Presque Isle County Marriage Records at the County Clerk
Marriage licenses and marriage records in Presque Isle County are issued and kept by the County Clerk. The Clerk's office at the county building in Rogers City maintains birth, death, and marriage records, along with assumed business names and other official filings. County marriage records reach back a long way. The Clerk's office reports that its marriage records begin on May 24, 1872, which makes the office useful for both recent certificate needs and older genealogy work.
The County Clerk also serves as the Clerk of the Court for the 53rd Circuit Court, so the same office handles marriage certificates and certified copies of divorce judgments. That dual role is worth remembering. Marriage certificates and other vital records come from the Clerk's vital-records counter. Divorce case files, pleadings, and orders come from the Clerk in the capacity of Clerk of the Court. You can learn more about the office and its wider duties on the Presque Isle County Clerk of Court page.
The county keeps only records for marriages that were originally licensed in Presque Isle County. A marriage licensed in another county has to be requested from that county's clerk.
How to Request a Presque Isle County Marriage Record
A certified marriage copy is ordered on the Birth/Death/Marriage Record Application, the same form the Clerk uses for birth and death records. The steps below follow the county's own certified-copy process. Prepare the fee, a signed application, and a photo ID before you send anything, since incomplete requests slow the process down.
- Confirm the marriage license was originally issued in Presque Isle County. The Clerk keeps records only for marriages licensed in the county.
- Complete the marriage section of the application with both spouse names, the date of marriage, the place of marriage, and the purpose if the copy is for a passport, Social Security, or a foreign adoption.
- Enter the number of certified copies and figure the fee: $12 for the first certified copy and $3 for each additional copy of the same record.
- Sign the application and include a government-issued photo ID. For a mailed request, add a clear photocopy of the ID.
- Mail or bring the application and payment to the 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 processing, and allow one week from the initial mailing before calling to check on the request.
Use one form for each record you request. The county advises submitting a separate application per record rather than combining several on one sheet.
Marriage and Vital Record Application Fields
The Birth/Death/Marriage Record Application asks for contact details plus the specific facts needed to locate the marriage. Some fields are always required, while others apply only to the record type you are ordering. The table below lists the fields that matter most for a marriage request, drawn from the county application.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Your Name | Yes | Name of the applicant or requestor |
| Date of Request | Yes | Date the application is submitted |
| Address, City, State, Zip | Yes | Mailing and contact address |
| Phone | Yes | Contact phone 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 | Conditional | Death and marriage record copies only, $1 each |
| Marriage Spouse Names | Conditional | Both spouses' first, middle, and last names |
| Date of Marriage | Conditional | Month, day, and year |
| Place of Marriage | Conditional | City where the marriage took place |
| Purpose for the Document | Conditional | Federal uses such as passport, Social Security, or foreign adoption |
The marriage-license affidavit is a separate form. The county links an Affidavit for License to Marry from its Clerk resources, but the full field list and any waiting-period or age rules were not published in the material reviewed here. Confirm those license details directly with the Clerk before you plan a wedding date.
Presque Isle County Marriage and Vital Record Fees
Fees for certified and plain copies come straight from the county vital-record application. A certified copy carries the state's raised seal and is the version courts, agencies, and federal offices accept. A record copy is an uncertified informational copy, available only for death and marriage records. Payment is made by cash, check, or money order payable to the Presque Isle County Clerk.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified copy, first copy | $12 |
| Each additional certified copy of the same record | $3 |
| Applicant's own birth record, age 65 or older | $8 |
| Record copy, death and marriage certificates only | $1 each |
| Payment | Cash, check, or money order to "Presque Isle County Clerk" |
Certified copies of a divorce judgment are handled separately through the Clerk of the Court rather than the vital-record counter. The county pages reviewed here did not publish a set price for certified divorce copies, so confirm that cost with the Circuit Court staff when you place the order.
How to Look Up Presque Isle County Marriage Records
The county offers an online lookup for marriage, death, and DBA records through the Clerk. The Marriage, Death, and DBA Records Search is linked from both the county homepage and the Clerk's page, and it lets you confirm that a record exists before you order a certified copy. The online index is a starting point. A certified paper copy still comes through the application and fee process.
You can also request marriage records in person or by mail. In person requests are taken at 151 East Huron Avenue in Rogers City during regular county hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mailed requests go to the Presque Isle County Clerk, Vital Records, at the same street address and P.O. Box 110, Rogers City, MI 49779. To locate a marriage record, have the full names of both spouses, the approximate date of the marriage, and the city where it took place.
Identification rules apply to vital-record orders. The county application states that all birth-certificate requests need a government-issued photo ID, and Michigan law limits who may obtain certain records. Acceptable photo ID includes a Michigan driver license or state ID, a driver license or ID from another state, an unexpired U.S. or foreign passport, or a U.S. military, dependent, or veteran ID. If you do not have one of those, the county allows alternatives paired with supporting documents, such as an employment ID with a pay stub or a school ID with proof of current enrollment.
Note: Michigan restricts birth records to the person, a parent, a legal guardian, or a legal representative, except for birth records at least 100 years old.
How to Find Presque Isle County Divorce Records
A divorce in Presque Isle County is a court case, not a vital certificate. The 53rd Circuit Court handles divorce filings for the county, so the pleadings, orders, and judgment of divorce live in the circuit-court file rather than at the vital-record counter. The County Clerk still plays a role, because the Clerk is the Clerk of the Court and issues certified copies of the judgment and orders.
To locate a divorce case, start by confirming it was filed here, then use the online index or contact the court directly. The MiCOURT Case Search for the 53rd Circuit Court shows case and docket information for cases that are recent and public enough to appear. Michigan courts do not post full document images online, so the search returns an index and docket rather than the scanned decree. For anything the index does not show, call the Circuit Court at 989-734-3288 or email picircuit@picounty.org.
- Determine whether the divorce was filed in Presque Isle County Circuit Court.
- Use MiCOURT Case Search for recent public cases, or contact the Circuit Court by phone or email.
- Request certified copies of the judgment or orders through the County Clerk, who serves as Clerk of the Court.
- For sealed or confidential family documents, expect to show proof of identity, party or attorney status, or a court order.
- For child support, custody, or parenting-time enforcement after the divorce, work through the Friend of the Court.
Post-judgment matters run through the Friend of the Court, a division that enforces support, custody, and parenting-time orders. The Friend of the Court office provides walk-in service, motion packets, and the SMILE booklet for parents, monitors child-support accounts, and processes direct support payments.
The Friend of the Court page describes the office's enforcement and mediation services for families after a divorce.
Reaching the office early helps when a support or parenting-time issue needs a motion, since the staff can point you to the correct packet before you file. The Friend of the Court can be reached at P.O. Box 192, Rogers City, MI 49779, by phone at 989-734-4312.
Certified Copies of Presque Isle County Records
Certified copies are the versions that carry legal weight. For a marriage, the certified certificate comes from the County Clerk on the vital-record application, priced at $12 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy of the same record. For a divorce, the certified judgment or order comes from the Clerk of the Court, since that office holds the circuit-court file.
Order a certified copy when you need to prove a marriage or a completed divorce for a passport, a name change, a Social Security update, immigration, or a remarriage. An uncertified index printout or an informational record copy will not be accepted for those uses. Mailed orders should include the fee, a signed application, a photo ID, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The county asks that you wait one week from the initial mailing before calling to follow up.
Older records are available too, which matters for genealogy. Because county marriage records begin in 1872, the Clerk can often supply a certified or record copy for a long-past marriage, provided the license was issued in Presque Isle County. Estate and guardianship needs that touch on family records may also lead you to the county Probate Records office.
Michigan Vital Records Office
The State of Michigan keeps a central vital-records system that runs parallel to the county Clerk. The Michigan Vital Records office, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, offers state-level channels for birth, death, marriage, and divorce records, including divorce verifications that a county may not issue directly. It is a useful backup when a record cannot be confirmed locally or when you need a statewide search.
The state site explains ordering options, current fees, and eligibility for each record type. Because the state and the county maintain separate systems, fees and processing times differ between them, so check the state page for its own instructions before ordering there.
Michigan Vital Records (MDHHS)
Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics
Serving all Michigan counties
For any Presque Isle County marriage or divorce record, the county building in Rogers City remains the primary destination. The state office is best used for verifications, older or out-of-county records, and situations where the local search comes up short.
The Michigan Vital Records page shows the state's request options and current fee schedule for each record type.