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St. Clair County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | St. Clair County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | St. Clair County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | St. Clair County Courthouse, 201 McMorran Blvd., Room 2700, Port Huron, MI 48060 |
| Mailing address | No separate mailing address is published. Use the courthouse address published by the Probate Court. |
| Phone | (810) 985-2066 |
| Fax | (810) 985-2179. The court publishes this as a contact number, but does not publish fax filing instructions. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed weekends and designated court holidays. |
| Filing fee | For 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, made up of the statutory probate filing fee under MCL 600.880 and the electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. |
| Local forms | No local decedent estate form, cover sheet or checklist is published. St. Clair County points filers to the statewide SCAO probate forms. |
| MiFILE status | Not available for St. Clair County Probate Court. Estate papers are not filed through MiFILE in this county. |
| Case search | Available through MiCOURT case search for St. Clair County Probate Court, court code P74: https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P74 |
| Remote appearance | No local probate videoconferencing page or standing meeting room is published. State court rules presume videoconferencing for uncontested decedent estate petitions and motions, but the court controls how a particular hearing is held under MCR 5.140 and MCR 2.407. |
| Website | https://www.stclaircounty.org/Offices/66 |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a probate path in St. Clair County, make a practical list of the decedent's assets, debts, accounts, real estate, vehicles, beneficiaries and known creditors. The right estate settlement route depends on what exists, what is jointly owned, what has a beneficiary designation and what still needs a personal representative to act.
Sunset can help assemble that picture before you call the Port Huron probate counter. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions, which can make estate settlement easier before you prepare the SCAO forms or ask the probate register how the court wants the papers delivered.
Which court handles jurisdiction
St. Clair County has its own Probate Court and is not part of a two-county probate district. A St. Clair County estate is opened at the St. Clair County Courthouse, 201 McMorran Blvd., Room 2700, Port Huron, MI 48060. The 72nd District Court also has a Marine City branch, but probate estate filings are not made there.
Port Huron is the county seat. This page covers St. Clair County probate matters, including estates for people domiciled in St. Clair County at death. Venue for the first informal or formal probate proceeding is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, for a decedent not domiciled in Michigan, a county where the decedent's property was located at death (MCL 700.3201).
If you are going to the courthouse, the county's directions tell visitors to use the main south entrance, and all visitors pass weapons screening. Check the county court holiday schedule before a late December trip or a trip near Thanksgiving.
The jurisdiction process
- List the assets and liabilities first. Identify bank accounts, retirement accounts, insurance, vehicles, real property, debts, funeral expenses and any accounts with beneficiaries or joint owners.
- Choose the Michigan probate path. If the estate needs a personal representative, prepare the statewide SCAO opening papers for informal or formal probate. If a smaller estate path fits, use the statewide SCAO form for that path and apply the dollar figure for the year of death where Michigan law requires it.
- Use St. Clair County's published forms direction. The Probate Court does not publish a local estate cover sheet or checklist, so start with the statewide SCAO probate forms and include protected personal identifying information on the proper protected form when the SCAO form requires it.
- Call the probate register before delivery. St. Clair County Probate Court does not publish a filing channel for estate papers. Call (810) 985-2066 to ask how the court wants the papers delivered and what payment methods the counter accepts.
- File with the Probate Court in Port Huron. Use St. Clair County Courthouse, 201 McMorran Blvd., Room 2700, Port Huron, MI 48060, during the published probate hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Pay the statutory court cost. For 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. St. Clair County publishes no online probate payment channel, so confirm payment methods with the probate register before you go.
- Serve the required notices. After appointment, the personal representative gives the required information to interested persons and handles creditor notice under Michigan law.
- Use MiCOURT once a case exists. St. Clair County probate cases are searchable online through MiCOURT under court code P74. The search helps track case and docket information, but it does not replace calling the Probate Court about what is needed in a file.
- Ask how any hearing will be held. Michigan court rules presume videoconferencing for uncontested decedent estate petitions and motions, but St. Clair County does not publish a probate remote hearing page, so ask the court how to appear in your case.
- Use the letters of authority, administer the estate and close. Once appointed, the personal representative uses certified letters of authority to collect assets, pay allowed expenses and claims, distribute property, file the inventory information and complete the closing steps required for the chosen Michigan probate path.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in St. Clair County
St. Clair County Probate Court does not publish a local decedent estate cover sheet, local estate checklist or local estate form packet. Its probate page directs filers to Michigan Probate Court forms, and the court information page links to the statewide SCAO form search.
Use the statewide SCAO Estates, Trusts, and Miscellaneous Probate Forms index for St. Clair County estate filings: https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/. In informal, unsupervised estates, Michigan court rules also limit the court's ability to require extra documents beyond those required by statute or court rule (MCR 5.307).
| Need | Where to start | Local note |
|---|---|---|
| Open an informal estate | Statewide SCAO probate forms | The probate register in Port Huron handles informal filings. |
| Open a formal estate | Statewide SCAO probate forms | Formal matters go before a probate judge. |
| Small estate assignment | Statewide SCAO probate forms | For 2026 deaths, the statewide assignment figure is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982, subject to the year of death rule. |
| Transfer by affidavit | Statewide SCAO probate forms | The affidavit is presented to the asset holder, not filed with the St. Clair County Probate Court. |
Local nuance
St. Clair County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a St. Clair County estate |
|---|---|
| Not on MiFILE | Do not use MiFILE to open a probate estate here. The district court in the same courthouse appears in MiFILE, but the Probate Court does not. |
| Online probate case search | St. Clair County probate cases can be searched through MiCOURT at court code P74. The search gives case and docket information, not the documents in the file. |
| One probate counter | Use Room 2700 at the St. Clair County Courthouse in Port Huron. The Marine City district court branch is not a probate location. |
| Entrance screening | The courts direct visitors to the main south entrance, and weapons screening is required for all visitors. |
| Holiday planning | The county courts publish closure dates in advance, including several late year dates. Check the holiday schedule before travelling near Thanksgiving or in late December. |
| No online probate payment page | The county's online payment page is for 72nd District Court fines and costs. Probate payment methods should be arranged with the Probate Court. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed locally |
|---|---|
| Room and address check | Use St. Clair County Courthouse, 201 McMorran Blvd., Room 2700, Port Huron, MI 48060 for the Probate Court. |
| MiFILE check | St. Clair County Probate Court is not on MiFILE, although the county's district court appears in MiFILE. |
| Case search check | St. Clair County probate cases are searchable through MiCOURT under court code P74. |
| Forms check | The Probate Court publishes no local decedent estate form packet and points users to statewide SCAO forms. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely St. Clair County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by confirming whether the home passes outside probate and whether any assets still need a personal representative. If an estate must be opened, file with the Probate Court in Port Huron, not the Marine City district court branch. | Sunset helps identify accounts, beneficiary assets and debts before the spouse chooses the right estate settlement path. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call (810) 985-2066 before travelling because St. Clair County does not publish a filing channel. If a Michigan small estate route fits, use the statewide SCAO form for that route and remember that the 2026 assignment figure is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982 for a 2026 death. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, generate the probate packet and connect the family with a Michigan probate attorney if travel or signing logistics become difficult. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale or title transfer through the estate usually requires authority from the Probate Court. The parent should expect to open an estate in Port Huron, obtain letters of authority and work through inventory, notice, sale and closing steps. | Sunset helps collect financial information, prepare a St. Clair County packet and find a local attorney for real estate and court filings. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link or contact |
|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County Probate Court | The only counter where a St. Clair County estate is opened. The probate register can answer filing procedure questions, but cannot give legal advice. | https://www.stclaircounty.org/Offices/66 201 McMorran Blvd., Room 2700, Port Huron, MI 48060 (810) 985-2066 |
| MiCOURT case search for St. Clair County probate | Online case and docket information for St. Clair County Probate Court, court code P74. | https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P74 |
| St. Clair County court fees | The county courts' fee page lists the statutory probate rows, including the 2026 deceased estate filing cost of $175.00 under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, and the 2026 assignment petition cost of $25.00 under MCL 600.880. | https://www.stclaircounty.org/Offices/74 |
| St. Clair County court holiday schedule | Use this before a counter trip near a holiday or late in the year. | https://www.stclaircounty.org/Offices/70 |
| Estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms | The statewide SCAO-approved form set used for St. Clair County estate filings. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
| Inventory fee calculator | The Michigan Judiciary's calculator for the inventory fee charged under MCL 600.871, which is owed in addition to the opening fee and cannot be waived. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/trial-courts/inventory-calculator/ |
| Michigan Trial Court Directory | State court directory cross-check for the St. Clair County Probate Court address and phone number. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/trial-court-directory/ |
| Michigan Legal Help | Statewide self-help articles and guided tools for Michigan probate and small estate questions. | https://michiganlegalhelp.org/ |
| Lakeshore Legal Aid, Port Huron office | Free civil legal help for eligible St. Clair County residents. Published help areas include small estates, transfers after death and probate law. | https://lakeshorelegalaid.org/about-us/ 803 10th Avenue, #C, Port Huron, MI 48060 (810) 985-5107 Intake: (888) 783-8190 |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify accounts, balances and benefits that may affect the St. Clair County probate path.
Generate the probate packet. Once the estate picture is clearer, Sunset helps prepare a packet using Michigan's statewide SCAO probate forms and the local St. Clair County filing details for Port Huron.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate settlement involves real estate, creditors, contested heirs or a hearing, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, find assets and decide what help they need without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in St. Clair County?
File with the St. Clair County Probate Court at the St. Clair County Courthouse, 201 McMorran Blvd., Room 2700, Port Huron, MI 48060. Call (810) 985-2066 before you go because the court does not publish detailed filing delivery instructions.
Is St. Clair County Probate Court on MiFILE?
No. St. Clair County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. Do not use MiFILE to open an estate here, even though the 72nd District Court in the same courthouse appears in MiFILE.
Can I look up a St. Clair County probate case online?
Yes. St. Clair County probate cases can be searched through MiCOURT at https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P74. The search is for case and docket information, not the documents in the file.
Does St. Clair County have local probate forms?
No local decedent estate form packet, cover sheet or checklist is published for St. Clair County. Use the statewide SCAO probate forms at https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/.
How much does it cost to open a St. Clair County estate?
For 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871, which is based on the estate's asset value. St. Clair County publishes no online probate payment page, so ask the Probate Court what payment methods it accepts.
Can I appear remotely for a St. Clair County probate hearing?
St. Clair County does not publish a local probate videoconferencing page or standing meeting link. Michigan court rules presume videoconferencing for uncontested decedent estate petitions and motions, but the court decides how a specific hearing will be held under MCR 5.140 and MCR 2.407.
Do I have to travel to Port Huron to start probate?
Maybe. The Probate Court has not published whether it accepts estate filings by mail, drop box or another delivery method. Call (810) 985-2066 before travelling, especially if you live outside Michigan.
Are there published hearing days or wait times for St. Clair County probate?
No standing estate hearing day or filing-to-hearing window is published. The court does publish daily public calendars through MiCOURT, but those calendars should not be treated as a promise about when a new estate matter will be heard.
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.