Access Cheboygan County Clerk Records

About the Cheboygan County Clerk/Register of Deeds

Karen Brewster serves as the Cheboygan County Clerk/Register of Deeds, an elected position that folds two of the county's busiest records offices into one. The office page is blunt about how many roles the clerk carries. Along with running the clerk's counter, she is the circuit court clerk, custodian of the circuit court seal, board clerk, chief election officer, receiver of assumed names, recorder of military discharges, an apportionment-committee member, a county-election-commission member, and one of the county's financial officers. That range makes the office the county's real records spine, not a simple copy desk.

Because the same office also serves the Circuit Court, the counter that issues a marriage license also files civil pleadings and holds the seal used on certified court documents. The office keeps birth and death records, marriage licenses, concealed pistol licenses, notary records, voter registration, and the real-property vault. A resident who walks in for one record often stands in front of the office that controls several others.

The office publishes its full contact panel, staff list, and duty list on the Cheboygan County Clerk/Register of Deeds home page. The staff behind the counter includes Beverly Laway, Chief Deputy Clerk; Tammi Schley, Chief Deputy Register of Deeds; Renee Pelon, Senior Circuit Court Clerk; Sheila Provo, Deputy Circuit Court Clerk; and Christine Eno, Assistant Clerk.

That home page anchors nearly every clerk records request in the county, listing the address, hours, and email a visitor needs before starting a search. It is the first stop for confirming a phone number or duty before pivoting into a form or a formal request.

What the Cheboygan County Clerk Handles

The clerk's counter covers a wide spread of records because the office wears several statutory hats at once. Most residents come in for a vital record, a marriage license, a concealed pistol license, or a recorded land document. Others come to register to vote, file a notary application, or pick up an in-pro-per divorce packet. The office is also where the circuit court seal is applied to certified copies of court records.

• Birth and death records, plus certified vital copies for eligible applicants
• Marriage licenses and three-day waiting-period waivers
• Concealed pistol license (CPL) applications, renewals, and appeals
• Notary public applications and change forms
• Voter registration and election administration
• Real-property recording, including deeds, mortgages, quit claims, and wills
• Assumed names, military discharge recording, and circuit court filings

Voter registration and elections run through the same office. The county details registration and election duties on the clerk's election page, which reflects the clerk's role as the county's chief election officer.

The election page shows how a single records office also administers voter rolls and county elections. It is a reminder that the clerk's duties reach well past court filings into the civic machinery of the county.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the office's seal and is the version accepted for legal proceedings, name changes, benefits, and property transactions. Plain informational copies do not carry that legal weight. Certified vital records are limited to eligible applicants, and Michigan law under MCL 333.2882 governs who may receive certified copies of birth and death records.

1. Identify the record. Gather the name on the record, the relevant date, and any case or document number. Certified court copies are tied to the circuit court seal, so a case number helps the clerk locate the file.
2. Confirm eligibility. Certified birth copies go to the person named, a parent, an heir, or a legal representative. Marriage and divorce certified copies are more widely available under state rules.
3. Pick up or download the matching request form from the clerk's forms page, whether it is for a birth, death, marriage, notary, CPL, or recorded document.
4. Submit the request in person at Room 204, or mail it to PO Box 70, Cheboygan, MI 49721, with the correct fee.
5. Pay using an accepted method, then collect the certified copy at the counter or wait for it to arrive by mail.

Note: uncertified copies pulled from an online search will not satisfy a court, a title company, or a state agency that requires an official certified record.

Cheboygan County Clerk Records Request Fields

The clerk's forms page is the richest records-request hub in the county, and each request type asks for a slightly different set of details. Knowing what to bring saves a second trip. The table below outlines the main request types the office handles and what each one generally requires.

The full inventory of PDFs and instructions, including CPL guides, notary change forms, recording requirements, and family-law packets, lives on the clerk's forms, licenses, and registrations page. It is the single best starting point for almost any clerk records request.

The forms page groups marriage, vital-record, CPL, notary, recording, and voter-registration links in one place. Downloading the correct form before visiting Room 204 is the fastest way to complete a Cheboygan County clerk records request.

Register of Deeds and County Land Records

The register of deeds side of the office is the county's property-records vault. It holds real-property documents and specifically records deeds, quit claims, wills, mortgages, and divorces. This is why the office cannot be described as a court-filing desk alone. It is also the public land-records and property-history desk for the entire county.

The office also promotes a property activity alert subscription, a free service that notifies residents when a document is recorded against their name or property. That is a practical guard against fraud and a sign the office monitors recorded-property changes rather than only reacting to walk-in requests. Recorded land documents can be searched through the county's online land-records portal.

• Deeds, quit claims, and warranty deeds
• Mortgages and discharges
• Recorded wills and divorce records
• Property activity alert subscription

Land records are searchable through the county land-records portal, which is linked directly from the clerk's page. Recorded documents in the vault flow through this portal for public lookup.

The portal lets residents look up recorded deeds, mortgages, and related property documents without a trip to the counter. For certified copies of those documents, the request still routes back through the register of deeds window.

Cheboygan County Clerk Fee Schedule

The clerk publishes a clear set of fees for marriage licenses and divorce filings. These are current local amounts taken directly from the county's own pages. Recording fees and real-estate transfer tax also apply to land documents, but those vary by document and are set out in the county's recording chart rather than a flat figure.

Recording fees and the real-estate transfer tax are handled through the county's recording-requirements and fee chart on the forms page, so the exact charge depends on the document being recorded. Rather than quote a single number, confirm the current recording fee and transfer tax before submitting a deed or mortgage for recording.

Marriage Licenses at the Cheboygan County Clerk

Marriage licenses are one of the most common counter transactions, and the county spells out clear rules. Both applicants must appear in person with picture identification. Birth-certificate information is helpful but not required. At least one applicant must be a Cheboygan County resident, or both applicants must be residents of another state.

The standard license fee is $20 for in-state residents and $30 for out-of-state applicants, with a $15 fee to waive the three-day waiting period for cause. Couples who need the recorded certificate later, or who need a divorce record recorded, can review the full process on the county marriage and divorce records page. The clerk issues and files the license, and the register of deeds side records the divorce when a marriage ends.

Vital Records and the State Backstop

The county clerk is the local source for birth, death, and marriage records tied to Cheboygan County. When a record was filed elsewhere in Michigan, or when an applicant needs a statewide certified copy, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services vital-records office is the backstop. Both channels issue official certified copies, so the right choice depends on where the event was recorded and who is requesting.

The state's process, eligibility rules, and mail-order steps are published on the Michigan vital-records landing page. It covers birth, death, marriage, and divorce copies for the entire state.

The state page is the mail-order route for anyone who cannot reach the county counter or whose record was filed in another Michigan county. It complements, rather than replaces, the local clerk's vital-records service.

Eligibility for a certified copy is not automatic for every record. The state explains exactly who may request a certified vital copy on its certified-copy eligibility page, which mirrors the same restrictions the county clerk applies at the counter.

Reviewing the eligibility list before requesting a birth or death record avoids a denied request. Marriage and divorce certified copies are generally available more broadly, while birth records stay limited to the person named and close family or legal representatives.

Ways to Reach the Cheboygan County Clerk

The office keeps several access channels open so residents are not locked into a single route. Walk-in service happens at Room 204 in the courthouse complex, mail requests go to PO Box 70, and the office accepts card payments by phone for most services. Land records are available through the online portal, and the state vital-records office handles certified copies by mail.

Payment rules matter because they affect every channel. The office accepts cash, check, debit, and credit cards, with two narrow exceptions. Debit and credit cards are not accepted for CPL applications or renewals, and coin payments over $5 are not accepted. Phone card payments are available for most services, again except CPL applications and renewals.

• In person at Room 204, 870 South Main Street, Cheboygan
• By mail to PO Box 70, Cheboygan, MI 49721
• By phone for card payments on most services
• Online through the county land-records portal for recorded documents
• Through the state MDHHS office for certified vital copies

Note: keep a valid photo ID and the correct fee ready for any in-person request, since CPL transactions cannot be paid by card at the counter.