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California County
Lassen County, California
Lassen Volcanic National Park and California's high desert - from Lassen Peak (the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range, which erupted violently from 1914-1921 in a series of blasts, lava flows, and mudslides that devastated the surrounding landscape and remain visible today in Lassen Volcanic National Park's extraordinary hydrothermal features) to the Susan River's railroad heritage, Honey Lake's migratory bird spectacle, and one of California's most remote and least visited northeastern counties where the Great Basin's high desert meets the Cascade volcanic arc.
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Office: Lassen County OES – (530) 251-8156 | lassencounty.org
Alert System: Lassen County Alert; CA Alert; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Susanville Community Center; school facilities; contact OES
FEMA Region: Region 9
Notes: Northeastern California high desert/Sierra county; Susanville is county seat; Lassen Volcanic National Park (active volcanic system – Lassen Peak erupted 1914-1917, the most recent volcanic eruption in the contiguous US before Mount St. Helens); earthquake risk; wildfire risk; severe winters (high elevation desert); Susan River flooding; two state prisons in Susanville (CDCR High Desert State Prison and California Correctional Center) create unique emergency planning considerations; border area near Nevada
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Lassen County Public Works – (530) 251-8388
Transit: Lassen Rural Bus – (530) 252-7433; very limited; completely auto-dependent outside Susanville
Notes: Hwy 36 (east-west through Susanville); Hwy 139 (northeast to Oregon); Hwy 395 (southeast to Reno – important corridor); US-395 and Hwy 44 connect to Redding and I-5; Susanville Municipal Airport (general aviation); Reno, NV is the nearest commercial airport (about 100 miles); very remote high desert county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lassen County Community Development – (530) 251-8269
Services: County permits; Susanville has separate permits
Notes: Prison construction through CDCR; limited residential development; state prison facilities are the county’s largest employers; agricultural and ranching infrastructure; very limited overall development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lassen County Veterans Services – (530) 251-8156
VA Medical: VA Reno, NV – most accessible; Sacramento VA (very distant); Redding VA CBOC
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare; very limited local resources
Notes: Remote county; VA access requires significant travel; Reno VA is the nearest major facility; significant prisoner/corrections officer population includes many veterans; telehealth important
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Lassen County Library – (530) 251-8127 | lassenlibrary.org
Branches: Susanville, Bieber, Westwood, Standish-Litchfield, Herlong (Sierra Army Depot area)
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; prison community resources; Great Basin heritage materials
Notes: Library system serves a dispersed community; Herlong branch is near Sierra Army Depot; prison families and staff use library resources extensively; the library provides internet access and social services information critical for this remote community
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lassen Volcanic National Park (one of the most geologically active areas in the contiguous US; Lassen Peak – most recent active volcano eruption 1914-1917; hydrothermal features; Bumpass Hell; Emerald Lake; outstanding volcanic geology; accessible from Redding and Red Bluff to the west); Eagle Lake (the largest lake entirely within Lassen County – 27,000 acres; isolated; exceptional fishing for Eagle Lake trout – a unique subspecies found only here; very primitive; spectacular high desert scenery); Susanville Ranch Park; Mountain Meadows Reservoir; Honey Lake Wildlife Area (wetland birds); Susan River recreation
Notes: Lassen Volcanic NP is a genuinely underappreciated national park – the volcanic landscape (bubbling mud pots, fumaroles, volcanic lakes, and the 10,457-foot Lassen Peak) is extraordinary and the park is far less crowded than Yosemite or Yellowstone; Eagle Lake trout (a unique subspecies found nowhere else on earth) draws dedicated anglers who appreciate this remote fishery; the Honey Lake basin’s extensive wetlands attract significant waterfowl and shorebirds
Notes: Pronghorn antelope management through CDFW (Lassen County has significant pronghorn populations in the high desert); sage grouse protection (BLM manages extensive sage grouse habitat); prison community has many families with pets; Honey Lake Wildlife Area waterfowl management
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Lassen County Public Works – (530) 251-8388; Susanville solid waste
Environmental: California SWRCB; Lahontan RWQCB; NPS (Lassen Volcanic NP); BLM (extensive Great Basin desert lands); USFS (Lassen National Forest); Sierra Army Depot (Herlong – legacy ammunition and chemical waste management); geothermal resources
Notes: Lassen Volcanic NP’s hydrothermal system requires active monitoring – thermal areas can shift suddenly and visitor safety is managed carefully by NPS; Sierra Army Depot (Herlong) has legacy environmental issues from military ammunition storage and training; the depot is an important employer but also carries contamination legacy; Honey Lake’s water level fluctuates dramatically with precipitation – it is essentially a playa lake that fills during wet years and nearly dries in drought; sage grouse habitat protection requires management of grazing, energy development, and invasive plants across BLM lands; Great Basin groundwater hydrology (no outflow to the ocean – all water either evaporates or percolates) is critical for understanding Lassen County’s water resources
About Lassen County
Lassen County occupies California’s northeastern high desert – a remote volcanic plateau and basin-and-range landscape where Cascade volcanic peaks meet the Great Basin’s sagebrush and juniper country.
Susanville (the county seat, population ~13,000) is the county’s dominant city – a high-desert timber and ranching community on the Susan River that has become increasingly dependent on two state correctional facilities: California Correctional Center (1963) and High Desert State Prison (1995). The corrections facilities employ a significant portion of the county’s workforce and have become the primary economic foundation of a community that previously relied on the Diamond Match Company’s Westwood lumber operations.
Lassen Volcanic National Park – primarily in Shasta County but accessible from the county’s western edge – preserves the most recently active volcanic landscape in the contiguous United States. Bumpass Hell (the park’s largest hydrothermal area), Sulphur Works, and the summit of Lassen Peak (10,457 feet) are accessible by trails from the park road.
Honey Lake – a shallow alkaline lake in the county’s southeastern valley – is a critical stopover on the Pacific Flyway, attracting exceptional concentrations of migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors in fall and spring.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Lassen County Assessor at 220 S. Lassen Street, Suite 1, Susanville, CA 96130, phone 530-251-8217, assesses under Proposition 13 rules. No CA estate tax.
Courts & Legal
Lassen County Superior Court at 2610 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130, phone 530-251-8205, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK-RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses)
220 S. Lassen St., Susanville, CA 96130
(530) 251-8234
County Clerk
(530) 251-8217
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lassen County Superior Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Lassen County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
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
Lassen County Superior Court Hall of Justice, 2610 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130 (530) 251-8205 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
California recently increased its small-estate thresholds substantially, so check this first – more estates now qualify to skip full probate than in past years.
Small Estate Affidavit (personal property) – for estates with personal property valued at $208,850 or less (for deaths on or after April 1, 2025; holds through March 31, 2028). No court filing needed – present the signed affidavit directly to the bank or institution holding the property. Must wait at least 40 days after the death, and no probate proceeding can already be pending.
Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property, Primary Residence – for a decedent’s primary California residence valued at $750,000 or less (Judicial Council Form DE-310). Requires a 40-day wait, notice to heirs, and a probate referee appraisal.
Affidavit for Real Property of Small Value – for other (non-primary-residence) California real property valued at $69,625 or less (Form DE-305). Requires a 6-month wait.
Formal Probate – required when the estate exceeds these thresholds. California typically uses the Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA), letting the personal representative handle most matters without a court hearing for each step.
California is a community property state – a surviving spouse already owns their half of community property, and can often use a simplified Spousal Property Petition (Form DE-221) instead.
If using the small estate affidavit (personal property)
Wait at least 40 days after the death.
Confirm total qualifying California personal property (excluding trust assets, joint tenancy, POD/TOD accounts, and beneficiary-designated accounts) is $208,850 or less, using date-of-death values.
Complete the affidavit under Probate Code § 13100.
Present it with a certified death certificate directly to the bank or institution – no court filing required. Collecting property this way makes you personally liable for the decedent’s unsecured debts up to the value received (Prob. Code § 13109).
IF USING THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE PETITION OR SMALL REAL PROPERTY AFFIDAVIT
Confirm the property qualifies and the applicable waiting period has passed (40 days for the primary-residence petition; 6 months for the small real property affidavit).
File the petition (Form DE-310) or affidavit (Form DE-305) with the Lassen County Superior Court.
A probate referee appraises the property; heirs receive notice.
Once approved, the property transfers without full probate administration.
If formal probate is required
Deliver the original will (if any) to the court clerk within 30 days of learning of the death (Prob. Code § 8200).
File a Petition for Probate (Form DE-111) to admit the will and request appointment as personal representative.
The court issues Letters Testamentary (Form DE-150) or Letters of Administration.
If Independent Administration authority is granted, the personal representative can act on most matters without separate court hearings.
Notice to creditors and an inventory/appraisal (with a probate referee) follow, along with payment of debts and taxes.
The estate closes with a final petition for distribution.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit / real property affidavits: no court filing fee for the personal-property affidavit; filing fees apply to the DE-310 primary-residence petition and DE-305 small real property affidavit.
Formal probate filing fee: several hundred dollars, varying somewhat by county.
Personal representative and attorney compensation: statutory fee schedule based on estate size (Prob. Code §§ 10800–10810) – a percentage that declines as the estate grows.
No California state estate tax or inheritance tax.
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
1090 Main St., Susanville, CA 96130
(530) 251-8121
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CA Voter Registration
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(530) 251-8180
Medi-Cal
(800) 300-1506
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lassen County Health and Social Services – (530) 251-8153
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; prison population health impacts on community
Hospital: Banner Lassen Medical Center (Susanville) – (530) 252-2000; small critical access hospital
Notes: Small hospital in Susanville; Sacramento or Reno for specialty care; prison population creates significant healthcare considerations – CDCR manages prison healthcare separately but staff and community health are interrelated; high correctional officer population creates unique occupational health needs; behavioral health challenges in a remote community with prison economy
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Susanville
Population: 30,000
Area: 4,557 sq mi
Established: 1864
Tier: 3
Public Records
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