About the Alger County Clerk / Register of Deeds
Alger County runs its clerk and its register of deeds as one office. The elected clerk and register of deeds is Joel VandeVelde. That office works out of the courthouse in Munising. It keeps vital records, marriage licenses, and circuit court files on the clerk side. On the register side, it records deeds, mortgages, and other papers tied to real property. Michigan law sets most of these duties, so the office holds a fixed list of records by statute.
The staff splits the work along the same lines. Cheri Goetz serves as chief deputy administrative assistant, reached at (906) 387-7032. Paula Kinnunen works as the circuit court clerk and handles court files, at (906) 387-7053. Carmon Decet is the chief deputy register of deeds and manages property recordings, at (906) 387-7034. Knowing who does what helps when you call. A vital record question and a deed question go to different desks in the same office.
The county describes the office and its duties on its own clerk and register of deeds page.
That page confirms the office pairs court-related clerk work with real-property recording under one umbrella. It also shows why one office answers so many different questions.
Alger County Clerk / Register of Deeds
Clerk & Register: Joel VandeVelde
101 Court Street
Munising, MI 49862
(906) 387-7067
Fax: (906) 387-2156
clerk@algercounty.gov
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
What the Alger County Clerk Handles
State law hands the county clerk a broad mix of duties. Most touch daily life. The clerk registers births and deaths from the county. It issues marriage licenses and files business names. It also processes concealed pistol licenses and keeps notary and voter records.
- Birth and death records
- Marriage licenses
- Assumed business names, also called DBA filings
- Concealed pistol licenses, or CPLs
- Notary public commissions
- Voter registration records
- Veteran discharge records
- Circuit court case files
The register of deeds side handles land. It records legal documents that affect real property in the county. Deeds, mortgages, liens, and land contracts all pass through this desk. Circuit court files are the bridge between the two roles, since the clerk keeps the trial-court records for the county's Circuit Court. Both roles sit in the same office, but they follow separate rules for access and cost.
Note: The clerk cannot give legal advice, so staff can explain a filing step or a fee but cannot tell you how a case should be argued.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is an official copy with a seal or stamp. Courts, banks, and government agencies often demand one. A plain printout will not work for legal use. The clerk issues certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records for people who qualify.
- Confirm you are allowed to get the record. Birth records are not public, so only certain people can order them.
- Download and sign the Vital Record Request Form from the clerk's website.
- Attach a clear scan or photo of your government-issued photo ID.
- Email the form and ID to vitals@algercounty.gov and pay online through AllPaid PLC 6473. To order by mail instead, send the signed form, a photocopy of your ID, and a check or money order to the Alger County Clerk at 101 Court Street, Munising, MI 49862.
- Pick up the certified copy in person, or wait for it to arrive by mail.
In-person requests follow the same ID rule. Bring a valid Michigan driver license or state ID. People without one should bring three alternate IDs, and at least one must show a photo. A certified marriage copy still needs the same request and fee. The county's marriage and divorce records page covers the license side in more detail.
Alger County Clerk Fees and Costs
Fees at the clerk's office stay modest and simple. A certified vital record copy costs a flat amount for the first copy. Extra copies of that same record, ordered at the same time, cost less each. Property searches through the county's online portal carry their own per-search and per-page charges.
The register of deeds side posts its recording charges on the county's statutory fees page.
Those statutory fees are set by Michigan law and apply when you record a deed or a similar document. The most common charges people ask about are listed below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified vital record, first copy | $15 |
| Each additional copy of the same record | $5 |
| Property search through Tapestry (per search) | $8.75 |
| Property document image (per page) | $1.00 |
Note: Certified copies are required for most legal and government uses, so an uncertified printout will usually be rejected in court.
Concealed Pistol Licenses in Alger County
The clerk also runs the county's concealed pistol license program. A CPL lets a qualified adult carry a concealed handgun under state rules. New applicants apply at the clerk's office and pay a set fee. Fingerprinting costs extra and is handled at the sheriff's department, not the clerk.
A new CPL application costs $100 at the clerk's office. Fingerprinting adds $15, paid at the sheriff. A renewal runs $115. A reprint of a lost or damaged license costs $10. The clerk can explain the current forms and the wait, though it cannot decide who qualifies for a license.
Vital Record Request Form Fields
The Vital Record Request Form asks for enough detail to find the exact record. The fields shift a little based on the record type. A birth request asks for parent names. A death request asks for the date and place of death. Every request needs the requestor's signature, address, and a photo ID.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requestor name and signature | Yes | Signed and dated by the person asking |
| Address, city, state, ZIP | Yes | Where the copy is mailed |
| Record type | Yes | Birth, death, or marriage |
| Name on the record | Yes | Full name as it appears on file |
| Date of the event | Yes | Date of birth, death, or marriage |
| Place of the event | Yes | City or county where it happened |
| Mother's maiden name | Birth only | Helps confirm a birth record |
| Father's name | Birth only | Listed on the birth record |
| Eligibility checkbox | Birth only | Confirms your legal right to the copy |
| Number of copies | Yes | $15 first, $5 each added |
| Photo ID copy | Yes | Government-issued ID required |
Note: Birth records stay confidential and go only to the person named, a parent, a legal guardian, an heir, a legal representative, a court, or after 100 years.
Searching Alger County Property Records
The register of deeds keeps every recorded document that affects land in Alger County. Two online tools open those records to the public. Tapestry fits occasional users who need a document now and then. It charges per search and per page image, with no subscription.
The county explains both tools on its online property records access page.
That page walks owners and title searchers through the choice between casual and frequent access. It also shows which tool fits which kind of user.
Laredo suits people who search often, such as title companies and real estate offices. It runs on a monthly subscription and needs a signed county user agreement first. Fidlar provides technical support for both tools. You can reach Fidlar at (563) 345-1283 or support@FIDLAR.com, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern.
New users can open the Tapestry search portal directly to look up a recorded document.
Tapestry charges the per-search and per-page fees listed above, billed as you go. That makes it the low-commitment path for a single deed or lien copy.
Recording Documents in Alger County
Recording a document puts it into the county's permanent land record. The register of deeds checks that each paper meets Michigan's format rules before it is filed. Attorneys, title firms, and lenders can also record online through the county's e-recording service. That path skips the trip to the courthouse.
Details on submitting documents electronically sit on the county's e-recording page.
E-recording speeds up filing for businesses that record many documents each month. It reaches the same land record as an in-person filing.
Statutory recording fees apply to every document, whether it is filed in person or online. The amounts are fixed by state law and listed on the county fee page. The office can confirm the current charge for a deed, a mortgage, or a discharge before you file.
Property Fraud Alert for Alger County Owners
Property fraud happens when someone files a fake deed or lien against your land. Alger County offers a free alert service to help catch it early. Owners sign up with their name. The system emails them when a new document is recorded under that name.
Residents can enroll through the national Property Fraud Alert service the county points to.
The alert does not stop a filing, but it warns owners fast enough to act. The service is free and takes only a few minutes to set up. It works best for homeowners, though any property owner can join.
Note: A Property Fraud Alert is a warning tool only, so anyone who spots a suspicious recording should still contact the register of deeds right away.
FOIA Requests for Older Alger County Records
Not every record sits in an online portal. Older files, paper records, and many administrative documents come through a public records request. Michigan's Freedom of Information Act governs those requests. The key sections are MCL 15.231, MCL 15.233, MCL 15.234, and MCL 15.243, which cover policy, procedure, fees, and exemptions.
You can file a FOIA request by mail, email, fax, or in person at the courthouse. The county keeps a FOIA forms packet on its website to make the request clear. Court case files follow a different rule. Under Michigan court standards, trial-court records are public but are not FOIA records, so the court or clerk decides how to release them. Sealed, juvenile, and expunged records may be withheld by law.
For anything the portals do not show, the clerk's office is the practical starting point in Alger County.