Title and ownership
Transferring a manufactured-home title in Michigan
Treat the home title and the land deed as two separate records until the paperwork proves otherwise. In a normal private sale, the seller assigns the manufactured-home title and the buyer finishes the transfer at a Secretary of State branch.
Normal private sale
Check first, sign carefully, finish at SOS
- 1
Check the record
Match the titled owner, serial number, year, make, and lien information to the home and seller.
- 2
Complete the sale
The seller assigns the original title. Put the price, date, home description, and both parties' information in a written bill of sale too.
- 3
Apply at a branch
The buyer uses the current manufactured-home application and assigned title. SOS currently lists a $90 title fee plus 6% use tax on the home's value.
- 4
Keep the paper trail
Keep copies of the assigned title, application, receipt, bill of sale, lien release, and any park or land paperwork.
When the paper is not clean
Fix the title problem before the transfer
Lost title
The titled owner generally orders the duplicate. SOS currently lists a $15 fee and says a mailed duplicate can take up to 14 days.
Old lien
Get the secured party's discharge when the title record still shows a lien. A paid loan is not the same as a cleared title record.
Owner unavailable
SOS says a court order may be needed when the titled owner cannot obtain and assign the title. The order needs exact identifying information.
Home plus land
Sitting on a foundation is not the same as legal affixture
Michigan has a separate process to cancel the manufactured-home title when the home is legally affixed to real property. It involves the home title, land ownership, secured parties, and recordable documents.
The reverse process, severing a home from real property, also has its own paperwork. Use the Secretary of State process flow and involve the register of deeds, lender, closing or title professional, and SOS before a land sale or refinance.
Next steps
Connect the home to the right records
The title, land, park, and local-property paths are related but not interchangeable.
- Local Find your place Open the local page for tax, permit, and county-service paths. Find the place ->
- Home Open the homeowner directory Find taxes, permits, contractors, insurance, and recorded documents. Open the directory ->
- Land Check title and access Work through deeds, boundaries, access, zoning, and buildability for the parcel. Open the land directory ->
- Official Open the SOS process flow Choose the route for a title, affixture, severance, or missing record. Open the flow ->
Michigan manufactured-home title questions
Where do I transfer a Michigan mobile-home title? +
The Michigan Secretary of State handles the Certificate of Manufactured Home Ownership, often called the mobile-home title. A private-sale buyer generally takes the assigned title and required application to an SOS branch.
How much is the Michigan manufactured-home title fee? +
The Secretary of State's current page lists a $90 title fee and a 6% use tax based on the home's value. Fees and tax treatment can change, so confirm the amount and acceptable payment before the branch visit.
What if the seller lost the title? +
The titled owner should usually obtain a duplicate before assigning the home. The current SOS page lists a $15 duplicate fee and says only the titled owner may order it. If the titled owner is unavailable, a court order may be needed.
Is a manufactured-home title the same as the deed to the land? +
No. The home title and the land deed are separate records unless the state-approved affixture process has been completed. A home sitting on owned land is not automatically part of the real estate record.
Sources and review
Where the title process comes from
The Michigan Secretary of State controls manufactured-home ownership records and publishes the forms and decision paths. Land records, liens, and court orders can add separate steps.
- Data used
- Current Michigan Secretary of State mobile-home guidance and forms
- Last reviewed
- July 19, 2026
- Michigan Secretary of State - mobile homes for private-sale transfers, fees, duplicates, missing titles, liens, and affixture procedures.
- Michigan Secretary of State - forms for the current manufactured-home application and related title forms.
- Michigan Secretary of State - title process flow for the official decision path for a title, affixture, severance, or missing record.
Use this carefully: Do not buy, sell, move, affix, or sever a home based only on where it physically sits. Confirm the title record, serial number, liens, land ownership, and current SOS documents first.
Rules, rates, forms, office practices, and local facts can change. When the answer matters, confirm it with the current official source, the responsible office, or a qualified Michigan professional before acting.