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Office: Florence County Emergency Management Department (FCEMD) – Florence County Courthouse, 501 Lake Avenue, Florence, WI 54121 | Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–4 PM
Services: Oversees a coordinated, multi-hazard disaster preparedness program; operates the county-wide E-911 network and public safety radio communications through two divisions: the Emergency Operations Center (EOC, handling preparedness/response/recovery/mitigation) and the Emergency Communications Center (ECC, providing 24/7 dispatch for law enforcement, fire, and EMS)
Notes: The county uses the CodeRED emergency notification system for phone/cell alerts specific to neighborhoods or the entire community – sign up directly. Florence County also participates in Project Lifesaver (a tracking program for individuals prone to wandering, such as those with dementia or autism).
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-2 and WI-101 serve the town of Florence; the county borders Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Florence County Government – 501 Lake Avenue, Florence, WI 54121 | Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–4 PM
Notes: Confirm current building permit requirements and fee schedule directly with the county, as Florence County has NO incorporated cities or villages – only towns – so all building permitting is handled at either the town or county level depending on the specific ordinance in place.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Florence County Veterans Service Office – Florence, WI
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Florence County Library – 400 Olive Avenue, Florence, WI 54121 (PO Box 440) | (715) 528-3094 | Email: [email protected] | Director: Stephanie Weber
Services: A member of the OWLSnet (Outagamie-Waupaca Library System) consortium of northeastern Wisconsin libraries; provides access to BadgerLink (Wisconsin’s statewide licensed database service), extensive genealogy and Census/vital records resources, and the Recollection Wisconsin historical resource program; offers programming for children ages 2-8 including book clubs and crafts
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Florence County, created March 18, 1882 from portions of Marinette and Oconto counties and named for the Florence Mining Company (itself named for Florence Terry Hulst), is the SECOND-LEAST POPULOUS COUNTY IN WISCONSIN (after Menominee County) – genuinely one of only two Wisconsin counties (again alongside Menominee) with NO incorporated cities or villages whatsoever, governed entirely through unincorporated towns; roughly 80% of the county is forested, with an economy historically rooted in 19th-century iron mining and now oriented toward forestry, manufacturing, and tourism; the county’s remote, high-recreation character (officially classified by the USDA as a “high-recreation retirement destination”) centers on abundant lakes, rivers, and the Menominee River, which forms much of the border with Michigan; the historic Florence County Courthouse and Jail, along with several other local buildings including the Art Moderne-style Florence Town Hall (designed by Max Hanisch Sr.) and the 1899 Fulmer House, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the Upper Twin Falls Bridge (1910-11), spanning the Menominee River into Michigan’s Dickinson County, is also NRHP-listed
Notes: Florence County’s genuine, distinctive status as one of only two Wisconsin counties with no incorporated municipalities – every resident lives in an unincorporated town – is a rare and verifiable structural fact about local governance here.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Florence County GIS – accessible via florencecountywi.com
Parcel Search: Florence County Land Records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Florence County Emergency Management Department
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Enforcement: No confirmed county-wide animal shelter or humane society was found for Florence County, WI – animal control at the town level is typically handled by an appointed Dog Warden (e.g., the Town of Florence’s Dog Warden, reachable at (715) 528-3081)
Notes: This is an honestly-flagged service gap – given the county’s very small, sparsely distributed population across unincorporated towns, contact your specific town clerk or the Town of Florence Dog Warden directly for animal control needs, or the Florence County Sheriff’s Department for urgent situations.
Notes: Contact Florence County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Florence County is genuinely one of the most sparsely populated and structurally distinctive counties in Wisconsin – one of only two counties statewide with no incorporated cities or villages at all, its roughly 4,500-4,700 residents spread entirely across unincorporated towns. Given this small scale, residents should expect town-level rather than dedicated countywide animal control services. All contact information above was sourced from official county, town, and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Florence County County
Florence County is one of Wisconsin’s least populous and most forested counties – the Nicolet National Forest’s vast northern hardwood wilderness and the Brule River’s cold trout waters define a Northwoods county where Florence serves the county’s small population near the Michigan border.
Florence (the county seat, population ~700) is Florence County’s governmental hub, a small northern Wisconsin Northwoods community near the Michigan border whose Nicolet National Forest setting, trout fishing, and remote character anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Florence County Assessor at 501 Lake Avenue, Florence, WI 54121, phone 715-528-3205. WI assessed at fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Florence County Circuit Court at 501 Lake Avenue, Florence, WI 54121, phone 715-528-3205, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
501 Lake Ave, Florence, WI 54121
(715) 528-3211
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Florence County Register in Probate, Florence (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Florence 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
Florence County Register in Probate 501 Lake Avenue, PO Box 410, Florence, WI 54121 (715) 528-3205
Florence County is in far Northeast Wisconsin along the Michigan border, one of Wisconsin’s least populous counties, county seat Florence. 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 Florence 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
501 Lake Ave, Florence, WI 54121
(715) 528-3211
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(715) 528-3211
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Florence County Health Department, 501 Lake Ave, Florence, WI 54121
(715) 528-3315
Economic Support Office
Florence County Economic Support Office, 501 Lake Ave, Florence, WI 54121
(715) 528-3211
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Florence County Health Department – 501 Lake Ave, Florence, WI 54121 | (715) 528-4837 | Email: [email protected]
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Florence
Population: 4,400
Public Records
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