Search the Dickinson County Clerk Office

About the Dickinson County Clerk Office

The County Clerk in Dickinson County is an elected officer. The post joins the roles of County Clerk and Register of Deeds under one office. Voters choose the clerk to a four-year term. Carol Bronzyk holds the seat now. Two deputy clerks, Paige Erickson and Jennifer Clerkin, help run the daily window and process requests.

By Michigan statute the clerk is the keeper of records. That duty reaches back to the county's founding in 1891 and runs to the present day. The office also handles payroll, accounts payable, and voter registration for the county. It sits on the courthouse campus in Iron Mountain, the county seat. For most residents, this is the first stop when they need a certified paper.

What the Dickinson County Clerk Handles

The clerk's office is the records hub for the county. Staff accept filings, log documents, and issue certified copies. They also route requests to the correct court or desk when a record lives elsewhere on the campus. The office keeps records tied to births, deaths, marriages, businesses, and land. Court filing paperwork for the circuit court also passes through this office.

The county clerk page lists the record types the office touches. Each one has its own request path and, in some cases, its own fee. The list below shows the main services a resident can start at the clerk's window.

• Assumed name DBA filings for local businesses
• Birth and death certificate copies
• Marriage licenses, marriage laws, and certificate copies
• Divorce and felony fine routing tied to the circuit court
• Military discharge papers, known as the DD214
• Notaries public and concealed weapons paperwork
• County land search through the Register of Deeds

Because so many records share one address, a short call can save a trip. The county clerk homepage is the fastest way to see current forms and contact details before you visit.

The county clerk page collects these services in one place, along with hours and staff contacts. The official Dickinson County Clerk page lists each record type and links to its request form. The page groups vital records, business filings, and land tools so a first-time visitor can find the right desk quickly.

Records Kept by the Dickinson County Clerk

The office holds a broad mix of public and restricted records. Some, like death certificates, are open to the public by request. Others, like birth records, stay sealed under Michigan law and go only to eligible people. Divorce files open with the 41st Circuit Court Clerk, which shares the same contact and office as the County Clerk. The table below sums up the main records and where each one sits.

One common filing is the assumed name, or DBA, that a local owner uses to run a business under a trade name. The clerk records the name and issues two certified copies as part of the standard fee. The county assumed name DBA page explains what a filer must bring. Once filed, the DBA becomes part of the clerk's searchable business records for the county.

Note: Birth records are sealed in Michigan, so only the subject, a parent, a guardian, an heir, or a court order can obtain certified copies.

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 one instead of a plain print. The steps below cover most requests you can start at the clerk's office. Vital records like death and marriage each ask for a few key details, so gather them first.

1. Identify the record you need and collect the key facts. For a death record, note the decedent's name, year of death, and city of death. For a marriage copy, note both names and the year.
2. Pick your request method. The office accepts requests in person, by mail, or by fax, depending on the record type.
3. Submit the request with payment. Cash, a local Dickinson County check, a money order, or a card is accepted on many copy pages.
4. If the year is unknown, ask the clerk to run a decade search. A search fee applies for each decade reviewed.
5. Collect the certified copy at the window, or wait for it to arrive by mail if you filed by mail or fax.

Marriage and divorce copies follow their own steps and fees, laid out on the Dickinson County marriage and divorce records page. Keep in mind that out-of-county checks are not accepted for marriage copy requests.

Dickinson County Clerk Copy Fees

Fees stay modest and vary by record. Many copy fees include the certification at no extra line item. A DBA filing bundles two certified copies into one flat charge. A military discharge copy carries no fee at all. The table shows the fees drawn from the county's own clerk pages.

Payment methods differ by page. Cash, local county checks, and money orders are widely accepted, and some pages also take MasterCard or Visa. When a request needs a broad search, the decade fee can add up, so a known year keeps the cost low.

Military Discharge Papers in Dickinson County

Veterans and their families often need a copy of the DD214. This form proves service and unlocks many benefits. The clerk files and holds these records for county veterans and issues copies at no charge. Access stays limited to protect the veteran, so the office confirms who may receive a copy.

The county page on military discharge papers explains how a veteran can record a DD214 and later request copies. The Dickinson County DD214 page lays out who qualifies to obtain a copy. Recording a discharge with the clerk gives a veteran a safe, local place to retrieve the record for years to come.

Register of Deeds and Land Records

The same elected office serves as the county's Register of Deeds. Shannon Lundholm runs this side of the operation. The Register of Deeds records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other documents tied to property in Dickinson County. Staff also handle county land search and notices about eRecording. Property owners, title firms, and lenders all rely on these records.

The Register of Deeds page introduces the office and its land search tools. The Dickinson County Register of Deeds page explains how to look up county land records. The office keeps the official chain of title for parcels across the county's cities and townships.

Recording is the act of placing a document into the public land record. Once recorded, a deed or mortgage carries a date, a time, and a place in the index. The office supports eRecording so that title companies and law offices can submit documents online. This speeds up closings and cuts down on trips to the courthouse.

The recording documents page walks through what the office accepts and how each filing is handled. The county recording documents page outlines the steps for recording a land instrument. A recorded document becomes part of the permanent county land record, searchable by later buyers and lenders.

Note: A recorded deed sets the public date of a property transfer, which is why lenders and title firms record documents promptly after a closing.

Dickinson County Public Records Requests

Some records fall outside the standard copy desk and need a formal public records request. Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231, sets the ground rules for that access. The county uses a FOIA form to log each request. The form asks for a few required fields so the office can reach you with an answer or an estimate. The table lists the fields on the county form.

A request may be dropped off or mailed to Dickinson County, Attn: FOIA Coordinator, P.O. Box 609, Iron Mountain, MI 49801. Only the county FOIA coordinator, the sheriff's coordinator, or the prosecutor's coordinator responds. The county can extend its response time by 10 business days with written notice. When the estimated cost tops $50, the office may ask for a good-faith deposit up to half the estimate. A denial can be appealed in writing.

Note: The Michigan Freedom of Information Act sets a public policy of open access, and the county form is simply the local tool that carries out that law.

Circuit Court Filings and the County Clerk

Michigan uses a unified clerk model, so the County Clerk also serves the circuit court. The county contact page lists a 41st Circuit Court Clerk that uses the same phone and fax as the County Clerk. That is why divorce cases, felony fines, and other circuit filings pass through this office. A resident does not need to hunt for a separate court clerk window for those matters.

The clerk's office also supports the jury process. Every April the county mails juror questionnaires, and residents must return the completed forms to the clerk within 10 days. The jury board then reviews the forms to decide who qualifies. This ties the clerk directly to the work of the courts on the campus.

The district court, by contrast, keeps its own office and phone line for misdemeanors, small claims, and civil traffic cases. Those records live with the 95B District Court rather than the County Clerk. Knowing which office holds a file saves time when you request a copy or check on a case.

Transcripts follow a different path again. A circuit court transcript comes from the court recorder or reporter for the judge who handled the case, not from the clerk's copy desk. The clerk can point a requester toward the right contact when a transcript is needed.