Lookup Public Records in Berrien County, Michigan. Including Vital Birth and Death Records, Deeds, Probate, Property Records, Mortgages, Liens, Judgments, Marriage Licenses, Voter Registrar, Payroll, Military Discharges.
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is located in the extreme southwest of the state of Michigan. The county was founded in 1829 and organized in 1831. As one of the Cabinet counties, Berrien County was named for John M. Berrien of Georgia, U.S. Attorney General under U.S. President Andrew Jackson. Niles is the largest city in the county, while St. Joseph is the county seat. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a population of approximately 156,813 and a total area of 1,581 square miles, of which 1,014 square miles is water and 568 square miles is land. Berrien County borders the following counties: Van Buren County to the north and northeasy; Cass County to the east; St. Joseph County, Indiana, to the southeast; LaPorte County, Indiana, to the south; Porter County, Indiana, to the southwest; and across Lake Michigan, Cook County, Illinois, to the west and Lake County, Illinois, to the northwest.
The Berrien County Register of Deeds is responsible for reviewing and recording legal documents pertaining to the transfer and encumbrance of land and property within the county. In addition, the Register of Deeds also serves as Chairman of the County Plat Board. Documents maintained by the register include but are not limited to mortgages, lis pendens, liens, and discharge of mortgages and deeds.
In Berrien County, deed and miscellaneous document indexes and images are available through the Internet. To do a public records search online, you will have to visit the website. Records that are available date back to 1950; other documents indices and images are available online from 1967 to the present. However, for land records back to 1831 (the registering of land records precedes statehood in Berrien County), you will be required to visit the Register of Deeds’ office to access them.
Below is the physical address of the Berrien County Register of Deeds:
701 Main Street
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone number: 269-983-7111
| Berrien, MI Genealogy and Ancestry Records | |
|---|---|
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Counties Data File Downloads | |
| Total Ancestries Reported 2005-2009 | 196,047 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - United States or American - 2005-2009 | 9,492 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Arab - 2005-2009 | 263 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - British - 2005-2009 | 493 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Czech - 2005-2009 | 1,456 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Danish - 2005-2009 | 757 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Dutch - 2005-2009 | 7,138 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - English - 2005-2009 | 15,951 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - European - 2005-2009 | 1,419 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - French (except Basque) - 2005-2009 | 4,963 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - French Canadian - 2005-2009 | 1,093 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - German - 2005-2009 | 52,591 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Greek - 2005-2009 | 307 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Hungarian - 2005-2009 | 1,634 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Irish - 2005-2009 | 21,191 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Italian - 2005-2009 | 6,874 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Lithuanian - 2005-2009 | 771 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Norwegian - 2005-2009 | 1,707 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Polish - 2005-2009 | 7,820 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Portuguese - 2005-2009 | 73 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Russian - 2005-2009 | 1,356 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Scotch-Irish - 2005-2009 | 2,224 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Scottish - 2005-2009 | 2,825 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Slovak - 2005-2009 | 215 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Subsaharan African - 2005-2009 | 1,168 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Swedish - 2005-2009 | 3,452 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Swiss - 2005-2009 | 388 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Ukrainian - 2005-2009 | 489 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Welsh - 2005-2009 | 1,001 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - West Indian (excluding Hispanic groups) - 2005-2009 | 711 |
| Persons Reporting Total Ancestry As - Other Groups - 2005-2009 | 41,850 |
| Berrien County Marriage License Office | |
|---|---|
In order to obtain a marriage license in Berrien County, the applicants must apply together, in person, at the County Clerk’s office. Both parties must present their state-issued picture ID, military ID, or passport, and know their social security number | |
| State Law: | Marriage License – Ch. 551, 551.101 – 551.111 and Barring of dower; antenuptial pecuniary provisions – Ch. 558, §558.16 |
| All State Statutes: | Information is online at the State Website |
| Office: | Berrien County Marriage License |
| Location: | Berrien County Clerk, 701 Main Street, St. Joseph, Michigan, 49085 |
| Phone: | 269-983-7111 |
Berrien County Clerk’s Office
Address: 701 Main St, St Joseph, MI 49085, United States
Phone: 269-983-7111