Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Fees for some vital records have been revised in Livingston County.

The Board of Commissioners met Monday night and approved a resolution revising the fees charged for certified copies of vital records including birth, death, and marriage records; as well as certain optional, expedited fees associated with obtaining a marriage license.

Fees for certified copies of vital records, marriage waiver fee, and marriage expedited fee have not been increased since September 1st, 2019 and the cost of conducting the business of the vital records division is said to have increased.

The resolution states the fees being recommended are based on the cost of the vital records department as calculated by Livingston County’s Fiscal Services staff and the number of certified documents issued by the vital records division during 2025.

Clerk Elizabeth Hundley clarified during the meeting that the expedited fees only apply to the issuance of a marriage license. She said their county clerk policy is when someone appears in person, they will walk out with their request for their vital record, and they try to fill online requests within 24-hours.

Hundley stated the expedited fee is based on “the actual cost of having a couple that wants to leave then and there with their marriage license, waiving the 3-day fee and being issued prior to the expiration of Michigan’s three-day waiting period”. She stressed the fee is based on actual costs, and it does not apply to the fulfillment of a request for a certified birth record, marriage record, or death record.

There wasn’t any discussion amongst the board about the agenda item but Livingston County Democratic Party Chair Judy Daubenmier addressed it during call to the public.

Daubenmier stated it was the “worst time” to consider increasing fees for vital records, and cited pending “voter suppression” legislation she said will require many voters to secure copies of their vital records when registering to vote for the first time or having moved. It’s called the SAVE Act. Daubenmier said she found the fee “egregious” and thinks it would disenfranchise many people, as they might not find out records are needed until days before an election when they go to register to vote.

When questioned by a commissioner, Hundley stated the item had no impact on election-related matters.

The resolution states the County Clerk is authorized to waive the fee for one certified copy of a birth record when the Clerk determines that payment of the fee would create an undue financial hardship for the applicant.

The resolution takes effect on July 1st.

The resolution with the revised fees and more information are attached.