Getting a Marriage License in Cass County
A marriage license in Cass County comes from the County Clerk/Register of Deeds. Monica McMichael leads that office as the current Clerk/Register. Staff take applications at 120 N Broadway, Suite 200, in Cassopolis. The office answers at 269-445-4464 and keeps regular weekday hours. Doors open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and close for lunch from noon to 1:00 PM. The clerk also serves as registrar of vital records for the county. That role puts marriage licenses, birth records, and death records under one roof. For most couples, this counter is the first and only stop before the ceremony.
Both applicants must be at least 18 and able to contract. Michigan no longer requires blood tests or premarital counseling. Instead, the office hands out educational material on prenatal care and the prevention of venereal disease and HIV infection. Acceptable proof of age and identity includes a driver's license, a birth certificate, a passport, or a state ID with a picture. One applicant may apply for both parties when that person carries the needed information and proof of age for the other.
The county lays out both submission paths on its marriage application page.
The page confirms that a couple may download the form, pick one up in print, or apply through a secure online portal. Residency decides where a couple applies. Michigan residents apply in the county where one applicant lives. Non-residents apply in the county where the wedding will happen, and they must marry in that same county. A three-day waiting period follows every application. After that, the license stays valid for 33 days and works only inside Michigan.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
Applying takes a short visit or a few minutes online. The county accepts marriage license requests in person and through a secure web portal. Either route needs proof of age, a completed worksheet, and payment. Plan around the waiting period so the license is ready before the wedding date.
- Download the application or pick up a printed copy at the Clerk/Register office at 120 N Broadway, Suite 200, then submit it there in person.
- To apply online instead, open the county's Fidlar application portal and select the Marriage License application.
- Confirm both applicants are at least 18. Michigan residents apply in a resident's county, and non-residents marry in the county where they apply.
- Bring proof of age and identity, such as a driver's license, birth certificate, passport, or state ID with a picture.
- Pay the license fee by cash, money order, check, or credit or debit card.
- Wait out the three-day period, then use the license within 33 days and only inside Michigan.
Cass County Marriage License Application Fields
The marriage worksheet asks for detailed background on both applicants. The clerk uses each entry to build the official record and to check eligibility. Some questions feel personal, yet every field supports an accurate certificate. Gathering these details ahead of time speeds the visit.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal name | Yes | For both applicants |
| Sex marker | Yes | Recorded on the license |
| Surname on birth certificate | If different | Only when it differs from current name |
| Present age | Yes | Must be 18 or older |
| Date of birth | Yes | Supports proof of age |
| Residence address | Yes | Street, city, state, and ZIP |
| County of residence | Yes | Sets where Michigan residents may apply |
| Number of prior marriages | Yes | For each applicant |
| Birthplace | Yes | City and state |
| Father's full name | Yes | For each applicant |
| Mother's full name and maiden name | Yes | Maiden name recorded separately |
| Parents' birth states | Yes | Mother and father |
| Daytime telephone number | Yes | For follow-up contact |
| Date of marriage | Yes | Planned ceremony date |
| Social Security number | Yes | For both applicants |
Note: One applicant may complete the worksheet for both parties when that person has the other's information and valid proof of age.
Cass County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Costs stay modest for most vital-record services in Cass County. The license fee depends on residency. Copy fees depend on how many certificates a person orders at once. Land-record prints carry a small per-page charge at the public workstations.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license, Michigan residents | $20 |
| Marriage license, out-of-state residents | $30 |
| Certified death or marriage copy | $15 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $5 |
| Deed print at a public workstation | $1 per page |
Payment for a license may be cash, money order, check, or a credit or debit card. Certificate requests follow the office's normal payment channels, including checks payable to Cass County Clerk Register. Public workstation searches cost nothing on their own, so a visitor pays only for the pages printed. The office can look up a latest deed by phone or email, but it cannot run a full title search.
Cass County Clerk Marriage and Vital Records
The Clerk/Register office does far more than issue licenses. It serves as keeper of circuit court records and family court files, and as registrar of vital records. The same counter issues birth and death certificates, genealogy records, notary commissions, and voter registration records. To find an existing marriage record, a person can contact the office by phone or in person and ask staff to pull the file. The wider work of the County Clerk/Register of Deeds reaches well beyond family paperwork.
The office also records assumed business names for local owners. A person who wants a doing-business-as name files it through the county's business names page.
An assumed-name filing must be notarized, and it sits beside marriage licenses and vital records in the same clerk office. Firearms paperwork runs through the counter as well. The county describes that process on its concealed pistol permits page.
Concealed pistol permits, business filings, and marriage licenses all pass through the Clerk/Register, which makes the office the county's central records desk. Note: The clerk keeps circuit court and family files, so a marriage record and a divorce file can trace back to the same building.
How Divorce Cases Start in Cass County
Divorce records are court records, not clerk vital records. Every divorce in Cass County begins with a complaint filed in the 43rd Circuit Court. That court is the county's general-jurisdiction trial court and the home for family-law matters. A divorce can be granted even when one spouse does not want it. The final judgment divides property, debts, and parenting rights and responsibilities.
The judgment of divorce can also set child support, medical support, spousal support, custody, and parenting time. The Friend of the Court supports these family cases. The FOC makes support recommendations in divorce cases with minor children, and the court may use mediation to settle custody and parenting-time disputes. Temporary orders can hold while a case moves forward, and a divorce judgment carries its own waiting period under Michigan law.
Family support cases cover more than divorce. Married parents who separate without divorcing can file one. Unmarried parents can file after paternity is established, and the county prosecutor can assist with paternity and support actions.
Note: Dismissing a divorce does not automatically stop a family support order, so an existing support case may continue on its own separate track.
Finding Cass County Divorce Records
Divorce files live with the circuit court, and several channels reach them. MiCOURT Case Search is the statewide starting point for domestic and family cases. The free portal lets a person search by case number, party name, or attorney name, though nonpublic data stays hidden. When a file is older or not online, the circuit court file room is the fallback.
A divorce file usually holds the complaint, summons, motions, temporary orders, and the final judgment. Support and parenting-time entries may appear through the Friend of the Court side of the case. Michigan law and court rules keep some material private. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and details about minor children are routinely redacted before the public sees a file.
Certified Copies and Michigan Vital Records
Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and stand up in legal settings. The Clerk/Register office issues certified death and marriage copies for $15, with each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time set at $5. Requests come in on a printed form, in person at 120 N Broadway, Suite 200. Accepted payment includes cash, credit card, personal checks, and money orders payable to Cass County Clerk Register.
Certified copies are required for legal steps such as name changes, benefits claims, and estate matters handled through Cass County probate court. An uncertified printout will not satisfy those requests.
Michigan also keeps a statewide vital-records office that holds marriage and death certificates from across the state. For a Cass County couple or family, though, the county clerk is the practical local path for licenses and most copies. Ordering close to home usually means faster service and lower cost.
Cass County Clerk/Register of Deeds
120 N Broadway, Suite 200
Cassopolis, MI 49031
269-445-4464