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 · Great Lakes Bay Region · #337 Most Populous County in the US
Saginaw County, Michigan
Michigan's Great Lakes Bay Region anchor - from Saginaw's automotive and chemical manufacturing heritage and the Saginaw River to Frankenmuth's Bavarian village charm and famous chicken dinners, Birch Run's premium outlet center, and the county's agricultural Saginaw Valley sugarbeet heritage. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Saginaw 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.
Saginaw County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Saginaw County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) – a division of the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office reporting directly to the Board Chair; Emergency Manager Mark Przybylski; Email: [email protected] | (989) 790-5500; recently launched a preparedness contact network for local houses of worship. Saginaw-Alert opt-in mass notification system available for emergency incidents and road closures.
Saginaw County 9-1-1 Central Dispatch – non-emergency (989) 797-4580 (text 911 also supported); do not email dispatch requests.
Sheriff: Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office – 311 S. Harrison Street, Saginaw, MI 48602 | (989) 790-5400 | Emergency line (989) 790-5456 | Jail Shift Commander (989) 790-5432; Sheriff William L. Federspiel; serves roughly 200,000 residents across 810 square miles; the Saginaw County Jail houses about 511 inmates daily; contracts services to MBS Airport, Juvenile Courts, Kochville DDA, Spaulding Township, and U.S. facilities. Hours: Mon-Thu 8 AM-6 PM (summer hours).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-675, I-75, and US-10 serve the City of Saginaw, the county seat, on the Saginaw River.
Notes: Saginaw’s early economy was built on lumber (waste from sawmills fed a local salt-brine industry), followed in the early 1900s by sugar beet processing, coal mining (11 mines employing 1,500 people by 1903), and early automobile manufacturing – the Ranier (1905), Argo Electric (1910), and Yale Eight (1916) were all built in Saginaw.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Saginaw County Governmental Center – 111 S. Michigan Ave, Saginaw, MI 48602.
Notes: Saginaw is genuinely the birthplace of music legend Stevie Wonder (born Steveland Hardaway Judkins, May 13, 1950, at St. Mary’s Hospital), though he moved to Detroit with his mother at age four and was later discovered and signed to Motown. A commemorative plaque was placed in 2005 near the former site of “The Big House” at 1314 N. 5th Avenue, where he spent part of his early childhood. Saginaw also has a rich sculpture heritage, home to the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, showcasing the 70-year career of the Detroit-based sculptor.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Saginaw County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via saginawcountymi.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current Saginaw-area public library address/phone via saginawcountymi.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, the Stevie Wonder historical marker, and the Saginaw Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine Stevie Wonder birthplace connection is one of the most nationally recognized local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Saginaw County Equalization Department – confirm current contact via saginawcountymi.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Saginaw County Animal Care & Control (SCACC) – 1312 Gratiot Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48602 | (989) 797-4500; holds legal custodial responsibility for stray animals and enforces animal cruelty laws countywide; arrive 30 minutes before closing for adoptions. Hours: Mon-Thu 8 AM-4:30 PM, Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
Humane Society of Saginaw County, Inc. (HSoSC) – Freeland, MI | (989) 501-8672 | Email: [email protected]; an independent, all-volunteer 501(c)(3) founded in 1909, entirely foster-based with no physical shelter; a separate organization from SCACC, focused on rescue/rehabilitation, low/no-cost spay-neuter for low-income residents, and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Saginaw County – confirm current contact via saginawcountymi.gov.
NOTES: Saginaw County is the fifth county in the eleventh batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine Stevie Wonder birthplace connection is one of the most nationally recognized 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 Saginaw County
Saginaw County is Michigan’s twelfth most populous county and the 337th most populous in the United States, covering 809 square miles of the Saginaw River valley and Saginaw Bay shoreline in east-central Michigan.
Saginaw (population ~44,000, the county seat) is a post-industrial city with deep roots in Michigan’s automotive and chemical manufacturing economy. Dow Chemical (now Dow Inc.) traces its origins to Saginaw Valley’s brine wells – Herbert Dow began his chemical company in Midland (adjacent Bay County) using Saginaw Bay brine, and Saginaw became central to the broader chemical corridor. General Motors maintained significant manufacturing operations in Saginaw for decades. The city has faced significant population decline and economic challenges following deindustrialization.
Frankenmuth (population ~5,000) is Saginaw County’s most distinctive community – a Bavarian-themed tourist destination that draws over 3 million visitors annually, making it Michigan’s most-visited tourist attraction. German Lutheran immigrants from Franconia settled Frankenmuth in 1845, and the community has amplified its heritage into a remarkable tourism economy. Zehnder’s Restaurant and the Bavarian Inn Restaurant – rival family-owned establishments serving traditional chicken dinners to tens of thousands weekly – are the anchors. Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland – the world’s largest Christmas store, with 98,000 square feet of Christmas merchandise and 260 decorated Christmas trees – operates year-round and is one of Michigan’s top tourist destinations.
Birch Run anchors the county’s Interstate 75 corridor – home to the Birch Run Premium Outlets (one of Michigan’s largest outlet mall complexes) that draws regional shoppers from across the Great Lakes Bay Region.
The Saginaw Valley is one of Michigan’s most productive agricultural regions – sugarbeets (processed at the Michigan Sugar Company’s facilities) and dry beans are major crops, making Saginaw County central to Michigan’s agricultural economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Michigan assesses at 50% of true cash value (SEV) with Proposal A’s taxable value cap limiting annual taxable value increases to 5% or inflation for established owners. New buyers face taxable value uncapping at SEV upon purchase.
The appeal process: File with the Saginaw County Board of Review in March. If dissatisfied, appeal to the Michigan Tax Tribunal by July 31. Principal Residence Exemption (PRE): File with local assessor by June 1. No MI estate or inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: Saginaw County Board of Review: March. Michigan Tax Tribunal: July 31. Frankenmuth tourism market stable; suburban Saginaw steady. No MI estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Saginaw County Board of Review: March. Michigan Tax Tribunal: July 31. Frankenmuth tourism market stable; suburban Saginaw steady. No MI estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Probate Court: The Saginaw County Probate Court at 111 S. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48602, phone 989-790-5340, handles wills, estate administration, and guardianships.
Circuit Court: The Saginaw County Circuit Court handles major civil and criminal matters.
Register of Deeds: The Saginaw County Register of Deeds at 111 S. Michigan Avenue, phone 989-790-5270, maintains real property records. Land records searchable online.
Senior Services
The Saginaw County Commission on Aging at 5400 N. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48604, phone 989-758-1681, serves the county’s senior population with in-home services, caregiver support, nutrition programs, and transportation. Covenant Healthcare and Ascension St. Mary’s provide significant geriatric care.
Recommended
Assisted living, memory care, and independent living across Saginaw County - from Saginaw and Frankenmuth to Birch Run, Bridgeport, and the Saginaw River communities.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
111 S. Michigan Ave., Saginaw, MI 48602
(989) 790-5251
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Saginaw County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Saginaw 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
Saginaw County Probate Court Saginaw County Courthouse, 111 S. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48602 (989) 790-5279 Saginaw County is in east-central Michigan, seated in Saginaw.
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
618 Cass St., Saginaw, MI 48602
(989) 790-5480
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
111 S. Michigan Ave., Saginaw, MI 48602
(989) 790-5251
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — Saginaw Region
(989) 758-1600
Ascension St. Mary's Hospital
ascension.org (Saginaw — quality regional hospital; Level II Trauma)
Office: Saginaw County Health Department – confirm current phone via saginawcountymi.gov.
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.
Recommended for Michigan
Ownwell
Property tax appeal service. Contingency fee - no savings, no charge.
