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Michigan · West-Central Michigan · Muskegon River Country
Osceola County, Michigan
Reed City's crossroads and the Muskegon River corridor — from Reed City's position where US-10 and US-131 intersect to make it a natural north-south/east-west travel hub to the Muskegon River's productive trout and salmon fishing through the county's forested terrain, and a small central Michigan county of farms, rivers, and forest that anchors the transition between agricultural southwest Michigan and the northern lake country.
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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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Osceola County Emergency Management – 22054 Professional Drive, Ste. B, Reed City, MI 49677 | (231) 832-6172 | Email: [email protected]; Director Mark Watkins. Hours: Mon-Fri 9 AM-5 PM.
Meceola Central Dispatch – for an active emergency, call 911.
Sheriff: Osceola County Sheriff’s Department – 325 W. Upton, Reed City, MI 49677 | (231) 832-2288 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Mark Cool; walk-in services available Mon-Fri 9 AM-4 PM (valid ID required); K-9 program donations accepted.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-131 and US-10 intersect near Reed City, the county seat, on the Hersey River – earning it the local motto “Your Crossroads Community on the Path to Progress.”
Notes: Osceola County was originally established by the Michigan Legislature on April 1, 1840 as Unwattin County, named for Chief Unwattin of the local Ottawa people, who took part in negotiating the 1836 Treaty of Washington. The name was changed on March 8, 1843 to Osceola, honoring the famous Seminole chief who gained renown resisting removal in Florida – a naming choice unrelated to any local Michigan history.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Osceola County Courthouse – Reed City, MI 49677.
Notes: The county’s original name, Unwattin, and its subsequent 1843 renaming for the unrelated Seminole leader Osceola, is a distinctive piece of Michigan county-naming history.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Osceola County Veterans Affairs – Friend of the Court/general county offices at 301 W. Upton Ave, Reed City, MI 49677; confirm current contact via osceola-county.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Evart Public Library – 104 N Main St, Evart, MI | (231) 734-5542.
LeRoy Community Public Library – 104 W Gilbert St, LeRoy, MI | (231) 768-4493.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Hersey River corridor through Reed City and the county’s rural crossroads communities (Evart, LeRoy, Hersey, Tustin) are the county’s local points of interest.
Notes: The genuine Unwattin-to-Osceola county naming history is a distinctive local fact covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Osceola County Equalization Department – GIS parcel maps available; confirm current contact via osceola-county.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Osceola County Animal Control – 502 N. Savidge Street, Reed City, MI 49677 | (231) 832-5790 | Email: [email protected]; Director Michelle Kuz; a small rural county shelter that also assists low-income pet owners with spay/neuter referrals and hosts a weekly low-cost cat spay/neuter clinic. Hours: Mon-Fri 11 AM-5 PM, weekends/holidays by special appointment.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Osceola County – Recycle of Reed City tire/electronics collection events and periodic Clean Sweep/Household Hazardous Waste Disposal events (jointly with Lake and Mecosta Counties); confirm current schedule via osceola-county.org.
NOTES: Osceola County is the sixth county in the tenth batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine Unwattin-to-Osceola county naming history is a distinctive local fact covered 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 Osceola County
Osceola County is north-central Michigan’s Muskegon River and Old Time Music Festival county – the river’s fishing and canoeing through northern Michigan forest and Evart’s unexpected status as a premier destination for traditional Appalachian dulcimer and fiddle music define a county where Reed City serves the surrounding forest and recreational communities.
Reed City (the county seat, population ~2,400) is Osceola County’s governmental hub on US 131, a north-central Michigan community whose Muskegon River access, Evart music festival, and forested recreational economy anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Osceola County Assessor at 301 W. Upton Avenue, Reed City, MI 49677, phone 231-832-6113. MI assessed at 50% of true cash value.
Courts & Legal
Osceola County Probate Court at 301 W. Upton Avenue, Reed City, MI 49677, phone 231-832-6193, handles estates and probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
301 W. Upton Ave., Reed City, MI 49677
(231) 832-6115
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Osceola/Mecosta Probate Court, Probate District 18 (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Osceola 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
Osceola/Mecosta Probate Court (Probate District 18) 410 W. Upton Avenue, Reed City, MI 49677 (231) 832-6155
Osceola County is in west-central Michigan, seated in Reed City. Its probate court operates jointly with Mecosta County as Probate District 18.
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
301 W. Upton Ave., Reed City, MI 49677
(231) 832-2288
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
301 W. Upton Ave., Reed City, MI 49677
(231) 832-6115
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) 832-7233
Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital
spectrumhealthreedcity.org (Reed City — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Central Michigan District Health Department – (231) 832-5532 / (231) 832-5300.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Reed City
Population: 24,000
Area: 577 mi²
Established: 1869
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Osceola County residents.
