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California County
Mariposa County, California
The gateway to Yosemite and California's largest original county - from El Portal's Yosemite National Park western entrance (more than four million visitors pass through Mariposa County annually to access Yosemite Valley) to Mariposa's California State Mining and Mineral Museum (the official state mineral museum, housing California's most significant collection of Gold Rush mining artifacts and a 13.8-pound crystalline gold specimen) and the county's distinction as one of California's original 27 counties - once the largest county in the United States at its 1850 formation, covering an area larger than many eastern states before being subdivided.
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Office: Mariposa County OES – (209) 966-3222 | mariposacounty.org
Alert System: Mariposa County Alert; CA Alert; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Mariposa County Fairgrounds; school facilities; contact OES; Yosemite NP evacuations coordinate with NPS
FEMA Region: Region 9
Notes: Sierra Nevada foothills county; Mariposa is county seat; Yosemite National Park covers approximately 40% of the county; wildfire risk is extreme (2018 Ferguson Fire closed Yosemite during peak summer season; 2021 Caldor Fire near the county; ongoing extreme fire risk); earthquake risk; Merced River; winter weather; Yosemite’s massive visitor numbers create unique mass casualty and emergency planning needs for a county of only ~17,000 permanent residents
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Mariposa County Public Works – (209) 966-3222
Transit: Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) – (209) 588-0654 | yarts.com; connects Yosemite Valley to Merced (train/bus hub), Fresno, and Mammoth Lakes; seasonal and year-round service; NPS free shuttles within Yosemite Valley
Airport: Mariposa-Yosemite Airport (general aviation); Fresno and Merced for commercial air
Notes: Hwy 140 (the Merced Canyon route – main all-weather gateway to Yosemite from the Central Valley); Hwy 49 runs north-south through Mariposa; Hwy 41 from Fresno (Madera County) enters via the South Entrance; Big Oak Flat Road (Hwy 120 from Groveland) enters from the west; Yosemite Valley Road reservations are now required to enter the valley by car in peak season; YARTS provides Yosemite access without a car reservation
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Mariposa County Community Development – (209) 966-5151
Services: County permits; Mariposa has no incorporated cities – no city governments; county serves all
Notes: No incorporated municipalities in Mariposa County (similar to Alpine and Trinity Counties); very limited development; NPS manages Yosemite facilities; tourism accommodations (lodges, vacation rentals) generate permits; wildfire-resistant construction requirements
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Mariposa County Veterans Services – (209) 966-3222
VA Medical: VA Central California (Fresno) – approximately 1.5 hours; accessible via Hwy 140/41
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare; very limited local resources
Notes: Small rural county; Fresno VA is the primary facility; NPS employees at Yosemite include veterans; telehealth important
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Mariposa County Library – (209) 966-2140 | mariposacounty.org/library
Branches: Mariposa, Greeley Hill
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, California history, Gold Rush heritage, Yosemite historical collections, children’s programs
Notes: Small library in a small county; strong Gold Rush and Yosemite heritage collections; Mariposa’s history as the county seat during the Gold Rush (it was a major stopping point on the way to the Southern Mines) is well-documented; Yosemite’s photographic history (Ansel Adams, Carleton Watkins – who first photographed Yosemite in 1861) is reflected in the library’s historical collections
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Yosemite National Park (covers ~40% of the county; Yosemite Valley – El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall; Hetch Hetchy Reservoir; Tuolumne Meadows; Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias – the South Entrance grove, one of the finest sequoia groves in the Sierra Nevada; Glacier Point); Merced River (whitewater rafting below El Portal – Class III-IV; excellent fishing); Bagby Recreation Area (Lake McClure); Mariposa History Center; California State Mining and Mineral Museum (Mariposa – excellent gold rush era collections; the Fricot Nugget – the largest crystalline gold nugget found in California at 13.8 pounds – is here); Lake McClure State Recreation Area
Notes: Yosemite is the defining fact of Mariposa County; the park receives 4-5 million visitors annually – more than 200 times the county’s permanent population; El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls are among the world’s most iconic natural features; the photography tradition from Carleton Watkins to Ansel Adams that documented Yosemite helped create the National Park concept; the Mariposa Grove sequoias include the Grizzly Giant (one of the oldest and largest sequoias) and were the very trees that President Lincoln set aside in 1864 – the first federal land protected for public recreation, preceding Yellowstone by 8 years; the California State Mining and Mineral Museum’s Fricot Nugget is one of California’s most spectacular gold specimens
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Mariposa County GIS – mariposacounty.org; NPS Yosemite maps (yosemite.national-park.com); CalFire maps; USFS Sierra NF maps; USGS topographic maps
Notes: County GIS for the small non-park portion; NPS maintains the most detailed GIS for the park; wildfire hazard mapping; Merced River watershed mapping; Yosemite Valley reservation system mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Mariposa County Animal Control – (209) 966-3222
Services: Basic animal control; wildlife management through CDFW and NPS; bear management in Yosemite and surrounding communities
Notes: Yosemite’s bear management (park bears are well-habituated to humans and require active management; food storage requirements are strictly enforced; bear boxes at all campsites and trailhead parking areas) is managed by NPS; mountain lion management; black-tailed deer management; pronghorn in the Hetch Hetchy area; Yosemite’s ravens are extremely clever and have learned to open car doors and zip backpack pockets
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Mariposa County Public Works – (209) 966-3222
Recycling: Limited; rural county; CalRecycle requirements; Yosemite NP has active Leave No Trace and zero-waste programs
Environmental: California SWRCB; San Joaquin RWQCB; NPS (Yosemite – dominant environmental manager); USFS (Sierra NF surrounding); Merced River (Wild and Scenic designation through Yosemite); Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (San Francisco’s water supply)
Notes: Yosemite NP’s environmental management is globally significant; the Merced River through Yosemite Valley is designated Wild and Scenic – the first river to receive that designation within a national park; Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (within Yosemite NP) is San Francisco’s primary water supply – the damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley in 1923 was one of the defining controversies in American environmental history (John Muir fought the dam and lost; the loss helped galvanize the environmental movement); the periodic debate about removing Hetch Hetchy Dam and restoring the valley (considered by some comparable in beauty to Yosemite Valley itself) continues; Yosemite NP air quality is affected by Central Valley smog transported on winds; ozone damage to ponderosa pines in Yosemite is documented; climate change is dramatically affecting Yosemite – glaciers are retreating, snowpack declining, fire risk increasing, and species ranges shifting; the park is one of the most intensively studied climate change sites in the Sierra Nevada
About Mariposa County
Mariposa County exists almost entirely in the shadow of Yosemite National Park – the park’s western entrance at El Portal channels millions of visitors through the county annually, making tourism the dominant economic force in a community with fewer than 17,000 permanent residents.
Mariposa (the county seat, population ~1,200) is one of California’s most historically intact small Gold Rush towns – the 1854 courthouse (the oldest continuously operating courthouse in California), the 1862 jail, and the California State Mining and Mineral Museum anchor a downtown that has maintained its 19th-century character. The museum’s collection includes a 13.8-pound crystalline gold specimen and extraordinary examples of California’s mineral wealth.
El Portal (population ~800) sits at the western entrance of Yosemite Valley – the community’s permanent residents primarily work for the National Park Service or park concessionaires, and the dramatic Merced River gorge leading to Yosemite Valley provides one of California’s most spectacular approach roads.
At its 1850 formation, Mariposa County covered approximately 30,000 square miles – an area larger than South Carolina – before it was progressively subdivided to create Fresno, Tulare, Kern, and other Central California counties.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Mariposa County Assessor at 4982 Tenth Street, Mariposa, CA 95338, phone 209-966-2332, assesses under Proposition 13 rules. No CA estate tax.
Courts & Legal
Mariposa County Superior Court at 5088 Bullion Street, Mariposa, CA 95338, phone 209-966-2005, 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)
5088 Bullion St., Mariposa, CA 95338
(209) 966-2007
County Clerk
(209) 966-2007
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mariposa County Superior Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Mariposa County Historical Society, Mariposa, CA
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
Mariposa County Superior Court 5088 Bullion Street, Mariposa, CA 95338 (209) 966-2005 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 Mariposa 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
5099 Old Hwy. 49, Mariposa, CA 95338
(209) 966-3615
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
(209) 966-3689
Medi-Cal
(800) 300-1506
Tribal Health
Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians (shared area)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Mariposa County Health Department – (209) 966-3689
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; Yosemite visitor health coordination (altitude illness, injuries, water-borne illness from backcountry)
Hospital: John C. Fremont Healthcare District (Mariposa) – (209) 966-3631; small critical access hospital; Fresno for major care
Notes: Very small hospital; Fresno hospitals for specialty and trauma care; Yosemite NP’s medical clinic (in Yosemite Valley – clinic and emergency services in the park) handles visitor emergencies; altitude illness and visitor search-and-rescue coordination; Hantavirus exposure risk in the county (rodents in rural areas)
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Mariposa
Population: 17,000
Area: 1,451 sq mi
Established: 1850
Tier: 4
Public Records
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