Wayne County, Michigan public records

In Wayne County, deeds are recorded by the Wayne County Register of Deeds; property values come from the Assessment & Equalization Division; court files are split between the Wayne County Clerk and the Wayne County Probate Court.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Business names (DBA)
11. Historical records
12. Good to know about Wayne County records
13. Office addresses, phones and hours
14. Records that are not online: public records requests
15. Questions people ask
16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
17. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Wayne County are recorded by the Wayne County Register of Deeds.²

Online search

waynecountylandrecords.com/recorder/web²Free search, fee for copies

Cost

Free Public Search by name only (index, no images); On-Demand Account $6 per 15 minutes plus fees, $2 per page to print³

Who runs it

GovOS (Neumo landing page; publicsearch.us records search)¹⁸

Fee schedule

waynecountymi.gov/…²

Copy fee

$2 per page (in office or by mail)³

Certified copy fee

$10 per document; not available online³

Search fee

$5.00 per property in office (waived for own residence); $15.00 per address by mail³

Recording fee

$26.00 per document plus $4.00 survey/remonumentation fee where applicable ($30.00), effective January 1, 2026²

Transfer tax

County $0.55 per $500 and State $3.75 per $500 ($8.60 per $1000)¹⁹

Tax certification

Treasurer deed certification $5.00 per document (up to 25 parcel numbers) required before recording warranty deeds, land contracts and plats²⁰

How to order

Online at waynecountylandrecords.com, in person at the office (kiosks 8:00am-3:00pm), or search-by-mail³

Veterans

Free search and copies of own property for veterans/military with credentials³

Fraud alerts

Property Alert via wayne.mi.publicsearch.us; Mortgage & Deed Fraud Unit 313-224-5869²¹

How deeds work in Michigan

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Assessment & Equalization Division (county) sets property values⁴; the Wayne County Treasurer bills and collects the tax⁶.

Property search

waynecountymi.gov/…⁵

Assessor search: app

Wayne County Parcel Information (search by parcel number, address, owner, community)²²

Assessor search: who assesses

Current assessments are kept by each city and township (e.g., Detroit Office of the Assessor)⁴

Tax bill search

waynecountymi.gov/…⁷

Tax search: what it covers

County Treasurer collects only delinquent real property taxes; current taxes are paid to the local city/township treasurer until March 1 delinquency²⁰

Tax search: card fee

ACH free; cards 2.49% service charge²³

Parcel map (GIS)

waynecountymi.gov/…⁵

GIS: historical parcels

Historical GIS parcel shapefiles and tax maps free to download⁴

How property tax works in Michigan

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Fees: civil copies

$2.00 per page⁸

Fees: civil certification

$10.00 plus $1.00 per page⁸

Fees: civil filing

$175.00 new civil action ($150 filing + $25 e-filing fee); $260 with jury demand⁸

Fees: criminal copies

$2.00 per page non-certified; certification $10.00 plus $1.00 per page; record search $1.00 per name²⁴

Records held

Civil (including divorce) 1942-present; criminal 1942-1983 outside Detroit⁹

Criminal records and background checks

Online search

3rdcc.org/case-search²⁵

Records

Criminal records 1942-1983 outside Detroit at Clerk Records Division; Detroit or after 1983 at CJC records room (313) 224-2502⁹

How Michigan courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Wayne County Clerk - Birth & Death Records Division / Vital Statistics Records Office.¹¹

Marriage license

$30.00 if one or both applicants is a Wayne County resident; $40.00 if both out of state¹⁰

Certified copy fee

$24.00 first certified copy, $7.00 each additional¹⁰

Copy fee

Uncertified copy search $11.50 whether found or not¹⁰

How to order

Online (VitalChek), in person by appointment, or by mail to Marriage Certification Dept., 400 Monroe St., Suite 610¹⁰

Years held

All years of Wayne County marriage licenses¹⁰

Michigan marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Wayne County Clerk Records Division.⁹

How to order

Clerk Records Division copies; civil records including divorce 1942-present⁹

Copy fee

$2.00 per page uncertified⁹

Certified copy fee

$10.00 certification plus $1.00 per page plus $2.00 per page copy fee⁹

Michigan divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Wayne County Clerk - Birth & Death Records Division / Vital Statistics Records Office.¹¹

Fee

$24 first certified copy, $7 each additional; seniors 65+ own record $2 first, $3 additional¹²

Who may order

Not public: registrant, parent named on record, or legal guardian/representative¹²

Online

VitalChek (extra fee)¹²

Ordering a Michigan birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Wayne County Clerk - Birth & Death Records Division / Vital Statistics Records Office.¹¹

Fee

$24.00 certified, $7.00 additional copies¹³

Who may order

Public record; anyone¹³

Ordering a Michigan death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Wayne County Probate Court.⁹

Online search

public.wcpc.us/eservices¹⁴

Certified copy fee

$10.00 certification plus $1.00 per page; copies $2.00 per page¹⁵

Filing fees

Deceased estate $175.00 plus inventory fee; small estate $25.00; wills for safekeeping $25.00¹⁵

Finding a will or probate case in Michigan

Business names (DBA)

Kept by the Wayne County Clerk.¹⁷

Fee

$16.00 filing fee; mail-in only¹⁶

Term

Registration valid five years¹⁶

Historical records

Deeds

Land records indexed by liber and page dating from 1703²

Name changes services page

Services/Records page: name changes after 1996 at Clerk, before 1996 at Probate Court²⁶

Name changes

Name change documents after 1998 at Clerk Records Division; before 1998 at Probate Court⁹

Good to know about Wayne County records

• The Wayne County Register of Deeds says it was the first office to create a "Tract Index" for searching ownership history²⁷
• Nearly 900,000 property parcels; records dating from 1703²
• 2026 recording fee change was the first increase since 1996²
• Mortgage & Deed Fraud Unit is a joint task force of the Register of Deeds, Prosecutor and Sheriff²¹
• The County Clerk is clerk of the Third Circuit Court and records births/deaths, marriages and assumed names¹⁷
• Treasurer scam alert: the office never sends anyone to homes to collect money⁶
• City of Detroit birth and death records are issued through the County Clerk (c/o City of Detroit Birth & Death Records Division)¹²

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page

waynecountymi.gov/…³²

Where to send it

FOIA Coordinator, Guardian Building, 500 Griswold, 31st Floor, Detroit, MI 48226; [email protected]³²

Treasurer form

waynecountymi.gov/…⁵

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in Michigan with a full guide: Allegan County, Bay County, Calhoun County, Clinton County, Eaton County, Genesee County, Grand Traverse County, Ingham County, Jackson County, Kalamazoo County, Kent County, Lapeer County, Lenawee County, Livingston County, Macomb County, Midland County, Monroe County, Muskegon County, Oakland County, Ottawa County, Saginaw County, St. Clair County, Washtenaw County. Every county in the state: Michigan county list. Looking for another Wayne County? Wayne County, North Carolina; Wayne County, Ohio.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 33 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
2. Register of DeedsCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
3. Search Services and Copy RequestsCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
4. Assessment & EqualizationCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
5. Home - Wayne County, MichiganCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
6. TreasurerCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
7. Pay Taxes Online - Wayne County, MichiganWayne County Treasurer
8. Civil Court ServicesCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
9. Records (Clerk Records Division)Charter County of Wayne, Michigan
10. Marriage LicensesCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
11. General Office (Clerk)Charter County of Wayne, Michigan
12. Birth CertificatesCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
13. Death CertificatesCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
14. Contact UsWayne County Probate Court
15. Filing/Probate FeesWayne County Probate Court
16. Assumed NamesCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
17. ClerkCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
18. Wayne County Register of Deeds records landing (waynecountylandrecords.com)Wayne County Register of Deeds (GovOS-hosted)
19. Document RecordingCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
20. Property Tax InformationCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
21. FAQs (Register of Deeds)Charter County of Wayne, Michigan
22. Wayne County Parcel InformationCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
23. Making A Tax PaymentCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
24. Criminal Court ServicesCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
25. Case Search - 3rd Circuit CourtThird Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan
26. Records (Services)Charter County of Wayne, Michigan
27. History of the OfficeCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
28. Hours of OperationWayne County Probate Court
29. ElectionsCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
30. Wayne County SheriffCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
31. GIS DataCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
32. FOIA Request Form - GeneralCharter County of Wayne, Michigan
33. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau