Tuscola County Death Records

Tuscola County obituary and death records are held by the County Clerk in Caro. Records go back to 1840. The Tuscola County Genealogical Society maintains an online death index that makes searching easier before you order a certified copy. The Caro Area District Library also holds local newspaper archives and genealogical materials. This page walks through how to find Tuscola County death records through the clerk, the genealogical society, and state sources.

Tuscola County Clerk Office

The Tuscola County Clerk in Caro holds death records starting from 1840. Certified copies cost $15 each. Staff can search by name and year of death. You can request copies in person or by mail. For mail requests, include the name of the deceased, approximate year of death, your name and return address, and a check or money order for $15 payable to the Tuscola County Clerk.

Under MCL 333.2882, death certificates are public records in Michigan. You do not need to show a family relationship to request a copy. The clerk's office is open Monday through Friday during standard business hours. For older records from the 1840s through the early 20th century, the format may differ from modern death certificates. The staff can explain what records are available for a given time period and in what format.

Tuscola County Genealogical Society and Library

The Tuscola County Genealogical Society has compiled an online death index that covers deaths in the county across multiple time periods. This index lets you search before ordering a paid certified copy. It can confirm that a record exists and give you the approximate date you need to submit a proper request. The society is one of the active genealogical groups in the Thumb area and has built up a solid collection of compiled data for this agricultural county.

The Caro Area District Library holds local newspaper archives that include obituary notices from the Tuscola County Advertiser and other area papers. Obituaries in this Thumb area county often contain family detail that goes beyond the official death record: names of surviving siblings and children, church membership, and farm locations that can help you place a family geographically. The library's microfilm collection is a good resource for any research involving deaths from the early 20th century through the 1980s.

The MIGenWeb page for Tuscola County at tuscola.migenweb.org includes volunteer-compiled cemetery records, indexed death data, and links to other resources specific to this county. The MIGenWeb network for the Thumb region has been active for many years and has compiled useful data across the county's full history.

The Tuscola MIGenWeb site includes compiled death records and cemetery transcriptions that help fill gaps in official county records for this Thumb area county.

FamilySearch covers Tuscola County in its Michigan genealogy wiki. See the Tuscola County Michigan Genealogy page for a guide to available records and how to access them.

Tuscola County Deaths via MDHHS

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services holds statewide death records from 1897 forward. Michigan began requiring statewide death registration under Public Act 194 of 1867. Tuscola County deaths from 1897 onward are part of the MDHHS statewide system. Certified copies cost $34 for the first and $16 for each additional copy in the same order. Call MDHHS at 517-335-8666 to order by phone or ask questions about your request.

Order online through VitalChek with a $12.95 service fee added. Public Act 73 of 2006 limits full image access to records more than 75 years old. The free Michiganology database at michiganology.org covers deaths from 1897 to 1952 at no cost. Earlier indexed data is available through GENDIS at michiganology.org/gendis.

Note: Tuscola County's agricultural heritage means many 19th and early 20th century deaths occurred on farms that were sometimes distant from the county seat. Record completeness for very early years may be lower than in more urban counties.

Cities in Tuscola County

Tuscola County is a Thumb area county in eastern Michigan with Caro as the county seat. It is a largely rural and agricultural county.

Communities in Tuscola County include Caro, Vassar, Cass City, Akron, and Millington. No cities in this county meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page. All death records are filed with the Tuscola County Clerk in Caro.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Tuscola County. Death records are filed based on where the person lived or died, so check adjacent counties if a search here comes up empty.