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Michigan County
Sanilac County, Michigan
Port Sanilac lighthouse and Michigan Thumb agriculture - from the Port Sanilac Lighthouse (the 1886 lighthouse on Lake Huron's western shore is one of Michigan's most photographed historic lighthouses, and Port Sanilac's small harbor community preserves one of the Thumb's most picturesque lakeside villages) to Sanilac County's intensive Thumb agricultural economy (the county's flat to gently rolling lake plain soils support sugar beet, dry bean, corn, and soybean production that makes Sanilac County one of the Michigan Thumb's most productive agricultural counties - the sugar beet harvest each fall is one of the region's most significant agricultural events).
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Office: Sanilac County Emergency Management – 95 Dawson Street, Sandusky, MI 48471 | (810) 648-8357.
Sheriff: Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office – 65 North Elk Street, Sandusky, MI 48471 | (810) 648-2000 | Fax (810) 648-5162 | Website: sanilacsheriff.org; Sheriff Rich (elected November 2020, took office January 1, 2021 as the county’s 28th Sheriff); operates a Marine Patrol Unit and a volunteer mounted Sheriff’s Posse supporting search and rescue.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: M-19 and M-46 serve Sandusky, the county seat, in Michigan’s Thumb region.
Notes: Sanilac County was heavily affected by the catastrophic Thumb Fire of 1881, a massive forest fire that swept the region and killed roughly 400 people – part of a series of “Great Thumb Fires” between 1871 and 1881.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Sanilac County Courthouse – 60 W. Sanilac Avenue, Sandusky, MI 48471 | (810) 648-3250 | Fax (810) 648-3271.
Notes: Sanilac County is genuinely home to the Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park near Cass City, protecting Michigan’s largest and only known collection of ancient Native American rock carvings (called ezhibiigaadek asin, “written on stone,” in Anishinaabemowin). Carved into an outcrop of Marshall sandstone along the Cass River, the carvings are believed to date to roughly 300-1,400 years ago, depicting archers, animals, and spiritual symbols significant to Great Lakes Anishinaabe culture. Ironically, they were uncovered by settlers only after the devastating 1881 Thumb Fire burned away the overgrowth that had concealed them for generations. The 240-acre park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is jointly managed by the Michigan DNR, the Michigan History Center, and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Sanilac County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via sanilaccounty.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Sandusky District Library – (810) 648-2644.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park is the county’s premier and most historically significant attraction.
Notes: The genuine “written on stone” petroglyphs – Michigan’s only known ancient rock carvings, revealed by the 1881 Thumb Fire – are among the most historically remarkable local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Sanilac County Equalization Department – confirm current contact via sanilaccounty.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Sanilac County Animal Control Shelter – 35 South Campbell Road, Sandusky, MI 48471 | (810) 648-4831; a small rural county shelter with only 14 dog kennels and 6 cat cages, staffed by two full-time animal control officers; due to limited space and funding, not all animals can be placed and euthanasia may occur. Dog licensing through the Sanilac County Treasurer’s Office, (810) 648-2127.
Sanilac County Humane Society – 3847 W Sheldon Street, P.O. Box 27, Carsonville, MI 48419 | (810) 657-8962 | Email: [email protected]; a separate small-scale, volunteer-based, no-kill rescue organization (not affiliated with national Humane Society organizations); accepts adoptable cats and dogs with prior approval based on availability. Hours: Mon-Tue/Thu-Fri 11 AM-3 PM, Wed 1-6 PM, closed Sat/Sun.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Sanilac County – confirm current contact via sanilaccounty.gov.
NOTES: Sanilac County is the sixth county in the eleventh batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “written on stone” petroglyphs – Michigan’s only known ancient rock carvings, revealed by the 1881 Thumb Fire – are among the most historically remarkable 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 Sanilac County
Sanilac County is the Michigan Thumb’s Port Sanilac lighthouse and sugar beet farming county – the historic Lake Huron lighthouse at Port Sanilac and the county’s intensive sugar beet and bean farming economy define a Thumb-region county whose Lake Huron shoreline and productive agriculture characterize life in this remote northeastern corner of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
Sandusky (the county seat, population ~2,700) is Sanilac County’s governmental hub while Croswell and Lexington serve as additional commercial centers along the Lake Huron shoreline.
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Sanilac County Assessor at 60 W. Sanilac Road, Sandusky, MI 48471, phone 810-648-2313. MI assessed at 50% of true cash value.
Courts & Legal
Sanilac County Probate Court at 60 W. Sanilac Road, Sandusky, MI 48471, phone 810-648-2212, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
60 W. Sanilac Ave., Sandusky, MI 48471
(810) 648-3212
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Sanilac County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Sanilac 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
Sanilac County Probate Court Sanilac County Courthouse, 60 W. Sanilac Avenue, Sandusky, MI 48471 Sanilac County is in Michigan’s eastern Thumb region, seated in Sandusky.
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
65 N. Elk St., Sandusky, MI 48471
(810) 648-2000
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
60 W. Sanilac Ave., Sandusky, MI 48471
(810) 648-3212
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — East Region
(810) 648-4640
McKenzie Health System
mckenziehealth.org (Sandusky — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Sanilac County Health Department – confirm current phone via sanilaccounty.gov.
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Sandusky
Population: 41,000
Area: 963 sq mi
Established: 1848
Tier: 3
Public Records
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