Genesee County Clerk: Recording a DD-214, and Copy Fees the Statute Forbids
The County Clerk records a DD-214 free and gives the veteran five certified copies at no charge, but charges a spouse, family member or heir $25 for the first copy and $10 for each more. MCL 35.32 says the veteran, the heirs and a service officer shall not be charged.
Also called: DD-214, DD214, discharge, county clerk, certified copy, vital records, Flint, $25.
Michigan county clerks record discharges, keep them confidential for 70 years and give copies free to the veteran and those working on the veteran's behalf (MCL 35.31 to 35.35; see the Michigan entry on discharge records).
Recording. Bring the original DD-214 to the Clerk's Vital Records office in the County Administration Building, 324 South Saginaw Street, Flint; it is copied and handed back. Recorded discharges are confidential.
Copies. In person, or by a signed written request with a copy of a driver's licence or State ID. A spouse, immediate family member or heir must add a certified death certificate and proof of relationship. The veteran gets five certified copies free. Every other eligible requester pays $25 for the first certified copy and $10 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.
Where the fees break the statute. MCL 35.32(2)(c) lets a clerk charge the public for records 70 or more years old, but says the veteran, a person with the veteran's permission, the surviving heirs and a service officer or county veterans counsellor helping with a claim "shall not be charged" for that veteran's records. A veteran's sixth copy and an heir's copies are therefore owed free. The Clerk's page also leaves out the statute's access for a person with the veteran's permission and for service officers. And it prints the mailing address as "Flint, MI 58502"; the ZIP code is 48502.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Genesee County Clerk: Recording a DD-214, and Copy Fees the Statute Forbids
Gate
Rule
The veteran, or family with proof of death
The Clerk gives copies to the veteran and, with proof of death and relationship, to a spouse, family member or heir. No rating is needed.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.