Berrien County Public Records

Berrien County public records are maintained by the County Clerk, Register of Deeds, and local courts in St. Joseph. You can search court cases, land records, vital records, and other official documents through county offices or online databases. This page covers how to find and request records from Berrien County.

Berrien County Clerk and Public Records Office

The Berrien County Clerk handles most public records requests. The main office is at 701 Main Street in St. Joseph. There is also a south county office at 1205 N. Front Street in Niles for added convenience. Both locations are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. You can reach the Clerk at (269) 983-7111, extension 8233. For Register of Deeds, use extension 8570. Email requests go to records@berriencounty.org.

The county website at berriencounty.org has forms, fee schedules, and links to online search tools. The current County Clerk is Lori Jarvis. FOIA requests go through the Office of the Corporation Counsel. Free public search terminals are available at the Law Library, Clerk's Office, and Register of Deeds for in-person use.

The county site links to all major record search tools and department contact information.

Berrien County Court Records

Court records for Berrien County fall under the Berrien County Trial Court. This covers circuit court cases including civil, criminal, and family matters, plus district court and probate court. Case information is available through the statewide MiCOURT system at micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney bar number at no charge for basic case details.

The Trial Court has multiple district court locations across the county. If you need certified copies of court documents, you must contact the court clerk directly. In-person access to full case files is available at the courthouse. Not all case types appear online. Juvenile records, adoption files, mental health cases, and personal protection orders are not public through MiCOURT.

Note: Date of birth information was removed from MiCOURT public records as of April 1, 2022 under Michigan Court Rule MCR 1.109.

Criminal History and Offender Records

Two main tools cover criminal history for Berrien County residents. The Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT), run by the Michigan State Police, lets you search felony and serious misdemeanor records for a $10 fee per search at apps.michigan.gov/ICHAT/. ICHAT covers all 83 Michigan counties and goes back many years.

For current and former state prison inmates, the Michigan Department of Corrections runs OTIS, the Offender Tracking Information System. It is free to use at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2/otis2.aspx. OTIS shows current prisoners, parolees, and probationers under MDOC supervision. Records are removed three years after discharge. ICHAT does not include traffic offenses, juvenile records, or local misdemeanors.

Fingerprint-based checks cost $50 to $70 and are available through approved vendors statewide.

Berrien County Property Records

The Register of Deeds at 701 Main Street in St. Joseph maintains all property records for Berrien County. Records go back to 1831, making this one of the oldest deed collections in Michigan. The online Land Records Search System is available at regofdeeds.berriencounty.org. You can search by grantor or grantee name, instrument number, liber and page, tax ID, platted description, or date range.

The system covers deeds from 1831 and mortgages from 1950. eRecording is accepted for new documents.

Standard copies cost $1 per page for regular-size documents and $3 for oversize pages. Certified copies add a $5 certification fee. The Register of Deeds also handles property fraud alerts and GIS mapping services. Tax information is searchable online through the county site as well.

Note: Walk-in genealogy research is available at a separate location at 5054 St. Joseph Ave in Stevensville.

Vital Records in Berrien County

The County Clerk's office handles vital records for Berrien County. Death records go back to 1867. Marriage records extend all the way to 1831. Birth records by mail are available from 1867 forward. Walk-in birth record access covers records from 1882 and older. The walk-in genealogy service is located at 5054 St. Joseph Ave in Stevensville, while mail requests go to 701 Main Street in St. Joseph.

Fees at the county level are $13 for the first certified copy of a vital record and $4 for each additional copy of the same record. You need a valid ID to get certified copies. Send email requests to records@berriencounty.org. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also maintains vital records at the state level. Statewide certified copies cost $34 for the first copy through MDHHS at michigan.gov/mdhhs.

FOIA Requests in Berrien County

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231, gives the public the right to request government records. In Berrien County, FOIA requests go through the Office of the Corporation Counsel. The county has a standard FOIA request form on the Public Records page of the county website. You describe the records you want, submit the form in writing, and the county has 5 business days to respond. They can extend that by up to 10 additional business days if needed.

Fees cover the actual cost of copying and any labor for large or complex searches. Free inspection of records is available if you do not need copies. People who receive public assistance or show financial hardship can request a fee waiver under MCL 15.234.

Note: Each county department handles FOIA for its own records. Court records have a separate request process through the court clerk.

Cities in Berrien County

Berrien County includes several cities and communities. St. Joseph is the county seat where main county offices are located. The county also includes Benton Harbor, Niles, Bridgman, Coloma, Buchanan, Stevensville, and other smaller communities. A south county office in Niles serves residents in the southern part of Berrien County for public records requests.

Nearby Counties

Berrien County sits in the southwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, bordering Indiana and Lake Michigan. If you are not sure which county office handles a record, check the address where the event occurred.