About the Shiawassee County Clerk's Office
Caroline Wilson serves as the Shiawassee County Clerk. Voters elected her in November 2016, and she took office on January 1, 2017. The Clerk is chosen on the partisan November general-election ballot and serves a four-year term. The office sits on the second floor of the historic Circuit Courthouse in Corunna.
By law, the County Clerk is also the clerk of the 35th Judicial Circuit Court. That dual role puts court files and county records under one office. Births, deaths, marriages, and business registrations are filed and stored here. The Clerk is clerk of the Board of Commissioners as well, and the office is responsible for election activity across Shiawassee County. The Circuit Court Division of the office keeps all files of the 35th Judicial Circuit Court, and the public may view those files at the counter.
Shiawassee County Clerk
Clerk: Caroline Wilson
208 North Shiawassee Street, 2nd Floor
Corunna, MI 48817
Vital records: 989-743-2242 opt 1
Circuit Court records: 989-743-2262 opt 3
Fax: 989-743-2241
cwilson@shiawassee.net
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
What the Shiawassee County Clerk Handles
The office wears several hats at once. It records life events, files court papers, registers businesses, and supports county government. Residents use it for both court needs and vital records. The list below shows the main duties tied to Shiawassee County court records and county records.
- Keeps all case files of the 35th Judicial Circuit Court and offers counter access
- Records births, deaths, and marriages as the county vital-records office
- Files DBA and business and professional registrations
- Serves as clerk of the Board of Commissioners
- Administers elections in Shiawassee County
- Issues certified copies of county and Circuit Court records
Vital records and Circuit Court records use separate phone lines, so callers should pick the right option before dialing. The vital-records line handles birth, death, and marriage copies. The Circuit Court line handles case files and court documents.
Business filings carry their own rules. When a DBA is prepared at the Clerk's Office, all owners must be present, and every signer must show a valid photo ID such as a driver's license. A DBA submitted by mail must already be notarized. These steps protect the county's business records and keep filings valid. As clerk of the Board of Commissioners, the office also records board actions and manages county elections, which places a large share of the county's official record-keeping in one place.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy carries the Clerk's seal and proves a record is genuine. Courts, banks, and agencies often demand certified copies rather than plain printouts. The steps below cover both a Circuit Court file and a vital record.
- Identify the record. For a court file, note the case number and party names. For a vital record, note the type, the full names, and the event date.
- Pick the channel. Vital records can be ordered online through PayItGov or requested at the counter; Circuit Court files are viewed and copied at the counter.
- Provide requester details and payment. Bring photo ID for in-person vital requests and pay the copy fee for each certified copy.
- Collect or wait for mail. Pick up in person, or add the flat postage fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope for a mailed return.
Note: Marriage license and concealed pistol license applications are not processed between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. or after 4:30 p.m., so plan visits around those windows.
Shiawassee County Records Request Fields
A request moves faster when it is complete. The Clerk's staff need enough detail to find the right file and prepare copies. The table lists the fields a Circuit Court file or vital-record request usually needs.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case Number | Preferred | Best identifier for a Circuit Court file; avoids name mix-ups. |
| Party Names | Yes | Full legal names of the parties or the person named on a vital record. |
| Record or Document Type | Yes | Court document, birth, death, marriage, DBA, or naturalization. |
| Event or Filing Date | Helpful | Narrows the search, especially for older vital records. |
| Number of Copies | Yes | First certified copy and each additional copy are priced separately. |
| Requester Contact and ID | Yes | Name, phone, mailing address; photo ID for in-person vital requests. |
Shiawassee County Clerk vs Register of Deeds
Land records are not court records. Deeds, mortgages, and liens belong to the Register of Deeds, a separate office led by Lori Kimble. People who need a property record should not ask the Circuit Court or the County Clerk for it. The Register of Deeds holds those documents on the first floor of the courthouse.
The county explains the split on its official pages. The Register of Deeds office records real-estate documents and keeps land records that reach back to 1836.
That depth matters for anyone tracing property history. The office indexes documents by grantor and grantee, by name and year, and by liber and page.
Copy fees and search formats sit on a separate help page. The Register of Deeds FAQ spells out how records are stored and searched.
Records from 1954 forward have been scanned and indexed into the computer system, and every record is searchable by liber and page. A deed request sent to the Circuit Court would only slow things down.
Shiawassee County Clerk Fees
Fees stay modest and follow set rates. Vital records cost more for the first copy and less for extra copies of the same document. Business filings and older-record searches carry their own charges. The schedule below reflects the rates the County Clerk posts.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| DBA / business registration, new filing | $20.00 |
| DBA / business registration, renewal | $18.00 |
| DBA certified copy | $2.00 |
| First certified vital copy (birth, death, marriage, genealogy, naturalization) | $25.00 |
| Each additional certified copy of the same document | $10.00 |
| Mail-in vital-record postage | $3.00 flat |
| Genealogy / naturalization search | $10.00 per name |
The genealogy and naturalization search fee applies to records filed in 1932 or earlier and to naturalization records, because those older files must be recreated by hand.
Payment Methods and Online Portals
The Clerk links several vendor portals for payments and vital-record orders. Each portal serves a different task, so it helps to know which one to open. Online payments run around the clock but add an enhanced-access fee, while in-person payments avoid that surcharge.
Circuit Court criminal fines, costs, and restitution can be paid in person, by mail, or online. The county's online payment page lists the accepted methods and the required case details.
Online payment asks for the case number, defendant name, and date of birth. In person, the office accepts cash, checks up to $500, money orders, and major cards. These portals cover the main tasks:
- PayItGov handles the vital-records application and Circuit Court criminal payments
- CountyFusion hosts death, marriage, and DBA indexes plus the online marriage application
- G2G Cloud processes court payments and applies the enhanced-access fee tiers
Note: Under MCL 600.4803, failing to pay a court-imposed penalty, fee, or cost within 56 days can add a 20% late penalty to the balance.
Shiawassee County Filing Rules
Shiawassee County is not an e-filing county for Circuit Court. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Clerk's Office no longer accepts court filings by email. Documents that need filing must be brought in person or mailed to 208 North Shiawassee Street, 2nd Floor, Corunna, MI 48817. Any non-emergency filing received after 4:30 p.m. is treated as received the next workday. Faxed filings are not accepted without prior court permission.
A narrow set of urgent matters may still be emailed. Civil and domestic emergency motions, PPO petitions, and motions to show cause for violating a PPO may be sent to CIRClerkfile@shiawassee.net. Case-initiating documents still must be mailed or hand delivered with the filing fee. When a filer needs documents returned, a self-addressed stamped envelope should be included. Felony and higher-dollar civil files stay with the Shiawassee County Circuit Court, while the county's lower court now offers civil e-filing described on the district court page.
Sheriff Sales at the Circuit Court
Mortgage foreclosure sales meet the court campus in a direct way. The Sheriff holds these sales inside the 35th Circuit Court lobby, not at the jail. Bidders should arrive ready with a certified check for the full opening bid.
The county sets a fixed weekly time and place. Its sheriff sale page confirms the Wednesday 10:00 a.m. schedule and the certified-check rule.
The underlying property records still belong to the Register of Deeds, not the court file. The sale simply happens on the courthouse grounds at 208 North Shiawassee Street.