Lenawee County Genealogy Records
Lenawee County genealogy records are held at the County Clerk's office in Adrian and date back to 1826. With one of the oldest record collections in Michigan, Lenawee County is a rich source for researchers tracing families in southeastern Michigan near the Ohio border.
Lenawee County Overview
Lenawee County Clerk - Vital Records
The Lenawee County Clerk is in Adrian at 301 N. Main St. This office handles birth, death, and marriage records. Staff can search by name and issue certified copies. Both walk-in requests and written mail requests are accepted. Lenawee County's records go back further than most Michigan counties, making it an important stop for anyone with deep Michigan roots.
Birth records are restricted for 100 years under MCL 333.2882. Recent birth records can only be accessed by the person named, a parent, a legal guardian, or someone with a valid court order. Older birth records are public. Death records and marriage records are public for all years. Certified copies cost $15 per record under MCL 333.2884.
Marriage records in Lenawee County go back to 1826. This is among the oldest marriage collections in Michigan. Lenawee County was settled early by families moving from New York and New England, so the records here often reveal connections to colonial-era families in the eastern states.
| Office | Lenawee County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 301 N. Main St., Adrian, MI 49221 |
| Phone | (517) 264-4591 |
| Fax | (517) 264-4593 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
Lenawee County Genealogy Records
The county clerk holds vital records going back to the 1820s for marriage and to 1867 for births and deaths. Here is a quick summary of what is available and how to access each type.
| Record Type | Dates | Access | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 1867 to present | Restricted (100 years) | $15 |
| Death | 1867 to present | Public | $15 |
| Marriage | 1826 to present | Public | $15 |
Certified copies under MCL 333.2885 carry a raised seal and are the only form valid for legal purposes. To order by mail, write to the Lenawee County Clerk with the name, type of record, event date, and your mailing address. Include a check or money order for $15 per record payable to the Lenawee County Clerk.
Lenawee County Historical Society and Adrian Public Library
The Lenawee County Historical Society maintains a museum and archives in Adrian. The society holds local records, historical photographs, and materials related to Lenawee County families. If you are researching a family that lived in Lenawee County in the 1800s, the historical society is a good place to look for materials that go beyond what the county clerk holds. They can be a source for local newspaper clippings, family files, and township histories that put vital records into context.
The Adrian Public Library also has a local history collection. Libraries in county seats often collect genealogy materials donated by local families, including scrapbooks, family histories, and printed genealogies. These informal sources are sometimes the only place you can find details about everyday life and family connections that are not in official records.
Note: Contact the Lenawee County Historical Society and the Adrian Public Library directly to ask about their current holdings and any research fees they may charge.
Online Tools for Lenawee County Research
The state's free online portal Michiganology holds death certificates from 1897 to 1952 for Lenawee County. These records are free to search and view. This is often the fastest way to confirm a death date and find a death certificate image for an ancestor who died in Lenawee County in the early 1900s without contacting the county clerk or paying a fee.
The Lenawee County FamilySearch wiki is a solid overview of what records exist and where they are held. FamilySearch has digitized many Michigan records, and some Lenawee County land and court records are available at no cost there. FamilySearch is also a good place to check for early census data and military records that could confirm an ancestor's presence in Lenawee County before vital records were kept.
The Lenawee MIGenWeb page holds volunteer transcriptions of cemetery records, marriage records, and other local data. These are free to search and can save time and money compared to ordering certified copies from the county clerk. Check MIGenWeb before spending money on records requests.
Michiganology gives free access to Lenawee County death certificates going back to 1897, which covers most of the historical research period for families in this county.
The Library of Michigan in Lansing holds newspaper archives and local history collections that are useful for tracing Lenawee County families across generations.
Communities in Lenawee County
Lenawee County includes Adrian, Tecumseh, Blissfield, Hudson, and other communities in southeastern Michigan. All vital records requests for communities in this county are handled through the County Clerk in Adrian.
Lenawee County does not have any cities over the population threshold for a dedicated city page. All genealogy records are at the County Clerk's office at 301 N. Main St. in Adrian.
Nearby Counties
Lenawee County is in the southeast corner of Michigan and borders several Michigan counties as well as Ohio. If records are not found here, check neighboring counties, especially Monroe and Jackson.