Dearborn certificate of occupancy to sell a home
Yes. Dearborn requires a city inspection and a certificate of occupancy (residential inspection request) before a home sale can close or the buyer can move in. All residential property transfers; city pre-sale inspection and a Certificate of Occupancy in the buyer's name must be obtained prior to closing; inspection report valid 1 year.
Verified against Selling or Buying a Home - City of Dearborn on October 27, 2026. Fees, forms and timelines are set by the city and change without notice. Confirm with the Economic Development Department (Residential Sales) before you list, sign or close; this page is general information from a licensed broker, not legal advice, and Match Realty is not responsible for decisions made in reliance on it.
The Dearborn rule at a glance
| Required to sell? | Required to sell |
|---|---|
| What the city calls it | Certificate of Occupancy (Residential Inspection Request) |
| When it applies | All residential property transfers; city pre-sale inspection and a Certificate of Occupancy in the buyer's name must be obtained prior to closing; inspection report valid 1 year. |
| Fee | $225 single-family; $275 two-family; $345 three-family; $405 four-family; $75 cancellation/no-entry/utilities-off |
| Lead time | Schedule 'well in advance of closing'; inspections Mon-Fri 9-4; report and C of O valid 1 year from first inspection |
| Who orders it | Seller |
| Buyer can assume repairs? | If violations remain, seller and buyer may agree in the purchase agreement that buyer completes repairs; buyer obtains a city compliance agreement before closing, presented at closing in place of the C of O |
| Department | Economic Development Department (Residential Sales) |
| Phone | 313-943-2150 |
Dearborn requirements (official) · Application / form · City website
“To sell a home in Dearborn, a Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained prior to closing.” — Dearborn, Selling or Buying a Home - City of Dearborn
What this means for your closing
Build the inspection into the listing timeline, not the closing week. Order it from the Economic Development Department (Residential Sales) as soon as the home is listed, fix the usual items before the inspector arrives (handrails, smoke and CO alarms, GFCI outlets, address numbers, sidewalk slabs, peeling exterior paint), and ask whether a buyer can assume repairs under a bond or escrow if something cannot be fixed before closing.
The tax bill changes hands too: after a sale the taxable value uncaps, so the buyer's bill is not the seller's. See Dearborn property taxes for the 2025 millage and the uncapped bill on a $350,000 home. For the state transfer tax owed at closing, use the Michigan transfer tax calculator.
Nearby in Wayne County
- Allen Park Required to sell
- Belleville Required to sell
- Brownstown Township Limited cases
- Detroit Not required
- Ecorse Required to sell
- Flat Rock Required to sell
- Gibraltar Required to sell
- Grosse Ile Township Limited cases
- Grosse Pointe Required to sell
- Grosse Pointe Farms Required to sell
- Grosse Pointe Park Required to sell
- Hamtramck Limited cases
All Wayne County municipalities are on the C of O hub.
Common questions
Do I need a certificate of occupancy to sell a house in Dearborn?
Yes. Dearborn requires a city inspection and a certificate of occupancy (residential inspection request) on a residential sale — $225 single-family; $275 two-family; $345 three-family; $405 four-family; $75 cancellation/no-entry/utilities-off. All residential property transfers; city pre-sale inspection and a Certificate of Occupancy in the buyer's name must be obtained prior to closing; inspection report valid 1 year.
What is a point-of-sale (pre-sale) inspection in Dearborn?
It is the same thing as the certificate of occupancy (residential inspection request) requirement: a city inspector checks the home against the property-maintenance code before the sale closes or the new owner moves in, and the city issues a certificate (or a temporary one with repairs escrowed) when it passes. Michigan has no statewide rule; each city or township sets its own, which is why Dearborn's answer differs from its neighbours'.
Who schedules the Dearborn inspection, and how far ahead?
The seller orders it from the Economic Development Department (Residential Sales); Schedule 'well in advance of closing'; inspections Mon-Fri 9-4; report and C of O valid 1 year from first inspection. Order it the week the listing goes live: a failed inspection with a two-week requeue is what blows a 30-day close.
Can the buyer take on the repairs in Dearborn?
If violations remain, seller and buyer may agree in the purchase agreement that buyer completes repairs; buyer obtains a city compliance agreement before closing, presented at closing in place of the C of O Confirm the current terms with the city before writing it into the purchase agreement.
Is this Dearborn information current?
It was read from Dearborn's own published requirements on October 27, 2026, and that source page is re-checked automatically every week. Cities change fees and forms without notice, so confirm with the Economic Development Department (Residential Sales) before you rely on it.
Point-of-sale and certificate-of-occupancy rules are local ordinances. Match Realty LLC compiles them from each municipality's own publications and does not guarantee completeness or accuracy. Always verify with the municipality. This page is general information from a licensed broker, not legal advice.