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1. Do I need to be fingerprinted?

Yes, even if you were fingerprinted for something else, you will need to be fingerprinted specifically for your CPL application.

First time CPL applicants will need to be fingerprinted after submitting their application in the Clerk's Office.  The cost is $15 and can be done at our Charlotte Sheriff's Office from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. or at any LiveScan fingerprint location.
Most renewal CPL applicants will not need to be re-fingerprinted (your fingerprints are kept on file), except if your CPL has been expired for more than a year then you would need to be re-fingerprinted.

2. When will I get my CPL card?

Michigan law says we must mail the CPL card.

For new applicants the review process can take up to 45 days; we will mail your new card (or a denial letter) once we receive a response from the Michigan State Police.
If it has been over 45 days since your fingerprinting date, your fingerprinting receipt shall serve as a concealed pistol license when carried with an official state-issued driver license or personal identification card. Please read the text on your fingerprinting receipt for more information.

For renewal applicants the review process can take up to 30 days; we will mail your new card once we receive a response from the Michigan State Police.
If you renewed prior to your expiration date, your special receipt can be carried with your current card to make it still legal to carry concealed while you wait for the new card.
Please read the text on your special receipt for more information.

We cannot tell you your application status over the phone, but if it has been several weeks you can stop in our office in-person and provide your ID and we can look it up.

3. I've moved, do I have to update my CPL?

Yes, it's recommended to keep your address updated since the main way to contact you about your CPL would be by mail.  Please contact us if your address has changed.

If you have moved to an address within Eaton County you should update your registered address with the Secretary of State on your driver's license, or State ID.  If you have moved into Eaton County and your CPL was issued by another county you should update that county.

If you have moved to an address outside of Eaton County, the Clerk's office will take the information and enter it as your mailing address, but your CPL will continue to be handled by Eaton County until you expire.  You would need to apply for renewal with the county of your current address (up to 6 months in advance of expiration) and at that point the record would be transferred. 

Note: Michigan CPL holders must surrender their CPL card to the County Clerk that issued the CPL upon moving out of state.

4. Can I pay by phone?

Sorry, the Clerk's Office does not have the ability to take payments by phone.
There is the option to pay/order online for some of our services; see our webpage for more details.

District Court (for Misdemeanors and Traffic) can take payments by phone.

5. Can you email or fax me a copy?

For most records we cannot.  Certain records we can only provide as a certified copy which is required to be on special paper and have a raised/embossed seal.

6. What do I do with the two marriage licenses issued, after the ceremony?

Make sure they are filled out completely, and legibly.
One the couple keeps, one is returned to the Clerk's Office to be permanently on file (as legal proof of the marriage.)
We provide a pre-addressed envelope that can be used or it can be returned in person.

7. Who can get a marriage or death record copy?

Anyone can purchase a copy, it is public record.

We only have Eaton County records; Death records are filed based on where the death occurred, Marriage records are filed based on where the couple applied for the license (usually where one of the applicants was residing.)

8. Who can get a birth certificate record?

In Michigan birth records are private records, therefore only a person listed on the birth record (person of record, or listed parent), or someone with proof of full guardianship or full power of attorney can receive it.  Furthermore we need to see proof of identity (driver's license, passport, etc.) of anyone requesting a copy.

Mis-stating an identity or assuming the identity of another person is subject to criminal penalties, e.g., Michigan Compiled Laws 333.2894(b) and 333.2898 and federal laws relating to falsification in obtaining a birth record.

9. What is a certified copy?

A certified copy is considered a legal copy of a record; it is printed on special security paper and contains a raised, embossed seal, and language stating where the record is filed.

Many government agencies now require certified copies and will not accept keepsake or uncertified/non-compliant copies.

10. What is a vital record?

A vital record is essentially documentation of a life event.  In the Clerk's office we keep birth, marriage, military discharge, and death records.