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.
Michigan · Lake Michigan Shore · #357 Most Populous County in the US
Muskegon County, Michigan
Muskegon - the Lake Michigan shore city that has transformed its post-industrial waterfront into one of the Great Lakes' premier outdoor recreation destinations. Muskegon Lake, the state's largest freshwater dunes, surfing waves on Lake Michigan, and a downtown revival that has made Muskegon one of Michigan's most compelling small-city reinvention stories. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Muskegon County residents.
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.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Muskegon County Emergency Management – 1903 Marquette Ave, Suite J101, Muskegon, MI 49442 | (231) 724-6341 | Email: [email protected]; Emergency Manager Renee Gavin; the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan was updated in March 2024.
Sheriff: Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office – 990 Terrace St, Muskegon, MI 49440 (headquarters); established 1859; Corrections Division operates the county jail at 980 Terrace St, Muskegon, MI 49440; Law Enforcement Operations (37 deputies) provides service to unincorporated townships and contracted villages, led by Captain Michael Herremans; a Partners in Neighborhood Safety Program (PINS) assigns dedicated deputies to Egelston, Fruitland, and Laketon Townships.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-31 and I-96 serve the City of Muskegon, the county seat, at the mouth of the Muskegon River on Lake Michigan; “Muskegon” derives from the Ottawa word “Masquigon” (or Mashkigong), meaning “marshy river” or “swamp.”
Notes: Muskegon carries several historical nicknames – “Lumbertown,” “Port City,” “Lumber Queen of the World,” and informally “Skeetown” – and is the largest city on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Muskegon County Courthouse – Muskegon, MI 49440.
Notes: Muskegon genuinely earned the unofficial title “Lumber Queen of the World” at the peak of its lumber production in 1887, reportedly boasting more millionaires per capita than any other American town during the boom, a legacy still visible in the Hackley & Hume Historic Site’s restored Queen Anne Victorian mansions. The city is home to the USS Silversides (SS-236), a WWII Gato-class submarine that served in the Pacific and is now a National Historic Landmark museum ship, alongside the USS LST 393 (a rare surviving WWII Landing Ship Tank that saw action at Omaha Beach on D-Day) and the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper, a former cross-lake car ferry that ran from 1941 to 1970. In the early 1900s, an actual Vaudeville actors’ colony formed in Muskegon’s Bluffton area, with legendary silent-film comedian Buster Keaton spending summers there.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Muskegon County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via co.muskegon.mi.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current Muskegon-area public library address/phone via co.muskegon.mi.us.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The USS Silversides Museum, USS LST 393 Veterans Museum, Hackley & Hume Historic Site, Pere Marquette Beach, and Michigan’s Adventure (the state’s largest amusement/water park) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Lumber Queen of the World” heritage and the National Historic Landmark USS Silversides are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Muskegon County GIS Department – confirm current contact via co.muskegon.mi.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Big Lake Humane Society & Community Animal Clinic (formerly Humane Society and Animal Rescue of Muskegon County) – 2640 Marquette Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49442 | (231) 773-8689 | Email: [email protected]; founded 1972 (originally sparked by a child struck by a car chasing a stray dog); moved to its current location in 1980; a 501(c)(3) serving Muskegon County and the broader West Michigan Lakeshore; operates a low-cost Community Animal Clinic and pet food pantry alongside its shelter; adopters must be 21+. Adoption fees: dogs/puppies $200, cats/kittens $100 (both include vaccinations, microchip, spay/neuter).
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Muskegon County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via co.muskegon.mi.us.
NOTES: Muskegon County is the seventh and final county in the ninth batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “Lumber Queen of the World” heritage and the National Historic Landmark USS Silversides 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 Muskegon County
Muskegon County is west Michigan’s Lake Michigan harbor city and USS Silversides county – the most decorated WWII submarine preserved on Lake Michigan’s shore and Muskegon Lake’s natural harbor with its Pere Marquette Beach define a county where Muskegon serves as Lake Michigan’s largest port city between Milwaukee and Grand Haven.
Muskegon (the county seat, population ~38,000) is Muskegon County’s governmental hub on US 31, a west Michigan Lake Michigan city whose Silversides submarine museum, Muskegon Lake harbor, Pere Marquette Beach, and Muskegon River salmon fishery anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Muskegon County Assessor at 990 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49442, phone 231-724-6386. MI assessed at 50% of true cash value.
Courts & Legal
Muskegon County Probate Court at 990 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49442, phone 231-724-6386, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
141 E. Apple Ave., Muskegon, MI 49442
(231) 724-6221
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Muskegon County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Muskegon 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
Muskegon County Probate Court Michael E. Kobza Hall of Justice, 990 Terrace Street, Suite 100, Muskegon, MI 49442 (231) 724-6329 Muskegon County is in western Michigan on Lake Michigan, seated in Muskegon.
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
990 Terrace St., Muskegon, MI 49442
(231) 724-6351
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
141 E. Apple Ave., Muskegon, MI 49442
(231) 724-6221
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — West Central Region
(231) 724-4000
Mercy Health Partners — Hackley
mercyhealth.com (Muskegon — quality regional hospital; Level II Trauma)
Office: Muskegon County Public Health – confirm current phone via co.muskegon.mi.us.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Muskegon
Population: 175,000
Area: 509 mi²
Established: 1859
Tier: 2
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Muskegon County residents.
