Search Livingston County Marriage and Divorce Records

Getting a Marriage License in Livingston County

Marriage licenses in Livingston County are issued by the County Clerk at the Historic Courthouse, 200 E. Grand River Avenue in Howell. The office keeps the county's vital records and processes every marriage license application. County Clerk Elizabeth Hundley leads the office, and Kristi Cox serves as Chief Deputy County Clerk. Couples who plan to marry in Michigan can begin online before they ever visit the counter.

Residency rules decide where a couple files. A couple may use Livingston County when at least one party lives in the county and the ceremony will take place in Michigan. Couples who both live outside Michigan may still apply here when the wedding itself will happen in Livingston County. Each applicant provides a certified birth certificate, a current driver's license or state ID, and a Social Security card. State law sets a three-day wait between the online application and license pickup, and the license stays valid for 30 days after it is issued.

How to Apply for a Marriage License

The application runs through the county's online vital-record system, so most of the paperwork is done before the office visit. Timing matters, because an application filed too early expires before the wedding date. Gather identity documents for both parties first, then follow the steps below.

1. Complete the online marriage application through the county vital-record system. Do not apply more than 33 days before the wedding, since the license is valid for 30 days.
2. Wait three days. Under MCL 551.103a, the license is ready for pickup on the third day after the online application, and it cannot be picked up on weekends or holidays.
3. Pick up the license at the Clerk's Office Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Only one party needs to appear, but documents must be provided for both.
4. Bring certified birth certificates, valid driver's licenses or state IDs, Social Security cards, and payment for the license fee.
5. Marry within the 30-day window, then return the signed original license within 10 days. The officiant mails it back or drops it off, and the couple keeps the unofficial duplicate.

Applicants who need the wedding sooner can pay to skip the three-day wait. The waiver is a separate fee and lets the license issue right away rather than on the third day.

Note: The signed original license must be returned to the County Clerk within 10 days of the ceremony, and only the officiant can complete and return it for the record.

Marriage License Application Fields

The online application collects the identity details that appear on the finished license and the state marriage record. Most fields are drawn straight from the documents each party brings to the counter. The table below outlines the core information a couple provides.

Livingston County Marriage and Divorce Fees

Fees differ by residency for the license and by case type for divorce filings. The license fee is paid at pickup, and certified copies carry their own charges. The county has posted higher rates that take effect July 1, 2026, so the amounts below reflect the current schedule.

Note: The county posts increases effective July 1, 2026, including a $100 waiver fee and a $30 first certified copy, so confirm the current price before you pay.

How to Look Up Livingston County Marriage Records

Marriage records are searched and ordered through the county's online marriage records service. A search itself is free, and a couple can confirm a record exists within Vital Records before paying for any copy. To find a record you need the date of marriage, the groom's full name, and the bride's full name before marriage. Only licenses that were applied for in Livingston County can be ordered here.

Certified copies can be ordered online, in person, or by mail. Online and mail orders are processed and sent by USPS First Class Mail, with mail requests handled within three business days and delivery expected in seven to ten business days. In-person requests are filled the same day with a completed Marriage Certificate Request Form and payment by cash, check, or card.

People sometimes run a public-safety check on a partner before a wedding, and the state offers a free tool for that. The Michigan State Police Sex Offender Registry search lets anyone look up a name at no cost.

That registry is a separate database from the County Clerk's vital records, so a marriage certificate search and a background check are two different lookups. Neither one blocks a license, but many couples want both before the ceremony.

How to Find Livingston County Divorce Records

Divorce is a court matter, not a vital record, so a divorce file lives with the Circuit Court and its Family Division rather than the County Clerk. The case is opened and kept through the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 204 S. Highlander Way, Suite 4, in Howell. The register of actions and case status can be searched online through the state MiCOURT case search, and copies of the judgment come from the Circuit Court Clerk.

Filing a divorce has its own paperwork and fees. A divorce without minor children needs a $175 fee, the summons and complaint, and a B-42 Record of Divorce or Annulment. A divorce with minor children needs a $255 fee that includes the Friend of the Court charge, a verified statement, the FOC 100 form when ex parte orders are sought, and the B-42 original. All filings must be typed or printed in ink, dated, and signed.

Divorce is a civil case, so the county Public Defender does not represent parties in it. The Public Defender FAQ explains which cases qualify for appointed counsel and why family matters fall outside that role.

Because a divorce file can hold financial and custody details, parts of it may be limited while the case is open. The final judgment is a public court record once entered, and certified copies come from the Circuit Court Clerk.

Getting Certified Copies

A certified copy carries the office seal and is the version courts, agencies, and other states accept as proof. An uncertified printout may confirm a fact, but it will not stand in for the official document. Marriage certificates and divorce papers are certified by two different offices, so the request goes to the right place for each.

Certified marriage copies come from the County Clerk, and only for licenses applied for in Livingston County. Mail requests need the completed request form, a check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope, sent to the Livingston County Clerk at 200 E. Grand River, Howell, Michigan 48843. Certified divorce judgments come from the Circuit Court Clerk, priced at the court's copy rate of $1.50 per page plus $10 to certify each document.

Processing time depends on how the order is placed. A counter request for a marriage certificate is filled the same day, while a mail order is worked within three business days and then travels by First Class Mail, so plan on seven to ten business days for delivery. There is no guaranteed arrival date, and a credit or debit card adds a small processing fee. Ordering early is the surest way to have a certified copy in hand before a court date, a passport application, or a name change.

Where Livingston County Marriage Records Are Kept

The County Clerk is the local keeper of marriage licenses and certificates for the county. Michigan also maintains a statewide vital-records office through the Department of Health and Human Services, but licenses issued and certificates ordered for a Livingston County marriage run through the local Clerk. Use the contact details below to order in person, by mail, or online.