Recorder Office
Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.
Otsego County Register of Deeds
About the Otsego County Register of Deeds
Land records in Otsego County are recorded by the Register of Deeds. The office is held by Susan I. DeFeyter.
Indexes and images begin March 5, 1864. Images are available online for purchase. Search services are not provided by this office; searches may be done by coming directly to the office.
Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: MCL 600.2567 Register of deeds; fees · Staff Directory • Register of Deeds · Register of Deeds | Otsego County, MI
Recording Fees
These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.
| Deeds and other conveyances | $30.00 flat (per document, regardless of pages) |
|---|---|
| Mortgages and deeds of trust | $30.00 flat (per document, regardless of pages) |
| Releases and satisfactions | $30.00 flat ($3 per additional instrument discharged) |
| Other standard documents | $30.00 flat (per document, regardless of pages) |
Other charges
| Copies, per page | $1.00 |
|---|---|
| Certification | $5.00 |
Fee schedule effective October 1, 2016.
StatewideThe $30.00 recording fee includes the survey and remonumentation fee under MCL 600.2567a ($4.00 before January 1, 2043; $2.00 beginning January 1, 2043), and $5.00 of each fee goes to the county automation fund. A charter county may set its own fee schedule by ordinance or resolution, not greater than the cost of the service. Grantor/grantee searches: 50 cents per year searched, $5.00 minimum.
Search fees: searching the real estate record, $5 per name searched; State Tax Lien Certificate, $3 per name searched; Federal Tax Lien Certificate, $3 per name searched; U.C.C.-11 Certificate, $6 per name searched. $4 of the recording fee is deposited to the Michigan State Survey and Remonumentation (MSSR) Fund; this fee is not required for fixture filings, state liens, federal liens, MESC liens, State deeds or Plats.
Paying the office
| Checks payable to | Otsego County Register of Deeds |
|---|
Transfer tax
State Real Estate Transfer Tax. $3.75 for each $500.00 or fraction of $500.00 of the total value of the property being transferred. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, MCL 207.525(1))
StatewideCounty real estate transfer tax (1966 PA 134): 55 cents for each $500.00 or fraction thereof of the total value in a county with a population of less than 2,000,000, and not more than 75 cents as authorized by the county board of commissioners in a county with a population of 2,000,000 or more (MCL 207.504). It is imposed on deeds and land contracts when recorded (MCL 207.502). The State Real Estate Transfer Tax is paid to the county treasurer where the property is located (MCL 207.523(3)). A taxable instrument must state the total value on its face or have a value affidavit attached.
The office collects Michigan real estate transfer tax on written instruments at the time of recording under MCL 207.505(5) and MCL 207.526(6). No fee is collected for filing a real estate transfer valuation affidavit.
Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: MCL 600.2567 Register of deeds; fees · MCL 207.525 State Real Estate Transfer Tax Act · MCL 207.504 Rate of tax · Register of Deeds | Otsego County, MI · Copies | Otsego County, MI
Document Requirements
Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.
| Paper size | Not less than 8-1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long or more than 8-1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long (statewide, MCL 565.201(1)(f)(v)) |
|---|---|
| First page top margin | 2.5 in (statewide, MCL 565.201(1)(f)(i)) |
| Other margins | 0.5 in (statewide, MCL 565.201(1)(f)(i)) |
| Minimum type size | 10 pt (statewide, MCL 565.201(1)(f)(iii)) |
| Ink and paper | Legibly printed in black ink on white paper that is not less than 20-pound weight; signatures in black or dark blue ink (statewide, MCL 565.201(1)(a), (1)(f)(iv)) |
| Prepared-by statement required | Yes (statewide, MCL 565.201(1)(i)) |
| Grantee address required | Yes (statewide, MCL 565.201(1)(d)) |
| Printed names under signatures required | Yes (statewide, MCL 565.201(1)(a)) |
Exemptions to the margin rule include certified documents, surveys and land corners.
StatewideThe first line of print on the first page must be a single statement identifying the recordable event the instrument evidences. Printed names must match the acknowledgment or jurat. The notary's name must be printed near the notary's signature. Attachments must also be 8-1/2 x 11 to 8-1/2 x 14 inches. The first 5 digits of any social security number must be obscured or removed unless law requires otherwise. A non-English instrument must have an English translation attached. The size rules do not apply to instruments executed outside Michigan or to plats. Deeds and other conveyances of title require county and local treasurer tax certificates showing taxes paid for the 5 preceding years, except for listed exceptions such as quitclaim deeds (MCL 211.135).
Instruments conveying or mortgaging any interest in real estate shall state the marital status of any male grantors. A survivor deed or survivor mortgage shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the death certificate, or shall show by Liber and Page reference that the death certificate has been recorded. Court orders must be certified and sealed by the clerk of the court. Blanket assignments and blanket releases are accepted. Documents that do not meet the requirements, including documents with more than one title, will be rejected.
Forms filed along with a transfer
- Property Transfer Affidavit (Form 2766, L-4260) Statewide Michigan Department of Treasury (State Tax Commission form)Within 45 days of a transfer of ownership, filed with the assessing office of the local unit where the property is located
- Real estate transfer valuation affidavitFiled when an instrument does not state on its face the total consideration of the real property
Submitting documents
| Electronic recording | Accepted |
|---|---|
| eRecording through Deeds.com | Available for this office |
| Stamped, self-addressed return envelope | Required |
| How recorded documents come back | Returned in a self-addressed stamped envelope |
Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: MCL 565.201 Requirements for recording with register of deeds · MCL 211.27a General Property Tax Act · Register of Deeds | Otsego County, MI · Recording Requirements | Otsego County, MI
Deeds.com Resources & Services
Using Deeds.com is optional. Contact the recorder's office directly for its services and submission options.
How to Get a Copy of Your Deed
Read Deeds.com's guide to requesting document copies from the recorder's office.
Deeds.com eRecording
Available through Deeds.com
Use Deeds.com's paid service to submit documents electronically to the recorder's office. Deeds.com service fees are separate from government recording fees and taxes.
Recorder Office
Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.
Otsego County Register of Deeds
Deeds.com Forms
Blank legal forms sold by Deeds.com, not by the recorder's office.
Supplemental Document Resources
Recording-related forms and instructions for reference. Confirm which documents apply with the recorder's office.
Deeds.com Customer Care
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