Access Flint Property Records
Flint property records are held by the Genesee County Register of Deeds, located on Beach Street in Flint itself. The office maintains deeds, mortgages, easements, liens, and other instruments that affect real property in the city. Several online search options are available, ranging from a free index-only search to subscription-based image access. This page covers what each system offers and how to get the records you need for any Flint parcel.
Flint Property Records Overview
Genesee County Register of Deeds
The Genesee County Register of Deeds is conveniently located in Flint, making in-person visits straightforward for city residents. The office records and indexes all instruments affecting title to real property in Genesee County under MCL 565.29, Michigan's race-notice recording statute. Documents are indexed in the grantor-grantee system under MCL 565.29, which lets you find all recorded documents tied to any person or entity by name.
Recording fees follow the state standard under MCL 600.2567: $30 flat per document. Copies run $1 per page and certified copies are $5 each. The office handles a full range of document types including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and plats.
| Office | Genesee County Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 1101 Beach St., Flint, MI 48502 |
| Phone | (810) 257-3064 |
| Website | geneseecountymi.gov |
Online Search Options for Flint Records
Genesee County offers three distinct tiers of online access to property records, which is unusual among Michigan counties. Understanding which tier fits your needs will save time and money.
The free direct index search covers records from 1956 to the present. It returns index data, document types, and recording dates but does not show document images. It also excludes the most recent seven days of recordings. This is the right choice when you just need to confirm whether a deed or mortgage was recorded, without needing to see the full document.
Tapestry is the pay-per-search option. Each search costs $8.75 and document images cost an additional $1 per page. Tapestry covers the index from 1956 and document images from 1960 onward. Payment is by credit card and no subscription is required. Use Tapestry when you need occasional document copies without committing to a monthly account.
Laredo is the subscription service for high-volume users such as title companies and attorneys. It covers the same content as Tapestry at $1 per page for images and requires a monthly fee. Contact the Genesee County Register of Deeds directly to set up a Laredo account.
Register of Deeds and Land Records Access
The Genesee County Register of Deeds website provides direct links to all three online search tiers and additional guidance on document submission requirements.
The Register's office page also provides current recording fee schedules, document formatting guidelines, and contact information for staff who can answer questions about specific records requests.
Genesee County Land Bank
Flint has a significant inventory of tax-foreclosed properties managed by the Genesee County Land Bank Authority. The Land Bank acquires properties that go through tax foreclosure and works to return them to productive use through sales, demolition, or rehabilitation programs.
The Genesee County Land Bank maintains its own searchable database of available and recently sold properties. You can search by parcel number, street address, township, or year foreclosed. This is an important resource for anyone researching distressed or foreclosed properties in Flint, since many parcels in the city have passed through the Land Bank in recent years.
The Land Bank database complements the Register of Deeds index by showing the foreclosure history of a parcel, which is useful context when you're tracing ownership or evaluating a property's title.
Property Values and Taxes in Flint
Flint's median home value sits around $46,800, which is among the lower ranges for Michigan cities. Property tax rates vary significantly by ZIP code. The 48504 ZIP code carries an effective rate of about 2.22%, while 48532 sees a much lower 0.90%. The 48503 ZIP runs about 2.06%, and 48506 and 48507 come in at 1.50% and 1.49% respectively.
The citywide effective tax rate averages around 1.85%. Michigan's Proposal A caps annual taxable value increases, so long-term owners in Flint may see significant gaps between their assessed value and taxable value. When a property sells, the taxable value resets to equal the assessed value, which is 50% of true cash value. The Michigan Department of Treasury sets statewide assessment rules and administers the State Tax Commission.
The county and state transfer taxes apply to Flint sales just as they do elsewhere in Michigan: $1.10 per $1,000 for the county and $7.50 per $1,000 for the state. On a $50,000 Flint sale, combined transfer taxes would be about $430.
Additional Research Resources
Beyond the Register of Deeds and Land Bank, several statewide resources can help with Flint property research.For the full text of Michigan's recording laws, the Michigan Compiled Laws database is freely available.
Michigan's Marketable Record Title Act clears title defects older than 40 years in an unbroken chain. Given Flint's history of ownership turnover and tax foreclosures, title researchers should also check Land Bank records and any recorded tax lien discharges when tracing a full chain of title. The Michigan Unclaimed Property portal is worth checking if you're researching old transactions where funds may not have been distributed.
Nearby Cities
Flint is the only qualifying city in Genesee County. For property records in nearby counties, you can explore other Michigan cities through the links below.
Genesee County Property Records
Flint is the county seat of Genesee County, and the Genesee County Register of Deeds serves as the official records custodian for all land documents in the city and county. The county page has more detail on the three-tier online access system and other resources for property research throughout Genesee County.