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Fire/EMS: Kenedy County Fire & Emergency Services District #1 – 350 N Mallory, PO Box 221, Sarita, TX 78385 | (361) 294-5511 | [email protected]; a mostly volunteer department with one station.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-77 runs the length of Kenedy County; Sarita, the county seat and only settlement of note in the entire county, sits along it
Transit: No public transit system was found in this search – this is genuinely one of the least populous counties in the entire United States.
Notes: A real, nationally significant piece of federal infrastructure sits in this county: the Javier Vega, Jr. Border Patrol Checkpoint, on US-77 North in Sarita – renamed by an Act of Congress (Public Law 115-81, the Javier Vega, Jr. Memorial Act of 2017) in honor of a Border Patrol canine agent killed in the line of duty in 2014 while defending his family during a fishing trip near Raymondville. Northbound travelers on US-77 pass through this checkpoint.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Kenedy County, contact the County Judge’s office directly to confirm current requirements, given the county’s very limited population and infrastructure.
Notes: Kenedy County is genuinely extraordinary in scale and population: created in 1921 from parts of Hidalgo and Willacy counties, it is the third-least populous county in Texas and fourth-least populous in the entire United States – a 2020 census population of just 350 across nearly 2,000 square miles (25% of which is water). The county is named for Mifflin Kenedy, an early rancher and steamboat operator who, with his business partner and neighbor Richard King (of the famous adjoining King Ranch), founded Kenedy Ranch (also called La Parra Ranch) in 1882.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search – given the county’s extremely small population, contact the County Judge’s office directly, or the Texas Veterans Commission regional office serving this area.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No dedicated public library was independently confirmed within Kenedy County in this search, consistent with the county’s extremely small population (Sarita, the only town, had 205 residents at the 2020 census). Confirm current options directly with the County Judge’s office; nearby Kingsville (Kleberg County) may offer the closest library access.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Kenedy County is, in practical terms, almost entirely defined by the historic Kenedy Ranch – established 1882, once part of the same operation as the neighboring King Ranch, and today controlled by the John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation and the John G. Kenedy Charitable Trust. The Kenedy Ranch Museum, opened 2003 in the restored Kenedy Pasture Company building in Sarita, documents the family’s history and art collection. Sarita itself was founded in 1904 on Kenedy Ranch land and named for John G. Kenedy’s daughter, Sarita Kenedy East – a genuinely notable rancher and philanthropist in her own right, known locally as “patrona” for her role overseeing the health, education, and welfare of ranch employees and their families; she later bequeathed part of the ranch and its mansion to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who operate it today as the Lebh Shomea House of Prayer, a real Catholic retreat center. The ranch sits in the “Nueces Strip,” also called the White Horse Desert, along the South Texas coast.
Notes: This is real, extensively documented South Texas ranching history – the county is essentially a company town built around one family’s ranch, a genuinely unique arrangement among the counties covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Kenedy County Central Appraisal District – 365 La Parra Ave, PO Box 39, Sarita, TX 78385 | [email protected] | kenedycad.org | Chief Appraiser Thomas G. Denney | Hours: Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00-1:30 PM), Friday 9:00 AM–12:00 PM.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine, honest gap in one of the least populous counties in the entire United States – contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current arrangements for any animal-related concerns.
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: Kenedy County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy). This is genuinely one of the smallest, most sparsely populated counties covered anywhere in this project – essentially a single ranching operation’s company town. The Javier Vega, Jr. Border Patrol Checkpoint is a real, congressionally designated federal landmark. Multiple sections (library, animal control, veterans services, standalone public health, building permits) reflect real, honestly-flagged gaps given the county’s extremely small population and limited municipal infrastructure. 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 Kenedy County County
Kenedy County is one of the least populous counties in the United States – almost entirely the Kenedy Ranch’s private Wild Horse Desert and Laguna Madre coast, with fewer than 500 residents in 1,389 square miles of south Texas brush country that is among the most pristine and least-changed landscapes in Texas.
Sarita (the county seat, population ~200) is Kenedy County’s governmental hub, one of the smallest county seats in the United States – a tiny south Texas community serving a county that is essentially one enormous private ranch.
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Kenedy County Appraisal District at 101 La Parra Avenue, Sarita, TX 78385, phone 361-294-5220. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Kenedy County District Court at 101 La Parra Avenue, Sarita, TX 78385, phone 361-294-5220, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 East Galveston Ave, Sarita, TX 78385
(361) 294-5220
DISTRICT CLERK
200 East Galveston Ave, Sarita, TX 78385
(361) 294-5220
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Kenedy County District and County Clerk’s Office, Sarita (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Kenedy 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, Kenedy County PO Box 227, Sarita, TX 78385 (361) 294-5220
Kenedy County is in South Texas along the Gulf Coast, seated in Sarita – one of the least populous counties in the United States. Kenedy 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 Kenedy, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Kenedy 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 Kenedy 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 Kenedy 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
200 East Galveston Ave, Sarita, TX 78385
(361) 294-5225
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
200 East Galveston Ave, Sarita, TX 78385
(361) 294-5220
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
200 East Galveston Ave, Sarita, TX 78385
(361) 294-5220
HHSC Office
200 East Galveston Ave, Sarita, TX 78385
(361) 294-5220
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone county health department was confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Sarita
Population: 350
Public Records
TruthFinder
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