Find Genealogy Records in Dearborn
Dearborn genealogy records are filed and maintained through Wayne County, which serves as the primary source for birth, death, and marriage documents for city residents. Dearborn is the second most populous city in Wayne County, with a population of about 109,000, and its records reflect a rich industrial and immigrant heritage tied closely to the auto industry. Researchers can access these genealogy records through the Wayne County Clerk, the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library, and free online tools like Michiganology.
Dearborn Overview
Wayne County Clerk Vital Records
All Dearborn vital records go through the Wayne County Clerk's office. The office is at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226. Phone is 313-224-0270, and hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Birth, death, and marriage records for Dearborn residents are all on file here.
Certified copies of birth and death records cost $15 per copy. Wayne County keeps birth records going back to the late 1800s for Detroit-area communities, with Dearborn records beginning around 1893 when the city was incorporated. Death records for the Detroit metro area, including Dearborn, go back to 1897. To get a copy, you need to show that you have a qualifying relationship to the person named in the record.
| Office | Wayne County Clerk - Records Division |
|---|---|
| Address | Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226 |
| Phone | 313-224-0270 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Fax | 313-224-0867 |
Under MCL 333.2882, birth records are restricted for 100 years and death records for 25 years from the date of the event. After those windows pass, the records become public. For current restricted records, you must be the subject, a parent, a legal guardian, or have a documented legal need. Bring photo ID when visiting the clerk's office in person.
Burton Historical Collection
The Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library is the single most important genealogy resource for Dearborn researchers working on older family lines. The collection at 5201 Woodward Avenue in Detroit holds an enormous range of Michigan and Detroit-area historical materials, including city directories, newspaper clippings, immigration records, and family histories donated by local residents over more than a century.
For Dearborn specifically, the Burton collection is valuable because of its depth on the auto industry era. Many Dearborn families came to the area to work at Ford plants and other manufacturers starting in the early 1900s. City directories from that period can help trace where a family lived, what the head of household did for work, and who their neighbors were. Newspaper archives in the Burton collection include obituaries and birth announcements that can fill gaps in official vital records.
The collection also holds a detailed set of genealogical resources for the Wayne County area, with guides to what's available for different ethnic communities. Dearborn has one of the largest Arab-American populations in the United States, and some specialized ethnic records relating to that community are held in the collection as well.
Dearborn Genealogy Research Tools
The Burton Collection's Michigan and Detroit Selected Genealogical Resources guide is a good starting point. It lists specific record types, their date ranges, and where to find them. This page is free to access online and can save you time before you make a trip to the library or county clerk.
Michiganology holds death certificates from 1897 to 1952 and is free to use. Many Wayne County records, including Dearborn deaths from that era, are searchable on the site. This is a quick way to find a death date, confirm a cause of death, or locate a burial site before pulling a certified copy from the county. MCL 333.2884 and MCL 333.2885 set the framework for how vital records are indexed and released in Michigan, which is why Michiganology covers the specific date ranges it does.
FamilySearch has indexed Wayne County records in significant volume. Dearborn birth, marriage, and death records from the early twentieth century are searchable on the platform at no cost. The FamilySearch catalog also lists microfilm holdings that can be ordered or viewed at a local family history center. This is useful when you need access to records that aren't yet digitized.
Note: The Dearborn Historical Museum also holds some local history materials that may help with genealogy research, particularly for families tied to the Ford era and early city development.
State Vital Records for Dearborn
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) holds statewide vital records and can issue certified copies for Dearborn residents. Contact MDHHS at 517-335-8666 or write to P.O. Box 30721, Lansing, MI 48909. Mail requests take three to five weeks to process. For faster service, you can visit their office at 333 S. Grand Ave. in Lansing, where same-day service is available for records from 1906 onward.
MDHHS records go back to 1867 for births and 1897 for deaths. If you need a birth record from before those dates, the county clerk or the Archives of Michigan may have older records. The Archives of Michigan at 702 W. Kalamazoo St. in Lansing also holds Wayne County records that were transferred for preservation, including some materials that pre-date the county clerk's holdings.
Nearby Cities
Dearborn is surrounded by other Wayne County cities, each served by the same Wayne County Clerk office for vital records.
Wayne County Genealogy Records
Dearborn is in Wayne County. All vital records for Dearborn residents flow through the Wayne County Clerk. The county page has full details on courthouse locations, fees, and additional resources covering the entire county.