1 EXHIBIT 23.1(a) CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS Capitol Bancorp Ltd. Lansing, Michigan We hereby consent to the use in the Prospectus constituting a part of Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of Capitol Bancorp Ltd. of our report dated January 29, 1999 relating to the consolidated financial statements of Capitol Bancorp Ltd. which is contained in that Prospectus. We also consent to the reference to us under the caption "Experts" in the Prospectus. BDO SEIDMAN, LLP Grand Rapids, Michigan September 14, 1999 2 EXHIBIT 23.1(b) CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS Macomb Community Bank Macomb, Michigan We hereby consent to the use in the Prospectus constituting a part of Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of Capitol Bancorp Ltd. of our report dated January 29, 1999 relating to the financial statements of Macomb Community Bank which is contained in that Prospectus. We also consent to the reference to us under the caption "Experts" in the Prospectus. BDO SEIDMAN, LLP Grand Rapids, Michigan September 14, 1999