About the Ogemaw County Clerk's Office
Breck Gildner serves as the elected Ogemaw County Clerk. The county clerk page states that she has held the position since January 2021, that the office is elected, and that the term runs four years. A team of deputy clerks supports the work. Tracy Turner is Chief Deputy Clerk and handles human resources and financial duties. Alicia Sandula is the Criminal Court Clerk. Ashley Lynch is the Financial Clerk. Amy Lauria is the Family Court Clerk, and Jacie Lucas is the Civil Court Clerk and CPL clerk. Each role maps to a kind of record the public may need to reach.
The office sits inside the Ogemaw County Building in West Branch, the county seat. It works as a ministerial and oversight office within county government. That means it files, records, and safeguards documents rather than deciding cases. The clerk keeps court files, issues certified copies, registers vital events, and administers county elections. Because the office wears several hats, one trip can cover a court record, a marriage certificate, and a public records question at the same counter.
Ogemaw County Clerk
Clerk: Breck Gildner
806 West Houghton Avenue, Suite 101
West Branch, MI 48661
Phone: 989-345-0215
Fax: 989-345-7223
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
The official Ogemaw County Clerk page lists the elected clerk, the deputy staff, the office duties, and the steps to pay by card.
That page is the best starting point when you need to confirm a phone number, a staff contact, or the correct suite before you request a record.
What the Ogemaw County Clerk Does
The clerk page describes the office as both a service counter and an oversight body. The listed areas of operation cover more than court files. The clerk registers vital statistics, keeps the county's main court record, runs elections, oversees parts of the county budget, and serves as clerk to the Board of Commissioners. For anyone chasing a record, the two duties that matter most are the court record-keeping role and the vital records role.
- Vital statistics registrar for birth, death, marriage, divorce, and military discharge records.
- 34th Circuit Court clerk and record keeper for circuit case files.
- Elections oversight and administration for the county.
- Supervision of budget expenditures, human resources, and employee benefits.
- Clerk and liaison to the Ogemaw County Board of Commissioners.
District Court and Probate Court run their own counters and phone lines, even though they share the same county building. So a traffic file or a probate estate does not route through the clerk's suite. The clerk holds circuit case files and vital records. The other trial courts hold their own.
Circuit Court Records at the Clerk
The county clerk is also the clerk of the 34th Judicial Circuit Court. That court is the broad trial court for Ogemaw County. It hears felony criminal cases, civil claims above the district-court limit, family division matters, and personal protection cases. The clerk's office files the pleadings, keeps the docket, collects the fees, and issues certified copies for these cases.
Case status and docket entries for circuit matters appear on the state MiCOURT Case Search portal. The clerk's counter is where you go for documents, older files, and certified copies, because Michigan court rules limit public access to full document images over the internet. A reader who needs to trace a full case file can review how the broad trial court works on the Ogemaw County Circuit Court page.
Note: Circuit case data shows online through MiCOURT, but certified copies and full documents must come from the clerk's counter at the county building.
Vital Records in Ogemaw County
The clerk acts as the local registrar for vital records. Ogemaw County keeps birth and death records for events that happened in the county. It keeps marriage license records for people who applied in the county. Death, marriage, and divorce records are public under the county page. Michigan birth records less than 100 years old are restricted, so only certain people may order them.
Birth-record requesters must fall into an eligible group. The county lists the person named on the record, parents, a legal guardian or legal representative with a court order, and an heir. Adopted people whose original Michigan birth record was sealed by a court are directed to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Every copy the clerk issues is certified and carries a raised seal, so the office does not describe a plain uncertified vital copy.
Requesters can order in person, by mail, or online. Online orders use the county's Permitium vital-records portal, which handles certified birth, marriage, and death certificates. Statewide certified copies, or records for events outside the county, come from MDHHS Vital Records instead.
Ogemaw County Clerk Fee Schedule
Fees depend on the record type. Vital record copies carry a flat certified-copy fee. Circuit court filings follow the fee list in the county's Circuit Court FAQ, which cites Michigan statutes. Payment is due with the request, and checks should be made payable to County of Ogemaw. The table below gathers the fees the clerk's office collects most often.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Birth, death, or marriage first certified copy | $15.00 |
| Additional certified copy ordered at the same time | $5.00 |
| Out-of-state marriage application fee | $30.00 |
| Circuit civil filing | $175.00 |
| Divorce, no children | $175.00 |
| Divorce with children | $255.00 |
| Jury demand | $85.00 |
| Motion fee | $20.00 |
| Online vital record service fee | $5.50 plus card processing |
The circuit filing fee ties to Michigan Compiled Laws through the county FAQ, which cites MCL 600.2529 for circuit filings. Family and probate matters carry their own amounts. When in doubt about the exact total, call the office at 989-345-0215 before you mail a check.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is a clerk-issued copy that carries certification and a raised seal. Courts, banks, and government agencies often accept only certified copies. Uncertified prints and online screen views do not carry the same legal weight. The steps below cover a vital record or a circuit court copy.
- Identify the record. For a court copy, note the case number and party names. For a vital record, note the names of the parties and the date of the event.
- Confirm eligibility. Birth records less than 100 years old are limited to eligible requesters, so bring proof of who you are.
- Choose a channel. Order in person at Suite 101, by mail, or online through the Permitium portal for vital records.
- Include payment. The first certified copy is $15.00 and each additional copy ordered at the same time is $5.00. Make checks payable to County of Ogemaw.
- Add identification for a mailed birth request. Include a copy of a driver's license or photo ID with the request.
- Pick up or wait for the mailed copy. All copies leave the office certified with a raised seal.
Mail requests go to Ogemaw County Clerk, 806 West Houghton Avenue, Room 101, West Branch, Michigan 48661. For a marriage record, the county asks for the names of the parties and the date of marriage.
Paying the Ogemaw County Clerk
The clerk's office now accepts credit and debit cards, but the process is not a simple walk-up swipe. To pay by card, you must first contact the office at 989-345-0215 and ask for a pay location code and the amount owed. Only after you have that code do you log on to Allpaid Payment Solutions to complete the card payment.
Cash, check, and money order remain options at the counter and by mail. Vital record requests must include payment with the request. Online vital orders through Permitium add a non-refundable $5.50 service fee plus a card processing fee. The District Court, by contrast, uses a separate vendor called PayGov for traffic tickets, so do not mix the two payment paths.
Note: Card payment through Allpaid works only after the office gives you a pay location code and amount, so call before you try to pay online.
Public Records Law in Ogemaw County
County executive-branch records fall under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, known as FOIA. The law sets the public's right to see and copy government records. MCL 15.231 declares the state policy that people are entitled to full and complete information about the affairs of government, subject to limits in the statute. MCL 15.233 gives a person the right to inspect, copy, or receive copies of a public body's public records, unless a record is exempt.
The Michigan FOIA statute at the state legislature site lays out that policy in plain terms. Reviewing MCL 15.231 shows why the county must respond to written requests for most non-court records.
Court case files are a different matter. Those follow Michigan Court Rules rather than ordinary county FOIA, so a court record starts with the clerk or the court counter, not a FOIA form. Use FOIA for sheriff reports, prosecutor administrative files, and other county executive-branch records.
Filing a FOIA Request in Ogemaw County
A FOIA request may be made on the county form or in any other writing, such as a letter, fax, or email. The request must describe the record well enough for staff to find it. A vague ask slows the search, so be specific about dates, names, and record types. County staff should forward any request they receive to the FOIA Coordinator. One important limit applies statewide: a person serving a sentence in a local, state, or federal correctional facility is not entitled to submit a FOIA request.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requestor name | Yes | Person making the request. |
| Firm or organization | No | Include if applicable. |
| Mailing address, city, state, zip | Yes | Used for the written response and delivery. |
| Phone, fax, or email | Yes | Contact and delivery details. |
| Description of the record requested | Yes | Must describe the record enough for staff to find it. |
| Delivery method | No | Inspect, copy, certified copy, email, mail, fax, or pickup. |
| Signature and date | Yes | Certifies the request and acknowledgements. |
The county FOIA forms packet also holds optional sections. A requester may insist on copies even when a record sits on the county website. A requester may consent to overtime labor costs. And a person with a low income may ask for the statutory fee discount by checking the indigence box.
FOIA Fees and Public Records Costs
Michigan law lets a public body charge limited fees for a FOIA request. MCL 15.234 allows charges for the labor to search for and separate records, for copying, and for mailing. The fee must stay within the limits the statute sets, and the county cannot use fees to block access. A requester who cannot afford the cost may request a discount or ask about a fee deposit plan.
The statute that sets those cost rules appears at the Michigan legislature site. A look at MCL 15.234 spells out which labor and copying charges a county may pass along.
The county may deliver records on non-paper media, by email, or in another digital format when it has the technical means. A subscription to future regularly issued records can run up to six months and may be renewed. Ask the office how it prefers to deliver a large request before you commit to a deposit.
FOIA Response Times for County Records
Timing rules keep the process moving. Unless the parties agree otherwise in writing, the county issues a response within five business days of receiving a FOIA request. MCL 15.235 sets that window and lays out the response options, including a possible extension under the statute. A response can grant the request, deny it, grant it in part, or state that the county needs more time.
The response-timing rules live in the same chapter of Michigan law. Reading MCL 15.235 confirms the five-business-day clock and the grounds for an extension.
For a fuller look at how the county's search portals and certified copies fit together, the Ogemaw County court records overview walks through the online and counter channels. When a record is a court file rather than an executive-branch record, start with the clerk or the court, since court rules, not FOIA alone, govern those files.