Ingham County Genealogy Records

Ingham County genealogy records go back to 1838 and are held at the county clerk's office in Mason, the county seat, with Lansing serving as the county's most populous city. Vital records including births, deaths, and marriages have been collected since the mid-1800s and are available through the clerk, through Michiganology for early death certificates, and through the Ingham County Genealogical Society, which maintains an active research library and extensive obituary clipping collection.

Ingham County Clerk Vital Records

The Ingham County Clerk in Mason holds all vital records for the county. Birth records date from 1867, death records from 1867, and marriage records from 1838. The clerk's office is the first place to look for certified copies of these records. You can visit in person, mail a request, or call ahead to confirm that a record is on file. The office website is at ingham.org for additional contact information.

Birth records are restricted under MCL 333.2882. Access requires being the named person, a parent, a legal guardian, or having a court order. Death and marriage records are public. Divorce records are held at the Ingham County Circuit Court, not the clerk's office, and are also available to the public. Land records go back to 1835 and are held by the Ingham County Register of Deeds. Certified copies of vital records cost $15, per state law under MCL 333.2884, with the clerk authorized to issue them under MCL 333.2885.

Ingham County Genealogical Society

The Ingham County Genealogical Society (ICGS) is one of the more active local genealogical organizations in mid-Michigan. The society's resource room is located at 2222 Catholic Church Road in Bunkerhill Township. Their holdings focus on out-county records rather than Lansing city proper, which makes their collection distinct from what you find through city or state indexes.

One of the ICGS's most useful collections is an extensive set of obituary clippings from the Ingham County News covering 1998 to the present, all indexed by year. This is a valuable tool for researchers working on more recent family history. The society's catalog of holdings is available on their website. Research by appointment can be arranged by contacting the librarian at librarian@icgsweb.org.

The screenshot below shows the Ingham County Genealogical Society's website, where you can review their holdings catalog and contact them for research assistance.

The ICGS resource room in Bunkerhill Township holds out-county records, obituary clippings, and other genealogy materials specific to Ingham County research.

Ingham County Land and Naturalization Records

Ingham County has some of the older land records for a Michigan county, with deed records going back to 1836 and a land tract book from 1835 to 1848. A mortgage index covers 1837 to 1902, and miscellaneous records go back to 1838. Many of these have been digitized by FamilySearch. Land records can be especially useful for genealogy because they often predate consistent vital record registration and can place an ancestor in a township before birth records were required.

Naturalization records for Ingham County from 1860 to 1929 are held by the State Archives of Michigan. These records can tell you when an ancestor arrived in the US, where they came from, and who their witnesses were. The Archives of Michigan is at 702 W. Kalamazoo St. in Lansing (517-373-1408, archives@michigan.gov). They are a short distance from Ingham County, which makes an in-person visit practical for researchers in the Lansing area.

Note: FamilySearch holds digitized Ingham County deed records (1836-1918), the index to deeds (1835-1903), and miscellaneous records (1838-1894). These can be viewed free at familysearch.org.

Online Resources for Ingham County Genealogy

Michiganology at michiganology.org offers free access to Ingham County death certificates from 1897 through 1952. These show the full document image and include details that go well beyond basic index information. The FamilySearch Wiki for Ingham County describes all the major record collections and where to find them. The Ingham MIGenWeb page has locally sourced genealogy resources and links.

For state-level vital records, contact the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services at P.O. Box 30721, Lansing, MI 48909 or call 517-335-8666. The Library of Michigan at michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan holds census microfilm, city directories for Lansing dating back to the late 1800s, and a large genealogy reference collection.

Cities in Ingham County

Lansing is the state capital and the largest city in Ingham County. Mason is the county seat. East Lansing is home to Michigan State University. All vital records for residents of these and other Ingham County communities are filed through the county clerk in Mason.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Ingham County. Each maintains its own county clerk and vital records going back to the 1800s.