About the Ottawa County Clerk's Office
The Ottawa County Clerk and Register of Deeds is an elected office. The current Clerk is Justin F. Roebuck. The office lists Renee E. Kuiper as Chief Deputy Clerk and Rachel A. Sanchez as Chief Deputy Register of Deeds. The Clerk and Register's main office is at 12220 Fillmore St, Room 130, West Olive, MI 49460. General office hours are Monday-Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm, with location-specific variations published on the Hours and Locations page.
Clerk / Register of Deeds Main Office
Clerk: Justin F. Roebuck
12220 Fillmore St, Room 130
West Olive, MI 49460
(616) 994-4531 (Vital Records)
(616) 994-4510 (Register of Deeds)
Fax: (616) 994-4538
countyclerk@miottawa.org
Mon-Fri 8:00am - 5:00pm
Circuit Court Records Division
414 Washington Ave, Room 320
Grand Haven, MI 49417
(616) 846-8315
Fax: (616) 846-8147
CircuitCourtRecords@miOttawa.org
What the Ottawa County Clerk Does
The Clerk and Register of Deeds runs several functions under one elected office. The Clerk side runs elections, vital records, DBA registrations, passports, and concealed pistol licensing. The Register of Deeds side records deeds, mortgages, easements, plats, and property fraud alerts. The Clerk also keeps Circuit Court Records through the Circuit Court Records Division. Below are the main duties.
- Issue marriage licenses and certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records.
- Record deeds, mortgages, easements, and other property documents.
- Run county elections and certify results.
- Register DBA business names and process annual filings.
- Issue concealed pistol licenses and passports.
- Maintain Circuit Court Records for civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases through the Circuit Court Records Division.
- Support eFiling through MiFILE for post-initiation Circuit Court filings.
Circuit Court Records Division
The Circuit Court Records Division is the keeper of records for 20th Circuit Court civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases. The division has two offices: the main office at 414 Washington Ave, Room 320, Grand Haven, and a Family Justice Center office at 12240 Fillmore St, Room 50, West Olive. Both offices share the phone (616) 846-8315 and email CircuitCourtRecords@miOttawa.org. The Family Justice Center office uses fax (616) 738-4638.
Services include eFiling support, court-fee payment, search and request records, filing fees, case initiation forms, adoption forms, divorce forms, PPO forms, and name change forms. Circuit Court fines, fees, and restitution can be paid online by credit card. The division cites MCL 600.916(1) in declining to give legal advice or help prepare legal documents.
How to Request a Certified Copy from the Ottawa County Clerk
Certified copies of vital records, deeds, and court documents follow different paths depending on the record type. The steps below cover the standard request flow for a court or vital record certified copy from the Ottawa County Clerk.
- Identify the record type: vital record (birth, death, marriage), Circuit Court case file, deed, or business filing.
- Find the case number, record date, parties, or property details. The more specific the information, the faster the response.
- Pick the right office: Vital Records (West Olive), Register of Deeds (West Olive), or Circuit Court Records Division (Grand Haven and West Olive).
- Submit the request online through the office's portal, in person, by mail, or by fax.
- Pay the fee. Vital records start at $15 for the first copy. Register of Deeds online copies are $1 per page plus a technology fee. Court copy fees vary by document.
- Pick up the copy in person or wait for delivery by mail. Vital Records orders are processed and mailed within 5 business days.
Ottawa County Vital Records Application Fields
Paper requests for birth, death, and marriage records use the Birth, Death, and Marriage Records Application PDF. The form captures the applicant's identity, contact, payment, and record-subject information. Some birth records require qualifying relationship and identification. The table below sums up the fields.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant Name | Yes | Requester's full name. |
| Address, City, State, ZIP | Yes | Mailing address for the response. |
| Phone | Yes | Telephone number. |
| Signature | Yes | Applicant signature. |
| Number of Certificates | Yes | $15 first copy, $6 each additional of the same record. |
| Record Type Section | Yes | Birth, death, or marriage. |
| Subject Names | Yes | Names on the record; varies by type. |
| Date of Event | Yes | Birth, death, or marriage date if known. |
| Parent or Spouse Information | Conditional | Required for some birth and marriage records. |
| Eligibility / Relationship | Conditional | Birth records are restricted under Michigan law. |
| Government Photo ID | Yes for birth | Required for all birth-record requests. |
Ottawa County Clerk Fees
The fee schedule below covers the most common fees the Ottawa County Clerk charges. Fees are nonrefundable. Credit card recording of deeds carries a 3% convenience fee. District Court filing fees are separate and tied to the case value.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vital record first certified copy | $15 |
| Each additional copy of same record on same order | $6 |
| Marriage license, Michigan resident | $20 |
| Marriage license, out-of-state resident | $30 |
| Register of Deeds online copy | $1 per page plus technology fee |
| Certified copy of business registration | $2 per copy or per page |
| Business registration filing | $10 |
| Business registration list | $20 per request, date range capped at 31 days |
| Credit card recording surcharge | 3% |
Register of Deeds Services
The Register of Deeds records deeds, mortgages, easements, plats, liens, and other property documents. The office accepts cash, check, or credit card for recording payments. Only documents with original signatures can be recorded; fax or copy documents are not accepted. Court documents must be certified by the court before recording. The online Deeds Search at the county's Deeds portal allows free document-information search; document images may be purchased online.
The Register also offers property fraud alerts that notify the property owner when a document is recorded against the property. The Register's FAQ at miottawa.org/clerk/rod/faq covers payment methods, recording restrictions, certified court document rules, and copy instructions in detail.
eFiling, Online Payments, and MiFILE
After a Circuit Court case is opened, most filings must be e-filed through MiFILE, the Michigan statewide eFiling system at mifile.courts.michigan.gov. Probate Court also uses eFiling. Circuit Court fines, fees, and restitution can be paid online by credit card with a convenience fee. The Ottawa County Legal Self-Help Center at (616) 846-8141 has free kiosks across the county for eFiling, form printing, Zoom hearings, and fine and cost payments.
Forms and Legal Advice Limits
Court Records Office clerks and Register of Deeds clerks cannot give legal advice or help prepare legal documents. The county cites MCL 600.916(1) for this boundary. The Legal Self-Help Center at (616) 846-8141 helps with court process questions, form distribution, and form review for completeness during business hours. For legal strategy, the user needs an attorney. The State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service and the Ottawa County Bar Association referral service are linked from the Legal Self-Help Center page.
Note: Ottawa County Clerk staff cannot tell a requester whether a record will hold up in court for a specific purpose; legal advice has to come from an attorney.