Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Arizona · Southeastern Arizona · Borderlands · #235 Most Populous County in the US
Cochise County, Arizona
Tombstone, Bisbee, Fort Huachuca, and the Chiricahua Mountains - southeastern Arizona's storied borderlands where Wyatt Earp faced the Cowboys at the OK Corral, Cochise and Geronimo led the Apache resistance, and the US Army Intelligence Center trains today's military intelligence professionals. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Cochise County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Cochise County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Alert System: AZ Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; contact county EMA; school district facilities
FEMA Region: Region 9
Notes: Southeast Arizona border county; US-Mexico border creates unique emergency management considerations (border incident response, humanitarian aid); Huachuca Mountains and Chiricahua Mountains; wildfire risk (significant – dry conditions plus grasslands and forests); flash flooding (monsoon season July-September); Fort Huachuca (Army) military coordination; CBP (Customs and Border Protection) coordination for border emergencies; Sierra Vista and Bisbee are the main population centers
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Cochise County Public Works – (520) 432-9290
Public Transit: Limited; Huachuca Area Transit (HAT) in Sierra Vista area – (520) 459-3868; otherwise auto-dependent
Road Conditions: ADOT – az511.gov
Notes: I-10 runs through the northern portion; US-80, US-92, and AZ-90 are main corridors; Fort Huachuca creates significant military traffic; border crossings at Douglas and Naco; Benson is a railroad town (Union Pacific) and I-10 hub; rural Sulphur Springs Valley agriculture generates significant truck traffic
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Cochise County Development Services – (520) 432-8700 | cochise.az.gov
Services: Building permits, inspections for unincorporated areas; Fort Huachuca construction through Army channels
Notes: Sierra Vista (separate city permits – active); Bisbee, Douglas, Tombstone, Willcox, Benson each have separate permits; Fort Huachuca military construction; border wall construction segments through federal channels; retiree community growth in Sierra Vista area
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Cochise County Veterans Services – (520) 432-9270
VA Medical: Southern Arizona VA Health Care System – Tucson | (520) 792-1450; Fort Huachuca Tricare for active duty
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment, pension/compensation; military transition assistance through Fort Huachuca
Notes: Fort Huachuca (Army Intelligence Center) and large military retiree community make Cochise County one of Arizona’s most veteran-dense counties; strong VSO chapter network; VA services relatively accessible via Tucson VA
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Cochise County Library District – (520) 432-8930 | cochise.az.gov/library
Branches: Benson, Bisbee, Douglas, Huachuca City, Pearce-Sunsites, Sierra Vista, St. David, Tombstone, Willcox
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, genealogy, children’s programs; Spanish-language materials important for border communities
Notes: Excellent county-wide library system; Spanish-language collections essential given proximity to Mexico and significant Hispanic population; Tombstone branch serves the historic town; Douglas branch serves border community
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Chiricahua National Monument (extraordinary volcanic rock formations; “Wonderland of Rocks”; Cochise Stronghold area); Tombstone (the most famous cowboy town in America – “The Town Too Tough to Die”; tourism draws hundreds of thousands annually); Fort Bowie National Historic Site; Coronado National Memorial; Ramsey Canyon Preserve (Nature Conservancy – premier hummingbird watching); Kartchner Caverns State Park (near Benson – world-class cave); Willcox Playa (sandhill crane migration – tens of thousands of cranes winter here); Cave Creek Canyon (Chiricahuas – world-class birding)
Notes: Cochise County has extraordinary diversity of attractions; Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahuas is considered one of the premier birding locations in North America (rare Mexican species cross the border); Tombstone’s daily shootout reenactments draw enormous tourism; Willcox’s sandhill crane migration (November-February) is spectacular; Kartchner Caverns is one of Arizona’s finest state parks; the Cochise Stronghold area honors the Apache leader’s resistance
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Cochise County GIS – cochise.az.gov/gis | (520) 432-8700
Parcel Search: Available through county GIS portal
Notes: Active county GIS reflecting development and border management needs; border wall and CBP infrastructure mapping is sensitive; Fort Huachuca mapping through federal channels
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Cochise County Animal Control – (520) 432-9370
Notes: Border animal issues unique to this region; livestock management (cattle country – Sulphur Springs Valley); jaguar sightings in the Chiricahuas (federally protected – one of the northernmost jaguar populations in the US); mountain lion, black bear, coatimundi, and many other wildlife species present
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Cochise County – (520) 432-9290; multiple transfer stations; Bisbee, Sierra Vista, Douglas manage separately
Recycling: Sierra Vista city recycling; county drop-off sites; border area waste management challenges
Environmental: Arizona DEQ – azdeq.gov; EPA Region 9; Coronado National Forest (USFS); legacy mining contamination (Bisbee Copper Queen Mine/Lavender Pit – one of Arizona’s most significant copper mining sites; copper tailings management ongoing); border environmental issues (transboundary pollution concerns)
Notes: Bisbee’s Copper Queen Mine operated 1877-1975 – massive copper tailings tailings piles and the Lavender Open Pit are iconic if challenging environmental legacies; ADEQ and EPA monitor tailings for acid drainage; Coronado National Forest wildfire management is critical; the US-Mexico border creates unique transboundary environmental management challenges; jaguar recovery program in the Chiricahuas and Sky Islands is a significant conservation effort
About Cochise County
Cochise County is Arizona’s most historically dramatic county – named for the great Apache leader Cochise, who led the Chiricahua Apache in resistance to American expansion from the 1860s until his death in 1874, when he and his people were confined to the Chiricahua Reservation. The county contains more documented chapters of frontier history than virtually any other county in the American West.
Tombstone – “The Town Too Tough to Die” – was a silver mining boomtown in the early 1880s that produced the most famous gunfight in American history: the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (October 26, 1881), in which Wyatt Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and Doc Holliday faced the Clanton-McLaury gang. The gunfight lasted about 30 seconds and left three men dead. Tombstone’s Bird Cage Theatre, Boot Hill Cemetery, and the OK Corral site recreate the silver mining era for millions of annual visitors. Tombstone is one of the few authentic Wild West boomtowns largely preserved from the period.
Bisbee (the county seat, population ~5,000) was once one of the largest cities in the American Southwest – built on the copper wealth of the Lavender Pit and the Copper Queen Mine. At its peak in the early 20th century, Bisbee was larger than Los Angeles. The Phelps Dodge Corporation’s copper operations built a city of Victorian and Craftsman architecture clinging to the walls of Tombstone Canyon. When copper mining ended in 1975, Bisbee reinvented itself as an arts community – today it is one of the most celebrated small arts towns in the American West, with galleries, studios, and a permanent community of artists and writers.
Fort Huachuca – established in 1877 to combat Apache raiders and protect settlers – is today the home of the US Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE), which trains virtually all US Army intelligence professionals. The post is the county’s dominant employer and has anchored Sierra Vista (population ~44,000), which has grown around Fort Huachuca as its civilian support community.
The Chiricahua National Monument preserves the dramatic volcanic rock formations of the Chiricahua Mountains – the traditional homeland of Cochise’s people – in one of Arizona’s most spectacular and least-visited national monuments.
County government is a three-member Board of Supervisors with a County Administrator. Separately elected: Assessor, Attorney, Clerk of Superior Court, Recorder, Sheriff, School Superintendent, and Treasurer.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Full Cash Value (FCV): Cochise County Assessor’s market value estimate.
LPV: Capped at 5% annual increase.
AV: Residential at 10% of LPV.
The Cochise County Assessor (1415 Melody Lane, Building G, Bisbee, 520-432-8650) determines all property values.
FCV appeal: File with the Cochise County Board of Supervisors by November 10.
Senior Valuation Protection: Age 65+, income ≤ $43,872 (2025), 2-year ownership – apply by September 1.
No Arizona estate tax. No Arizona inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: Cochise County FCV appeal November 10. Fort Huachuca’s steady military employment has stabilized Sierra Vista values. Bisbee and Tombstone’s unique character creates specialized real estate market dynamics. Senior Valuation Protection freezes LPV for 3 years. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Cochise County FCV appeal November 10. Fort Huachuca's steady military employment has stabilized Sierra Vista values. Bisbee and Tombstone's unique character creates specialized real estate market dynamics. Senior Valuation Protection freezes LPV for 3 years. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The Cochise County Superior Court at 100 Quality Hill Road, Bisbee (520-432-8551) handles all civil, criminal, family, and probate matters. The Cochise County Recorder (1415 Melody Lane, Bisbee, 520-432-8350) maintains all land records – searchable online at cochise.az.gov.
Fort Huachuca military estate planning: The fort’s US Army Intelligence Center community requires current SGLI designations, powers of attorney, and SBP elections. The Fort Huachuca Legal Assistance Office provides free services for eligible personnel.
Bisbee arts community estate planning: Bisbee’s artist and creative community holds non-traditional estate assets – artwork inventory, studio equipment, gallery relationships, and creative IP – requiring specific estate planning attention.
US-Mexico border estate considerations: Cochise County’s long international border creates specific estate planning considerations for dual citizens and for properties near the border that may be subject to federal easements and CBP access rights.
Senior Services: The Cochise County Health and Social Services – Area Agency on Aging (520-432-9233) at 901 N. Colombo Avenue, Sierra Vista coordinates senior centers, home-delivered meals, transportation, SHIP Medicare counseling, caregiver support, Adult Protective Services, and connections to Arizona ALTCS Medicaid programs.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses)
1415 W. Melody Lane, Bisbee, AZ 85603
(520) 432-8350
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Cochise County Superior Court, both divisions (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Sierra Vista Genealogy Club, meets Haymore Plaza Conference Center, 432 E. Fry Blvd, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635, [email protected]
Arizona Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, 2622 Papago Trail, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
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
Cochise County Superior Court has two divisions – file in whichever is more convenient.
Bisbee Office – 100 Quality Hill Road, Bisbee, AZ 85603 (mailing: PO Box CK, Bisbee, AZ 85603). (520) 432-8600 or (520) 432-8570. Fax (520) 432-4850. Email [email protected]. Sierra Vista Office – 100 Colonia De Salud, Suite 200, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635. (520) 803-3060. Fax (520) 458-4148. Hours (both): Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Arizona recently made this decision much easier for most families – a 2025 law dramatically raised the small-estate thresholds, so many more estates now qualify to skip full probate entirely.
Small Estate Affidavit (personal property) – no court case needed. Effective September 26, 2025 under House Bill 2116 (amending A.R.S. § 14-3971), this applies when personal property is worth $200,000 or less (net of liens), at least 30 days have passed since the death, and no probate case has been opened. Present the signed affidavit directly to the bank or institution holding the property.
Small Estate Affidavit (real property) – for real property with equity of $300,000 or less (net of liens), available after a 6-month wait. Must be filed with the Superior Court and then recorded with the County Recorder.
Informal Probate – the default track for uncontested estates above the small-estate thresholds. Reviewed by a court registrar, not a judge.
Formal Probate – used when the will is contested, there’s no original will, heirs are disputed, or the matter otherwise needs judicial involvement.
Supervised Administration – rare; used only when ongoing court oversight is needed to protect the estate or beneficiaries.
Arizona is a community property state – a surviving spouse already owns their half of community property outright.
If using the small estate affidavit (personal property)
Wait at least 30 days after the death.
Confirm no probate case has already been opened and total personal property (net of liens) is $200,000 or less.
Complete the affidavit under A.R.S. § 14-3971.
Present the signed affidavit with a certified death certificate directly to whoever holds the property.
If using the small estate affidavit (real property)
Wait at least 6 months after the death.
Confirm the real property’s equity is $300,000 or less.
File the affidavit with the Cochise County Superior Court.
Record the certified affidavit with the Cochise County Recorder.
If filing informal probate
Gather the original will (if any), a list of assets/debts/heirs, and identifying information.
File an Application for Informal Probate and Appointment of Personal Representative with the Clerk of the Superior Court.
Notice to known heirs must comply with A.R.S. § 14-3306.
The registrar reviews the application; if complete and unopposed, issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration – no hearing required.
Notice to creditors must be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county.
Creditors then have a 4-month claim window (A.R.S. § 14-3801) – the practical floor on how fast even a simple probate can close; most run 6–12 months.
After debts are resolved, the personal representative distributes the estate and closes it with a final accounting.
If formal probate is required
File a Petition for Formal Probate with the Superior Court.
A judge holds a hearing rather than a registrar reviewing on paper.
The same inventory, creditor-notice, and closing steps apply from there, under direct court supervision.
What it costs
Small estate affidavits: no court filing fee for the personal-property affidavit; the real-property affidavit carries a county recording fee.
Informal or formal probate filing fee: varies by county, typically $250–$400 statewide (confirm current fee with the Cochise County Clerk).
Creditor notice publication: typically $75–$300 depending on the newspaper.
Personal representative compensation: “reasonable compensation” standard – no fixed statutory percentage.
Attorney fees: not fixed by statute; a straightforward, uncontested probate commonly runs $2,000–$7,500.
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
100 Judd Dr., Bisbee, AZ 85603
(520) 432-9500
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(520) 432-9400
DES / SNAP / Medicaid
(855) 432-7587
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Cochise County Health and Social Services – (520) 432-9400 | cochise.az.gov/health
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records, restaurant inspections
Notes: Copper Queen Community Hospital (Bisbee), Canyon Vista Medical Center (Sierra Vista), and Southeast Arizona Medical Center serve the county; border health considerations (TB screening, infectious disease at ports of entry); Fort Huachuca military medical clinic serves active duty; rural health access challenges in eastern Cochise County
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Recommended for Arizona
Ownwell
Property tax appeal service. Contingency fee - no savings, no charge.
