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Mackinac County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Mackinac County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Mackinac County Probate Court. The Michigan Trial Court Directory lists the court as Mackinac/Luce Probate District 6, court code PD6-2. |
| Courthouse address | Mackinac County Courthouse, 100 S. Marley Street, St. Ignace, MI 49781. The probate office is on the first floor of the courthouse. |
| Mailing address | No separate probate mailing address is published. Use the courthouse address. |
| Phone | (906) 643-7303 |
| Fax | No probate fax number is published on the court pages reviewed for this page. |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Filing fee | Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 for 2026, made up of the $150.00 commencement fee under MCL 600.880 plus the $25.00 electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes a separate inventory fee under MCL 600.871. |
| Local forms | The Mackinac County probate pages do not publish a separate local decedent-estate packet, cover sheet or checklist. Use the statewide SCAO probate forms. |
| E-filing | Mackinac County Probate Court is live on MiFILE for estates and trusts. Attorneys must use MiFILE. Self-represented filers may use MiFILE, but are not mandated users. |
| Case search | No public Mackinac County Probate Court case lookup is linked from the county probate pages. |
| Remote appearance | No Mackinac-specific remote-appearance instructions are published on the county probate pages. Uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed to use videoconferencing when allowed under MCR 5.140 and MCR 2.407. |
| Website | https://www.mackinaccounty.net/departments/courts/probate-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Mackinac County, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, titled property, accounts, beneficiaries and possible creditors. The right estate settlement path depends on what the estate owns, whether real estate is involved, whether someone needs letters of authority, and whether the case belongs at the St. Ignace probate counter under Michigan venue rules.
Sunset helps families organize that first inventory by searching across 2,300 financial institutions for accounts and assets. That asset picture makes it easier to choose between transfer by affidavit, assignment of property, informal probate, formal probate or a full estate settlement plan with a personal representative.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Mackinac County Probate Court serves decedent estates for people domiciled in Mackinac County at death, including communities such as St. Ignace, Mackinac Island, Naubinway, Moran, Rudyard, Hessel and Cedarville. If the decedent was not domiciled in Michigan, venue can be in a Michigan county where the decedent left property (MCL 700.3201).
Mackinac County is in the 6th Probate District with Luce County. The district shares a probate judge, but each county keeps its own probate register and courthouse counter. For a Mackinac County estate, file at the Mackinac County Courthouse in St. Ignace.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the local filing office. If venue is in Mackinac County under MCL 700.3201, use Mackinac County Probate Court at the Mackinac County Courthouse, 100 S. Marley Street, St. Ignace, MI 49781.
- Select the correct statewide SCAO form. Common starting points are PC 556 for assignment of property, PC 558 for informal probate and appointment of a personal representative, and PC 559 for formal probate and appointment before a judge.
- Use the right filing channel. Attorneys must use MiFILE for Mackinac County estates. Self-represented filers may use MiFILE, but are not mandated users, and should ask the probate register how the St. Ignace office wants any paper submission delivered or mailed.
- Pay the opening cost that fits the filing. Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 for 2026, based on MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. A petition for assignment of property has a $25.00 filing fee for 2026 under MCL 600.880, and the inventory fee still applies.
- Give required notices. On the informal track, written information of probate must be given within 28 days after informal probate is granted (MCL 700.3306). After appointment, the personal representative handles creditor notice under MCL 700.3801.
- Attend any hearing the court sets. Informal probate can be handled by the probate register when the statutory requirements are met. Formal proceedings and disputed matters go to a judge. Uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed to use videoconferencing when allowed under MCR 5.140 and MCR 2.407, but the court can require in-person attendance.
- Obtain letters of authority if a personal representative is appointed. The Michigan authority document is PC 572, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative. Certified copies cost $10.00 for certification plus $1.00 per page for 2026 under MCL 600.2546.
- Administer and close the estate. The personal representative gathers assets, deals with claims, files the inventory information due under MCR 5.307, distributes property and closes the estate through the appropriate SCAO closing form or court order.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Mackinac County
Michigan uses statewide SCAO probate forms for decedent estates. Mackinac County's probate pages discuss statewide PC forms, including PC 556, PC 558, PC 559, PC 565, PC 568, PC 569, PC 571 and PC 572, but they do not publish a separate local decedent-estate packet, cover sheet or checklist.
| Form | Use in Mackinac County |
|---|---|
| PC 556 | Petition and Order for Assignment, used for assignment of property under MCL 700.3982. |
| PC 598 | Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent, used for transfer by affidavit under MCL 700.3983. This form is not filed with the probate court. |
| PC 558 | Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative. |
| PC 559 | Petition for Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative, used for formal proceedings. |
| PC 565 | Testimony to Identify Heirs. |
| PC 571 | Acceptance of Appointment. |
| PC 572 | Letters of Authority for Personal Representative. |
| PC 577 | Inventory, Decedent Estate. |
| MC 97 or MC 97a | Protected personal identifying information forms, used when sensitive numbers should not appear on the public probate form. |
Local nuance
Mackinac County-specific considerations
Mackinac County is a two-county probate district county, which changes the name of the court but not the filing location. The Michigan Trial Court Directory lists Mackinac as Mackinac/Luce Probate District 6, court code PD6-2, and Luce as the partner county. Mackinac estates are still filed with the Mackinac County probate register in St. Ignace.
The county's own decedent-estate information page includes older dollar figures for some probate filings and small-estate information. For 2026 filing guidance, use the current statewide statutory amounts: $175.00 to open a decedent estate under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, $25.00 for assignment of property under MCL 600.880, plus any inventory fee under MCL 600.871.
Recent updates
| Update | What it means in Mackinac County |
|---|---|
| MiFILE status | Mackinac County Probate Court is listed in SCAO Chart 1C as a MiFILE probate court for estates and trusts, court code PD6-2. Attorneys must use MiFILE. Self-represented filers may use MiFILE, but are not mandated users. |
| Current statewide fee and threshold figures | The Mackinac County decedent-estate information page contains older dollar figures. Current 2026 statewide law sets the decedent-estate opening cost at $175.00 under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, and the 2026 assignment of property and transfer by affidavit amount is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982 and MCL 700.3983 as adjusted under MCL 700.1210. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Mackinac County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking title to the home and whether any assets actually need probate in Mackinac County. If letters of authority are needed, file in St. Ignace through the Mackinac County Probate Court. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and titled assets so the spouse can see whether probate is needed and what papers belong in the first filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the estate qualifies, transfer by affidavit under MCL 700.3983 or assignment of property under MCL 700.3982 may avoid full administration. If a court filing is needed, the Mackinac County office is in St. Ignace, and MiFILE is available. | Sunset helps gather asset information, generate the probate packet and coordinate local attorney help when travel is difficult. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of estate real property often requires a personal representative with letters of authority from Mackinac County Probate Court. The case may start informally with the probate register if the requirements are met, or formally before a judge if a court order is needed. | Sunset helps organize the estate settlement file, surface accounts and connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link or contact |
|---|---|---|
| Mackinac County Probate Court | Local probate office for Mackinac County estate filings, court hours, contact information and county probate pages. | https://www.mackinaccounty.net/departments/courts/probate-court/ |
| Michigan Trial Court Directory | State directory entry for the Mackinac/Luce Probate District 6 court record and courthouse contact details. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/trial-court-directory/ |
| SCAO Estates, Trusts, and Miscellaneous Probate Forms | Statewide probate forms used in Mackinac County, including opening, inventory, notice and closing forms. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
| Michigan Judiciary Inventory Fee Calculator | State tool for estimating the inventory fee owed under MCL 600.871. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/trial-courts/inventory-calculator/ |
| Michigan Legal Help | Plain-language Michigan probate information and guided tools, including small-estate and probate overviews. | https://michiganlegalhelp.org/ |
| Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie office | Legal aid office serving Luce, Chippewa and Mackinac counties. | 130 W. Spruce Street, P.O. Box 710, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. Phone: (906) 632-3361. Website: https://www.lsnm.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Consider talking with a Michigan probate attorney if the Mackinac County estate includes real estate that must be sold, a disagreement among heirs or devisees, a possible will contest, creditor problems, a missing heir, business interests, or a need for supervised administration. Counsel can also help an out-of-state personal representative use MiFILE and respond to court notices without unnecessary travel. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across 2,300 financial institutions to help families find bank, investment, retirement and insurance accounts that may belong in the Mackinac County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset list and family information into an organized probate packet using the right Michigan SCAO form set for the path selected.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal help, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted probate attorney who understands Michigan probate practice and Mackinac County filing logistics.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset is paid by partners, not by grieving families, and helps keep estate settlement moving from asset discovery through filing preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for a Mackinac County resident?
File with Mackinac County Probate Court at the Mackinac County Courthouse, 100 S. Marley Street, St. Ignace, MI 49781. Mackinac is part of the 6th Probate District with Luce County, but a Mackinac County estate is filed in St. Ignace.
Is Mackinac County Probate Court on MiFILE?
Yes. Mackinac County Probate Court is listed on MiFILE for estates and trusts as court code PD6-2. Attorneys must use MiFILE. Self-represented filers may use MiFILE, but are not mandated users.
Can I file a Mackinac County probate case by paper if I am not a lawyer?
Self-represented filers are not mandated MiFILE users in Mackinac County. Ask the probate register how the St. Ignace office wants any paper filing delivered or mailed before you send original documents.
How much does it cost to open a Mackinac County decedent estate?
For 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, made up of the $150.00 commencement fee under MCL 600.880 plus the $25.00 electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes a separate inventory fee under MCL 600.871.
Does Mackinac County have its own probate forms?
The Mackinac County probate pages do not publish a separate local decedent-estate packet, cover sheet or checklist. Use Michigan's statewide SCAO probate forms for decedent estates.
Can I look up a Mackinac County probate case online?
No public Mackinac County Probate Court case lookup is linked from the county probate pages. If you need status information, contact the probate register at (906) 643-7303.
Will my Mackinac County probate hearing be remote?
No Mackinac-specific remote-hearing instructions are published on the county probate pages. Under MCR 5.140 and MCR 2.407, uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed to use videoconferencing when the court allows it, but the court can require in-person attendance.
Do I have to travel to Newberry because Mackinac shares a probate district with Luce County?
No. The 6th Probate District shares a probate judge between Mackinac and Luce counties, but Mackinac County keeps its own probate register and filing counter in St. Ignace.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.