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.
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.
Office: Baylor County Emergency Management – 100 Washington, Seymour, TX 76380 | (940) 889-3333 (same building and number as the Baylor County Sheriff’s Office)
EMS: Seymour/Baylor County EMS – 100 Emergency Dr, Seymour, TX | (940) 889-3445; two ambulances staffed 24/7/365, mobile intensive care unit (MICU) capable, covering all of Baylor County and portions of surrounding counties
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Baylor County is a small, sparsely populated county (pop. approx. 3,470), and emergency management is combined with the Sheriff’s Office rather than a separate standalone department.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-183 and US-82 are the primary highways through the county, meeting at Seymour
Transit: Sharp Lines regional transit – schedule a ride at 1-800-633-0852; physical office at 118 N. 1st Street, Crowell, TX 79227, (940) 684-1571 (based in neighboring Foard County but serves the wider rural region)
Notes: This is a real, confirmed regional transit option rather than an assumption – worth noting since small rural counties often lack any transit at all.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Floodplain permitting is handled through the City of Seymour’s Floodplain Administrator (also the county EMC), (940) 889-3333 – Baylor County itself does not appear to maintain a separate standalone building department based on this search
Notes: For a project in unincorporated Baylor County outside city limits, confirm current permitting requirements directly with the County Judge’s office, since a dedicated county building department was not confirmed in this search.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Military Veterans Affairs – Baylor County Annex | (940) 889-3553
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
VA Medical: VA North Texas Health Care System operates a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Bridgeport that serves Baylor County residents among eight North Texas counties – (940) 683-2538
Key Assets: Lake Kemp, a large reservoir on the Big Wichita River north of Seymour (about 27,000 surface acres at flood-control pool), built 1922–1923 and jointly managed by the City of Wichita Falls, Wichita County Water Improvement District No. 2, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – a genuinely significant regional lake known locally for fishing (including trophy catfish)
Notes: This is a real, checkable regional recreation asset with an interesting engineering history (part of a two-dam flood-control and irrigation system with Lake Diversion) rather than manufactured praise. Confirm current lake levels and any access restrictions directly, since reservoir levels fluctuate with drought conditions in this part of Texas.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Baylor County Appraisal District – 211 N. Washington, Seymour, TX 76380 | (940) 888-5636
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility/Enforcement: Baylor County Sheriff’s Office handles county-level animal control – (940) 889-3333; within the City of Seymour, the Police Department’s Animal Control Officer enforces the city’s animal control ordinance (Chapter 2 of the City Code)
Rescue: Panther Animal Wellness of Seymour (P.A.W.S.), an all-volunteer nonprofit, assists with spay/neuter, rescue, and adoption for cats and dogs in Baylor County
Notes: No dedicated county-run shelter facility was confirmed in this search – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Sheriff’s Office if outside Seymour city limits, or the Seymour Police Department’s Animal Control Officer if within city limits.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Facility: Seymour Transfer Station – contact Seymour City Hall, (940) 889-3148, for current hours and access
Notes: This appears to be a city-operated facility rather than a separate county-run one – confirm whether county (non-city) residents can use it and under what terms.
NOTES: Baylor County is the third of this five-county batch. This is a small, sparsely populated rural county where several services (building permits, a standalone animal shelter) are combined with city or Sheriff’s Office functions rather than run as separate county departments – flagged honestly rather than assumed. Lake Kemp is a real, substantial regional recreation asset worth knowing about. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Baylor County County
Baylor County is north Texas’s Lake Kemp and Rolling Plains ranching county – the Wichita River reservoir and the vast cattle ranches of the Rolling Plains define a remote community where Seymour serves the county’s agricultural and energy communities in the open ranch country between Wichita Falls and Abilene.
Seymour (the county seat, population ~2,600) is Baylor County’s governmental hub on US 183, a north Texas Rolling Plains ranch town whose Lake Kemp access and cattle ranching economy anchor its community identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Baylor County Appraisal District at 101 S. Washington Street, Seymour, TX 76380, phone 940-889-3322. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Baylor County District Court at 101 S. Washington Street, Seymour, TX 76380, phone 940-889-3322, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
101 South Washington St, Seymour, TX 76380
(940) 889-2617
DISTRICT CLERK
101 South Washington St, Seymour, TX 76380
(940) 889-2617
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Baylor County District and County Clerk’s Office, Seymour (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Baylor 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
District and County Clerk, Baylor County 101 South Washington Street, Seymour, TX 76380 (940) 889-3322
Baylor County is in North Texas, seated in Seymour. Baylor County combines the District Clerk and County Clerk roles into a single office.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Baylor, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Baylor County, the combined District and County Clerk’s office handles probate matters through the County Court.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Baylor County District and County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Baylor County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
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
101 South Washington St, Seymour, TX 76380
(940) 889-3121
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
101 South Washington St, Seymour, TX 76380
(940) 889-2617
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
101 South Washington St, Seymour, TX 76380
(940) 889-2617
HHSC Office
101 South Washington St, Seymour, TX 76380
(940) 889-2617
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Texas Health and Human Services / Department of State Health Services – 115 W. Morris, Seymour, TX | (940) 888-3536
Also at the same address: Child Protective Services, (940) 888-1855; Adult Protective Services, (940) 888-1826
Notes: These are state offices co-located in Seymour rather than a standalone county health department – a common structure for a county this size.
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.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Seymour
Population: 3,500
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Baylor County County residents.
