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Notes: Cottle County, self-described as sitting at the “Crossroads of America” at the intersection of US-70 and US-83 in the southeastern Texas Panhandle, is a very small, sparsely populated county (2025 population estimate approximately 1,224). Paducah is the only incorporated town in the county. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-70 and US-83 cross at Paducah, the county seat and only incorporated town
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – building permits within the City of Paducah are tracked jointly by the city and the Cottle County Appraisal District as part of the annual reappraisal cycle. For a specific project, contact the County Judge’s office, (806) 492-3613, or Paducah City Hall directly to confirm current requirements.
Notes: The 1930 Cottle County Courthouse and its surrounding Historic District (40 contributing buildings, 7 contributing structures) is a National Register of Historic Places listing (2004) – the courthouse itself is a striking four-story Art Deco/Mediterranean Revival design by Wichita Falls architects Voelcker and Dixon, a genuinely distinctive building for a county this size and remote.
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) 492-3613, to confirm current local veteran services arrangements.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Bicentennial City-County Library – P.O. Box AD, Paducah, TX 79248; jointly serves the City of Paducah and Cottle County, and received a Tocker Foundation grant in 2015-2016 supporting its collection.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Cottle County is named for George Washington Cottle, who died defending the Alamo – a genuine, checkable historical tie. The Matador Ranch, one of the great historic Texas cattle ranches (based in neighboring Motley County), once extended into Cottle County. Paducah’s own downtown historic district, anchored by the Art Deco courthouse described above, is the county’s primary heritage asset.
Notes: No major state park or national landmark within the county was found in this search – an honest, modest listing rather than padded content.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Cottle County Appraisal District (Cottle CAD) – a dropbox is available on the east side of the courthouse for payments (no cash); mineral, utility, and industrial accounts are appraised by Pritchard & Abbott, Inc. | cottlecad.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county or city animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Cottle County Sheriff’s Office, (806) 492-2145, to confirm current response options.
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 Paducah City Hall.
NOTES: Cottle County is the second of this five-county batch. The 1930 Art Deco courthouse is a genuinely distinctive, nationally recognized landmark for such a small, remote county. Several sections (veterans services, standalone public health, animal control, waste) reflect real, honestly-flagged gaps typical of a county this size. 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 Cottle County County
Cottle County is one of Texas’s least populous counties – a Pease River and Rolling Plains ranching community where Paducah’s courthouse serves fewer than 1,400 residents in the remote north Texas open country, in the same landscape where Quanah Parker’s story unfolded.
Paducah (the county seat, population ~1,000) is Cottle County’s governmental hub, a small north Texas Rolling Plains community on US 83 whose cattle ranching economy and remote plains setting anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Cottle County Appraisal District at 100 W. Moore Avenue, Paducah, TX 79248, phone 806-492-3823. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Cottle County District Court at 100 W. Moore Avenue, Paducah, TX 79248, phone 806-492-3823, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 West Beverly St, Paducah, TX 79248
(806) 492-3823
DISTRICT CLERK
100 West Beverly St, Paducah, TX 79248
(806) 492-3823
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Cottle County District and County Clerk’s Office, Paducah (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Cottle 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, Cottle County PO Box 717, Paducah, TX 79248 (806) 492-3823
Cottle County is in the Texas Panhandle/South Plains region, seated in Paducah. Cottle 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 Cottle, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Cottle 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 Cottle 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 Cottle 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 West Beverly St, Paducah, TX 79248
(806) 492-3743
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 West Beverly St, Paducah, TX 79248
(806) 492-3823
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 West Beverly St, Paducah, TX 79248
(806) 492-3823
HHSC Office
100 West Beverly St, Paducah, TX 79248
(806) 492-3823
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.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Paducah
Population: 1,500
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Cottle County County residents.
