Gratiot County Court Records

A court record is any document, material (electronic or paper), or information created or filed with the Clerk of Court relating to a court case. Gratiot County records are filed with the Circuit Clerk of Court (also the County Clerk) or a District Court deputy clerk, depending on the case. Gratiot County court records typically detail:

• Case details
• Parties involved and the party actions
• Charges
• Hearings
• Bonds
• Sentencing
• Financial orders
• Events

Court records contain varying information due to the uniqueness of each case.

Are Court Records Public in Gratiot County?

Yes. Michigan Court Rule 8.119 governs the public’s right to inspect Gratiot County court records. The rule outlines the court records that are accessible to the public while also specifying confidential records. According to the rule, certain case records, including wills filed for safekeeping, case evaluations, presentence reports, and probation files, are not public records. Other exempt documents include juvenile, mental health, and adoption records.

Gratiot County Court Records Searchx

Inquirers can obtain a Gratiot County court record from:

• The Clerk of Court where the record was filed
• The 29th Circuit Court and 65th District Court case portals
• Third-party sources

Gratiot County Courts

The judicial system in Gratiot County is anchored by the 29th Circuit Court and the 65B District Court. The 29th Circuit court consists of a civil division handling cases over $25,000, a criminal division handling serious crimes, and a family division. The 65B District Court consists of a civil division handling cases less than $25,000, a criminal division handling lesser offenses, and a traffic division. Below are the addresses of both courts:

29th Circuit Court
214 East Center Street
Ithaca, MI 48847
Phone: (989) 875-5224
Fax: (989) 449-4010
Email: circuitcourt@gratiotmi.com

65B District Court
245 East Newark Street
Ithaca, MI 48847
Phone: (989) 875-5240
Fax: (989) 875-5290
Email: 65bdistrictcourt@gratiotmi.com

Gratiot County Probate Court
Gratiot County Courthouse
214 East Center Street
P.O. Box 217
Ithaca, MI 48847
Phone: (989) 875-5231
Fax: (989) 875-5331
Email: probatecourt@gratiotmi.com

Gratiot County Criminal and Civil Records

Criminal court records are created during criminal proceedings, and civil court records are created for civil cases. These records are maintained by the clerk of the court that handled the case. Individuals can obtain a court record for a case heard in the 29th Circuit Court from the County Clerk. Case records filed with the 65B District Court can be obtained from the clerk at the courthouse. It costs $12 to get a copy of a Circuit Court criminal or civil court record. Additional fees may be incurred if the record requested is older than 10 years. Requests can be made in person, by phone, email, mail, or fax. A fee will also be required when requesting a copy of a court record filed with the District Court.

Gratiot County court records can be searched on the 29th Circuit and 65B District court portals. A name or case number search can be done on either portal. Researchers performing a search by name must input at least the last name or business name of the record’s subject. A first name, middle name, birth year, case status, case category, filing, and offense date range can be used to narrow the search.

Gratiot County Marriage Records

The county clerk maintains Gratiot County marriage records and issues marriage certificates. Interested persons can request a marriage certificate by submitting a Gratiot County Vital Record Application form in person, by mail, email, or fax to the clerk. The clerk has the marriage records of those who received their marriage licenses in Gratiot County from 1855 to the present. Requesters must provide their ID when making a request. Mail, fax, and email requesters must also provide proof of address if their indicated address differs from their ID. A Gratiot County marriage certificate costs $26 for the first copy and $12 for each additional copy requested simultaneously. Payment can be made in cash (in-person orders only), debit/credit card, check, or money order payable to the county clerk. Debit/credit card payments may incur additional charges.

Gratiot County Divorce Records

The Family Division of the 29th Circuit Court handles Gratiot County divorce cases. The County Clerk also preserves these records. Individuals may obtain a “true copy” or a certified copy of a Gratiot County divorce record by submitting the vital record application to the County Clerk’s Office. The form can be submitted in person, by email, fax, or mail. The requester’s photo ID is required to process a request. A Gratiot County divorce certificate costs $11, with a true copy costing $1. Only records of divorces that occurred in the county from 1944 can be requested from the county clerk. Older documents can be obtained from genealogy sources like the Michigan History Center Archives.

Gratiot County Birth Records

Gratiot County birth records are created and preserved to help maintain accurate historical and demographic records. The County Clerk is the formal custodian of the county’s birth records. Researchers can get these records by submitting a completed vital records request form to the County Clerk in person, by mail, email, or by fax. However, a certified copy of a birth record less than 100 years old is only accessible to specific persons. These persons include:

• The subject of the record or their parent/legal guardian
• An heir of the record’s subject (if deceased)
• A person with a court order issued by a local, state, or out-of-state court, provided the laws of the issuing jurisdiction do not conflict with Michigan laws

The fee for obtaining a Gratiot County birth certificate is $26 for an initial copy and $12 for each additional copy requested simultaneously.

Gratiot County Death Records

Gratiot County death records, like its birth records, are preserved to ensure the accuracy of historical and demographic data. The County Clerk has preserved both records since 1867. The public can obtain a Gratiot County death certificate by completing and submitting the vital records application to the County Clerk’s Office. A death certificate request fee is $26 for the first copy and $12 for each additional copy requested simultaneously.

Gratiot County Probate Court Records

The Gratiot County Probate Court handles probate matters (issues relating to a deceased person’s estate) in the county. The court also handles cases on guardianships, conservatorships, and name changes. Inquirers can receive a copy of a probate record by visiting the Probate Court Clerk at the 29th Circuit courthouse. A certified copy of a probate record costs $10, with a $1 fee for each page.

Gratiot County Property Records

Gratiot County property records contain information on properties in the county. The Register of Deeds records land documents in the county, including liens, quit claim deeds, warranty deeds, and land contracts. Researchers interested in accessing these documents may contact the Register of Deeds Office at the local courthouse.

Property information can be accessed on public terminals at the courthouse and the Treasurer’s Office. Users can print out property information from the terminal for $1 per page or have it faxed to them for $5 per page. Individuals can also pay $3 to receive the information by phone. Parcels can also be looked up on the Equalization Department Online Parcel Portal.

Gratiot County Court Records Online

Individuals can access Gratiot County court records online through third-party websites like Michigancourtrecords.us. Users can generally search for a court record on third-party platforms using the name of the individual on the record. While these platforms usually have an extensive repository of court records, access to court record information may be limited until the user pays a fee. The fee to be paid varies by the vendor used. Note that third-party platforms cannot issue official copies of a court record. Issuing official copies of court records is solely in the purview of the Court Clerk.