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Michigan · Northern Michigan · Houghton Lake · Au Sable River Headwaters
Roscommon County, Michigan
Houghton Lake and the Au Sable headwaters — from Michigan's largest inland lake (Houghton Lake at 20,044 acres) to the Au Sable River's renowned trout fishing headwaters, the Higgins Lake State Park's crystal-clear deep lake, and a Northern Michigan county where Up North retirement and recreation have grown a modest community of year-round and seasonal residents on some of the region's finest water.
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: Roscommon County Emergency Management – 101 S 2nd Street, Roscommon, MI 48653 | (989) 275-8740; uses the Genasys ALERT system for emergency notifications (tornadoes, flooding, gas leaks); register at roscommon.genasys.com/portal/en/register.
Roscommon County Central Dispatch – non-emergency (989) 275-0911 | Fax (989) 275-3360.
Sheriff: Roscommon County Sheriff’s Office – 111 S. Second St / 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653 | (989) 275-5101 | Fax (989) 275-5843.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. County residents dependent on electric-powered medical equipment (e.g., home oxygen) can complete a Disaster Assistance Information Form with Central Dispatch for outage-related wellness checks.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-75 and US-127 serve Roscommon, the county seat; the county’s tagline is “Home of Michigan’s Other Great Lakes,” referencing its numerous large inland lakes.
Notes: Houghton Lake, in Roscommon County, is genuinely Michigan’s largest inland lake by surface area – roughly 20,044 acres with about 30 miles of shoreline (sometimes cited up to 72 miles including bays). The lake is named for Douglass Houghton, Michigan’s first state geologist; it was originally called “Roscommon Lake” before being renamed following his death. Houghton Lake is the headwaters for the Muskegon River.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Roscommon County Building and Courthouse – 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653 | (989) 275-3121.
Notes: Houghton Lake hosts Tip-Up-Town USA each January, billed as Michigan’s largest winter carnival, drawing thousands of ice-fishing and winter-sports enthusiasts to the frozen lake for contests and family events.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Roscommon County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via roscommoncounty.net.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current Roscommon-area public library address/phone via roscommoncounty.net.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Houghton Lake (Michigan’s largest inland lake), Tip-Up-Town USA winter carnival grounds, and the Houghton Lake Flats Flooding State Wildlife Management Area are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Michigan’s largest inland lake” distinction and Tip-Up-Town USA’s status as the state’s largest winter carnival are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Roscommon County Equalization Department – confirm current contact via roscommoncounty.net.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Roscommon County Animal Shelter and Animal Control – 1110 Short Dr, Prudenville, MI 48651 | (989) 366-0260 | Fax (989) 366-0380; a county-funded shelter serving Roscommon, Higgins Lake, St. Helen, Houghton Lake, Prudenville, and part of Gladwin County; primarily takes in stray animals and works to find them homes. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Roscommon County – confirm current contact via roscommoncounty.net.
NOTES: Roscommon County is the fourth county in the eleventh batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “Michigan’s largest inland lake” distinction and Tip-Up-Town USA’s status as the state’s largest winter carnival 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 Roscommon County
Roscommon County is Michigan’s dual great lake county – one of the most beautiful lakes in the world by National Geographic and Michigan’s largest inland lake both within one county’s borders define a north-central Michigan destination where Roscommon serves the surrounding lake resort communities between I-75 and the Au Sable River headwaters.
Roscommon (the county seat, population ~1,100) is Roscommon County’s governmental hub on I-75, a north-central Michigan community whose Higgins Lake and Houghton Lake gateway position, Au Sable River headwaters, and lake resort economy anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Roscommon County Assessor at 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653, phone 989-275-5923. MI assessed at 50% of true cash value.
Courts & Legal
Roscommon County Probate Court at 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653, phone 989-275-5923, handles estates and probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
500 Lake St., Roscommon, MI 48653
(989) 275-5923
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Roscommon County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Roscommon 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
Roscommon County Probate Court 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653 Roscommon County is in north-central Michigan, seated in Roscommon.
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
500 Lake St., Roscommon, MI 48653
(989) 275-5101
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
500 Lake St., Roscommon, MI 48653
(989) 275-5923
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — Northeast Region
(989) 275-4100
Houghton Lake Health Center
mymichigan.org (Houghton Lake — quality community health services)
MyMichigan Medical Center West Branch
mymichigan.org (West Branch — accessible regional hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: District Health Department #10 – confirm current phone via roscommoncounty.net.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Roscommon
Population: 24,000
Area: 521 mi²
Established: 1875
Tier: 3
Public Records
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