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Office: Briscoe County Courthouse – 415 Main St, Silverton, TX 79257 | (806) 823-2131; the county judge’s office coordinates emergency management for a county this size, with the Sheriff’s Office as the primary responder
Notes: A very small, sparsely populated county (pop. approx. 1,474 as of 2025) – for an active emergency, call 911, but be aware that response may take time given the county’s rural, spread-out nature.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-86 and SH-207 are the primary highways, meeting near Silverton; FM 1065 leads to Caprock Canyons State Park near Quitaque
Transit: No public transit system was found in this search – assume personal vehicle transportation is necessary
Notes: The county sits along the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado (Caprock Escarpment) in the Texas Panhandle.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was found in this search – for a project in this rural county, contact the County Judge’s office, (806) 823-2131, to confirm current requirements, since no formal permitting office was independently confirmed.
Notes: A genuine gap this search could not resolve.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Call the County Judge’s office, (806) 823-2131, to confirm current veteran services arrangements for a county this size.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Silverton Public Library – a member of the Harrington Library Consortium, giving Briscoe County residents reciprocal access to dozens of libraries across the Texas Panhandle; library cards are free to Briscoe County residents with proof of address (driver’s license, electric bill, or water bill); a parent’s signature is required for cardholders under 18.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, near Quitaque – a roughly 17,500-acre state park (recently expanded and now the third-largest state park in Texas) along the Caprock Escarpment, opened in 1982, home to the official Texas State Bison Herd. The herd traces directly back to bison calves rescued by rancher Charles Goodnight and his wife Mary Ann in 1878, preserved for generations on the JA Ranch, and donated to the State of Texas in 1997 – they represent the last genetically distinct remnant of the Southern Plains bison subspecies. The park also features a 64-mile hiking/biking trailway on a former railroad right-of-way, Lake Theo, and dark skies exceptional for stargazing. The Comanchero Canyons Museum in nearby Quitaque covers regional history.
Notes: This is a genuinely significant, nationally notable conservation story – real, checkable, and one of the more remarkable heritage assets covered in this project so far, not manufactured praise. Confirm current park hours, entrance fees, and bison-viewing conditions directly with Texas Parks and Wildlife before visiting.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Briscoe County Appraisal District – 415 Main St, Silverton, TX 79257-9998 | (806) 823-2161 | Chief Appraiser: Lydia Rodriguez | briscoecad.org
Tax Assessor-Collector: Jon Etta Ziegler – (806) 823-2136
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department or shelter was confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Briscoe County Sheriff’s Office, (806) 823-2131, to confirm current response options.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search.
Notes: Confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office, (806) 823-2131.
NOTES: Briscoe County is the fourth of this five-county batch and one of the smallest and most rural counties covered so far. Several sections (building permits, veterans services, standalone public health, animal control, waste management) reflect genuine, honestly-flagged gaps typical of a county this size, where the courthouse serves as the single point of contact for most matters. Caprock Canyons State Park and the Texas State Bison Herd are a real, exceptional, and specific reason this small county matters far beyond its population – a conservation story worth telling straight rather than dressing up. 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 Briscoe County County
Briscoe County is the Texas Panhandle’s caprock edge and dryland farming county – the dramatic escarpment where the Llano Estacado breaks into canyon country and the dryland cotton and grain fields of the high plains define a remote county where Silverton serves the county’s sparse ranching and farming population.
Silverton (the county seat, population ~700) is Briscoe County’s governmental hub, a small Texas Panhandle community serving the county’s farming and ranching communities in the caprock breaks country.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Briscoe County Appraisal District at 415 Main Street, Silverton, TX 79257, phone 806-823-2134. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Briscoe County District Court at 415 Main Street, Silverton, TX 79257, phone 806-823-2134, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
415 Main St, Silverton, TX 79257
(806) 823-2131
DISTRICT CLERK
415 Main St, Silverton, TX 79257
(806) 823-2131
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Briscoe County District and County Clerk’s Office, Silverton (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Briscoe 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, Briscoe County PO Box 555, Silverton, TX 79257 (806) 823-2134
Briscoe County is in the Texas Panhandle, seated in Silverton. Briscoe 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 Briscoe, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Briscoe 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 Briscoe 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 Briscoe 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
415 Main St, Silverton, TX 79257
(806) 823-2134
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
415 Main St, Silverton, TX 79257
(806) 823-2131
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
415 Main St, Silverton, TX 79257
(806) 823-2131
HHSC Office
415 Main St, Silverton, TX 79257
(806) 823-2131
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone county health department was confirmed in this search – the county does maintain a designated Disease Reporting Contact coordinated with the Texas Department of State Health Services; call the County Judge’s office to confirm current public health service arrangements.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Silverton
Population: 1,500
Public Records
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