Access Branch County Clerk Records

About the Branch County Clerk's Office

The Branch County Clerk is an elected office with a four-year term. Terry A. Kubasiak serves as the clerk, and Christine Ransbottom is the chief deputy clerk. The clerk is the elected clerk of the 15th Circuit Court and the county's registrar of vital statistics. That dual role puts court files and vital records under one roof. The office also serves as clerk to the county board of canvassers, the jury board, and the board of commissioners.

Court access runs through this office in a very direct way. The County Clerk maintains all circuit court files, and every circuit court pleading and document must be filed here. Vital records extend the job further. The clerk issues certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records for events tied to the county. Marriage licenses, concealed pistol licenses, notary applications, PA 116 farmland forms, and voter registration all pass through the same counter.

The result is a broad public-service office rather than a plain file room. A resident might arrive to record a court document and leave with a marriage license or a notary stamp. The first-floor location keeps the counter easy to reach inside the courthouse. Deputy clerks handle the day-to-day requests so the workload spreads across the staff.

What the Branch County Clerk Does

The office wears many hats, but its record duties matter most to the public. It files and safeguards circuit court documents, then produces copies on request. It also acts as the county's vital-record gateway. Several of these roles are set by state law and by the county board.

• Serve as clerk of the 15th Circuit Court and keep all circuit court files.
• Issue certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records.
• Issue marriage licenses and concealed pistol licenses.
• Process notary public applications and PA 116 farmland forms.
• Support voter registration and run county elections.
• Act as registrar of vital statistics for Branch County.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is the version courts and agencies accept. Court files and vital records both flow through this office. The request works the same way in person or by mail, and a few steps keep it moving.

1. Identify the record. Note the case type and case number for a court file, or the names and date for a vital record.
2. Complete the record request form. Pick it up at the office or download it from the county clerk website.
3. Calculate the fee. Add the search fee, the per-page copy cost, and the certification charge for the record you need.
4. Submit and pay. Use cash or a money order payable to Branch County Clerk, since personal checks are not accepted.
5. Pick up or mail. Visit the first-floor counter, or mail the form to 31 Division St. with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Branch County Court Record Search Fees

Court record fees at the clerk follow a set schedule. A search fee opens a ten-year window for one case type. Copies and certifications carry their own line items.

The search fee applies to one case type, civil or criminal, so a full check of both sides carries two fees. Requests travel to Branch County Clerk, 31 Division St., Coldwater, MI 49036, with a self-addressed stamped envelope and the request form.

Note: The clerk accepts only cash or money order, so a mailed personal check is returned and delays the request.

Ordering Branch County Vital Records

Vital records are the clerk's other major job. The office is the county registrar of vital statistics. It issues certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records for events tied to Branch County. The state also runs a parallel ordering system that many residents use. The state ordering page lists every channel for a certified vital-record copy.

The page shows online, mail, and in-person routes, and it explains which records each channel can produce. Death and marriage records are open to the public. Birth records under 100 years old stay restricted to the people named on them. That distinction decides who can order which copy at the county or the state level.

Ordering Vital Records by Mail

Mail is a common route for people who cannot visit Coldwater in person. The state posts record-specific applications and mailing steps for each vital record. The order-by-mail page walks through the forms, the required identification, and the prepaid fee.

Its instructions match the county clerk's own mail rule, which asks for a completed form, the correct fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. A birth request needs proof that the mailing address matches the identification on file. That extra check protects the restricted birth record from going to the wrong person.

Branch County Records Request Form Fields

The court-record request form asks for enough detail to find the right file. A requester supplies the case and party details, the copy type, and return contact information. Every field helps the clerk locate and route the record.

Genealogy Research at the Branch County Clerk

Branch County keeps an unusually long public-record memory. The clerk's genealogy desk holds records that reach back to the county's earliest years. In-office research runs during two daily windows, and space is tight.

Available records at the office cover several event types:

• Marriage records from 1833 to present.
• Birth records from 1867 to present.
• Death records from 1867 to present.
• Naturalization records beginning in 1847.
• Court records beginning in 1833.

Research hours are 9:00 to 11:00 AM and 1:00 to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with room for only two researchers at a time. The office recommends not bringing children, since the workspace is small. The genealogy page notes that all of these records are public except birth records, which state law restricts. If the person named is deceased, an heir or descendant may reach a birth record by affidavit of heir. For deeper case research, the same files feed the county's court records request process.

Other Branch County Clerk Services

The County Clerk does far more than copy records. The office issues marriage licenses for couples where one partner lives in the county. It also handles concealed pistol licenses, notary applications, and PA 116 farmland forms. Voter registration and county elections run through the same office.

Marriage paperwork is a frequent counter request. The full rules, fees, and waiting period sit with the county's marriage and divorce records process. The clerk also serves as a fingerprinting gateway for new firearms permits, and the concealed pistol license page lists the arrival timing for same-day fingerprinting.

Branch County Court Filings and Case Access

The clerk is the filing gate for the 15th Circuit Court. Every circuit court pleading and document is filed with this office, and the clerk keeps the case file from opening to close. For many civil and criminal file requests, the clerk is the first and best stop. Attorneys and self-represented parties file their circuit court documents here, whether at the counter or through the court's accepted channels.

Online case tracking runs on a separate system. Public case information for circuit and district cases can be searched through MiCOURT Case Search. That public view is limited to case numbers, party names, and case history. It does not open the full document images. When a reader needs the underlying paper, a certified order, or a complete copy, the request routes back to the clerk. Start with the online search for quick case status, then use the request form when a paper or certified copy is required.