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Office of the Great Seal / Notary / Document Certification
Great SealOfficial RepositoryDocument AuthenticationNotaryPublications and Forms
Great Seal
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Duties and Responsibilities
    The Office of the Great Seal is part of the Bureau of Elections in the Michigan Department of State. In fulfilling the Secretary of State's responsibilities, it is the Office of the Great Seal's mission to promote and achieve continuously improved quality in the following areas:
    • Protect the Great Seal and provide for its proper use 
    • Securely and reliably maintain records filed with the Secretary of State 
    • Provide prompt and accurate certifications 
    • Commission Notaries Public timely and accurately 
    • Collect appropriate fees 
    • Provide timely and reliable information 
    • Serve the public courteously and competently
    The Secretary of State lacks legal authority to accept and officially file any document and affix the Great Seal unless expressly authorized to do so by law. Documents authenticated with the Great Seal have the like effect as the originals
     
    Mailing Address
    Michigan Department of State
    Bureau of Elections
    7064 Crowner Drive
    Lansing, MI 48918
    Walk-in Service Address Locations
    Richard H. Austin Building
    1st Floor
    430 W. Allegan
    Lansing, MI
    888-767-6424 (SOS-MICH) (Main Office)
    517-241-1820 (Facsimile)
    Hours
    Please arrive at least one hour prior to closing to allow sufficient time to process your documents. Metered parking is available along the south side of Allegan Street.
OFFICE INFORMATION
Use of the Great Seal and Coat of Arms
The Michigan Constitution of 1963 provides in Article 3, section 3, "There shall be a great seal of the State of Michigan and its use shall be provided by law."
As a result of this constitutional provision, the use of the Great Seal is regulated at some length by state law. The Great Seal Act [1963 PA 19 (2nd Ex. Sess.), MCL 2.41 et seq.] provides that Michigan shall have a Great Seal, and that the Great Seal shall be comprised of the coat-of-arms around which appear the words "great seal of the state of Michigan, A.D. MDCCCXXXV". Section 4 of the Act [MCL 2.44] identified 15 types of state documents that are eligible to receive an impression of the Great Seal. The seal may not be used on any other documents. Indeed, the Attorney General's Office has ruled that the executive departments of Michigan state government may not use a facsimile of the Great Seal on their departmental letterheads or bulletins.
Section 5 of the Act [MCL 2.45] states that no facsimile or reproduction of the Great Seal may be used in any manner unconnected with the official business of the state. Section 6 [MCL 2.46] indicates that a violation of the Great Seal Act is a misdemeanor.
Use of Coat of Arms
Use of the coat-of-arms is less regulated than the Great Seal. The Coat-of-Arms and Flag Act [1911 PA 209, MCL 2.21 et seq.] describes the state coat-of-arms and flag. Section 6 of this law directs persons printing and circulating official state documents to place the coat-of-arms on those documents.
The Michigan Penal Code [1931 PA 238, MCL 750.1 et seq.] also addresses use of the coat-of-arms. Section 246 of the Code [MCL 750.246] prohibits mutilating the coat-of-arms. Section 245 [MCL 750.245] prohibits the manufacture and sale, or giving, of articles and merchandise upon which the coat-of-arms is reproduced, to call attention to the article for commercial purposes. Violations of both sections are misdemeanors.
Fortunately, there is statutory exception to the prohibition. Section 247 of the Code [MCL 750.247] indicates that the prohibition does not apply to stationery, printed documents, ornaments, pictures, jewelry, and other productions which depict the coat-of-arms but are unconnected with any advertisement and have no other designs or words thereon.
Based on this exception, private entrepreneurs frequently manufacture and sell a wide variety of products bearing the coat-of-arms. This would include key rings, flags, post cards, lapel pins, coloring books and bottle openers.
If you would like to request a camera-ready copy of the Coat of Arms, you may contact the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, Print and Graphic Services, Visual Communications Unit, at 517-636-7700.
History of the Great Seal and Coat of Arms
History of the Great Seal
Michigan's Great Seal was designed by Lewis Cass, Michigan's second (non-acting) Territorial governor. The seal was patterned after the seal of the Hudson Bay Fur Company. It was presented to the Constitutional Convention of 1835 and adopted on June 2, 1835 as the official Great Seal of Michigan.
At the top of the Seal are the words, "E Pluribus Unum." These words come from our national motto meaning, "From many, one." Or, in other words, forming one nation from many states.
Below is the American Eagle, our national bird. This symbolizes the superior authority and jurisdiction or control of the United States. In its claws the eagle holds three arrows and an olive branch with 13 olives. The arrows show that our nation is ready to defend its principles. The olive branch means we want peace. The olives stand for the first 13 states.
"Tuebor," meaning, "I will defend," refers to Michigan's frontier position.
The shield is held by two animals representing Michigan, the elk on the left and the moose on the right. Michigan is on an international boundary, and the figure of the man shows his right hand raised in peace. The left hand holds a gun to say that although we love peace, we are ready to defend our state and nation.
"Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice" means, "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." It is believed this refers to the Lower Peninsula. The Upper Peninsula was added in 1837, to pay for the loss of a strip of land on our southern border, given to Ohio when Congress made Michigan a state.
The words, "The Great Seal of the State of Michigan, A.D. MDCCCXXXV," complete the State Seal. When you take away these words and border, this becomes the Coat of Arms of the State of Michigan.
Changes in the Great Seal have been made from time to time. However, the present Seal has not been changed since 1911. No facsimile or reproduction of the Great Seal can be used in a manner unconnected with official functions of the state. (MCL 2.45) A person who violates any provision of the Great Seal Act is guilty of a misdemeanor (MCL 2.46).
History of the Coat of Arms
 
Both the Great Seal of Michigan and the Coat of Arms were adopted at the Constitutional Convention of 1835. Lewis Cass, Michigan's second (non-acting) Territorial governor, created the original design.
The Coat of Arms is familiar to us because it is shown on Michigan's state flag. This first occurred in 1837. From that time, numerous flags were in use bearing the State Coat of Arms, with various designs and emblems.
It was not until 1865, however, that an official Michigan flag was adopted. The design of this flag, recommended by Adjutant-General John Robertson, and approved by Governor Crapo, bore on one side the State Coat of Arms on a field of blue. On the reverse side was the arms of the United States.
Michigan's state flag was first unfurled at the laying of the corner stone at the monument of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg on the Fourth of July, 1865.
By Act 209 of 1911, the State of Michigan flag was adopted with a simple phrase, "The State Flag shall be blue charged with the arms of the state." (MCL 2.23) Please contact your legislator for information on ordering a State of Michigan flag. You can find your legislator at www.legislature.mi.gov.
Michigan's current Coat of Arms was adopted by the Legislature in 1911. (MCL 2.21) It is identical to the Great Seal of Michigan with the legend or circle, The Great Seal of the State of Michigan, A.D. MDCCCXXXV, omitted.
Official Repository
  • Official Repository - Maintenance of Public Records
    The Office of the Great Seal functions as the State's official repository for many types of public records. Michigan laws require numerous state and local agencies to file records with the Secretary of State, including the Office of Regulatory Reform, the Governor's Office, and units of local government. Examples of such records to be filed would be administrative rules, gubernatorial appointments and proclamations, as well as charters and boundary changes.
    Upon request, documents on file in the Office of the Great Seal may be copied and certified. Copying fees ($.10 per page) may be applied according to the number of documents requested.  Certified copies are an additional $1.00 per certification. All fees must be prepaid by cash, check or money order and made payable to the State of Michigan. If you are requesting your documents to be mailed to you, you must provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
BOUNDARY
OFFICIAL REPOSITORY - BOUNDARY CHANGES
LAND DEEDS
OFFICIAL REPOSITORY - LAND DEEDS
LAND RECORDS
OFFICIAL REPOSITORY - LAND RECORDS
OFFICIAL FILINGS
Document Authentication
Bureau of Elections by Appointment Only
In accordance with the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order, effective immediately the Office of the Great Seal and the Bureau of Elections have limited in-person hours.
Click here to check the hours of the Bureau of ...
Authentication Request Form and Instructions
Step 1:  Ensure Documents are Properly Signed by Appropriate Official
Verify that your documents have been signed by an official whose signature the Secretary of State has authority to authenticate. See certificate of authority section below.
Verify that all vital records are certified copies.
If your documents were notarized, verify that the notary included all of the required information:
  • Notary name and signature
  • Date of notarization
  • Commission Expiration date
  • County of commission
  • County of execution if different than County of commission
 
Step 2:  Pay $1.00 Document Certification Fee for each document to be authenticated.
 
Step 3:  Submit Documents to Secretary of State
A.)  Mail or Overnight Delivery Service: Send your completed Authentication Request Form, documents, a self-addressed stamped return envelope and a check or money order made payable to "State of Michigan" to the Office of the Great Seal's mailing address.  Please do not send cash. 
If you wish to mail your request, you must use the following address:
Michigan Department of State
Office of the Great Seal
7064 Crowner Drive
Lansing, MI  48918. 
- Or -
B.) In Person: Present documents in person to the Office of the Great Seal.  Make an appointment with the Office of Great Seal, by calling 517-241-1832.  
Office of the Great Seal - Richard H. Austin Building 1st Floor, 430 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, MI
 
Step 4:  Receive Authenticated Document
Your authentication documents will be returned to you in the self stamped addressed envelope you provided.  Be sure it is large enough to include all of your documents.
Types of Authentication
The intended destination of a document determines the required type of certification.
  • An Apostille is issued for documents intended for use only in foreign countries that are party to the Hague Treaty. 
  • A Certificate of Authority is issued for all other countries, many of which will only accept documents certified at both the state and federal levels.  The original document must be signed in front of a notary public and must contain original signatures.  As a reminder, a notary public cannot make a true copy statement in the State of Michigan.
Apostille
The apostille is a creation of an international treaty, the Hague Convention of 1961. The United States of America joined the Hague Convention in 1981. The Convention provides for, among other things, the certification of public documents to be used in countries that have joined the Convention. In accordance with the provisions of the Convention, this office issues apostilles only for documents intended for use in foreign countries that also are signatories of the Convention.  This document is the equivalent of a Certificate of Authority used in countries that are not participants in the Hague Treaty. 
An apostille has the same requirements, the same fee, and the same instructions as a Certificate of Authority.  Apostilles cannot be issued for use in the United States
Certificate of Authority
The Office of the Great Seal is authorized on behalf of the State of Michigan to certify and issue Certificates of Authority for:
  1. Michigan Notary Public notarized documents. Documents must be complete and contain original signatures.
     
  2. Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, Death, or Divorce) - Certified copies from one of the following: 

    -  A Michigan County Clerk
    -  The Michigan State Registrar 517-335-8666 
    -  City Clerks in the counties of Wayne, Macomb and Oakland only
     
  3. Certified Copies of Articles of Incorporation issued from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
 
Certifying Vital Records
Only certified copies of birth, marriage, divorce and death records by a Michigan County Clerk; City Clerk or Registrar in the counties of Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb only; or the Michigan State Registrar are eligible for authentication.  Original vital records cannot be accepted for this purpose.  Documents issued by court clerks or received via fax are not acceptable. 
To Request records from State Registrar
To request certified copies of these records from the State Registrar, please telephone 517-335-8656.  Note; this is not the phone number for the Office of the Great Seal.  To contact the Office of the Great Seal, please email us at MDOS-NOTARY@MICHIGAN.GOV.
 
U.S. Department of State Authentications Office
Further information may be obtained from the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office or U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs for International Adoption.
INTRODUCTION
  • Intro
    The Michigan Department of State commissions approximately 1,300 notaries public each month. The total number of notaries public currently commissioned in the State of Michigan is more than 113,000. A notary public is an officer appointed by the Michigan Secretary of State to attest to the authenticity of a person's signature, to administer oaths, and to witness acknowledgements. Notarization on a document certifies that the person named on it appeared before the notary, displayed valid identification and was in the presence of the notary at the time of execution.
NOTARY LINKS
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