To get a Michigan death certificate, complete application Form DCH-0569-DX and submit it to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) with the $34 fee. You can send the form by mail, order online through VitalChek, go in person to the MDHHS office in Lansing by appointment, or use the county clerk’s office where the death occurred. The form is available on the MDHHS website.
Who Can Order One
Anyone can. Michigan places no eligibility restrictions on death records. Under Michigan Compiled Laws Section 333.2882, a certified copy of a death record, including the cause of death, is available to any applicant.1Michigan Legislature. MCL 333-2882 You do not need to prove you are related, show legal authority, or explain why you want the record. A creditor, an estate attorney, a distant cousin, and a surviving spouse all have equal access.
Because the records are unrestricted, MDHHS does not require you to send a copy of your photo ID with a mailed application.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Application for a Certified Copy – Michigan Death Record Complete the form, sign it in ink, include payment, and send it in. Some county clerks do ask for ID, so check locally if you order through a county.
Short Form or Long Form
The application asks which version you want. The short form contains the decedent’s biographical details — name, date and place of death, and parents’ names — but leaves out medical information. The long form adds the cause of death and any contributing conditions.
Order the long form unless you know the recipient will accept the short. Life insurance companies, probate courts, and financial institutions almost always want to see the cause of death before they will pay a claim or close an account. Both versions cost the same, and picking the wrong one means starting over with a new application and a new fee.
What the Application Asks For
Form DCH-0569-DX has sections for applicant information, death information, and payment. The applicant section takes your name, mailing address, daytime phone, and email. The certified copy goes to whatever address you write here, so verify it before sending.
The death information section asks for details about the decedent:2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Application for a Certified Copy – Michigan Death Record
- Full legal name at time of death, plus any alternate spellings that might appear on the record
- Date of death
- Date of birth
- Place of death (city, county, state)
- Sex
- Social Security number
- Both parents’ full names
- Place of birth (city, county, state)
The form treats only the decedent’s name and the year of death as mandatory. The other fields help narrow the search when a name is common. Your signature has to be original and in ink; photocopies and digital signatures are not accepted on mailed applications.
If you don’t know the exact year of death, you can request that MDHHS search additional years for an extra fee per year — the application has a line for that.
What It Costs
The base fee is $34.00. That covers one certified copy and a one-year search of state records. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $16.00.3Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Fees
Rush processing on a mailed request adds $12.00.3Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Fees Online orders through VitalChek cost more: the state’s $34.00 base, plus a $14.00 standard or $50.00 rapid service fee, plus the $12.00 rush charge if you want it, plus a $12.50 credit card handling fee.4Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Order A Record Online Mailing the form yourself is the cheapest route when you have time to wait.
Mail payment as a check or money order made out to the “State of Michigan.” Requests arriving without payment will not be processed.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Application for a Certified Copy – Michigan Death Record Do not send cash.
One clarification on the senior discount you may have seen: Michigan’s reduced fee for applicants 65 or older applies only to seniors ordering their own birth record. It does not apply to death certificates.5Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Order A Record by Mail
How to Submit the Application
By Mail
Print Form DCH-0569-DX, complete it, sign in ink, and mail it with your check or money order to:6CDC. Where to Write for Vital Records – Michigan
Vital Records Request
P.O. Box 30721
Lansing, MI 48909
Add the $12.00 rush fee to your payment if you want expedited processing.
Online Through VitalChek
VitalChek is the only online vendor Michigan has authorized to process vital records orders.4Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Order A Record Online You enter the same information the paper form requires, pay by credit card, and VitalChek forwards the request to MDHHS. The convenience adds $26 or more to the state’s base charge depending on the service level.
In Person in Lansing
MDHHS offers in-person service by appointment only, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.7Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Vital Records Genealogy requests may not be completed the same day. This route works if you live near Lansing and want to skip the mail wait, but the narrow hours mean you need to book ahead.
Through a County Clerk
Many Michigan counties issue certified copies of death certificates directly, often at a lower price than the state charges. Wayne County, for example, charges $24.00 for the first copy and $7.00 for each additional copy.8Wayne County, Michigan. Death Certificates Counties may ask for a copy of your driver’s license or state ID and generally only hold records for deaths in their jurisdiction. If the death happened in a county you can reach easily, this option often saves both time and money.
How Long It Takes
Mailed requests to MDHHS follow one of two tracks:2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Application for a Certified Copy – Michigan Death Record
- Regular search: about four to six weeks of in-office processing, then regular mail delivery.
- Rush search: about two to three weeks of in-office processing, then regular mail delivery.
Both timelines depend on the office’s current volume, and neither includes the days your envelope spends in the mail either direction. Certificates ship by first-class mail no matter which speed you pay for; the state does not offer overnight or priority delivery. If you need the certificate quickly for a probate filing or insurance claim, an in-person appointment in Lansing or a visit to the county clerk is more predictable than the mail track.
How Many Copies to Order
Most people need more than one. Banks, life insurance companies, probate courts, the Social Security Administration, pension administrators, and the Secretary of State may each want to see an original, and many won’t return the copy you send. Ordering three to five copies with the initial application at $16.00 each is cheaper and faster than sending a second application later.