Listed record inventories
Selected holdings and indexes for Clinton County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.
Business Records
- Clinton County files · RG 83-531968 to 1975
Cemetery Records
- Federal census · RG 65-281860 and from 1870
- State census · RG 65-281864
Court Records
- Chancery case files · RG 98-1481833 to 1871
- Justice of the Peace dockets (Watertown Township) · RG 91-731860 to 1881
Land Records
Military Records
Naturalization Records
- Certificate stubs · RG 2005-201907 to 1929
- Declarations of Intention · RG 2005-201869 to 1960
- Journals · RG 2005-201894 to 1906
- Petitions · RG 2005-201907 to 1964
Occupational Records
- Bonds and oaths (Watertown Township) · RG 91-731889 to 1936
- Medical practitioners’ sworn statements · RG 2013-801883 to 1889
- Record of dentists' certificates · RG 2013-801907 to 1971
- Record of nurses · RG 2013-801912 to 1957
- Record of optometrists · RG 2013-801910 to 1973
- Record of osteopaths · RG 2013-801921 to 1974
- Registered physicians · RG 2013-801900 to 1974
Poor Home / Relief Records
- Record of poor account · RG 2013-801896 to 1914
Probate Records
- Case files · RG 2022-311854 to 2003
- Index · RG 2022-311840 to 2010
- Miscellaneous record · RG 2022-311851 to 1869
- Probate calendars · RG 2022-311937 to 1971
- Probate record · RG 2022-311840 to 1880
School Records
Tax Records
- Account and record of unpaid taxes · RG 86-1261839 to 1844
- Assessment rolls · RG 86-1271844 to 1960
- Delinquent tax returns · RG 86-1261840 to 1843
- Tax rolls · RG 2002-971965 and from 1975
- Treasurers’ journal · RG 86-1261845 to 1891
Voter Records
- Poll book (Watertown Township) · RG 91-731890 to 1900
- Register of electors (Watertown Township) · RG 91-731882 to 1946
See the repository's descriptions and search options
Repository access note: Selected holdings described by the Archives of Michigan. Preserve the record-group (RG) reference when requesting records. Some collections are held at partner repositories; consult the guide before traveling. Asterisks and other qualifiers refer to access or location notes in that guide. Some records have privacy restrictions or require proof of death. A date span may contain gaps and does not establish that images are online.
Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.
Where to find the records
- Clinton County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county clerk, the register of deeds and the probate court, and any online record search the county offers.
- The county clerk
Births, deaths and marriages registered in the county, and court records.
- The register of deeds
Deeds, mortgages and other land records.
- The probate court
Wills, estates and guardianships.
- The Archives of Michigan
In Lansing: state and county records, and Michigan death certificates from 1897 to 1952 online at Michiganology.
- Archives of Michiganfree
The state archives in Lansing, with county and state records, military records and Michigan death records.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Michigan, Clinton" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Land not yet in any county
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1831, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Michigan began registering births and deaths in 1867, much earlier than most states, with county clerks keeping the registers and sending copies to the state. Ask the county clerk for the early registers.