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Texas · Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex · #361 Most Populous County in the US
Johnson County, Texas
Fort Worth's southern suburban county - from Cleburne's historic courthouse square and railroad heritage to Burleson's explosive residential growth, Joshua's emerging communities, and the DFW Metroplex's rapid southward expansion along US-67 and I-35W. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Johnson County residents.
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Johnson County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Johnson County Office of Emergency Management – contact via johnsoncountytx.org; the County Judge is charged by statute with emergency management planning and operations.
City of Cleburne Emergency Management: Cleburne Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management, EMC Chief Scott Lail; operates an EOC in the basement of City Hall, 10 North Robinson Street.
Fire/EMS (unincorporated county): Johnson County Emergency Services District No. 1 – 2451 Service Drive, Cleburne, TX 76033 | Administration: (817) 556-2212 | 24-Hour Non-Emergency Dispatch: (817) 357-8800; operates the Johnson County Fire Training Center and Fire Alarm Dispatch Center, coordinating multiple volunteer fire departments across the unincorporated county.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-67 connects Cleburne (the county seat) to Dallas; I-35 crosses the eastern part of the county, linking Dallas-Fort Worth with high-growth areas to the south; Cleburne is also served by the Fort Worth and Western Railroad, BNSF Railway, and Amtrak.
Transit: Confirm current local transit options with your specific city (Cleburne, Burleson, Alvarado, etc.).
Notes: Johnson County is part of the fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex – always confirm whether an address is inside a specific city or unincorporated county before assuming which authority applies.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Within a city: Contact that city’s building department directly.
For unincorporated Johnson County: Contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Cleburne, established March 23, 1867, is genuinely tied to two major pieces of Texas history: a real section of the historic Chisholm Trail cattle drive route runs nearby, preserved and interpreted at the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, sponsored by the Johnson County Heritage Foundation; and the city grew significantly as a Santa Fe Railroad hub, reflected today in the preserved Santa Fe Caboose and Santa Fe Shops downtown.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office (Cleburne location): Johnson County Veterans Services – Johnson County Courthouse, 2 N. Main St, B9, Cleburne, TX 76033 | (817) 556-6351 | Fax: (817) 556-6199 | [email protected] | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Office (Burleson location): Johnson County Sub-Courthouse, 247 Elk Dr, Suite 102, Burleson, TX 76028 | (817) 202-2971 | Fax: (817) 295-2628 | same hours
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Two full-service offices (Cleburne and Burleson) reflect the county’s genuine, substantial population growth and geographic spread.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No single countywide library system was confirmed – cities within Johnson County generally maintain their own public library systems (Cleburne, Burleson, Alvarado, etc.); confirm which one covers your specific address.
Notes: The Layland Museum, in downtown Cleburne, occupies the original 1904-05 Carnegie Library building (Beaux Arts/Classical Revival style) – a genuinely significant local landmark in its own right, now housing regional history exhibits, with a restored second-floor auditorium home to the Greater Cleburne Carnegie Players community theater group.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Cleburne State Park, a 528-acre Texas Parks and Wildlife property established in 1938, includes the 116-acre spring-fed Cedar Lake, created by a Civilian Conservation Corps-built earthen dam – real hiking and mountain biking terrain. Lake Pat Cleburne offers water sports, swimming, and fishing closer to town. The Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum and the Layland Museum together document the region’s cattle-drive and railroad history. Lakes Whitney and Granbury (both covered elsewhere in this project) border the county.
Notes: These are real, well-documented local recreational and historic assets.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Johnson County Appraisal District – confirm current contact via johnsoncountytx.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Within Cleburne: City of Cleburne Animal Services – a municipal law enforcement agency handling bite investigations and rabies control for Cleburne residents specifically; the department explicitly states it CANNOT provide services to Johnson County residents outside city limits, and cannot accept animals from unincorporated areas.
For unincorporated Johnson County: Contact the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, (817) 556-6045, to file complaints or service requests; for sheltering of strays or unwanted pets outside Cleburne, contact the Humane Society of North Texas, (817) 332-4768.
Notes: This is a real, clearly stated jurisdictional split – Cleburne’s own shelter explicitly redirects county residents elsewhere, an important distinction for anyone outside city limits.
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: Johnson County is the second county in this batch (Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy) and a fast-growing part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The Cleburne Animal Services jurisdictional limitation is a real, clearly and explicitly stated gap worth flagging plainly. 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 Johnson County
Johnson County is a DFW suburban county and the 361st most populous in the United States, covering 729 square miles directly south of Fort Worth on the I-35W and US-67 corridors.
Cleburne (the county seat, population ~32,000) is the county’s oldest and most historically significant city – a railroad hub in the late 19th century with a well-preserved Victorian downtown centered on the Johnson County Courthouse (1913, Classical Revival design). Cleburne’s Chisholm Trail heritage, railroad history (it was a major stop on the Texas and Pacific Railway), and agricultural identity represent a distinctly different character from the suburban growth communities to its north.
Burleson (population ~47,000) is Johnson County’s largest city and growth engine – a community that has exploded from a small Fort Worth suburb into a full-service city with major retail, corporate development, and thousands of new residential units along the US-174 and I-35W corridors. Burleson’s position immediately south of Fort Worth makes it a prime DFW commuter location.
Joshua (population ~10,000) and Crowley (population ~17,000, straddling the Johnson-Tarrant county line) are rapidly expanding suburban communities in the county’s northern tier, drawing families priced out of Tarrant County.
Keene is a small Seventh-day Adventist community in the county’s interior – home to Southwestern Adventist University and a distinctive community character shaped by its religious heritage.
Johnson County’s growth reflects the broader DFW pattern – affordable land south of Fort Worth relative to the closer-in suburbs, combined with new highway infrastructure, has driven explosive residential development that shows no signs of slowing.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
The Johnson County Appraisal District (JCAD) at 109 N. Main Street, Cleburne, TX 76033, phone 817-558-0122, appraises all property at 100% of market value.
The protest process: File by May 15 (or 30 days after notice). Homestead exemption: Apply with JCAD – $100,000 school tax reduction plus applicable veteran/senior exemptions. No TX estate or inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: JCAD protest deadline: May 15. Burleson and Joshua among DFW’s fastest-growing markets. No TX estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the protest with no upfront cost.
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JCAD protest deadline: May 15. Burleson and Joshua among DFW's fastest-growing markets. No TX estate or inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the protest with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
District Court (Probate): Johnson County’s District Courts (18th, 249th, 413th) at 2 N. Main Street, Cleburne, TX 76033, phone 817-556-6300, handle probate and all civil and criminal matters.
County Clerk: The Johnson County Clerk at 2 N. Main Street maintains deed records, probate records, and marriage licenses. Land records searchable online.
Senior Services
The Johnson County Senior Citizens, Inc. and the Tarrant Area Community of Churches Senior Services serve the county’s senior population. Contact Johnson County Health Department at 817-556-6360. AdventHealth Cleburne and proximity to Fort Worth’s major medical systems provide healthcare access.
Recommended
Assisted living, memory care, and independent living across Johnson County - from Cleburne and Burleson to Joshua, Crowley, and the DFW southern communities.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
2 North Main St, Cleburne, TX 76033
(817) 556-6260
DISTRICT CLERK
204 South Buffalo Ave, Cleburne, TX 76033
(817) 556-6800
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Johnson County Clerk’s Office, Cleburne (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1852 to present.
Local societies
No dedicated Johnson 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, Johnson County 2 North Main Street, PO Box 1986, Cleburne, TX 76033 (817) 556-6323
Johnson County is in North Central Texas, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, seated in Cleburne.
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 Johnson, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Johnson 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 Johnson 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 Johnson 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
1 Care Cir, Cleburne, TX 76033
(817) 556-6100
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
2 North Mill St, Cleburne, TX 76033
(817) 556-6262
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
606 South Chinn St, Cleburne, TX 76031
(817) 556-6395
HHSC Office
1400 West Henderson St, Cleburne, TX 76033
(817) 202-3800
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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