Birth Certificates
The Birth and Death Records division of the Wayne County Clerk’s Office maintains the birth certificates for cities in Wayne County, excluding Detroit. In addition, births taking place prior to 1979 that do not have a father on the birth certificate are maintained by the State of Michigan and are not available at the Wayne County Clerk’s office.
Births taking place within the City Limits of Detroit are recorded by the City of
Detroit Health Department.
Birth certificates are not public records and may only be requested by the individual
of the record, a parent who is named on the record, or a legal guardian/representative.
Certified copies of birth certificates may be obtained on-line, in person or by
forwarding a written request to the County Clerk's Office at:
Office of the Wayne County Clerk
C/o Birth and Death Records Division
2 Woodward Ave., Room 201
Detroit, MI 48226
All requests must be written in letter form and must include the signature and return
address of the individual requesting the record. Please note that valid identification
is required [driver's license or State I.D. card]. If no such identification
is available, two pieces of other I.D. that require a signature may be used [i.e.
social security card, voters registration card, passport, school id, and work id].
Identification must be presented at the time of a request. If you are sending a
request by mail, a photocopy of your identification must be included.
Home births may be recorded in our office within one year of the birth only if it
occurred in a city within Wayne County that DOES NOT register their own births.
Otherwise, if a home birth occurred in a city that DOES register it's own births, it must be recorded in that office.
Forms for Acknowledgement of Paternity may be obtained by coming into the office.
These forms are used to add the father's name to the birth certificate and/or change
the child's name to the father's name.
The fees for obtaining copies of birth certificates are $22.00 for a certified copy and $7.00 for
additional certified copies of the same. For senior citizens at least 65 years of age,
the first certified copy is $2.00 and $3.00 for each additional copy of the same record.
Please address all inquiries to:
Wayne County Clerk
C/o Birth and Death Records Division
2 Woodward Ave., Room 201
Detroit, MI 48226
County Clerk Fax Line
Birth Certificates...
Office Locations
Cathy M. Garrett
Clerk of Wayne County
Coleman A. Young Municipal Center
2 Woodward Avenue
2nd floor, Room 201
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 224-6262
(313) 224-6771
Monday - Friday
8:00 am- 4:30 pm