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California County
Tuolumne County, California
Sonora's Mother Lode gold and the Hetch Hetchy Valley's lost Yosemite - from Sonora's position as the "Queen of the Southern Mines" (the richest gold-producing area in California during the 1849-1852 peak, with bonanza surface placers producing extraordinary gold concentrations) to the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park (a granite valley that John Muir called equal to Yosemite Valley, flooded in 1923 to provide San Francisco's water supply in a dam-building decision that remains the defining controversy of American conservation history) and Railtown 1897 State Historic Park's extraordinary Sierra Railway collection.
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Office: Tuolumne County OES – (209) 533-5601 | tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/oes
Alert System: Tuolumne County Alert; CA Alert; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Tuolumne County Fairgrounds (Sonora); school facilities; contact OES
FEMA Region: Region 9
Notes: Sierra Nevada foothills and mountain county; Sonora is county seat; wildfire risk (EXTREME – 2013 Rim Fire was the third-largest wildfire in California history at the time, burning 257,314 acres including portions of Yosemite NP; ongoing extreme risk); Yosemite NP is partly within the county; earthquake risk; severe winter weather at elevation; Stanislaus River; Don Pedro Lake; Dodge Ridge ski area
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Tuolumne County Public Works – (209) 533-5601
Transit: Tuolumne County Transit – (209) 532-0404; very limited; primarily auto-dependent
Notes: Hwy 108 (east from Sonora to Sonora Pass – extremely scenic but closed in winter above Kennedy Meadows); Hwy 120 (the main year-round route through the county; connects to Yosemite’s Big Oak Flat entrance – one of the most heavily used Yosemite approaches; also connects east to Lee Vining via Tioga Road – closed in winter); Hwy 49 (Gold Rush highway through Sonora and Jamestown); Columbia State Historic Park (near Sonora) generates significant tourist traffic; Modesto and Stockton are the nearest significant Valley cities (65-80 miles west)
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Tuolumne County Community Resources Agency – (209) 533-5633 | tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/cra
Services: County permits; Sonora (separate), Groveland (unincorporated but active), Tuolumne City (unincorporated), Jamestown separate
Notes: Post-Rim Fire rebuilding in some areas; vacation cabin construction; Yosemite gateway tourism development; wine country development (Tuolumne Valley AVA emerging); moderate residential growth as Gold Country retirement destination; wildfire-resistant construction requirements
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Tuolumne County Veterans Services – (209) 533-5601
VA Medical: VA Central California (Fresno); Sacramento VA accessible; both require significant travel
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare; limited local resources
Notes: Remote foothills county; VA access requires travel to Fresno or Sacramento; retirement community includes significant veteran population; active VSO chapters in Sonora
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Tuolumne County Library – (209) 533-5507 | tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/library
Branches: Sonora, Tuolumne City, Groveland, Big Oak Flat
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Gold Rush heritage; Yosemite historical collections; Rim Fire history
Notes: Library system serves the Gold Country community; Groveland branch serves the Yosemite gateway community (Groveland is the last significant town before the Big Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite); Gold Rush heritage collections are strong; Columbia College supplementary resources
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
State Parks: Columbia State Historic Park (near Sonora – one of California’s finest Gold Rush preserved towns; a working Gold Rush-era town with residents, businesses, and facilities in 1850s buildings; gold panning; stagecoach rides; authentic miners’ lodging; one of California’s most immersive historical experiences); Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (Jamestown – the Sierra Railway roundhouse and shops; vintage steam locomotives; filming location for hundreds of Hollywood movies and TV shows including “The Virginian,” “Petticoat Junction,” “Back to the Future Part III,” and many others; an extraordinary working railroad heritage site)
Federal/County: Yosemite National Park (partial – the Hetch Hetchy area and the northwestern portion of the park are in Tuolumne County; Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and O’Shaughnessy Dam; access via Hetch Hetchy Road from Groveland); Don Pedro Lake (La Grange area – Stanislaus County/Tuolumne County border; large reservoir; excellent bass fishing; water sports); Stanislaus National Forest (extensive backcountry; Eagle Meadow; Kennedy Meadows; Emigrant Wilderness); Dodge Ridge Ski Area (Pinecrest area – family ski resort)
Notes: Tuolumne County’s attractions punch well above their weight; Columbia State Historic Park is California’s finest immersive Gold Rush experience – unlike Bodie (a ghost town) or Marshall Gold Discovery (interpretation-focused), Columbia is a living town where visitors can get a haircut, buy candy from a 19th-century counter, ride a stagecoach, and pan for gold in an actual working Gold Rush townsite; Railtown 1897 is a national treasure for railroad and film history buffs – the Sierra Railway’s perfectly preserved roundhouse with its collection of steam locomotives has appeared in more Hollywood productions than any other railroad; Sonora is a charming and well-preserved Gold Rush county seat with excellent restaurants and galleries
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Tuolumne County GIS – tuolumnecounty.ca.gov; CalFire fire hazard maps; Rim Fire perimeter maps; NPS Yosemite maps; Stanislaus NF maps
Notes: County GIS; Rim Fire perimeter and damage mapping (the fire is now 10 years ago but its landscape impact is visible and relevant); wildfire hazard zone mapping; Yosemite Hetch Hetchy area mapping; Don Pedro Lake level monitoring; Emigrant Wilderness permit area mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Tuolumne County Animal Control – (209) 533-5696; Tuolumne County Humane Society
Notes: Black bear encounters in Sonora, Groveland, and other communities are frequent and increasing; mountain lion management; Yosemite NP bear management (NPS) adjacent to county; Stanislaus NF wildlife management; Columbia Historic Park has horses for stagecoach operations – specialized animal care
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Tuolumne County – (209) 533-5601; Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District; limited landfill capacity
Environmental: California SWRCB; Central Valley RWQCB; USFS (Stanislaus NF); NPS (Yosemite NP – Hetch Hetchy); SFPUC (Hetch Hetchy Reservoir – O’Shaughnessy Dam is in Tuolumne County and its operations affect the county’s Tuolumne River flows); TUD (Tuolumne Utilities District); Don Pedro Reservoir operations (Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts); Rim Fire watershed restoration
Notes: The Rim Fire (2013) remains the most significant environmental event in Tuolumne County’s recent history; the fire burned 257,000+ acres including portions of Yosemite NP and the watershed of the Stanislaus River – post-fire erosion delivered enormous sediment loads to New Melones Reservoir and Don Pedro Lake; the fire also affected portions of the Hetch Hetchy watershed, raising concerns about San Francisco’s water quality; the watershed restoration effort (reforestation, erosion control, road removal) has been one of the most extensive in Stanislaus NF history; the Tuolumne River’s water is a major contention point – San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy Reservoir holds Tuolumne River water for the city’s supply while Modesto Irrigation District and Turlock Irrigation District hold downstream rights through Don Pedro Dam; the ongoing debate over restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley (by removing O’Shaughnessy Dam) centers on Tuolumne County’s Yosemite watershed; wildfire management in Tuolumne County requires the most aggressive prescribed burning and fuel management in the Sierra Nevada given the Rim Fire’s devastating scale; climate change is reducing snowpack and increasing the fire season window
About Tuolumne County
Tuolumne County is the southern Gold Country’s most historically significant county – the richest gold-producing district of the 1849 Gold Rush and the site of conservation history’s most contested decision.
Sonora (the county seat, population ~5,500) was founded by Mexican miners from Sonora, Mexico in 1848 – the Sonorans’ mining expertise made them among the most successful early Gold Rush miners, and the city they founded became the richest community in the southern mines. The elegant Main Street and Columbia State Historic Park (4 miles north, the most completely preserved Gold Rush town in California, now operated as a living history park) represent the peak of Mother Lode prosperity.
Hetch Hetchy Valley – a granite-walled valley in the northwestern corner of Yosemite National Park, flooded in 1923 to create O’Shaughnessy Dam and Hetch Hetchy Reservoir – remains the most emotionally charged decision in American conservation history. John Muir considered Hetch Hetchy equal in beauty to Yosemite Valley and spent the last years of his life fighting the dam; his failure, and death shortly after the dam’s approval, is widely cited as the event that crystallized the conservation movement into political action.
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown preserves the Sierra Railway roundhouse, machine shops, and rolling stock – the most authentic collection of vintage railroad facilities in California, used in more films and television productions than any other railroad facility in the world.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Tuolumne County Assessor at 2 S. Green Street, Sonora, CA 95370, phone 209-533-5535, assesses under Proposition 13 rules. No CA estate tax.
Courts & Legal
Tuolumne County Superior Court at 41 W. Yaney Avenue, Sonora, CA 95370, phone 209-533-5511, 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)
2 S. Green St., Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 533-5531
County Clerk
(209) 533-5531
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Tuolumne County Superior Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Tuolumne County Genealogical Society, Sonora, 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
Tuolumne County Superior Court 41 W. Yaney Avenue (second floor), Sonora, CA 95370 (209) 533-5555 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 Tuolumne 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
1 Greenley Rd., Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 533-5815
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) 533-7401
Medi-Cal
(800) 300-1506
Tribal Health
Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians; Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Tuolumne County Health Department – (209) 533-7401
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; Yosemite visitor health coordination
Hospital: Adventist Health Sonora – (209) 532-5000; small community hospital; Modesto or Fresno for major care
Notes: Small community hospital; Modesto for specialty care; Yosemite NP’s medical clinic handles visitor emergencies; behavioral health challenges in rural mountain communities; post-Rim Fire trauma recovery; retirement community creates healthcare demand; Columbia College has student health services
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Sonora
Population: 53,000
Area: 2,274 sq mi
Established: 1850
Tier: 3
Public Records
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