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Texas County
Brown County, Texas
Howard Payne University and Lake Brownwood's reservoir recreation - from Howard Payne University in Brownwood (a Baptist-affiliated liberal arts university enrollment ~1,100, providing higher education and cultural anchoring in the west-central Texas Rolling Plains) to Lake Brownwood State Park (the 7,300-acre reservoir on Pecan Bayou - a popular recreation lake for west-central Texas communities, with camping, boating, and fishing in a cedar and live oak landscape) and Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom's extraordinary Cold War museum collection at Howard Payne.
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Office: City of Brownwood Emergency Management (serves both city and county) – Coordinator Eric Hicks, appointed by the Mayor | Alerts via CivicReady (register for phone/text/email notifications) and Brown County CodeRED weather warning service
Also: Brown County Emergency Assistance Registry – for residents needing extra help during an emergency, forms available at brownwoodtexas.gov or by mail/drop-off at 510 E. Lee St, Brownwood, TX 76801
Notes: Brown County Courthouse, 200 S. Broadway St, Brownwood, TX 76801 | [email protected]. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-84 and US-377 are the primary highways, meeting at Brownwood, the county seat
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or city
Notes: Brown County is in the Cross Timbers/Hill Country transition zone of Central Texas.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Within the City of Brownwood: Building Services Department, (325) 646-5331 for inspections (Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM); the city has adopted the 2021 International Building/Residential/Plumbing/Fuel Gas/Mechanical Codes, 2020 National Electric Code, and 2021 International Fire/Energy Conservation/Property Maintenance/Existing Building Codes
Requirements: Permits and inspections are generally required for foundation, framing, and structural roofing work; room additions; new/replaced doors, windows, drywall, electrical wiring, water/sewer/gas piping; fences taller than 6 feet; driveways; and pre-fabricated storage buildings. Painting and non-structural roof covering replacement (e.g., shingles) do NOT require a permit, though a Certificate of Occupancy may still be needed for some projects – call to confirm your specific situation.
Notes: Living in a travel trailer is only permitted within a designated RV park within city limits. For unincorporated Brown County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current permitting requirements, since a distinct county building department was not independently confirmed in this search.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Brown County Veterans Service Office – James Masters, Veteran Service Officer | 1600 Burnet Drive (also listed as 2600 Memorial Park Dr), Brownwood, TX 76801 | (325) 646-0335
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:00 AM–2:00 PM, Friday 7:00 AM–1:00 PM (open through lunch on Fridays)
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
VA Medical: Central Texas Veterans Health Care System information, (325) 641-0568
Key Assets: Lake Brownwood State Park, a 537.5-acre park on Lake Brownwood, acquired in 1933 and developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1934–1942, with CCC-built structures using locally quarried stone; Lake Brownwood itself is a roughly 7,300-acre reservoir on Pecan Bayou/Jim Ned Creek, created by the Brown County Water Improvement District (formed by county vote in 1926) for flood control following a devastating 1900 flood
Notes: This is genuine, documented New Deal-era public works history – the reservoir exists specifically because of a historic flood event, a real detail worth knowing about the area’s flood-control infrastructure. Confirm current park hours and conditions directly with Texas Parks and Wildlife.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Brown County Appraisal District – 3804 Hwy 377 S, Brownwood, TX 76801 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM | brown-cad.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: City of Brownwood Animal Control – (325) 646-2525; two fully certified officers, handle stray animals, wildlife education, and humane relocation when public health/safety is threatened
Notes: Animal Control cannot pick up an owned animal simply because an owner no longer wants to keep it. Brown County also provides an annual subsidy to the Brown County Humane Society, an independent nonprofit – confirm current contact directly. For unincorporated county areas, contact the Brown County Sheriff’s Office to confirm current response options, since a separate county-wide enforcement department was not confirmed in this search.
Fees: Residential discount rate $44/ton with an $11 minimum for city/county residents with a current water bill and matching driver’s license; all unsecured (untarped) loads charged double; sliced/shredded tires accepted at $40/ton; mattresses/box springs $15 each (commercial) in addition to per-ton weight; special waste (asbestos, animals, sludge, wind turbine blades, etc.) requires advance coordination with the landfill office
Recycling: Recycling center, (325) 641-8832, also accepts tires
Notes: Residential trash pickup within Brownwood runs on a rotating schedule – contact Sanitation, (325) 643-4200, for your specific route.
NOTES: Brown County is the first of this five-county batch (Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun). The joint city-county health department and the historic, flood-driven origin of Lake Brownwood/Lake Brownwood State Park are the most substantive, checkable details here. 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 Brown County
Brown County is west-central Texas’s Howard Payne University and Lake Brownwood county – the Baptist university’s MacArthur Academy Cold War museum and the rolling hills reservoir define the regional hub between Abilene and San Angelo.
Brownwood (the county seat, population ~20,000) is the commercial hub for a broad region of west-central Texas – its hospital, retail, and Howard Payne University serve communities across multiple surrounding counties.
Howard Payne’s Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom houses an extraordinary Cold War-era museum collection of global historical artifacts.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Brown County Appraisal District at 403 Fisk Avenue, Brownwood, TX 76801, phone 325-643-5676. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Brown County District Clerk at 200 S. Broadway Street, Brownwood, TX 76801, phone 325-643-2594, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 South Broadway St, Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 643-2594
DISTRICT CLERK
200 South Broadway St, Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 643-2594
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Brown County Clerk’s Office, Brownwood (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Brown 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
County Clerk, Brown County 200 South Broadway, Brownwood, TX 76801 (325) 643-2594 Brown County is in Central Texas, seated in Brownwood.
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 Brown, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Brown County, the County Court handles probate matters.
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 Brown 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 Brown 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
1500 Airport Rd, Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 646-0011
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
200 South Broadway St, Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 643-2594
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
1341 4th St, Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 646-0554
HHSC Office
100 East Chandler St, Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 646-8541
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Brownwood-Brown County Health Department (BBCHD) – a genuine joint city/county department, funded by both the City of Brownwood and Brown County plus grants from Texas DSHS and HHS
Services: Immunizations (including Texas Vaccines for Children/TVFC and Medicaid programs), general health screens (blood pressure, pregnancy tests, body composition), STI/HIV prevention and awareness, maternal/child health support
Notes: This is a real, standalone joint health department – worth noting since many smaller Texas counties in this project have no equivalent.
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