Clerk’s Office

200 Division St., Suite 130 ~ Petoskey, MI 49770
Phone: (231) 348-1744
Fax: (231) 348-0602
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

★ CHECK OUT OUR ELECTIONS PAGE HERE!

In an effort to alleviate confusion, the Emmet County Clerk’s Office would like to remind voters that state election law does not allow for “early voting.” Though Michigan is not an “early voting” state, it does accommodate ABSENTEE VOTING. Voters can request an absentee ballot either by mail or in person from their local clerk. Then fill out your absentee ballot and return it to your local clerk before November 3. PLEASE NOTE THAT ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE NOT COUNTED UNTIL ELECTION DAY. For further questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (231) 348-1744 or click on the box below to go to the Michigan Secretary of State’s website.

*NOTICES FROM CLERK*

New CPL Applicants and Fingerprinting Appointments:
If you are planning to come in to apply for a new CPL or to utilize our fingerprinting service for other reasons, we ask that you call the Clerk’s Office in advance to set up an appointment. This will allow us to limit contact and accommodate everyone in a timely fashion. Thank you for your patience as we navigate reopening.

Marriage Licenses:
We encourage those who wish to apply for a marriage license to continue to utilize our online application process. This will help us to manage the number of people coming into our office following the building reopening.

County Clerk Staff

Online records search is now available

The State of Michigan provides basic information for public cases and may be viewed online or by mobile device. Please note the online records search function does not work well with the Internet Explorer browser. It is recommended that users switch to Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge when accessing the online records search here: https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/CaseSearch/Court/C57

COUNTY CLERK’S SERVICES

The Clerk’s Office provides many services to the public, including the following:
    • Birth Records
    • Death Records (Death Record Index available from 1867 to present)
    • Marriage Records & Marriage License Applications (Index available from 1856-present)
    • Concealed Weapons License (CPL) Application
          –(Firearm laws effective Dec. 1, 2015)
    • DBAs (Assumed Names) & Dissolutions
    • Divorce Packets
    • Genealogy
    • Military Discharge (DD-214)
    • Notary Public Information
    • Contact Information for Townships and Local Municipalities

ONLINE FORMS

The Clerk’s Office has the following forms available to download as PDFs:
    • Petition and Affidavit for Personal Protection Order (domestic)
    • Petition and Affidavit for Personal Protection Order (non-domestic)
    • Petition and Affidavit for Personal Protection Order (non-domestic sexual assault)

Duties of the County Clerk

The Office of County Clerk is a four-year, partisan office established by the Michigan Constitution charged with many statutory duties. The first Clerk of Emmet County was C.R. Wright, who served from 1855 to 1856. The longest serving Clerk was Winfield S. Hinds, who served from 1931 through 1962.

The County Clerk, as Clerk of the Circuit Court, has the responsibility for the care, custody and maintenance of all Circuit Court records, and is the keeper of the Seal of the 57th Circuit Court.

In addition, the County Clerk serves as clerk to the Board of Commissioners, Jury Commission, Board of Canvassers, Concealed Weapons Licensing Board, and the Tax Allocation Board. The County Clerk is a member of the Special Election Scheduling Committee, County Election Commission, and the County Plat Board. The County Clerk is also the chief election official for the county and the keeper of all vital records for the county.