Michigan · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Berrien County, MI
Berrien County (population 154,316) records real-property documents through the Berrien 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.
Berrien County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Berrien County Register of Deeds
- Mailing address
- 701 Main Street, 3rd Floor, St. Joseph, MI 49085
- Phone
- 269-983-7111 ext. 8562
- Checks payable to
- Berrien County Register of Deeds
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC, ePN, Indecomm
Berrien County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $30.00 flat fee (all documents regardless of page count)
- Additional pages
- Included in flat fee; additional fees apply for multi-instrument assignments/discharges
- Other fees
- Tax certificate required for warranty deeds/land contracts/master deeds; transfer tax collected on land value; copies $1.00/page in office, $1.00/page + $5.00 card fee online
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Berrien County Register of Deeds before you mail a check.
What Berrien County requires
- Cover sheet
- First line must state the single recordable event; 2.5in top margin, 0.5in other margins; white 20lb paper 8.5x11 to 8.5x14; black ink, 10-point minimum font; drafter name/address and grantee address required
- Submission & return
- Not explicitly specified on page
- Hours & turnaround
- Documents recorded until 4:30pm daily
Can you e-record in Berrien County?
Yes. Berrien 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 Berrien County, Michigan
- Prepare the document so it meets Berrien 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 Berrien County Register of Deeds.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Berrien County Register of Deeds.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Berrien County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Berrien County property are searchable at Berrien 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.