Ingham County Public Records
Ingham County public records are kept by the County Clerk in Mason and through the courts in Lansing. As the home of Michigan's state capital and Michigan State University, Ingham County generates a high volume of public records across court, property, and vital records systems. The clerk's office at 341 S. Jefferson Street in Mason handles most records requests, with court access also available through Lansing courthouses.
Ingham County Overview
Ingham County Clerk Public Records Office
Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum oversees all county clerk functions at 341 S. Jefferson Street in Mason. The main clerk number is 517-676-7201. Email is clerk@ingham.org. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A second administration location is at 366 S. Jefferson Street in Mason. Both are in the county seat, though most judicial activity happens in Lansing given its size.
The Register of Deeds for Ingham County can be reached at 517-676-7216. The office maintains an online records portal at rd.ingham.org with a free index search covering documents from 1956 to the present. Images for the most recent 7 days are withheld from the public portal. Records before 1960 are stored in the vault and require an in-person visit. For vault records, contact the office to schedule an appointment. The fee for copies is $1 per page.
A note about online data: indexed information from 1956 to 1981 is still being reviewed for discrepancies. Data from 1982 forward is considered accurate. If you are working with older records, verify details in person when possible.
| Office | Ingham County Clerk / Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 341 S. Jefferson Street, Mason, MI 48854 |
| Clerk Phone | 517-676-7201 |
| Register of Deeds Phone | 517-676-7216 |
| clerk@ingham.org | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | ingham.org |
The county site at ingham.org links you to the clerk, courts, sheriff, and equalization department where public records are held.
Ingham County Circuit Court and District Court Records
Ingham County has three courts: the 30th Judicial Circuit Court in Lansing, the 55th District Court in Mason, and the 54B District Court in East Lansing. The 30th Circuit Court is at 313 W. Kalamazoo Street in Lansing and handles felony criminal cases, major civil cases, and family court. The 55th District Court is at 700 Buhl Drive in Mason at 517-676-8400. The 54B District Court is at 101 Linden Street in East Lansing at 517-351-7000.
All three courts are searchable through the MiCOURT case search system. This free statewide tool lets you search by party name or case number and see docket entries, party names, and case status. Court records are presumptively public under Michigan Court Rule 8.119. Exceptions include sealed cases, juvenile matters, adoptions, and certain family court files.
For certified copies of court records, contact the clerk at the specific court. The circuit court in Lansing handles the largest volume of cases in the county given that Lansing serves as the state capital and major urban center. If you need records from a state government case or from MSU-related matters, the 30th Circuit is likely the right starting point.
Note: Date of birth was removed from public MiCOURT displays as of April 1, 2022, under Michigan Court Rule 1.109.
Ingham County Property and Deed Records
The Register of Deeds online portal at rd.ingham.org offers a free DIRECT SEARCH for index records from 1956 to the present. You can search by name, property description, book and page number, or document number. Printed copies cost $1 per page. The system is one of the more accessible county records portals in Michigan.
The Ingham County Register of Deeds website provides the direct search tool for land and property records.
The Register of Deeds portal allows free index searches by name, description, or document number for records from 1956 onward.
For records prior to 1956, you need to visit the office in Mason. Records before 1960 are stored in the vault and require an in-person appointment. Ingham County records include standard property documents such as deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and surveys. Given the presence of state government offices and Michigan State University, there is a notable volume of institutional property records as well.
The Ingham County records online page shows exactly what years and document types are searchable from home.
From this page you can start a free search of indexed property records and find document numbers for certified copy requests.
Criminal History Public Records
ICHAT, the Internet Criminal History Access Tool, is maintained by the Michigan State Police and costs $10 per search. It covers felony convictions, serious misdemeanors, and arrest records reported from all counties including Ingham. Go to apps.michigan.gov/ICHAT to search. Results do not include federal records, juvenile records, traffic violations, or misdemeanors punishable by 93 days or less.
The MDOC Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) is free and covers people currently in state custody or on supervision. Search at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2. As the state capital county, Ingham has a higher than average volume of state government employees, which can affect how records appear in various systems. For local jail information in Ingham County, contact the Ingham County Sheriff at 630 N. Cedar Street in Mason, phone 517-676-2431.
Ingham County Vital Records
The Ingham County Clerk holds vital records going back to 1837 for marriages and to 1867 for births and deaths. You can request vital records in person at the clerk's office in Mason, by mail, or online. Ingham County has an online ordering option available. The local fee is $20 for the first certified copy, with additional copies at $10 each. This differs slightly from the statewide MDHHS rate.
For state-issued certified vital records, use the MDHHS portal at michigan.gov/mdhhs. Statewide fees are $34 for the first copy and $16 for each additional copy. VitalChek also handles online orders. Birth records less than 100 years old are restricted to the named person (if 18 or older), listed parents, legal guardians, and authorized heirs.
FOIA Requests in Ingham County
Ingham County processes FOIA requests through multiple offices depending on the type of record. The main FOIA Coordinator for county board records is Becky Bennett, located at P.O. Box 319, Mason, MI 48854. For records from specific county departments, contact those departments directly. All requests must be in writing and describe the records you need with enough detail to allow staff to locate them.
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act under MCL 15.231 requires a 5-business-day response. The agency can extend this by up to 10 days with notice. Fees are based on copying costs and labor. As the state capital county, Ingham County government handles a larger volume of FOIA requests than most Michigan counties. The full Michigan FOIA statute is available at legislature.mi.gov.
Cities in Ingham County
Ingham County includes Lansing, the state capital, along with East Lansing, Mason, and other communities. Lansing has its own public records page on this site.
Other communities in Ingham County include East Lansing, Mason, Haslett, Okemos, and Holt. All county-level records for these areas are handled through the clerk's office in Mason and the courts in Lansing and Mason.
Nearby Counties
Ingham County is in mid-Michigan. The counties below border it and have their own public records pages.