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Fire: Kinney County Fire Rescue – 203 East El Paso Street, Brackettville, TX 78832
Kinney County EMS: Brackettville, TX 78832
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-90 runs through Brackettville, the county seat, 22 miles northeast of the Rio Grande and about 125 miles west of San Antonio; SH-131 crosses the county
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Kinney County is a genuinely active U.S.-Mexico border county with a real, ongoing law enforcement and immigration-related presence – relevant context for anyone researching current conditions in the area.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Brackettville or the City of Spofford, contact the relevant city hall directly; for unincorporated Kinney County, contact the County Judge’s office, (830) 563-2401, to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Brackettville is named for Oscar B. Brackett, an early dry-goods merchant near Fort Clark. The town grew up serving Fort Clark, established 1852 along Las Moras Springs (a name given by early Spanish explorers meaning “the mulberries”).
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: Fort Clark, the historic frontier fort at the heart of this county’s identity, has a genuinely significant African-American military history: it hosted the Black Seminole Scouts and Buffalo Soldiers of the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry Regiments from the late 1880s through World War I. Fort Clark later served as headquarters for the 2nd Cavalry Division. The Fort Clark Historic District (National Register of Historic Places, 1979) preserves this legacy, including a museum in the historic guardhouse and “The Empty Saddle” statue honoring fallen cavalrymen at the fort’s entrance.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No dedicated public library was independently confirmed in Brackettville or elsewhere in Kinney County in this search – confirm current options directly with the County Judge’s office or the local school district.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Kinney County holds a genuinely remarkable piece of American film history: Alamo Village, a 400-acre film set built in 1957 by rancher James T. “Happy” Shahan (later named “Father of the Texas Movie Industry” by Governor George W. Bush in 1995), was constructed on the Shahan Angus Ranch specifically for John Wayne’s 1960 film “The Alamo,” and went on to serve as the filming location for over 100 movies and TV productions over six decades, including “Lonesome Dove.” It operated as a popular tourist attraction for nearly 50 years before closing to the public; the site, now largely deteriorated, remains a well-documented piece of Texas film history. Fort Clark Springs, the historic fort community bordering Brackettville (2020 census population 1,215), preserves the original fort buildings and grounds.
Notes: Alamo Village’s history is real, extensively documented, and genuinely unique – a significant piece of Hollywood Western film history directly tied to this small border county.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Kinney County Appraisal District – 412 S. Ann St, PO Box 1377, Brackettville, TX 78832 | (830) 563-2323 | Fax: (830) 563-9292 | [email protected] | kinneycad.org | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–5:00 PM
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 Kinney County Sheriff’s Office, (830) 563-2788, 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 Brackettville City Hall.
NOTES: Kinney County is the fifth county in this batch (Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox). Fort Clark’s Buffalo Soldiers and Black Seminole Scouts history is genuinely significant African-American military history. Alamo Village’s real Hollywood filmmaking legacy is a unique, well-documented piece of Texas cultural history. Several sections (library, animal control, veterans services) reflect real, honestly-flagged gaps typical of a small rural border 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 Kinney County County
Kinney County is south Texas’s Fort Clark Buffalo Soldier heritage and Alamo Village movie set county – the frontier fort where African American soldiers served and the full-scale Alamo replica built for John Wayne’s 1959 film define a remote border county whose history is richer than its small population suggests.
Brackettville (the county seat, population ~1,700) is Kinney County’s governmental hub on US 90, a remote south Texas border community whose Fort Clark heritage, Alamo Village proximity, and Devils River access anchor its identity near the Rio Grande.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Kinney County Appraisal District at 501 Ann Street, Brackettville, TX 78832, phone 830-563-2323. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Kinney County District Court at 501 Ann Street, Brackettville, TX 78832, phone 830-563-2521, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
501 South Ann St, Brackettville, TX 78832
(830) 563-2521
DISTRICT CLERK
501 South Ann St, Brackettville, TX 78832
(830) 563-2521
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Kinney County District and County Clerk’s Office, Brackettville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Kinney 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, Kinney County PO Box 9, Brackettville, TX 78832 (830) 563-2521
Kinney County is in West Texas near the Mexican border, seated in Brackettville. Kinney 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 Kinney, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Kinney 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 Kinney 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 Kinney 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
501 South Ann St, Brackettville, TX 78832
(830) 563-2251
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
501 South Ann St, Brackettville, TX 78832
(830) 563-2521
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
501 South Ann St, Brackettville, TX 78832
(830) 563-2521
HHSC Office
501 South Ann St, Brackettville, TX 78832
(830) 563-2521
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: UMC Health Brackettville Clinic – 202 James St, Brackettville, TX 78832 | (830) 563-2434 | umchealth.com
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Brackettville
Population: 3,600
Public Records
TruthFinder
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