If you were born in Southfield, Michigan, you can order a certified Southfield birth certificate from either the City of Southfield Clerk’s Office or the Oakland County Clerk’s Office. Both issue certified copies accepted for passports, Real ID, and employment. Fees start at $15 for the first copy, and in-person requests are often filled the same day.
Where to Request Your Record
You have two offices to choose from, and the distinction confuses people. The City of Southfield Clerk’s Office at 26000 Evergreen Road keeps records for births that occurred inside Southfield city limits.1City of Southfield. Birth and Death Records The Oakland County Clerk’s Office at 1200 North Telegraph Road in Pontiac covers every birth that happened in Oakland County, Southfield included.2Oakland County, MI. Birth Records Either office can issue a certified copy for a Southfield birth, so pick whichever is more convenient.
Oakland County’s main office in Pontiac takes walk-ins Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.3Oakland County, MI. Oakland County Clerk Announces Expanded Service Hours at Troy Satellite Office A satellite office in Troy at 1151 Crooks Road keeps the same weekday hours but runs by appointment; call 248-858-0571 to book one.2Oakland County, MI. Birth Records For the City of Southfield Clerk’s Office, call (248) 796-5150 to confirm current hours and walk-in availability before you go.
Who Can Request a Copy
Michigan restricts access to birth records for the first 100 years after the birth. Under MCL 333.2882, a certified copy can be issued only to the person named on the record, a parent named on the record, an heir, a legal representative, a legal guardian, or a court of competent jurisdiction.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 333.2882 – Issuance of Certain Certified Copies After 100 years, anyone can request a copy.
An heir requesting a deceased person’s birth record has to provide a death certificate for that person along with the heir’s own birth certificate to prove the family relationship.2Oakland County, MI. Birth Records Legal guardians need to submit guardianship or custody documents, and legal representatives need paperwork showing their authority.
Someone with power of attorney can request your record, but the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services requires a copy of the legal document granting that authority and will not accept general delegations or information releases. The power of attorney has to specifically authorize the person to obtain vital records.5Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Application for a Certified Copy – Michigan Birth Record
Adult adoptees seeking the original birth certificate have a separate pathway: a written request plus a completed Central Adoption Registry clearance reply form from MDHHS. Without that clearance, the state registrar cannot release the original.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 333.2882 – Issuance of Certain Certified Copies
What You Need to Apply
Have the child’s full name at birth, the date of birth, and both parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name. Everything you give has to match the original record.2Oakland County, MI. Birth Records
You also need valid photo identification. A current driver’s license, state ID, or passport works.2Oakland County, MI. Birth Records If you don’t have any of those, Michigan accepts alternative documents in tiers. At the lowest tier you must provide at least three different documents from a list that includes a signed Social Security card, a W-2, a bank statement, a utility bill, a voter registration card, or a health insurance card, and at least one of the three has to have been issued within the past year.6Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Photo ID Alternative Documents
Every application needs your signature, and it has to match the name on your ID. Mail-in and online requests also need a clear photocopy of that ID.
How to Submit Your Request
In Person
Walking into Oakland County’s Pontiac office is the fastest route. Staff verify your ID at the counter and print certified copies during the same visit. The Troy satellite office offers the same services, but only by appointment.3Oakland County, MI. Oakland County Clerk Announces Expanded Service Hours at Troy Satellite Office For the City of Southfield Clerk, call (248) 796-5150 first to confirm walk-ins are being accepted.
By Mail
Send mail-in requests to the Oakland County Clerk’s Office at 1200 North Telegraph Road, Building 12E, Pontiac, MI 48341.7Oakland County, MI. Clerk/Register of Deeds Include the completed request form, a photocopy of your valid ID, and a check or money order for the correct amount. Allow two to three weeks for standard mail delivery.
Online
Oakland County runs its own online ordering system rather than passing you to a third-party vendor, so no outside company handles your personal information.2Oakland County, MI. Birth Records You upload your ID through the county portal and pay there. One catch: the county won’t process the order until it receives proof of identity within two days of submission, so upload promptly or the order stalls.
Fees
Oakland County charges $15 for the first certified copy and $5 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Seniors 65 or older pay $10 for the first copy when ordering their own record; the discount does not apply to requests made on someone else’s behalf.2Oakland County, MI. Birth Records8Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Order A Record by Mail The City of Southfield Clerk charges the same $15 and $5.1City of Southfield. Birth and Death Records
If You Need a Correction or an Apostille
Neither the Southfield City Clerk nor the Oakland County Clerk can change what is on a record. All corrections, from a misspelled name to adding a parent, go through MDHHS using the Application to Correct or Change a Michigan Birth Record, with a $50 fee that includes one corrected copy.9Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Application to Correct or Change a Michigan Birth Record The MDHHS Changes Unit answers questions at 517-335-8660 or MDHHS-VR-Changes@Michigan.gov.10Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Correct A Birth Record
If you need the certificate recognized in a country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention, order the apostille from the Michigan Secretary of State. The fee is $1 per document, payable by check or money order to the State of Michigan, and mailed requests take one to two weeks.11State of Michigan. Document Authentication and Apostille You must send in a certified copy, not the original record, so order an extra certified copy from the clerk when you first apply.