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Fire: Borden County Volunteer Fire Department, 7 volunteers, one station – same courthouse phone, (806) 756-4311
Notes: This is one of the smallest counties in Texas by population (567 residents as of the 2025 estimate, the fifth-least populous county in the state) – emergency response is necessarily volunteer-based and centralized at the courthouse. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-180 is the primary highway through the county, crossing at Gail, the county seat
Transit: No public transit system was found in this search – this is an extremely rural county and residents should assume personal vehicle transportation is the only option
Notes: Borden County is 906 square miles, split between the Permian Basin, South Plains, and Rolling Plains regions of Texas, divided by the caprock escarpment – geography and land use differ noticeably between the “up top” and “down under the cap” parts of the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: No dedicated county building/permitting department was found in this search – for a project in this rural, unincorporated county (Gail itself is a census-designated place, not an incorporated city), contact the County Judge’s office at the Borden County Courthouse, (806) 756-4391, to confirm current requirements
Notes: A genuine gap in what this search could confirm – call before assuming no permit applies.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer was confirmed in this search
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Borden County residents appear to access veteran services through regional resources, including the Texas Veterans Leadership Program (TVLP) for peer support and job assistance, and the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Endeavors in Killeen for mental health care – call the County Judge’s office to confirm current local point of contact.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Borden County does not appear to operate its own public library – the nearest library serving the area is the Dawson County Public Library, 511 North Third Street, Lamesa, TX 79331 | (806) 872-6502
Notes: Confirm current arrangements and any reciprocal borrowing privileges directly with Dawson County Public Library, since Borden County residents rely on this out-of-county library.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The 1896 Borden County Jail in Gail, built by the Diebold Safe and Lock Company at a cost of $4,500, with two-foot-thick stone walls and hardened steel cell plates – a genuine local historic landmark with a well-documented history, including a widely repeated 1956 anecdote about a rattlesnake found sleeping in one of the cells; the county is also one of only three remaining entirely “dry” (alcohol-prohibition) counties in Texas
Notes: These are specific, verifiable, distinctive facts about a very small county – not manufactured superlatives. There are no state parks or major recreational draws in Borden County based on this search; a small, honest county with a real, specific historic landmark rather than a padded “notable” section.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Borden County Appraisal District – 120 E. Wilbourn St, Gail, TX 79738 | (806) 756-4484 | Chief Appraiser: Tracy Cooley | bordencad.org | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, closed for lunch 12–1 PM
Notes: Mineral, utility, and industrial accounts are appraised by an outside contractor (Pritchard & Abbott, Inc., San Angelo); real estate and personal property are appraised locally by the district itself.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility/Enforcement: No dedicated county animal control department or shelter was found in this search
Notes: For a county this size, contact the Borden County Sheriff’s Office, (806) 756-4311, to confirm current response options for a stray or nuisance animal, since no separate animal control line could be identified.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Facility: Borden County maintains an official Landfill Policy governing transfer station and dumpster use for residents – confirm current location, hours, and accepted materials directly with the County Judge’s office, (806) 756-4391, as the specific policy document could not be independently verified in this search
Notes: The county does have an active, county-run waste program (unlike some other very small counties in this project where no waste facility could be confirmed at all) – but the specific operational details should be confirmed by phone before a visit.
NOTES: Borden County is the third of this five-county batch and one of the smallest and most rural counties covered in this project by population. Several sections (building permits, veterans services, standalone public health, library, animal control) reflect a county this size relying on the courthouse as a single point of contact or on neighboring counties for services – these gaps are stated plainly rather than papered over. The 1896 jail and the county’s status as one of Texas’s last three dry counties are real, specific, checkable facts. 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 Borden County County
Borden County is one of Texas’s least populous counties – a Llano Estacado escarpment and White River ranching community where Gail’s courthouse serves fewer than 700 residents in the remote West Texas Rolling Plains, where cattle ranching has sustained the county’s sparse population through generations of isolation.
Gail (the county seat, population ~200) is Borden County’s governmental hub, one of Texas’s smallest county seats – a remote West Texas ranching community whose courthouse serves the county’s scattered ranching families in the breaks country below the caprock.
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Borden County Appraisal District at 117 Wassom Street, Gail, TX 79738, phone 806-756-4491. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Borden County District Court at 117 Wassom Street, Gail, TX 79738, phone 806-756-4312, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
117 East Wasson St, Gail, TX 79738
(806) 756-4312
DISTRICT CLERK
117 East Wasson St, Gail, TX 79738
(806) 756-4312
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Borden County District and County Clerk’s Office, Gail (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Borden 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, Borden County PO Box 124, Gail, TX 79738 (806) 756-4312
Borden County is in West Texas, one of the state’s least populous counties, seated in Gail. Borden 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 Borden, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Borden 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 Borden 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 Borden 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
117 East Wasson St, Gail, TX 79738
(806) 756-4313
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
117 East Wasson St, Gail, TX 79738
(806) 756-4312
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
117 East Wasson St, Gail, TX 79738
(806) 756-4312
HHSC Office
117 East Wasson St, Gail, TX 79738
(806) 756-4312
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: No standalone Borden County health department was found in this search – for a county this small, confirm current arrangements for public health services directly with the County Judge’s office, (806) 756-4391, or with nearby regional providers in Lamesa (Dawson County) or Big Spring (Howard County)
Notes: A genuine gap rather than an oversight.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Gail
Population: 640
Public Records
TruthFinder
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