BigDaddyData.Com: Michigan State Seal

    The Office of the Great Seal keeps the one and only official seal of the State of Michigan. The Secretary of State is Keeper of the Great Seal. This means the Secretary of State is responsible for keeping and certifying documents or papers (officially marking that papers are real, authentic or original). Some of these papers include: public act or laws, administrative rules (the rules government offices operate by), the governor's executive orders, warrants (such as search warrants), and extraditions (sending someone back to another state or country by request of that state or country), oaths of office, certificates of authority and notes on documents going to foreign countries. The Office of the Great Seal also authorizes notaries public.

    The Office of the Great Seal keeps original city and village charters, changes in charters and certain municipal corporation papers. Townships are notified by the office that they can apply to become charter townships. The office also certifies changes in municipal boundaries for the U.S. Census Bureau.

    The Great Seal can only be put on certain official documents. It is the highest level of certification in the state. Many foreign countries will not accept a document from Michigan as being official unless it has been stamped with the Great Seal. The Great Seal is routinely included on documents going to many other countries.