Karen, How do we directly order from the county? I've never done that before - but $30 seems excessive for certs. (I don't even think I pay that much when I buy British certs). There are a few I still wish to buy. Did Michigan pass the efforts to start issuing genealogy only certificates instead of making us pay for certified records? Concetta >>> "Karen Ansley Krugman" <Karen@miprofgenie.com> 9/30/2004 9:28:19 AM >>> In spite of efforts to stop the state increase in vital records fees, SB1143 passed the House of Representatives yesterday. This will raise VITAL RECORD FEES IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO $30. It is unknown when this take affect. I would advise you to order any certificates that you need from Oakland County now, as I am sure the county will follow suit and raise their prices as well. Due to the increased need for income and the increasing concern about privacy and security, we may find it more difficult to obtain records that we need for genealogical research. Karen ==== MIOAKLAN Mailing List ==== You can contact the listowner at Judy@BirdGenealogy.org ============================== You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/

My guess on the reason why is simply the economy. The State of Michigan depends heavily upon the auto industry for its money and right now things are slow. To my knowledge there are no "genealogy" certificates available in the state of Michigan anywhere. As for ordering certificates you can do it thru vitalcheck.com; the Oakland County Website; or send your money order to the county. Right now if you just send a money order I believe that you can still get them for $15. I've copied the page with the information below for the convenience of those who may have other questions regarding vital records in Oakland County. Where are you located and what are your hours? 1200 North Telegraph Road (between Elizabeth Lake and Telegraph roads), ground floor of Circuit Court Building; hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Visit our Contact section for more information. How do I obtain a copy of a vital record? Appear in person and complete the required form, or send a written request by mail. Fee is $15.00 for the first copy, and $5.00 for each additional copy. For a copy of a birth record, you must have valid picture ID and be the person, parents or legal representative. You may also order some vital records online (birth, death, marriage records). Visit the Forms and Applications index to view available online services from the Clerk/Register of Deeds office. What vital records may I obtain from this office? You may obtain certified copies of birth, marriage and death certificates. You may also register an assumed name, apply for notary certification, register for a pistol's license, and request a legal name change. Visit the Forms & Applications section of this Web site for more information. What's the difference between ordering online and coming in to the office to get a vital record? If you order online, you are charged an additional $5.00 convenience fee (in addition to the cost of the record). You will receive your vital record(s) in the mail, rather than immediately. The benefit to ordering online is that you may do it from your computer any time of the day, any day of the week. It's ideal if you'd like to save yourself the trip to the office and do not need the record immediately. For more information on ordering now - see: http://www.co.oakland.mi.us/clerkrod/ Click on Vital Records. If anyone has any further questions feel free to email me. I sure hope all the states don't follow this lead. Karen -----Original Message----- From: Concetta Franco [mailto:concetta.franco@BLDD.COM] Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 10:44 AM To: MIOAKLAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MIOAKLAN] INFORMATION Karen, How do we directly order from the county? I've never done that before - but $30 seems excessive for certs. (I don't even think I pay that much when I buy British certs). There are a few I still wish to buy. Did Michigan pass the efforts to start issuing genealogy only certificates instead of making us pay for certified records? Concetta >>> "Karen Ansley Krugman" <Karen@miprofgenie.com> 9/30/2004 9:28:19 AM >>> In spite of efforts to stop the state increase in vital records fees, SB1143 passed the House of Representatives yesterday. This will raise VITAL RECORD FEES IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO $30. It is unknown when this take affect. I would advise you to order any certificates that you need from Oakland County now, as I am sure the county will follow suit and raise their prices as well. Due to the increased need for income and the increasing concern about privacy and security, we may find it more difficult to obtain records that we need for genealogical research. Karen ==== MIOAKLAN Mailing List ==== You can contact the listowner at Judy@BirdGenealogy.org ============================== You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ ==== MIOAKLAN Mailing List ==== You can contact the listowner at Judy@BirdGenealogy.org ============================== Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237