County Clerk

Death Certificates

Death records must be submitted to the Clerk's office within 72 hours of the subjects passing. Again, each record must be gone over and checked to insure the categories have been completed and the proper information has been given. If the document is incomplete or incorrect, the Clerk's office is required to contact the funeral director and make arrangements to procure the information necessary and to correct that provided in error.

Once the document has been filed properly, the requested copies of the record are made, certified and directed to the requesting authority. These documents are then imaged as soon as time permits. Lists of those individuals having passed away in our county are made every month and sent to each local unit and each county in the state. If individuals from other states pass away in our county we then send a notice to that state as well. Death records are a matter of public record. These records are sought by genealogists and are a source of significant information for those seeking their family lineage. We are subjected to continuous requests to search death records and report information back to individuals as well as having to present counter patrons with the tools and materials to do their research in our office. We had hoped our imaging would have been concluded in this area so we could make use of our consumer computer and allow our genealogists to research without a staff member having to lift a book. We have imaged documents in this category back to 1950. Most of the research done in death records occurs much earlier than we have records imaged.

Obtaining a Certified Copy of a Death Record

Online

Order certified copies of death records online . Search fee for a vital records is $10.00 and includes one certified copy. Additional copies of the same record on the same order are $4.00 for each copy. A convenience fee also applies to your order total.

By Mail or Fax

Complete the application for certified death record (requires Acrobat Reader). Use only one form per record request. Certified copy of a death certificate is $10. Additional copies of the same death certificate requested the same day are $4 each. Cash/Check/Money Order/Visa or MasterCard are acceptable as payment. Applications may be faxed to (616) 994-4538 using VISA OR MASTERCARD only as payment. If mailed, send the completed application and the appropriate fee, payable to:

    Ottawa County Clerk
    12220 Fillmore Street, Room 130
    P.O. Box 296
    West Olive, MI 49460