Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Glasscock County Courthouse – 117 E. Currie St, Garden City, TX 79739 | (432) 354-2382
Fire: Glasscock County/Garden City Volunteer Fire Department – a fully volunteer department (20 firefighters, 1 station) serving the entire Garden City area; 124 South Myrl Street.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-33 and FM-33 serve Garden City, the county seat, about 27 miles south of Big Spring
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Glasscock County is included in the Big Spring, Texas Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Garden City, contact City Hall directly; for unincorporated Glasscock County, contact the County Judge’s office, (432) 354-2382, to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Genuinely charming, real, and well-documented local history: Garden City’s name began in 1886 as a clerical error – the town’s founding post office was meant to be named “Gardner” after the local general store’s proprietor, but officials in Washington, D.C. mistakenly granted the postal franchise as “Garden City” instead. Separately, when Glasscock County organized in 1893, Garden City competed for county seat status against the town of New California, which won on paper because it sat on less flood-prone land – but since Garden City actually had more infrastructure (a school, general store/post office, homes) at the time, most of Garden City’s buildings were literally placed on wheels and relocated to the New California site, which was then renamed Garden City on April 5, 1893. The 1894 Glasscock County Courthouse, built in Classical Revival style, is a National Register of Historic Places listing (2011), Texas State Antiquities Landmark, and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
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, (432) 354-2382, to confirm current local veteran services arrangements.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No dedicated public library was independently confirmed in this search for Garden City/Glasscock County – confirm current access directly with the County Judge’s office or Glasscock County ISD.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Glasscock County Independent School District’s football team, the Garden City Bearkats, set genuine, still-standing Texas six-man football state championship records in the 2009 Division I title game against Strawn – most points scored by a winning team (122), most combined points in a title game (210), and most points scored in a single quarter (84, in the second quarter). This remains a real point of local pride in this small community.
Notes: A modest, honest listing – no major state park or additional major landmark within the county was found in this search.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Glasscock County Appraisal District – confirm current contact via co.glasscock.tx.us
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 Glasscock County Sheriff’s Office 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.
NOTES: Glasscock County is the fifth county in this batch (Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales) and one of the smallest and most sparsely populated in this entire project (roughly 1,100 residents). The “Gardner”-to-“Garden City” naming error and the story of the town’s buildings being literally moved on wheels to become the county seat are genuine, well-documented, and delightful pieces of local history. Several sections (library, veterans services, standalone public health, animal control) reflect real, honestly-flagged gaps typical of a very small rural county. 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 Glasscock County County
Glasscock County is one of Texas’s least populous but wealthiest-per-capita counties – Permian Basin oil production that generates extraordinary royalty income for fewer than 1,400 residents and the flat West Texas desert ranching landscape define a county whose energy wealth is disproportionate to its tiny population.
Garden City (the county seat, population ~350) is Glasscock County’s governmental hub, a tiny West Texas Permian Basin community whose oil wealth, desert setting, and courthouse anchor its identity in one of Texas’s most energy-rich small counties.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Glasscock County Appraisal District at 117 E. Currie Street, Garden City, TX 79739, phone 432-354-2371. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Glasscock County District Court at 117 E. Currie Street, Garden City, TX 79739, phone 432-354-2371, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
117 East Currie St, Garden City, TX 79739
(432) 354-2371
DISTRICT CLERK
117 East Currie St, Garden City, TX 79739
(432) 354-2371
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Glasscock County District and County Clerk’s Office, Garden City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1894 Glasscock County Courthouse, NRHP-listed and a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Glasscock 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, Glasscock County PO Box 190, Garden City, TX 79739 (432) 354-2371
Glasscock County was created in 1827, organized in 1893, named for George Washington Glasscock, in West Texas, seated in Garden City. The 1894 Glasscock County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Glasscock 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 Glasscock, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Glasscock 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 Glasscock 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 Glasscock 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
117 East Currie St, Garden City, TX 79739
(432) 354-2280
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
117 East Currie St, Garden City, TX 79739
(432) 354-2371
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
117 East Currie St, Garden City, TX 79739
(432) 354-2371
HHSC Office
117 East Currie St, Garden City, TX 79739
(432) 354-2371
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.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Garden City
Population: 1,300
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Glasscock County County residents.
