vital Records: birth, death, and marriage certificates and certified copies.
• Elections: voter records, ballots, and clerk duties for the Election Commission.
• Circuit Court Clerk: felony, civil, family, and divorce case files for the 44th Circuit Court.
• Record Keeping: assumed names, notary filings, concealed pistol licenses, DD-214 discharges, and genealogy.

Because the Circuit Court Clerk is one of these divisions, the same elected clerk oversees both vital records and court records. The counters and the buildings differ, though. Vital records and licenses are handled at the Historic Courthouse, while court case files are handled at the Judicial Center.

Vital Records in Livingston County

The Vital Records division issues certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records. A certified copy carries the county seal and is accepted for legal use, while an unofficial copy is not. The office processes orders daily and sends them by USPS First Class Mail.

Certified copies can be ordered online through the county's officially linked vendor, requested in person at the counter, or mailed in with a form and payment. For marriage records, users can first search the record within Vital Records at no search fee before ordering. A senior discount applies to certain birth-record orders.

Marriage records carry one extra rule. A marriage license must have been applied for in Livingston County for the office to issue a certified copy. If the couple licensed in another county, that county's clerk holds the record.

Livingston County Vital Record Fees

The fee depends on the service and the number of copies. Marriage license fees turn on where the applicants live, and certified-copy fees turn on how many copies are ordered at once. The office posts current amounts along with future changes.

Note: The office posts future fee changes effective July 1, 2026, including a $100 marriage waiver and a $30 first certified copy, so confirm the current amount before paying.

How to Order a Certified Vital Record

Ordering a certified birth, death, or marriage record takes a few steps and the right payment. In-person requests are handled the same day. Mail requests take longer because the office processes them and returns them by First Class Mail.

1. Confirm the record was recorded in Livingston County, since a marriage license must have been applied for here.
2. Gather the record details, such as the date of the event and the full names on the record.
3. Complete the request form and choose in-person, mail, or the online vendor at lcmivr.livgov.com.
4. Include payment by cash, check, or credit card; a fee applies to credit and debit cards, and mail requests use a check or money order.
5. For mail requests, enclose a self-addressed postage-paid envelope and send it to the Livingston County Clerk in Howell.

Mail requests are processed within three business days, and delivery usually takes 7 to 10 business days with no guaranteed arrival time.

Livingston County Marriage Record Requests

A certified marriage copy request asks for the details that let staff find the exact record. The three key facts are the date of marriage and both parties' full names. In-person requests are filled the same day at the time of request.

The county's marriage records page walks through the online, in-person, and mail routes and lists the mailing address.

Marriage Licenses in Livingston County

The County Clerk issues marriage licenses, not the courts. A couple uses Livingston County if one party lives here and the wedding is in Michigan, or if both parties live out of state and the ceremony is in Livingston County. The application is completed online.

A three-day waiting period applies under state law. The license is available for pickup on the third day after the online application, and it is not released on weekends or holidays. Applicants should not apply more than 33 days before the wedding, because the license is valid for 30 days. Paying the waiver fee shortens the wait.

Only one party needs to appear at pickup, but documents for both are required. Bring certified birth certificates, valid driver's licenses or state IDs, Social Security cards, and payment. After the ceremony, the signed license must be returned to the clerk within 10 days. The full step order lives on the marriage license page.

Assumed Names, Notary, and Other Clerk Filings

Beyond vital records, the Record Keeping division handles several filings that residents and businesses use. Each one is recorded at the County Clerk counter or through the office's process. These are separate from any court case.

• Assumed names and DBAs for people doing business under a name other than their own.
• Notary public applications and bond filings.
• Concealed pistol license processing.
• DD-214 military discharge recording for veterans.
• Genealogy and historical record lookups.

A DD-214 on file with the clerk gives a veteran a secure copy to request later, which helps with benefits and burial claims. Assumed-name filings give a business a public record of who stands behind a trade name.

Elections and Record Keeping

The County Clerk runs county elections and serves as clerk to the Election Commission. That work covers ballot preparation, canvassing support, and election records for the county's precincts. The clerk also keeps the minutes and records for the Board of Commissioners.

The keeper-of-records role means the office is the long-term home for many county documents. Requests for election materials and board records go to the County Clerk rather than to a court clerk, since these are administrative county records.

Genealogy researchers also use the office to trace family history through older birth, death, and marriage records. Because the County Clerk safeguards records for the long term, it is a starting point for family history in Livingston County. Staff can explain which records are open to the public and which require proof of eligibility before a certified copy is released.

The Livingston County Records Split

Livingston County splits its clerk work in a way that trips up many searchers. Marriage certificates, birth and death records, and marriage licenses are County Clerk vital records. Divorce judgments, felony files, and civil case records are Circuit Court records held by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, even though the same elected clerk oversees that division.

A marriage record and a divorce record are not stored together. The marriage certificate is a vital record from this office, while the divorce judgment and case file live with the Livingston County Clerk of the Circuit Court. For a fuller look at how marriage and divorce records differ and where each is filed, the Livingston County marriage and divorce records page covers both sides.

The rule of thumb is simple. Certificates and licenses come from the Historic Courthouse County Clerk. Court judgments and case files come from the Judicial Center court clerk. Sending a request to the right counter the first time avoids delay.