Oakland County Deed Records

Oakland County deed records are freely available online at OCMIDeeds.com, one of the most comprehensive deed search systems in Michigan, with over 18 million records going back to the 1800s. The Register of Deeds office is in Pontiac at 1200 N. Telegraph Road, and the office handles e-recording, certified copies, and a free Property Records Notification program that alerts you when any document is filed against your name or property. This page covers how to search Oakland County deed records online, how recording and transfer tax work, and where to get copies of specific instruments.

Oakland County Register of Deeds Office

The Oakland County Register of Deeds is at 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Call 248-858-0590 to reach the office. The department page is at oakgov.com/clerkrod/rod.

Oakland County is one of the most populous counties in Michigan, and its deed recording system reflects that scale. The office handles a high volume of transactions daily, from residential sales and refinances to commercial transfers and complex title work. The combination of a free public search portal and an active e-recording program makes Oakland County a model for how deed record access can work at the county level.

Staff can assist with searches for older records not yet indexed online, certified copy requests, and questions about specific instruments. For high-volume professional users like title companies and law firms, the office can also provide guidance on best practices for submitting documents in bulk or electronically. Call ahead if your request involves a large volume of instruments or a complex title history.

Free Online Deed Records Search in Oakland County

Oakland County offers free public access to its full deed index at ocmideeds.com. The database contains more than 18 million records and goes back to the 1800s. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, instrument type, or date. The system returns document type, recording date, book and page reference, and images of many recorded documents.

The OCMIDeeds.com portal is the primary online resource for searching Oakland County deed records without cost.

Visit ocmideeds.com to search Oakland County deed records at no charge. The database is maintained by the county and updated regularly as new instruments are recorded.

The free access model at Oakland County is not universal across Michigan. Many counties require either a subscription or a pay-per-search fee to view deed records remotely. Oakland's commitment to free public access reflects a strong approach to open government and makes property research more accessible to individual buyers, sellers, and homeowners who want to verify their own records.

Property Records Notification Program

Oakland County's Property Records Notification (PRN) program sends free email alerts whenever a document is recorded in the deed index under your name or against your property. Sign up is free and requires only your name and parcel identification number for each property you want to monitor.

This program is valuable because deed fraud is a real risk. A fraudulent deed or mortgage filed against your home could go unnoticed for months if you're not watching the index. The PRN program won't stop a document from being filed, but it tells you fast. That speed matters. Challenging a fraudulent recording early, before additional transactions occur, is much simpler than untangling a title problem that has compounded over time.

To enroll in the PRN program, contact the Oakland County Register of Deeds at 248-858-0590 or visit the department page at oakgov.com/clerkrod/rod. There is no charge. Property owners with multiple parcels can register each one separately.

Recording Deed Records in Oakland County

The recording fee in Michigan is $30 per document under MCL 600.2657. Oakland County applies this rate uniformly to all instruments submitted for recording, including deeds, mortgages, assignments, liens, discharges, easements, and affidavits. Page copies are $1.00 each. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus the per-page fee.

Instruments must conform to the formatting standards in MCL 565.201. Required specifications include minimum top margin of 2.5 inches on the first page, minimum side and bottom margins of 0.5 inches, and a minimum font size of 10 points. Non-conforming documents may be rejected or charged an additional non-standard fee at the time of recording.

Oakland County accepts e-recording, which allows approved vendors to submit documents electronically without a trip to the Pontiac office. The same $30 fee applies. E-recording vendors authorized to work with Michigan counties include Simplifile (1-800-460-5657), ePN, CSC, and Indecomm. The legal basis for electronic recording in Michigan is MCL 565.841. For high-volume filers, e-recording through a vendor is usually faster and more efficient than in-person submission.

Transfer Tax on Oakland County Deed Records

Oakland County property transfers are subject to both the state and county real estate transfer tax. The state charges $3.75 per $500 of value under MCL 207.521. The county adds $0.55 per $500 under MCL 207.501. Combined, the rate is $8.60 per $1,000 of sale price. The seller typically pays transfer tax at closing, though the purchase contract can assign responsibility differently.

Michigan Treasury's change of ownership guidance explains what happens to property tax assessments when a deed is recorded in Oakland County.

Visit the Michigan Treasury change of ownership page to understand when a recorded deed triggers uncapping under MCL 211.27a and what notification the buyer must file with the local assessor after a transfer in Oakland County.

Transfer tax exemptions are available for certain transactions. Transfers between spouses, transfers for $100 or less in consideration, and other qualifying events may be exempt. The exemption basis must appear on the face of the deed at the time of recording. Michigan Treasury publishes the full list of exemptions and their statutory authority at michigan.gov/taxes/property/transfer-tax.

Cities in Oakland County

Oakland County includes several of Michigan's largest communities. Deed records for property in any of these cities are filed with the Oakland County Register of Deeds in Pontiac. The same recording fees and procedures apply regardless of which city or township the property is located in.

Qualifying cities in Oakland County with their own pages include Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Rochester Hills, and Waterford Township. All deed records for these communities are held by the county office, not by the individual cities.

Statewide Michigan Deed Recording Resources

Michigan Treasury manages the transfer tax and publishes statewide guidance that applies to Oakland County and all other counties. Their resources cover specific situations like easement conveyances, which may have different tax treatment than a standard sale.

Michigan Treasury explains the real estate transfer tax rules for easements and similar conveyances across the state.

The Michigan Treasury easement conveyances page explains which types of easements are subject to transfer tax and which may qualify for exemptions when recorded in Oakland County.

The main statewide Register of Deeds resource is at michigan.gov/taxes/collections/register-of-deeds. It provides links to county-level contacts, e-recording information, and transfer tax guidance applicable to all 83 Michigan counties.

Nearby Counties

Oakland County is in southeastern Michigan and borders several other counties, each with its own deed record office and search system.