Archives Office

The Archdiocese of Detroit Archives Office holds Baptismal, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage records of many closed but not merged parishes. Records are issued to the individual(s) who received the sacrament, a parent of a minor, or a legal guardian.

Click here for a list of closed parishes.

• If the records are stored in the Archives, submit a request for records.
• If the parish is active or records are stored at an active parish, contact the parish directly.
• If you are uncertain of the parish or you cannot locate the parish on the list, please contact the archives office with additional details and we will attempt to direct you to the appropriate parish.

If you would like to speak to an archivist, please contact us at 313-237-5846 or archives@aod.org.

Please note: Academic record requests are delivered by U. S. mail only.

To protect individual confidentiality, records are released only to the individual to whom the record refers or the parent/guardian of a minor child. You must upload a photocopy of your valid, signed photo ID to request a copy of your student transcript.

The fee for the requested document(s) must be received before the request is processed. The fee is $20.00 for the first copy and $5.00 for each additional copy. Payment can be made after completing the request transcript form below.

Requests will not be processed without payment and a copy of your ID.

Processing time is 7 to 10 business days. The transcript will be mailed to you; it cannot be emailed or faxed: the raised seal that authenticates the document does not transmit electronically.

Transcripts are NOT issued for genealogical research.

Request your transcripts by submitting this form.

Please note: Academic record requests are delivered by U.S. mail only.

Diplomas are only issued for high school graduation; we do not create replacement diplomas for elementary school. We can only create a replacement diploma if we have a transcript for the person showing a date of graduation. Only the person whose name is on the transcript can request a replacement diploma. The Replacement Diploma will be from the Archdiocese of Detroit. It will not be a duplicate of your original diploma from the school.

The student needs to fill out an online request form and submit a photocopy of a valid, signed photo ID.

There is a charge of $30 for the replacement diploma. If we cannot find a transcript, payment will be refunded. The student will pay online with a credit card. We do not accept credit card information over the phone.

Processing time is 7-10 business days. Diplomas will be mailed to the students.

The education verification request must list the student’s name at the time of attendance, the name of the high school, the city in which the school was located, and the student’s date of birth. If we do not have a record, we cannot verify education, even if a copy of a transcript or diploma is sent to us.

The request must be accompanied by a signed release from the student. An electronic (e) signature is acceptable.

The current fee for verification services from the Archdiocese of Detroit Archives is $20.00 per request.

Your company will receive a monthly invoice at the beginning of each month, or you can mail a check or money order, made payable to the Archdiocese of Detroit – Central Operations at: AOD Archives, 12 State St., Detroit, MI 48226. Or submit payment online using our education verification request form.

Once we receive the request, we will check the record and respond. It takes 5 to 10 business days to receive a response from us. We do not provide verification over the phone.

Due to current staffing, the Archives Office cannot fill genealogical requests, including records relating to proof of citizenship requests, in a timely manner. There is presently an up to six-month delay, and we cannot receive new requests at this time. We will reopen our genealogical request service on July 1, after which time we can provide an estimated time for completing requests, which we anticipate will continue to involve a significant waiting period. Also, be aware that we can only release records that pre-exist 1930 unless (a) you are the subject of the record or have power of attorney over that person, or (b) are the parent or legal guardian of that person. Please consider utilizing civil authorities or state vital records offices.

The Archdiocese of Detroit allows for the use of sacramental records for events prior to 1930 for genealogical purposes. To protect the fragility of the original physical records and the privacy and confidentiality of the records, the Archdiocese and its parishes adhere to the following requirements:

• We charge $25 per name for each genealogy search in our sacramental records.
• We do not allow in-person, on-site genealogical research at the archives.
• Requests for records must be submitted online using the form (need link) below or print and mail in the genealogy request form to: Archdiocese of Detroit Archives Office, 12 State St., Detroit, MI 48226.
• We do not take requests by phone. If you would like to speak to the archivist before submitting a request, please contact us at archives@aod.org or 313-237-5846.
• Records are issued to genealogists for events prior to 1930. Records after 1930 are only open to the individual(s) who received the sacrament.
  
• We will not respond to general searches such as, “everything you have on the Smith family from 1850-1920.” Please be specific and include as much information as you know regarding the people you are researching on the form below.
• It takes our staff 2-6 weeks to research and respond to requests. A summary of our research will be provided.
• A list of local genealogical resources is available here.

To request records for genealogical purposes, please complete this form.

Looking to request your own sacramental record? Please use the Sacramental Records Request Form.