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Office: Bent County OEM – (719) 456-0700 | bentcountyco.gov
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Las Animas Community Center; school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Southeastern Colorado Arkansas River valley county; Las Animas is county seat; tornado risk (southeastern Colorado); severe thunderstorms; drought; Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site; Arkansas River flooding; isolated rural county; Bent County Correctional Facility and Crowley County Correctional Facility (adjacent county) create institutional populations
Notes: US-50 runs east-west through Las Animas along the Arkansas River (the historic Santa Fe Trail/Mountain Branch corridor – one of the oldest and most historically significant American highways); US-350 connects to Trinidad; Las Animas is a small town of about 2,000 people; La Junta (Otero County) is the nearest regional center (20 miles west)
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Bent County Building – (719) 456-0700
Services: Very basic county permits; Las Animas has separate permits
Notes: Very limited development; agricultural and ranching structures; prison-related development; limited residential activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Bent County Veterans Services – (719) 456-0700
VA Medical: VA Albuquerque; VA Colorado Springs; both very distant
Services: Very basic benefits claims; telehealth important
Notes: Remote county; VA access challenging; small veteran population
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Bent County Public Library – (719) 456-2540
Address: Las Animas
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Santa Fe Trail heritage; Bent’s Fort history
Notes: Single library branch; important community resource in isolated county; Santa Fe Trail and frontier history collections are a natural local focus; Bent’s Old Fort history is a significant local heritage topic
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site (NPS – east of La Junta on US-50; a meticulously reconstructed 1833 adobe trading post that was the most important commercial and diplomatic hub on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail; living history demonstrations; one of the finest frontier-era NPS sites on the central plains; fully furnished and operational adobe structure on the Arkansas River); John Martin Reservoir State Park (Arkansas River reservoir – boating; fishing; camping; bird watching; one of the best bald eagle concentration sites in Colorado in winter – hundreds of bald eagles winter at John Martin); Santa Fe Trail (the physical route crosses Bent County – the old ruts are visible in some areas); Vogel Canyon (accessible from Comanche National Grassland); Lake Meredith (small state wildlife area – Kiowa County border)
Notes: Bent’s Old Fort is one of the finest historical reconstructions in Colorado and one of the most significant frontier-era National Historic Sites on the Great Plains; the 1833 trading post was where mountain men, Cheyenne and Arapaho traders, Santa Fe Trail merchants, and US Army expeditions (including John C. Frémont) all converged; the living history demonstrations (blacksmith, trade goods, cooking, military life) are excellent; John Martin Reservoir’s winter bald eagle concentration (sometimes hundreds of eagles roosting in cottonwoods along the Arkansas River) is one of Colorado’s finest wildlife spectacles
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Bent County GIS – bentcountyco.gov; NPS Bent’s Old Fort maps; John Martin Reservoir USACE maps
Notes: Very limited county GIS; NPS and USACE maintain the primary maps for major park areas
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Very basic; Bent County Sheriff animal control
Services: Livestock management; wildlife through Colorado Parks and Wildlife; prison facility animals
Notes: Agricultural county; cattle and horses important; pronghorn antelope on the plains; bald eagles at John Martin Reservoir; wild turkey populations; white-tailed and mule deer
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Bent County – (719) 456-0700; very limited
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Arkansas River Compact (Colorado-Kansas water sharing); USACE (John Martin Reservoir); Southeast Colorado Water Conservancy District; CDOC prison environmental compliance
Notes: The Arkansas River Compact (Colorado-Kansas) governs water allocation in Bent County – the river flows through Las Animas and is shared between the two states under a 1949 compact; John Martin Reservoir (USACE dam and lake) is the primary water storage and flood control facility; agricultural irrigation from the Arkansas River is the county’s primary water use; drought and reduced snowpack are affecting water availability; prison facilities have environmental compliance requirements through CDOC
About Bent County County
Bent County is southeast Colorado’s Santa Fe Trail heritage county – Bent’s Old Fort’s extraordinary role as the commercial crossroads of the southern plains and Kit Carson’s final resting place give Las Animas and Bent County a historical depth that makes it one of the most significant counties in the story of America’s westward expansion along the Arkansas River corridor.
Las Animas (the county seat, population ~2,400) is Bent County’s governmental hub on the Arkansas River, a southeast Colorado plains city whose Bent’s Old Fort proximity, Kit Carson memorial, and agricultural service role anchor its historical identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Bent County Assessor at 725 Bent Avenue, Las Animas, CO 81054, phone 719-456-2009. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Bent County District Court at 725 Bent Avenue, Las Animas, CO 81054, phone 719-456-1353, 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, Elections)
725 Bent Ave., Las Animas, CO 81054
(719) 456-2009
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Bent County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Southeastern Colorado Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1407, Pueblo, CO 81002 – covers Bent along with 10 other SE Colorado counties. Meets 1st Saturday monthly at the Pueblo Heritage Museum, 201 W. B St., Pueblo, CO 81003.
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
Bent County Combined Court – District Court (Probate Division) 725 Bent Avenue, Las Animas, CO 81054 (719) 456-1353 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–Noon and 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Colorado follows the Uniform Probate Code, one of the more streamlined, less court-intensive systems in the country.
Small Estate Affidavit (personal property) – for estates where personal property totals less than roughly $86,000 (twice the “exempt property” amount under C.R.S. § 15-11-403, which adjusts annually for inflation – always confirm the current year’s figure with the court). Available starting 10 days after the death. No court filing required; present the affidavit (Form JDF 999) directly to whoever holds the property.
Summary Administration for small real property – a separate, roughly parallel threshold applies to real property equity. This route does require a court filing.
Informal Probate – the standard path for most estates with a will or clear heirs and no disputes. Handled largely by the court Registrar with minimal hearings.
Formal Probate – required for contested wills, disputed appointments, or complicated estates.
If using the small estate affidavit (personal property)
Wait at least 10 days after the death.
Confirm the fair market value of the decedent’s property (less liens) doesn’t exceed the current statutory threshold, and that no probate has already been opened.
Complete Form JDF 999, Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit.
Present it, along with a certified death certificate, to the bank or institution holding the property – no court filing needed.
If filing for informal or formal probate
File the appropriate application with the Bent County District Court: Form JDF 910 (with a will) or JDF 908 (without one). For formal probate, file JDF 920 or the intestate equivalent. Filing fee is $199.
The court (or Registrar, for informal cases) appoints a personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
In informal probate, the personal representative then manages the estate largely independently.
Creditors have 4 months from first publication of notice to file claims.
The estate closes once debts are paid and assets are distributed.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit: no court filing fee.
Informal or formal probate filing fee: $199.
Personal representative compensation: “reasonable compensation” – no fixed statutory percentage.
No Colorado 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
725 Bent Ave., Las Animas, CO 81054
(719) 456-1337
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
725 Bent Ave., Las Animas, CO 81054
(719) 456-2009
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(719) 456-1257
Human Services
(719) 456-1329
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Bent County Public Health (part of Southeast Colorado health system) – (719) 456-1107
Services: Basic public health; immunizations; vital records; limited services
Hospital: Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center (La Junta, Otero County – accessible); Las Animas clinic
Notes: Healthcare access is challenging in this remote county; La Junta hospital serves the region; prison healthcare through CDOC; behavioral health resources very limited
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Las Animas
Population: 5,500
Area: 1,514 sq mi
Established: 1870
Public Records
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