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Roscommon County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Roscommon County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Roscommon County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Roscommon County Building, 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653 |
| Mailing address | The court does not publish a separate mailing address. Use 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653. |
| Phone | (989) 275-5221 |
| Fax | (989) 275-8537 |
| [email protected]. The court asks people who email to call (989) 275-5221 to follow up if they do not hear back in a timely manner. | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Filing fee | Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 as of August 2026, made up of a $150.00 fee (MCL 600.880) plus a $25.00 electronic filing system fee (MCL 600.1986). The estate also owes an inventory fee based on estate value (MCL 600.871). |
| Local forms | No Roscommon decedent-estate cover sheet or local packet is published. Use the statewide SCAO probate forms. |
| E-filing | Roscommon County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. File through the probate register by the method the court accepts for your papers. |
| Case lookup | No online case lookup for Roscommon probate matters is published. Call (989) 275-5221 to ask about an estate file. |
| Remote appearance | No Roscommon-specific remote-hearing instructions are published. Uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, subject to the court's directions under MCR 2.407. |
| Online payment | The court links to AllPaid and instructs probate filers to search PLC a000x2 for Roscommon Probate Court. Do not use the probate payment link for traffic or DNR tickets. |
| Website | Roscommon County Probate Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Roscommon filing path, make a practical list of the decedent's assets, debts, jointly held property, beneficiary designations, funeral expenses and any real estate. That first inventory drives estate settlement because the probate register, a bank, a title company or a buyer may need different paperwork depending on what the estate owns.
Sunset can help you search for accounts and assets across more than 2,300 institutions, organize what you find, and turn that into a probate packet for the Roscommon County Probate Court. If you email the court, follow the court's local instruction and call (989) 275-5221 if you do not receive a timely response.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Roscommon County Probate Court serves Roscommon County from one courthouse location: the Roscommon County Building, 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653. Roscommon is not part of a multi-county probate district.
Michigan venue is based on the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Michigan, venue is in a county where the decedent's property was located at death (MCL 700.3201). For a Roscommon County domicile or Roscommon County property in that situation, file with the probate register in Roscommon.
The jurisdiction process
- List the assets, liabilities, funeral expenses, heirs, devisees and any Roscommon County real property so you can choose the right Michigan estate settlement path.
- Choose the statewide SCAO form for the path you are using. Common starting points are PC 558 for informal probate, PC 559 for formal probate, and PC 556 for assignment of property. Transfer by affidavit uses PC 598 and is presented to the asset holder rather than filed with the court (MCL 700.3983).
- File the court papers with the probate register at the Roscommon County Building, 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653. Roscommon County Probate Court is not on MiFILE.
- Pay the required statutory court cost. Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 as of August 2026, consisting of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 and $25.00 under MCL 600.1986, plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. A petition for assignment of property costs $25.00 as of August 2026 under MCL 600.880, plus any required inventory fee.
- Give the notices required for the path you chose, including notice after informal probate is granted and creditor notice when a personal representative is appointed.
- If a hearing is required, follow the notice from the court. Roscommon does not publish fixed estate hearing days. Uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, but the court controls the manner of appearance under MCR 2.407.
- Once appointed, obtain letters of authority for the personal representative, the role many people still call the executor. Those letters are what banks, buyers and other institutions usually ask to see.
- Administer the estate by collecting assets, handling creditors, filing the inventory within the required time, paying the inventory fee, distributing property, and closing the estate through the appropriate SCAO closing form or court order.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Roscommon County
Roscommon County does not publish a decedent-estate cover sheet, checklist or local probate packet. Its probate page points users to the Michigan probate form index, and estate filings use the statewide SCAO-approved PC forms.
Use the SCAO estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms index for current forms. In an informal, unsupervised estate, Michigan court rules limit what a court may require beyond documents required by statute or court rule (MCR 5.307(E)).
| Need | Common Michigan form | Local Roscommon note |
|---|---|---|
| Open an informal estate | PC 558, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative | File with the probate register at 500 Lake Street. |
| Open a formal estate | PC 559, Petition for Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative | Use when a judge must decide the issue. |
| Small estate assignment of property | PC 556, Petition and Order for Assignment | File with the court. The 2026 death-year amount is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982. |
| Transfer by affidavit | PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent | Do not file it with the court. Present it to the asset holder. The 2026 death-year amount is $53,000 under MCL 700.3983. |
| Inventory | PC 577, Inventory | Use the Michigan Judiciary inventory fee calculator before closing. |
Local nuance
Roscommon County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Roscommon filing |
|---|---|
| Probate payment code | If you pay probate fees online, use the court's AllPaid link and search PLC a000x2 for Roscommon Probate Court. |
| Traffic and DNR ticket warning | The court warns that some traffic and DNR tickets may incorrectly refer to Probate Court. Those tickets are not probate fees and must not be paid through the probate payment link. |
| Email follow-up | The court publishes [email protected] and asks people to call (989) 275-5221 to confirm receipt if they do not hear back in a timely manner. |
| No Roscommon case lookup | Roscommon does not publish an online probate case lookup. Call the probate court to ask about an estate file. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Roscommon path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | First confirm whether the home passes outside probate because of the deed. If Roscommon County property still needs estate authority, file the appropriate SCAO papers with the probate register at 500 Lake Street. | Sunset helps identify accounts, deed issues to raise with counsel, creditor information and the documents a surviving spouse may need for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the estate fits a Michigan small-estate path, use the statewide SCAO form for that path. PC 556 is filed with the Roscommon County Probate Court for assignment of property, while PC 598 is presented to the asset holder for transfer by affidavit. | Sunset helps sort assets by institution, generate a packet, and connect you with local counsel if you need help filing from outside Michigan. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of Roscommon County real property often requires letters of authority for a personal representative or a court order, depending on title and estate size. File the opening papers in Roscommon if venue belongs there. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, creditor information and court forms, then connects the family to a vetted Michigan probate attorney when a sale or title issue needs legal work. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Roscommon County Probate Court | The local probate counter for opening a Roscommon estate and asking how the court wants papers submitted. | 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653. Phone (989) 275-5221. Fax (989) 275-8537. Email [email protected]. |
| Pay probate court fees online | Roscommon's online probate payment link. Search PLC a000x2 for Roscommon Probate Court. | Use only for probate fees, not traffic or DNR tickets. |
| Michigan Trial Court Directory | State court directory entry for cross-checking Roscommon County Probate Court contact information. | Search for Roscommon County Probate Court. |
| Estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms | Statewide SCAO probate forms used in Roscommon County estate matters. | Download current PC forms from the Michigan Judiciary. |
| Inventory fee calculator | Michigan Judiciary calculator for the inventory fee owed on estate assets. | Use before closing or when estimating estate costs. |
| Michigan Legal Help | Plain-language Michigan probate and small-estate information, including guided self-help tools. | Online self-help resource. |
| Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Gaylord office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income and senior residents in Roscommon County. Ask at intake whether your estate question fits their help areas. | 111 W. Mitchell St., Suite C, Gaylord, MI 49735. Phone (989) 705-1067. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets
Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, investments and other assets that may matter in a Roscommon County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet
Sunset turns what you know about the estate into organized next steps and a probate packet built around Michigan's statewide SCAO forms and the local filing counter in Roscommon.
Find a local probate attorney
When the estate includes Roscommon County real property, creditor problems, family disagreement or a formal court issue, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families
Sunset is free for families. The goal is to reduce the administrative burden of estate settlement while keeping you oriented to the court, forms and deadlines that apply.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Roscommon County?
File Roscommon County probate papers with the probate register at the Roscommon County Probate Court, Roscommon County Building, 500 Lake Street, Roscommon, MI 48653. Venue is proper in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or for a non-Michigan decedent, a county where the decedent's property was located (MCL 700.3201).
Can I e-file a Roscommon County probate case?
Roscommon County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. The court publishes a phone number, email address and online payment link, but no MiFILE court entry for probate filings. Call (989) 275-5221 if you need the current submission method for your papers.
Does Roscommon County publish probate hearing days or wait times?
No fixed estate hearing days or filing-to-hearing wait times are published for Roscommon County Probate Court. If your filing requires a hearing, use the date and instructions in the court's notice or call the court at (989) 275-5221.
Can I appear remotely for a Roscommon probate hearing?
Roscommon does not publish a standing remote-hearing page for probate matters. Under Michigan court rules, videoconferencing is presumed for uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions, subject to the court's directions and the right to request an in-person appearance (MCR 5.140, MCR 2.407).
Can I look up a Roscommon probate case online?
Roscommon County does not publish an online probate case lookup. To ask about a file, call the Roscommon County Probate Court at (989) 275-5221.
Does Roscommon County have local probate forms?
No Roscommon decedent-estate cover sheet, checklist or local packet is published. Use the statewide SCAO probate forms, including PC 558 for informal probate, PC 559 for formal probate, PC 556 for assignment of property and PC 598 for transfer by affidavit.
How much does it cost to open probate in Roscommon County?
As of August 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, which includes $150.00 under MCL 600.880 and $25.00 under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871. Michigan fees are statutory, not set by Roscommon County.
How do I pay Roscommon probate fees online?
The court links to AllPaid and instructs probate filers to search PLC a000x2 for Roscommon Probate Court. The court also warns not to pay traffic or DNR tickets through the probate payment link, even if a ticket refers to Probate Court.
Do I have to travel to Roscommon to handle a probate estate?
Not always. Some filings may be handled by mail or other method the court accepts, and uncontested hearings may be eligible for videoconferencing under Michigan court rules. Because Roscommon is not on MiFILE and does not publish a full remote-hearing procedure, call (989) 275-5221 before assuming you can complete every step from out of county.
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.