Menominee County Deed Records

Menominee County deed records are managed by the Register of Deeds on the first floor of the courthouse in the city of Menominee, and the office gives property owners and researchers access to a Land Records Search System for online searches of the county's property document index. The office records all real property instruments for this Upper Peninsula county that borders Wisconsin along the Menominee River, and a free Property Fraud Alert program is available to all property owners in the county.

Register of Deeds Office Contact and Hours

The Menominee County Register of Deeds is on the first floor of the courthouse at 839 10th Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Phone is 906-863-2822 and fax is 906-863-8839. The county departments page is at menomineecounty.com/departments/.

The Register of Deeds records all instruments affecting title to real property in Menominee County. Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, land contracts, mortgages, releases, easements, and plat documents are all recorded here. The county maintains a Tract Index, which is a property-based index system organized by parcel location rather than just by grantor and grantee names. Tract indexes can make chain-of-title research more efficient because you can trace ownership forward and backward from the parcel itself, not just by running name searches through the grantor-grantee index.

The screenshot below shows the Menominee County departments page on the county website, where the Register of Deeds is listed along with other county services.

The departments listing confirms office location and provides the link to Register of Deeds services and the Land Records Search System.

Land Records Search System

Menominee County provides an online Land Records Search System for deed research. The system allows researchers to search the index remotely without visiting the courthouse in person. This tool is particularly useful for title companies, attorneys, and buyers researching property in this rural Upper Peninsula county who may not be located nearby.

The online system covers indexed property records and may include document images depending on the search type. For research on older documents that may not be digitized, contact the office directly at 906-863-2822 to determine the best approach. Staff can advise on available records, index coverage dates, and what to expect when searching historical instruments. Mail requests are also accepted for those who cannot visit or access the online system.

The image below shows the broader Menominee County government website, which provides context for where the Register of Deeds fits within the county's organizational structure.

The county website consolidates links to all departments and online services, including the deed records search tool.

Property Fraud Alert

The Menominee County Register of Deeds offers a free Property Fraud Alert (PFA) service to all property owners in the county. When a document is recorded that involves your name or parcel, you receive a notification. This is a practical early-warning system for detecting fraudulent deed or lien recordings. It costs nothing to sign up and requires only basic enrollment information.

Deed fraud can affect any property, but rural and vacation parcels that are not actively monitored are sometimes targeted because the owner may not notice a fraudulent filing for months. In a county like Menominee with significant amounts of undeveloped and lakefront land, the PFA service gives owners peace of mind. Contact the Register of Deeds at 906-863-2822 to enroll. You do not need to be physically present in the county to set up the alert.

Plat Copies and Fees

Standard recording fees in Menominee County are $30 per document under MCL 600.2657. Document copies cost $1.00 per page, and certified copies require a $5.00 certification fee in addition to the copy charge. Plat copies are available at $1.50 per page, which is a separate fee specific to recorded plat documents rather than standard deed instruments.

Michigan's real estate transfer tax, calculated at a combined rate of $8.60 per $1,000 of sale price, applies to most deed recordings. The state portion is $3.75 per $500 and the county portion is $0.55 per $500. The seller pays the transfer tax at closing in most transactions, and a valuation affidavit is required at the time of recording. If your transfer qualifies for an exemption, note the exemption basis on the affidavit and confirm the requirements with the Register of Deeds before submitting.

Document Formatting Requirements

All documents recorded in Menominee County must follow the formatting rules in MCL 565.201. Paper must be white, at least 20-pound weight, and either 8.5 by 11 or 8.5 by 14 inches. The first page must have a 2.5-inch top margin for the recording data block. All other margins must be at least 0.5 inches. Print must be black, legible, and no smaller than 10-point font.

The document must include the grantor and grantee names, a complete legal description of the property, the drafter's name and address, and the return address for the document after recording. Grantor signatures must be notarized by a notary public who signs and stamps the document. The Menominee County Register of Deeds will review your document at the counter and return it unrecorded if it does not meet these requirements. Preparing documents correctly before you arrive saves time for everyone and avoids the hassle of resubmission.

E-Recording and Passport Services

The Menominee County Register of Deeds accepts e-recording submissions under Michigan's MURPERA law, codified at MCL 565.841. E-recording vendors operating in Michigan include Simplifile (1-800-460-5657), ePN, CSC, and Indecomm. Professional filers such as title companies and attorneys who regularly record documents in Menominee County can use these vendors to submit electronically and receive recorded documents faster than through the mail.

The office also provides passport application acceptance services, which is a convenience for residents in this rural county who might otherwise need to travel to a larger city to apply for a U.S. passport. Passport services are available during normal office hours. Call 906-863-2822 to confirm current requirements and whether an appointment is needed for passport applications.

Nearby Counties

Menominee County shares borders with Delta and Dickinson counties in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the county's southern border runs along Wisconsin.