About the Presque Isle County Clerk's Office
The Presque Isle County Clerk is an elected county officer. Michigan voters choose the clerk on a partisan ballot, and the term runs four years. The office is the county's central records keeper, and it works out of the county building in Rogers City, the county seat. Because Presque Isle County sits along the Lake Huron shoreline and spreads across many small townships, the clerk's counter draws people from Onaway, Posen, Millersburg, and the rural areas in between.
Two roles sit inside this one office. The first is the county records role, which covers vital records like birth, death, and marriage documents. The second is the court role, since the County Clerk also serves as Clerk of the Court for the local Circuit Court. The office also runs county elections and takes in court-ordered payments. The card below carries the address, email, hours, and online search link used to start most requests.
Presque Isle County Clerk's Office
Vital Records Division
151 East Huron Avenue, P.O. Box 110
Rogers City, MI 49779
piclerk@picounty.org
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What the Presque Isle County Clerk Handles
The clerk's duties reach well past the records counter. Under Michigan law the County Clerk is the chief election official for Presque Isle County and supervises national, state, local, and school elections. The office also carries several board and commission roles that keep county government running, and it administers duties under the Michigan Campaign Finance Reporting Act. The list below covers the core responsibilities the office holds.
- Clerk to the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners, the Board of Canvassers, the County Election Commission, the County Plat Board, and the County Apportionment Board.
- Clerk of the Court for the 53rd Circuit Court, keeping felony, divorce, civil, juvenile, name-change, and adoption case files.
- Keeper of birth and death records, marriage licenses, assumed business names, and partnership certificates.
- Keeper of concealed-weapons permits, veterans discharge records, and voter-registration records.
- Chief election official supervising all elections and campaign-finance reporting in the county.
- Collector of court costs, fines, restitution, and other court-ordered payments for circuit matters.
The Presque Isle County Clerk of the Court
The most common mix-up is thinking every court file comes from the County Clerk. That is not how Michigan trial courts work. The County Clerk serves as Clerk of the Court only for Circuit Court filings. Those include felony cases after the district-court stage, divorce cases, general civil suits, juvenile neglect and delinquency matters, name-change petitions, and adoptions. The clerk keeps those case files and collects the fines, costs, and restitution tied to them.
The District Court and the Probate Court keep their own records through their own staff. The 89th District Court has its own clerks for misdemeanors, traffic tickets, small civil claims, arraignments, and bond. The Probate Court keeps estate, guardianship, and mental-health files through its own Probate Register. So the office you contact depends on the case type, not on a single central clerk. The table below shows where each record begins.
| Record or case type | Office that holds it |
|---|---|
| Felony after bindover, divorce, civil, juvenile, name change, adoption | County Clerk as Clerk of the 53rd Circuit Court |
| Misdemeanor, traffic, small civil, arraignment, bond | 89th District Court clerks |
| Wills, estates, guardianship, conservatorship, mental health | Probate Court Register |
| Birth, death, marriage, assumed business name | County Clerk vital records |
For a fuller look at circuit case lookups and certified court copies, the Presque Isle County Circuit Court route is the right starting point, and the office links its case-search tools from the official 53rd Circuit Court page.
Vital Records Held by the Presque Isle County Clerk
Vital records are the heart of the clerk's public service. The office keeps birth and death records for people born or deceased in Presque Isle County, along with marriage licenses first issued in the county. It also registers assumed business names, often called DBA or "doing business as" filings, for local business owners. These records go back to the county's earliest years.
The first-record dates are a point of local pride and a real help for family-history research. Birth records begin January 26, 1871. Death records begin August 6, 1871. Marriage records begin May 24, 1872. Naturalization records begin October 8, 1875. The clerk's Supervisor's Proceedings start September 16, 1871, and the Court Journal starts August 8, 1872. Those dates line up with the county's organization in 1871 and show that formal recordkeeping in Presque Isle County reaches back more than 150 years.
The official Presque Isle County Clerk's Office page lists these record categories, the first-record dates, and links to the vital-record forms and the online search. Its layout shows how the county routes people to the right form before any copy is pulled.
Marriage and divorce sit in two different places, which trips up many searchers. The marriage license and marriage record are clerk vital records, but a divorce case file is a Circuit Court record. The Presque Isle County marriage and divorce records route explains that split in more detail. Statewide copies are also available through the Michigan Vital Records office when a record was not filed locally.
Note: The county keeps only records of people born or deceased in Presque Isle County and marriage licenses originally issued in the county, so confirm the event happened here before you order.
Court Records Versus Land Records in Presque Isle County
Not every county document runs through the clerk. Deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land records belong to the Presque Isle County Register of Deeds, a separate office. People often arrive at the clerk's counter looking for a property record and need to be pointed one door over. The clerk handles court and vital records; the register handles recorded land instruments.
The official Presque Isle County Register of Deeds page covers certified land recordings and property searches that fall outside the clerk's files. Its resources make the boundary clear.
Keeping the two offices straight matters for cost and time. A certified copy of a birth or marriage record follows the clerk's vital-record fees, while a certified copy of a deed follows the register's recording fees. When a request touches both a court judgment and a recorded lien, expect to work with both offices.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is an official document the clerk signs and seals for legal use, such as a passport application, a Social Security matter, or a foreign adoption. Vital records are not open to everyone. Michigan law limits birth records to the person named, a parent, a legal guardian, a legal representative, or a similar eligible requester, except for birth records at least 100 years old. A person under age 15 cannot request their own birth record. The steps below follow the clerk's application process.
- Confirm the event happened in Presque Isle County. The office keeps only local births, deaths, and marriage licenses first issued here.
- Complete one Birth, Death, and Marriage Record Application for each record you want. Fill in the section that matches your record, such as name at birth, date and place of birth, or spouse names and date of marriage.
- Gather a government-issued photo ID. Every birth-record request requires one. A Michigan driver license or state ID, another state's license or ID, an unexpired U.S. or foreign passport, or a U.S. military, dependent, or veteran ID all qualify.
- If you lack a standard photo ID, add supporting documents. Examples include an employment ID with a pay stub or W-2, a school ID with proof of current enrollment, or a corrections ID with probation or discharge papers.
- Add the correct fee by cash, check, or money order payable to the Presque Isle County Clerk. Sign the application, since an unsigned form cannot be processed.
- Submit in person at 151 East Huron Avenue during office hours, or mail the signed form, fee, and a clear photocopy of your photo ID to Presque Isle County Clerk, Vital Records, 151 East Huron Avenue, P.O. Box 110, Rogers City, MI 49779.
- Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for faster mail processing, and allow one week from the initial mailing before you call to check on the request.
Note: Mail birth-record requests must include a clear photocopy of a valid driver's license or other government photo ID, and each record needs its own application form.
Presque Isle County Clerk Vital Record Fees
The clerk's fees are set on the official vital-record application and are the same whether you order in person or by mail. Certified copies cost more than plain record copies because they carry the clerk's seal for legal use. All payments go to the Presque Isle County Clerk in U.S. funds. The schedule below lists the current amounts.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified copy, first copy | $12 |
| Additional certified copies of the same record | $3 each |
| Applicant's own birth record, age 65 or older | $8 |
| Death and marriage record copies (non-certified) | $1 each |
| Payment methods | Cash, check, or money order payable to "Presque Isle County Clerk" |
Send the correct fee with a signed application and a copy of your photo identification. Underpaid or unsigned requests slow the process, so double-check the amount against the number of copies you order before mailing.
Presque Isle County Clerk Record Application Fields
The Birth, Death, and Marriage Record Application asks for contact details plus the facts that identify the exact record. Some fields apply to every request, while others depend on whether you want a birth, marriage, or death record. The inventory below shows what the form collects so you can gather the details before you fill it in.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Your name | Yes | Name of the applicant or requester |
| Date of request | Yes | Date the application is submitted |
| Address, city, state, ZIP | Yes | Mailing and contact address |
| Phone | Yes | Daytime contact number |
| Email address | Optional | Contact email if provided |
| Signature | Yes | The application must be signed |
| Total certified copies | If ordering | Used to calculate the fee |
| Total record copies | If ordering | Death and marriage record copies only, $1 each |
| Birth details | Conditional | Name at birth, date of birth, place of birth, father's name, mother's maiden name |
| Relationship | Conditional | Self, mother, father, guardian, or other |
| Marriage details | Conditional | Both spouses' names, date of marriage, place of marriage |
| Death details | Conditional | Deceased name, date of death, place of death |
| Purpose | Conditional | Federal uses such as passport, Social Security, or foreign adoption |
The blank Birth, Death, and Marriage Record Application is posted with the clerk's resources, along with the Affidavit for License to Marry, a Business Registration Certificate for DBA filings, and a General Record Check request.
Ways to Reach the Presque Isle County Clerk
The clerk offers several ways to get records, and the right one depends on your record type and how quickly you need it. In-person and mail service handle certified vital records, while the online portal is best for confirming that a marriage, death, or business record exists before you order a copy. A quick call or email can settle a question before you make the trip to Rogers City.
- In person
- Visit 151 East Huron Avenue, Rogers City, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with your application, fee, and photo ID.
- By mail
- Send the signed form, fee, photo-ID copy, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Presque Isle County Clerk, Vital Records, 151 East Huron Avenue, P.O. Box 110, Rogers City, MI 49779.
- Online search
- Use the clerk's Marriage, Death, and DBA Records Search at clerk.presqueislecounty.org to look up records the county maintains.
- By phone or email
- Contact the office at piclerk@picounty.org to confirm eligibility, fees, or whether a record was filed in the county.
The Marriage, Death, and DBA Records Search is linked from the county homepage and the clerk's page, and it is a free public tool. It helps you verify a record and its details, but a certified copy for legal use still comes through the clerk's application and fee. For records the county did not file, the Michigan Vital Records office offers a statewide channel for birth, death, marriage, and divorce verifications.