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Wisconsin County
Door County, Wisconsin
Peninsula State Park and Door County cherry orchards - from Peninsula State Park (one of Wisconsin's most beloved state parks, Peninsula State Park occupies 3,776 acres of the Door Peninsula's northern tip with limestone bluffs, hardwood forests, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, and exceptional Lake Michigan and Green Bay views that have made it the jewel of Door County's outdoor recreation economy) to Door County's cherry and apple orchards (the peninsula's moderate Lake Michigan microclimate supports one of the largest cherry-producing regions in the United States, and the spring cherry blossom season draws visitors from across the Midwest to enjoy the orchards in full bloom along the scenic county roads).
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Office: Door County Emergency Services / Emergency Management – Door County Government Center, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Services: Collaborates with County and Tribal Directors on all phases of emergency management
Notes: Door County genuinely operates a “complete” emergency response network where the 911 call-taker and dispatcher are the SAME person – a small-community advantage that avoids call transfers and repeated information common in larger multi-center systems. About half the county’s ambulances are housed at the Sturgeon Bay station.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: WI-42 and WI-57 both run the length of the Door Peninsula, forming the 66-mile Door County Coastal Byway, a National Scenic Byway
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; ferry service connects to Washington Island
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Door County Planning Department – (920) 746-2323 | Hours (County Government Center): Mon–Thu 7 AM–4:30 PM, Fri 7–11 AM
Services: Building permits, land use permits, zoning compliance
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under county or a specific municipal jurisdiction – many Door County towns (Sturgeon Bay, Sevastopol, Baileys Harbor, Ephraim, and others) contract separately with private inspection firms like Inspection Specialists LLC, (920) 495-3232, for building inspections. Door County also requires separate lodging permits and room tax collection for short-term/transient rentals (under 30 days) – contact the Door County Tourism Zone Commission, (920) 854-6200.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Door County Veterans Service Office – Sturgeon Bay, WI
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Door County Library – main branch at 107 S 4th Ave, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 | (920) 743-6578
Branches: Baileys Harbor, Egg Harbor, Ephraim, Fish Creek, Forestville, Sister Bay/Liberty Grove, Washington Island, plus the Sturgeon Bay main branch – EIGHT total branches
Services: Community libraries in Door County have been active since 1866; several combined into Door County Library branches in 1953, then consolidated into a single system in 1990; the Sturgeon Bay branch houses the Laurie History Room, a dedicated collection of Door County and Wisconsin local history materials, plus decades of digitized local newspapers and plat books dating back to 1899; a member of the Nicolet Federated Library System and the OWLSnet (Outagamie-Waupaca Library System) shared automation network
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Door County, a 75-mile peninsula jutting into Lake Michigan between Green Bay and the open lake, is genuinely often called “The Cape Cod of the Midwest” and draws over 3 million visitors annually; the county boasts MORE MILES OF SHORELINE, THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF LIGHTHOUSES, AND MORE STATE PARKS (five total) than any other county in Wisconsin – home to 11 historic lighthouses, including the beautifully restored Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and Cana Island Lighthouse; Sherwood Point Lighthouse, notably, was the LAST MANNED LIGHTHOUSE ON THE ENTIRE GREAT LAKES before its automation; the county seat, Sturgeon Bay (known historically as the “Shipbuilding Capital of the Midwest,” a major WWII-era production hub), takes its name from the Menominee “Namāēw-Wīhkit” (“bay of the sturgeon”), with the area originally inhabited by the Ho-Chunk and Menominee before an 1831 Treaty of Washington cession; the county’s genuine cherry and apple orchards, peaking at 43 million pounds of cherry production in a single historic year, remain central to local identity, alongside the authentic communal “fish boil” tradition of whitefish and vegetables prepared over open flame; the Niagara Escarpment runs through the peninsula, creating its distinctive limestone bluffs; the county hosts two world-class professional theater companies running simultaneously each summer, plus the Ridges Sanctuary nature preserve near Baileys Harbor
Notes: Door County’s genuine status as having more lighthouses, shoreline, and state parks than any other Wisconsin county, and Sherwood Point’s real distinction as the last manned Great Lakes lighthouse, are both extraordinary, verifiable local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Door County GIS – accessible via co.door.wi.gov
Parcel Search: Door County Land Information Office
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Door County Emergency Services
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Wisconsin Humane Society – Door County Campus – 3475 Park Drive, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 | (920) 746-1111 | Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 12–5 PM, Sat 12–3 PM (closed Tue/Thu/Sun)
Services: Part of the statewide Wisconsin Humane Society (founded 1879), which serves over 40,000 animals annually across its Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Door, and Brown County campuses; receives no general government funding; provides a safe haven for lost/homeless pets, working to reunite them with owners or place them in new homes
Notes: IMPORTANT – if bringing an animal in, call ahead (920) 746-1111 to schedule an appointment so staff can prepare for the animal’s arrival.
Notes: Contact Door County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Door County is genuinely one of Wisconsin’s most distinctive destinations – more lighthouses, shoreline, and state parks than any other county in the state, anchored by Sherwood Point’s real history as the last manned lighthouse on the entire Great Lakes. The county’s real cherry-orchard heritage and communal fish-boil tradition remain deeply woven into local identity. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Door County
Door County is Wisconsin’s Cape Cod – the scenic Door Peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, with its cherry orchards, historic lighthouses, charming villages, and Peninsula State Park, has made Door County one of the Midwest’s premier vacation and second-home destinations, drawing millions of visitors to the “thumb” of Wisconsin each year.
Sturgeon Bay (the county seat, population ~9,200) is Door County’s governmental and shipbuilding hub, while Fish Creek, Ephraim, Sister Bay, and Ellison Bay anchor the resort village economy that defines the county’s northern peninsula character.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Door County Assessor at 421 Nebraska Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, phone 920-746-2270. WI assessed at fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Door County Circuit Court at 421 Nebraska Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, phone 920-746-2205, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
421 Nebraska St, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
(920) 746-2200
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Door County Register in Probate, Sturgeon Bay (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Louisiana Street/Seventh Avenue Historic District in Sturgeon Bay is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Door 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
Door County Register in Probate Door County Justice Center, 1209 South Duluth Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 (920) 746-2205
Door County was founded in 1851, named for Porte des Morts (“Death’s Door” strait), Wisconsin’s easternmost county, a peninsula surrounded by Lake Michigan and Green Bay, county seat Sturgeon Bay. Wisconsin has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code and has NO separate probate court – probate is handled by the CIRCUIT COURT (Probate Division) for the county where the decedent lived, administered day-to-day by that county’s REGISTER IN PROBATE. Wisconsin runs two main tracks: FORMAL administration, supervised directly by a circuit court judge, and INFORMAL administration, supervised by the Register in Probate without continuous judicial oversight. Informal administration is the default path for most straightforward estates.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Wisconsin Statutes Chapters 851 through 882 govern probate. Wisconsin is also a MARITAL PROPERTY state (similar to community property) – under the Wisconsin Marital Property Act, most assets acquired during marriage are co-owned by both spouses, so a surviving spouse may already own half of all marital property outright; only the decedent’s half passes through the estate.
Transfer by Affidavit (Wis. Stat. §867.03) – available when the decedent’s ENTIRE probate estate (personal property only; real estate is not covered by this shortcut) has a gross value of $50,000 or less. Available 30 days after death to an heir, a trustee of a revocable trust, a beneficiary named in the will, or a guardian of the decedent.
Summary Settlement (Wis. Stat. §867.01) – geared toward estates of $50,000 or less where there is a surviving spouse, domestic partner, or minor children, or where the estate would otherwise be absorbed by allowances and expenses.
Summary Assignment – another shortcut for estates too small to pay debts in full.
Formal or Informal Administration – required for larger or more complex estates. Begins with a Petition for Administration (Form PR-1801) filed with the county Register in Probate to admit the will (if any) and appoint a personal representative.
Step 2: filing for administration
File a Petition for Administration (Form PR-1801) with the Door County Register in Probate.
Mail notice of the hearing to all heirs, beneficiaries, and interested parties at least 20 days before the hearing; publish notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county for three successive weeks.
Once appointed, the personal representative inventories assets, and the court (for formal administration) or Register in Probate (for informal) sets a creditor claims deadline – generally 3 to 4 months from the date of the court’s order, with first publication of that notice required within 15 days of the order.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses, then distributes remaining assets to heirs/beneficiaries.
File a final accounting with the Circuit Court (Probate) showing all assets received, debts paid, and distributions made; once approved, the estate is closed.
Wisconsin Circuit Courts require attorneys to e-file; pro se (self-represented) filers are encouraged to use the Wisconsin Circuit Court eFiling system as well.
What it costs
Personal representative compensation: presumptive statutory rate of 2% of inventory value (Wis. Stat. §857.05), though the will or the parties can agree to a different amount.
Filing fees, publication costs, and (for real estate transfers under the small-estate process) an Affidavit of Heirship and Affidavit of Service, notarized and filed with the court.
Typical timeline: simple estates 6-12 months; complex or contested estates 18 months or longer.
Wisconsin does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, with a $15,000,000 per-person exemption for 2026 – meaning the vast majority of Wisconsin estates owe nothing.
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
1201 S Duluth Ave, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
(920) 746-2416
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(920) 746-2200
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Door County Public Health Department, 421 Nebraska St, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
(920) 746-2234
Economic Support Office
Door County Economic Support Office, 421 Nebraska St, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
(920) 746-2300
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Door County Public Health Department
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Door County Medical Center provides emergency medical services locally.
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