Michigan · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Bay County, MI
Bay County (population 103,856) records real-property documents through the Bay County Register of Deeds. Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Bay County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Bay County Register of Deeds
- Mailing address
- 515 Center Avenue, Suite 102, Bay City, MI 48708-5122
- Phone
- 989-895-4228
- Checks payable to
- Bay County Register of Deeds
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC, ePN, Indecomm
Bay County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $30.00 flat fee (all documents regardless of page count; $4.00 goes to MI State Survey & Remonumentation fund)
- Additional pages
- Included in flat fee (no per-page charge); $3.00 added per additional instrument assigned/discharged
- Other fees
- Tax certificate from Treasurer required for warranty deeds/land contracts (~$5.00); copies $1.00/page; certification $5.00/document
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Bay County Register of Deeds before you mail a check.
What Bay County requires
- Cover sheet
- No standard cover sheet form provided by office; first line of document must state the single recordable event (MCL 565.201). Margins: 2.5in top, 0.5in other sides. Paper: white, 20lb min, 8.5x11 to 8.5x14. Font: black ink, 10-point minimum. Names typed/printed beneath signatures.
- Submission & return
- Self-addressed stamped envelope required when mailing via USPS/UPS/FedEx for return of recorded document
Can you e-record in Bay County?
Yes. Bay County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, Indecomm, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Bay County, Michigan
- Prepare the document so it meets Bay County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, Indecomm, or by mail to Bay County Register of Deeds.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Bay County Register of Deeds.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Bay County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Bay County property are searchable at Bay County Equalization Department / BS&A Online Property Search. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
Filing with Jurably in Michigan
Michigan isn't available quite yet — it's coming soon. See the states we file in.