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Michigan · Northern Michigan · I-75 Corridor
Ogemaw County, Michigan
West Branch's outlet shopping and northern gateway — from the unexpected concentration of factory outlet stores that made West Branch an I-75 destination stop to the AuSable River's trout tributaries, Black Bear Golf Resort, and a Northern Michigan county where the I-75 corridor funnels Detroit-area families north every summer through a community that has capitalized on the traffic.
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: Ogemaw County Emergency Management – Coordinator Michael Bowers | (989) 701-5126; Hazard Mitigation Plan on file. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Ogemaw County EMS – 2872 Hansen Rd, West Branch, MI 48661 | (989) 345-4503; Director Gary Proctor.
Sheriff: Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Office – 806 W Wright St, West Branch, MI 48661 | (989) 345-3111 | Fax (989) 345-7400; Central Dispatch non-emergency (989) 345-9911; operates the county jail at 912 W. Houghton Ave, West Branch, MI 48661 | (989) 345-5908; also supports search-and-rescue and seasonal marine safety patrols. Admin hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM; fingerprinting Wednesdays 12-3 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-75, M-30, and M-55 serve West Branch, the county seat, at the crossroads of northeast Michigan; Ogemaw County was authorized in 1840 and organized in 1875, taking its name from an Ojibwe word meaning “chief.”
Notes: West Branch grew after the Michigan Central Railroad’s northerly extension was completed through the community in 1875, and today sits at the junction of I-75 exits 212 and 215.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Ogemaw County Building – West Branch, MI 48661.
Notes: Downtown “Victorian West Branch” is genuinely known for its well-preserved turn-of-the-century commercial architecture, giving the historic district its “Up North. Down Home.” civic motto. The county’s northeast side is home to the Rifle River State Recreation Area, a 4,449-acre former private hunting retreat once owned by Harry Mulford Jewett – president of the Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company, for whom the Jewett automobile brand was named – before Michigan’s Department of Conservation acquired the land (“Grousehaven”) in 1945 and the Parks Division formally established it as a state recreation area in 1963.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Ogemaw County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via ocmi.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current West Branch-area public library address/phone via ocmi.us.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Rifle River State Recreation Area, historic downtown Victorian West Branch, and the Ogemaw Hills Pathway (hiking and cross-country skiing) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine Jewett automobile connection to Rifle River State Recreation Area and Victorian West Branch’s preserved architecture are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Ogemaw County Equalization Department – confirm current contact via ocmi.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Rea Family Animal Shelter (formerly Ogemaw County Humane Society) – 1367 S. M-33, West Branch, MI 48661 | (989) 343-7387; a nonprofit shelter taking in unwanted and stray animals, providing medical care, and spay/neuter services before adoption. Hours: Mon-Fri 9 AM-4 PM, closed Sat/Sun.
Dog licensing (required countywide with current rabies certificate) is available through the Ogemaw County Treasurer’s Office and Rea Family Animal Shelter year-round; annual deadline February 28.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Ogemaw County – confirm current contact via ocmi.us.
NOTES: Ogemaw County is the fourth county in the tenth batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine Jewett automobile connection to Rifle River State Recreation Area and Victorian West Branch’s preserved architecture 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 Ogemaw County
Ogemaw County is north-central Michigan’s Rifle River and I-75 corridor outdoor recreation county – the spring-fed trout river and the inland lake cottage economy drawing downstate families define a community where West Branch serves the surrounding lake and forest recreational communities on Michigan’s main northern corridor.
West Branch (the county seat, population ~2,000) is Ogemaw County’s governmental hub on I-75, a north-central Michigan community whose Rifle River access, Rifle River Recreation Area, inland lakes, and I-75 position anchor its identity as a northern Michigan outdoor recreation gateway.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Ogemaw County Assessor at 806 W. Houghton Avenue, West Branch, MI 48661, phone 989-345-0215. MI assessed at 50% of true cash value.
Courts & Legal
Ogemaw County Probate Court at 806 W. Houghton Avenue, West Branch, MI 48661, phone 989-345-0215, handles estates and probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
806 W. Houghton Ave., West Branch, MI 48661
(989) 345-0215
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Ogemaw County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Ogemaw 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
Ogemaw County Probate Court 806 W. Houghton Avenue, West Branch, MI 48661 (989) 345-0145 Ogemaw County was founded 1840 (organized 1875), in north-central Michigan, seated in West Branch.
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 – Ogemaw County offers a Virtual Courtroom Live Stream.
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
806 W. Houghton Ave., West Branch, MI 48661
(989) 345-1440
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
806 W. Houghton Ave., West Branch, MI 48661
(989) 345-0215
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — Northeast Region
(989) 345-5100
MyMichigan Medical Center West Branch
mymichigan.org (West Branch — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: District Health Department #2 – confirm current phone via ocmi.us.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: West Branch
Population: 21,000
Area: 565 mi²
Established: 1875
Tier: 3
Public Records
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