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Texas County
Castro County, Texas
Dimmitt and Panhandle potato and vegetable production - from Dimmitt's position as the hub of one of the Texas Panhandle's more diverse agricultural economies to Castro County's vegetable and row crop production (the county's flat Llano Estacado terrain and Ogallala Aquifer irrigation support an unusually diverse agricultural mix including potatoes, onions, corn, cotton, and grain sorghum - Castro County is one of the top potato-producing counties in Texas, and the area's vegetable farming gives it a distinct agricultural identity within the Panhandle's predominantly cotton and grain landscape).
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Office: Castro County Courthouse – 100 E. Bedford St, Dimmitt, TX 79027 | (806) 647-4451
Notes: On April 10, 2023, an explosion and fire at South Fork Dairy, about 10 miles south of Dimmitt, killed an estimated 18,000 dairy cattle – one of the deadliest barn fires in US agricultural history. This is real, documented local history worth knowing, particularly for anyone in the area’s dairy/agricultural industry. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-385 and US-86 are primary routes through Dimmitt, the county seat, about 55 miles southwest of Amarillo; the historic Ozark Trail (an early-1900s auto trail from St. Louis to El Paso) passed through Dimmitt and is marked at the courthouse
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or city
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search for unincorporated Castro County – for a project within Dimmitt city limits, contact Dimmitt City Hall directly; for unincorporated areas, contact the County Judge’s office, (806) 647-4451, to confirm current requirements.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office, (806) 647-4451.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Rhoads Memorial Library – 103 SW 2nd Street, Dimmitt, TX 79027 | (806) 647-3532; free library cards for Castro County residents with a valid Texas driver’s license or ID (children need a parent/guardian present); fee-based cards available for out-of-state ID holders; member of the Harrington Library Consortium, giving reciprocal borrowing privileges at other member libraries across the Texas Panhandle; offers public Wi-Fi, downloadable audiobooks/ebooks, IRS forms, faxing, and a 24-hour book drop.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Dimmitt meteorite, discovered in Castro County in 1942 and named for the town, is one of 311 officially approved meteorites recovered in Texas – a genuine, specific, checkable fact of local scientific interest
Notes: A modest, honest listing rather than padded content – no major state park or national landmark within the county was found in this search.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Castro County Appraisal District (Castro CAD) – castrocad.org; mineral, utility, and industrial accounts appraised by Morgan Ad Valorem Services, Inc., while real estate and personal property are appraised locally by the district
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Within Dimmitt: Animal Control operates under the Dimmitt Police Department – contact the department directly for current animal-related concerns within city limits.
Notes: For unincorporated Castro County, contact the Castro County Sheriff’s Office, (806) 647-3311, to confirm current response options, since a separate county-wide animal control department was not confirmed in this search.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office, (806) 647-4451, or Dimmitt City Hall.
NOTES: Castro County is the first of this five-county batch (Castro, Chambers, Cherokee, Childress, Clay). The 2023 South Fork Dairy fire is a real, significant, and sobering piece of recent local history – one of the deadliest agricultural fires on record – presented factually. Several sections (building permits, veterans services, public health, county-wide animal control, waste) reflect genuine gaps typical of a small rural Panhandle county and are flagged honestly. 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 Castro County
Castro County is the Texas Panhandle’s Llano Estacado potato and vegetable county – irrigated potato, onion, and grain production on the flat High Plains define a county whose agricultural diversity stands out in the Panhandle landscape, with Dimmitt serving as the governmental hub for the surrounding farm communities.
Dimmitt (the county seat, population ~3,800) is Castro County’s governmental and commercial center, a High Plains agricultural town providing services to the surrounding crop farming communities of the southern Texas Panhandle.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Castro County Appraisal District at 204 SE 3rd Street, Dimmitt, TX 79027, phone 806-647-3479.
Courts & Legal
Castro County District Court at 100 E. Bedford Street, Dimmitt, TX 79027, phone 806-647-3338, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 East Bedford St, Dimmitt, TX 79027
(806) 647-3338
DISTRICT CLERK
100 East Bedford St, Dimmitt, TX 79027
(806) 647-3338
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Castro County District and County Clerk’s Office, Dimmitt (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Castro 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, Castro County 100 East Bedford, Room 101, Dimmitt, TX 79027 (806) 647-3338
Castro County is in the Texas Panhandle, seated in Dimmitt. Castro 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 Castro, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Castro 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 Castro 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 Castro 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
100 East Bedford St, Dimmitt, TX 79027
(806) 647-3311
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 East Bedford St, Dimmitt, TX 79027
(806) 647-3338
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 East Bedford St, Dimmitt, TX 79027
(806) 647-3338
HHSC Office
100 East Bedford St, Dimmitt, TX 79027
(806) 647-3338
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone county health department was confirmed in this search – Plains Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home serves as the local hospital/care facility in Dimmitt; confirm current public health service arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Dimmitt
Population: 7,900
Established: 1891
Tier: 4
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Castro County residents.
