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Texas · Texas Hill Country · #781
Comal County, Texas
In the Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio, Comal County has been the fastest-growing county in the United States by percentage - the German immigrant heritage of New Braunfels, the Comal and Guadalupe river tubing traditions, and the I-35 corridor between two major metros have combined to produce growth that has made the county virtually unrecognizable from its character a generation ago.
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Office: Comal County Emergency Management – Historic Courthouse, 100 Main Plaza, New Braunfels, TX 78130 | (830) 221-1108 | Coordinator: Jeff Kelley | Hours: 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Genuinely important fact: New Braunfels and Comal County sit in what’s known regionally as “Flash Flood Alley.” Documented major flood events go back to the early 1900s, with recent significant floods in 1972, 1998, 2002, and 2010. The City of New Braunfels operates a network of 8 outdoor warning sirens; if you hear them, go inside immediately and tune to KGNB AM 1420, the area’s designated Emergency Alert System station.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-35 runs through New Braunfels, the county seat, between San Antonio and Austin in the Texas Hill Country
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Comal County has a population of approximately 201,600 and is one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas, driven by growth spilling out from San Antonio and Austin.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Comal County Engineer’s Office handles Floodplain Development Permits for unincorporated county land – applications can be processed in a single visit if all required documents are submitted; $40 application fee
Requirements: A Floodplain Development Permit is required for all new construction or substantial improvements within a Special Flood Hazard Area. If an addition or remodel exceeds 50% of the existing structure’s value, the entire structure must be elevated at least one foot above the 100-year floodplain or flood-proofed to county standards. Building or occupying without required permits/inspections can result in fines and forced removal of unpermitted work.
Within incorporated cities: New Braunfels and other cities handle their own permits – contact the relevant city hall directly
Notes: The 1897 Comal County Courthouse, designed by noted architect James Riely Gordon in the Romanesque style, is a National Register of Historic Places building and Texas State Antiquities Landmark, restored to its 1898 appearance in a well-documented renovation project.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Comal County Veterans Services – Church Hill Building, 1345 Church Hill Drive, Suite 1300, New Braunfels, TX 78130; provides claims advocacy, benefits review, and coordination with the Texas Veterans Commission and VA Medical/Regional Office staff
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: New Braunfels Public Library – 700 East Common Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130 | (830) 221-4300; established 1928, a substantial system with over 121,500 items in its collection; offers scanning/faxing, public computers, wi-fi, children’s and teen programming (including a “reading to therapy dogs” program), and adult programs like book clubs, computer classes, and job skills workshops
Also: Tye Preston Memorial Library, Canyon Lake, (830) 964-3744; Bulverde/Spring Branch Library, Bulverde, (830) 438-4864 – each serves different parts of the county
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Natural Bridge Caverns, the largest commercial cavern system in Texas – discovered in 1960, opened to the public in 1964, and designated a U.S. National Natural Landmark in 1971, named for the 60-foot natural limestone bridge spanning the entrance, formed when a sinkhole collapsed beneath it; the Guadalupe River, a major regional recreation draw for tubing, rafting, and fishing, running through New Braunfels
Notes: These are real, nationally recognized attractions – not manufactured praise.
GIS: Comal County Engineer’s Office maintains draft floodplain maps at cceo.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Animal Control is one of the divisions of the Comal County Sheriff’s Office, headquartered in New Braunfels – confirm current contact directly via the Sheriff’s Office, (830) 620-3400
Within New Braunfels: City of New Braunfels Animal Welfare also operates within city limits – a recent example: city Animal Welfare staff and Park Rangers worked together to trap a sick raccoon in Panther Canyon following a confirmed rabies case, illustrating active, real wildlife/rabies response in the area
Notes: Confirm which specific agency (county Sheriff’s Office division vs. city Animal Welfare) applies to your address.
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 or your specific city.
NOTES: Comal County is the second of this five-county batch. The “Flash Flood Alley” designation with its documented flood history is a genuine, important safety fact for this county – not generic caution. Natural Bridge Caverns is a real, nationally significant attraction. 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 Comal County
Comal County’s New Braunfels was founded in 1845 by German immigrants – the Adelsverein colonization society that brought several thousand Germans to the Texas Hill Country in the 1840s, creating the cluster of German-heritage communities (New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, Boerne, Comfort) whose sausage, beer garden, and folk music traditions have persisted into the twenty-first century. The Comal River – the shortest river in Texas, flowing less than three miles from Comal Springs to the Guadalupe River – and the Guadalupe River provide the tubing and floating infrastructure that has made New Braunfels a summer recreation destination for San Antonio and Austin families.
Schlitterbahn Waterpark, which opened in New Braunfels in 1979 and was consistently rated the best waterpark in the United States for decades, reflects the county’s recreation economy. The explosive growth – driven by I-35 access and the desirability of Hill Country living at a price point between Austin and San Antonio – has produced one of the most dramatic demographic transformations of any American county in recent decades.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Texas has no state income tax. County Appraisal Districts appraise property at 100% of market value. Property owners may protest to the ARB by May 15. Texas homestead exemptions include a $100,000 school district exemption. Texas has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Alamo Area Agency on Aging (San Antonio area)
8700 Tesoro Drive, San Antonio, TX 78217
Phone: (210) 477-3275
Senior Services
Alamo Area Agency on Aging (San Antonio area)
8700 Tesoro Drive, San Antonio, TX 78217
Phone: (210) 477-3275
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
150 North Seguin Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 221-1230
DISTRICT CLERK
150 North Seguin Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 221-1250
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Comal County Clerk’s Office, New Braunfels (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1846 to present.
Local societies
No dedicated Comal 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
Comal County Clerk / County Court at Law 150 North Seguin, Suite 1037, New Braunfels, TX 78130 (830) 221-1230
Comal County is in the Texas Hill Country, seated in New Braunfels, one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas. Comal County has multiple County Courts at Law (including No. 1) that handle probate matters, each with its own local rules – it’s worth checking which court’s specific procedures apply to a given filing.
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, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Comal County, probate matters are heard in a County Court at Law. As of January 1, 2015, Comal County Court at Law Civil and Probate Departments no longer accept paper filings from attorneys – all such filings must be e-filed.
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 Comal County Clerk (most probate forms are not available online; contact the Clerk’s office directly).
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 Comal 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
815 East Common St, New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 620-3400
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
700 North Walnut Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 620-5511
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
217 West Bridge St, New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 221-1150
HHSC Office
1130 North Business IH-35, New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 606-5510
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone county health department was confirmed in this search – confirm current public health service arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office, (830) 221-1100.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: New Braunfels
Population: 175,000
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Comal County facilities via Amazon.
