Michigan Administrator & Executor Bond

Probate Bonds From $100 – All 83 MI Counties

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A Michigan executor bond or Michigan administrator bond — under Michigan's EPIC, a personal representative bond or fiduciary bond — is required by a Michigan Probate Court before certain personal representatives can manage the estate of a person who has died. Under MCL 700.3603, bond is required whenever a special personal representative is appointed, the will expressly requires it, an interested person demands it, or the court orders it in formal proceedings — and letters of authority will not issue until it is filed. Premiums start at $100 and are paid from estate funds.

Michigan Probate Bond Pricing

Premiums are a small percentage of the required bond amount and are paid from estate funds. Sample pricing for qualified applicants:

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You are applying for a Michigan Administrator of Estate Surety Bond.
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Executor, Administrator, or Trustee — Which Michigan Probate Bond You Need

All three cover a fiduciary who manages estate or trust assets. Michigan's Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC) uses “personal representative” for both executors and administrators, with authority granted through Letters of Authority. Which bond applies — and whether one is required — depends on how you were appointed:

Why Does the Michigan Probate Court Require a Bond?

Probate in Michigan is governed by the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC) and handled by the Probate Court in each of the state's 83 counties (a few rural counties share a probate district). When a person dies, someone must be appointed to pay the estate's debts and distribute what remains to the rightful heirs and devisees. That personal representative controls assets that belong to other people, and the bond — filed on Michigan's Bond of Fiduciary form (PC 570) — is the financial safeguard against mismanagement, required before Letters of Authority (PC 572) issue.

Michigan puts real teeth in the demand right: under MCL 700.3605, a person with an interest exceeding $30,000 — or a creditor owed more than $30,000 — may file a written demand for bond. Once notice is received, the representative may act only to preserve the estate until the bond is filed, and failure to give a suitable bond within 28 days is cause for removal. An alternative exists for those who prefer it: no bond is required of a representative who deposits cash or collateral with the county treasurer as the court determines. If the representative causes a loss, valid claims are paid from the bond, and the representative must reimburse the surety. The bond protects the estate, not the representative.

How Your Bond Amount Is Set — and How to Reduce It

Michigan uses a sworn-statement approach: under MCL 700.3604, if the will or a court order does not fix the amount, the personal representative files a sworn statement with the probate register giving a best estimate of the value of the decedent's personal estate plus the income expected from personal and real property during the next year — and the bond must be not less than that estimate. The register confirms the bond is executed by a corporate surety or adequately secured individual sureties.

The statute builds in a premium-saver: the bond may be reduced by the value of restricted assets — estate property deposited with a Michigan financial institution in a manner preventing unauthorized disposition. And on petition or its own motion, the court may excuse the requirement, increase or reduce the amount, release sureties, or permit substitution of another bond.

Informal vs. Formal Proceedings in Michigan

Michigan estates open through informal proceedings — an application to the probate register with no hearing — or formal proceedings before a probate judge. The bond rules track the two paths: informal appointments carry no bond unless the will requires one, a demand is filed, or a special personal representative serves; in formal proceedings the court may order bond at appointment. Administration itself may be supervised or unsupervised. The case is filed in the Probate Court of the county where the decedent was domiciled — the directory below lists every Michigan Probate Court with website, phone, and mailing address.

How To Get Your Michigan Probate Bond

1. Get appointed and confirm whether bond is required. Determine under MCL 700.3603 whether the will, a demand, or the court requires bond. If it does, your amount comes from the will, a court order, or your sworn estimate of the personal estate plus one year's income under MCL 700.3604.
2. Request your quote. Apply online or call with your court documentation. For most standard estates we can quote from the bond amount alone; larger or more complex estates may involve a review of the will and the applicant's credit.
3. Complete the short application. Provide the personal representative's information and the estate details.
4. File your bond and receive your Letters of Authority. We execute the bond — filed with Michigan's PC 570 form — with the surety's Power of Attorney attached so you can file it with the probate register. The court then issues your Letters of Authority, and you can begin settling the estate.

Bond Details at a Glance

• Bond Name: Michigan Executor Bond / Michigan Administrator Bond (Personal Representative Bond)
• Also Known As: Probate bond, fiduciary bond; filed on SCAO form PC 570 with Letters of Authority (PC 572)
• Bond Amount: Not less than the sworn best estimate of the personal estate plus one year's expected income, unless fixed by the will or court order; reducible by restricted assets (MCL 700.3604)
• Starting Premium: $100 for a $10,000 bond; paid from estate funds
• Obligee: Filed with the Probate Court for the benefit of interested persons
• Governing Law: EPIC — MCL 700.3603 (when required), 700.3604 (amount and reduction), 700.3605 (demand by $30,000+ interested persons or creditors)
• Waiver: No bond in informal proceedings absent a will requirement or demand; will's waiver honored in formal proceedings unless the court finds bond desirable on request; cash/collateral deposit with the county treasurer is an alternative
• Court: Probate Court in each of Michigan's 83 counties (a few share probate districts)
• Attorney Required: No

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Michigan administrator or executor bond?
A personal representative bond filed with a Michigan Probate Court under MCL 700.3603 before Letters of Authority issue. It guarantees faithful performance of the representative's duties and protects the estate's heirs, devisees, and creditors.

Can the bond be waived?
Often it never arises: in informal proceedings no bond is required unless the will expressly requires it, a special personal representative is appointed, or an interested person demands it. In formal proceedings the court honors a will's waiver unless an interested person requests bond and the court finds it desirable.

Do administrators need a bond in Michigan?
Frequently in formal proceedings. With no will to address bond, the court may order one at appointment — and any interested person or creditor with more than $30,000 at stake can demand bond at any time under MCL 700.3605. Failure to post within 28 days of notice is cause for removal.

How much does a Michigan probate bond cost?
Premiums start at $100 for a $10,000 bond and scale with the bond amount — $135 at $25,000, $260 at $50,000, $460 at $100,000, and up. The premium is paid from estate funds.

How is the bond amount determined?
Unless the will or a court order fixes it, you file a sworn statement with the probate register estimating the personal estate's value plus one year's expected income, and the bond must be at least that amount (MCL 700.3604).

Can the amount be reduced?
Yes. The bond may be reduced by the value of estate assets deposited with a Michigan financial institution under restrictions preventing unauthorized disposition, and the court may otherwise reduce, excuse, or permit substitution of the bond on petition.

Which Michigan court handles probate?
The Probate Court in each of Michigan's 83 counties — a few rural counties share a probate district. Informal applications go through the probate register; formal proceedings go before a probate judge.

What happens if a claim is filed against the bond?
The surety pays valid claims — from mismanagement, fraud, or failure to follow the will or Michigan law — up to the bond amount, and the personal representative must reimburse the surety in full. The bond protects the estate, not the representative.

Michigan Probate Court Directory

Probate in Michigan is handled by the Probate Court in each of the state's 83 counties. Find your county below for the court's website, phone number, and mailing address.

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