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Michigan County
Isabella County, Michigan
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and Central Michigan University - from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's Isabella Reservation (the Isabella Indian Reservation in the heart of Mount Pleasant is home to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, and the tribe's Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort is one of Michigan's largest casino operations - the tribal nation's economic and cultural presence is central to Isabella County's identity and economy) to Central Michigan University (CMU's Mount Pleasant campus with over 20,000 students anchors the city's identity as a university town, providing healthcare, education, and research services that make Isabella County a regional hub for central Michigan).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Office: Isabella County Office of Emergency Management – 2008 East Preston Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 | (989) 773-6116; CodeRED emergency notification system available.
Isabella County Central Dispatch (911) – 2010 East Preston Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 | (989) 773-1000.
Sheriff: Isabella County Sheriff’s Office – 5270 East Remus Road, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 | (989) 772-5911 | Fax (989) 317-4272; Sheriff Michael Main (the county’s 42nd sheriff, appointed February 2016; previously Chief of Police for the Village of Shepherd and Emergency Manager for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe). Fingerprinting by appointment only: (989) 772-5911.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-127 and M-20 serve Mt. Pleasant, the county seat, in central Michigan.
Notes: Part of Mt. Pleasant lies within the Isabella Indian Reservation, home base of the federally recognized Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Isabella County Building – 200 N. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858.
Notes: Mt. Pleasant is genuinely nicknamed the “Oil Capital of Michigan” – in 1928, a major oil strike on the Lilly family farm (with Pure Oil Company subsequently acquiring roughly 100,000 acres of leases) confirmed that Michigan’s oil deposits extended across the broader Michigan Geological Basin rather than being isolated finds, sparking a genuine local boom; the city’s official seal still depicts an oil well alongside a Native American figure, wheat, and a graduation cap, and the local high school mascot remains “The Oiler.” An oil refinery operated at 600 W. Pickard Street from the 1930s into the early 1970s. Mount Pleasant is also home to Central Michigan University and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation’s Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, plus the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Isabella County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via isabellacounty.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current Mt. Pleasant-area public library address/phone via isabellacounty.org.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Central Michigan University’s campus, the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways, Soaring Eagle Casino, Resort, and Waterpark, and the Mount Pleasant Downtown Historic District are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Oil Capital of Michigan” heritage and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation’s cultural and economic presence are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Isabella County Equalization Office – confirm current contact via isabellacounty.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Isabella County Animal Control – located within the Sheriff’s Office, 5270 East Remus Road, Mt Pleasant, MI 48858 | (989) 773-9721; Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 AM-4 PM; handles dog licensing, animal cruelty reports, and animals-at-large complaints. For lost pets, contact HATS (Humane Animal Treatment Society) first, then Animal Control. Wildlife/at-large issues after hours: Central Dispatch (989) 773-1000.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Isabella County – confirm current contact via isabellacounty.org.
NOTES: Isabella County is the fourth county in the sixth batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “Oil Capital of Michigan” heritage and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation’s cultural and economic presence 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 Isabella County
Isabella County is central Michigan’s Saginaw Chippewa tribal nation and CMU university county – the Soaring Eagle Casino’s economic engine, the tribal nation’s cultural sovereignty, and Central Michigan University’s regional academic presence define a county whose unique combination of Indigenous governance and higher education gives it an identity distinct from its agricultural mid-Michigan neighbors.
Mount Pleasant (the county seat, population ~20,000) is Isabella County’s governmental, academic, and tribal hub, a central Michigan university city whose CMU campus and casino economy anchor the regional economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Isabella County Assessor at 200 N. Main Street, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858, phone 989-772-0911. MI assessed at 50% of true cash value.
Courts & Legal
Isabella County Probate Court at 200 N. Main Street, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858, phone 989-772-0911, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 N. Main St., Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
(989) 772-0911
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Isabella County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, headquartered in the county, is relevant to Native American genealogical research in the area.
Central Michigan University’s Clarke Historical Library, located in Mt. Pleasant, holds significant regional historical and genealogical collections.
Local societies
No dedicated Isabella County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories, though CMU’s Clarke Historical Library serves as a strong local resource.
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
Isabella County Probate Court (Trial Court, Probate Division) Isabella County Building, 300 N. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 (989) 772-0911
Isabella County is in central Michigan, seated in Mt. Pleasant, home to Central Michigan University and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
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
207 Court St., Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
(989) 773-1000
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
200 N. Main St., Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
(989) 772-0911
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — Central Region
(989) 773-5921
McLaren Central Michigan
mclaren.org (Mount Pleasant — quality regional hospital)
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Health
sagchip.org (Ziibiwing Center area — tribal health services)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Isabella County Health Department – confirm current phone via isabellacounty.org.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Mount Pleasant
Population: 70,000
Area: 574 sq mi
Established: 1831
Tier: 2
Public Records
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