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Michigan County
Iosco County, Michigan
Au Sable River and Huron National Forest - from the Au Sable River (one of Michigan's most celebrated trout streams, the Au Sable flows through Iosco County to Lake Huron and is legendary among fly fishermen for its brown and brook trout - the annual Au Sable River Canoe Marathon is one of the longest and most grueling canoe races in the United States, drawing paddlers from across the country to the river's scenic corridor) to Huron National Forest (the national forest covers much of Iosco County's interior with jack pine and mixed northern forest, supporting hunting, ORV trails, and the habitat for the federally endangered Kirtland's warbler, one of North America's rarest songbirds).
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Office: Iosco County Emergency Management – 1716 South US 23, Tawas City, MI 48763 | (989) 362-3193.
Sheriff: Iosco County Sheriff’s Office – 428 W Lake St, Tawas City, MI 48763 | (989) 362-6164 | Fax: (989) 984-1103; Sheriff Scott D. Frank (30 years with the department across Dispatcher, Corrections Officer, K-9 Officer, and Jail Administrator roles); fingerprinting hours Mon-Fri 8 AM-8 PM, Sat-Sun 8 AM-5 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-23 (the “Sunrise Side Coastal Highway”) and M-55 serve Tawas City, the county seat, on Saginaw Bay/Lake Huron.
Notes: Iosco County was first organized as “Kanotin” in 1840 and reorganized under its current name in 1857. The county is genuinely about 71% water by surface area – a reflection of its extensive Lake Huron shoreline and inland lakes. Tawas City, settled in 1854, was the first city established on the shores of Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron north of Bay City.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Iosco County Building – 422 W. Lake Street, Tawas City, MI 48763.
Notes: Iosco County is genuinely home to Tawas Point State Park, nicknamed “The Cape Cod of the Midwest” for its narrow sand spit, windswept beaches, and Victorian-era maritime character on Tawas Bay. The park’s centerpiece, Tawas Point Lighthouse, completed in 1876, is the sole surviving example of a true Victorian-era lighthouse station on the entire Great Lakes – a predecessor structure (the 1853 Ottawa Point Lighthouse) had to be replaced after Lake Huron’s shifting sands extended the point nearly a mile. The park is also an internationally recognized “migrant trap” for songbirds, shorebirds, and raptors during spring and fall migration, drawing serious birders from across North America.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Iosco County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via iosco.net.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current Tawas City-area public library address/phone via iosco.net.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Tawas Point State Park and Lighthouse, the Iron Belle Trail (Alabaster Pathway & Tawas Bay Bike Path), and the Iosco County Historical Museum are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Cape Cod of the Midwest” nickname and the sole surviving Victorian-era Great Lakes lighthouse distinction are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Iosco County Equalization Office – confirm current contact via iosco.net.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Iosco County Humane Society & Animal Shelter – 3881 W M-55, Tawas City, MI 48763 | (989) 362-3170 | Email: [email protected]; a 2,500-square-foot facility (built 2003) with 8-16 dog kennels and 28 cat kennels, serving Iosco County, Tawas City, East Tawas, Whittemore, Oscoda, Hale, and Sandlake; Hours: Tue-Sat 12-4 PM, closed Sun/Mon.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Iosco County – confirm current contact via iosco.net.
NOTES: Iosco County is the second county in the sixth batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “Cape Cod of the Midwest” nickname and the sole surviving Victorian-era Great Lakes lighthouse distinction are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Iosco County
Iosco County is northeast Michigan’s Au Sable River trout fishing and Huron National Forest county – the legendary trout stream, the grueling canoe marathon, and the Kirtland’s warbler habitat in the jack pine forest define a county whose outdoor recreation identity draws anglers, paddlers, and birders to the Lake Huron shoreline of Michigan’s northeast Lower Peninsula.
Tawas City (the county seat, population ~1,800) is Iosco County’s governmental hub on Tawas Bay, with East Tawas serving as the commercial center for the county’s Lake Huron shoreline communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Iosco County Assessor at 422 Lake Street, Tawas City, MI 48763, phone 989-362-3497.
Courts & Legal
Iosco County Probate Court at 422 Lake Street, Tawas City, MI 48763, phone 989-362-3497, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
422 W. Lake St., Tawas City, MI 48763
(989) 362-3497
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Iosco County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Iosco County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Iosco County Probate Court Iosco County Building, 422 Lake Street, Tawas City, MI 48764 (989) 362-3991 Iosco County is on Michigan’s Lake Huron shore, seated in Tawas City.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Michigan probate is governed by the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC), MCL 700.1101 et seq.
Transfer by Affidavit (Small Estate Affidavit) – under MCL 700.3982/700.3983, available when the estate’s gross value (after funeral and burial expenses) doesn’t exceed a threshold that’s adjusted annually for inflation (roughly $50,000-$53,000 in recent years). No real estate can be involved. At least 28 days must pass after death before this affidavit can be used. The affidavit isn’t filed with the court; it’s presented directly to whoever holds the asset (a bank, for instance), along with a death certificate.
Petition and Order for Assignment (PC 556) – a small estate process for estates at or below the same statutory threshold, but this one CAN include real property. An heir or the person who paid the funeral bill files this petition with the probate court; the judge reviews and signs the order, and there’s a filing fee plus a statutory inventory fee based on estate value.
Informal Probate – the standard track for most estates above the small-estate threshold. Filed using Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative (PC 558); the court issues Letters of Authority (PC 573) to the personal representative without a hearing when the application is straightforward.
Formal/Supervised Administration – required when the will is contested, there’s a dispute over who should serve as personal representative, or the estate needs ongoing court supervision.
Step 2: filing for probate
Gather the death certificate, the will (if any), and an inventory of the decedent’s assets to determine which path fits.
File the appropriate petition or application with the Probate Court in the county where the decedent lived.
For informal probate, the court reviews the application and issues Letters of Authority appointing the personal representative, typically without a hearing.
The personal representative gathers and inventories assets, notifies and pays valid creditors, and – no earlier than 12 months after appointment – files a Sworn Closing Statement (PC 584) for informal probate, or a Petition for Complete Settlement (PC 585) followed by a court Order of Complete Settlement (PC 586) for formal administration.
What it costs
Michigan probate generally runs 7 to 18 months and costs roughly 3% to 7% of the estate’s value in typical cases.
Filing fees vary by petition type; a statutory inventory fee, set by MCL 600.871, is calculated based on the estate’s total value and applies to most probate filings.
Michigan does not require an attorney for probate, though many people use one for anything beyond a very simple estate.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
428 W. Lake St., Tawas City, MI 48763
(989) 362-6144
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
422 W. Lake St., Tawas City, MI 48763
(989) 362-3497
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — Northeast Region
(989) 362-3471
MyMichigan Medical Center Tawas
mymichigan.org (Tawas City — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Iosco County Health Department – confirm current phone via iosco.net.
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