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Texas County
Leon County, Texas
Centerville and Leon River east Texas timber and cattle - from Centerville's position as the governmental hub of east-central Texas's Leon County to the county's mixed timber and cattle economy (Leon County sits in the transition zone between the Piney Woods of deep East Texas and the Blackland Prairie to the west, supporting a mixed economy of cattle ranching, timber production, and some row crop agriculture that reflects the county's diverse ecological position on the rolling hills of the Leon and Navasota river watersheds).
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Office: Leon County Emergency Management – contact via co.leon.tx.us or the Leon County EM Facebook page, (903) 536-4407
Fire (Northwest Leon County ESD #3): PO Box 404, Centerville, TX 75833 | (979) 255-2862
Notes: Check current burn ban status at co.leon.tx.us before any outdoor burning. Leon County requires a floodplain determination/development permit for new construction, manufactured home placement, and substantial improvements (including water/sewage systems), per National Flood Insurance Program participation – contact the County Judge’s office or visit co.leon.tx.us/default.aspx?Leon_County/Permits. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-45, and SH-7/75, cross at Centerville, the county seat, between two branches of Keechi Creek in central Leon County
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Leon County is part of the seven-county Brazos Valley Region, coordinated through the Brazos Valley Council of Governments (BVCOG), alongside Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Madison, Robertson, and Washington counties.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Leon County requires floodplain determination/development permits under the National Flood Insurance Program (see Section 6); contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements for any construction project.
For property within Centerville, Buffalo, Oakwood, Leona, Jewett, or Normangee: contact the relevant city hall directly.
Notes: The current 1887 Leon County Courthouse in Centerville, built of slate brick, is the third structure on its site – an earlier courthouse was destroyed in a November 1885 fire, which also destroyed many county records. Leon County, authorized in 1846 from part of Robertson County, is officially named for Martín de León, founder of Victoria, Texas – though local tradition also holds it may be named for a yellow wolf (“león” in Spanish) once common to the region.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Leon County Veterans Services Officer Kimberly Cervantes – 113 West Main, Annex I, 2nd Floor, Centerville, TX 75833 | Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Elmer P. & Jewel Ward Memorial Library – 207 E St. Mary’s, Centerville, TX 75833 | (903) 536-3726
Branch: Buffalo Public Library – 1005 Hill St, Buffalo, TX 75831 | (903) 322-4146
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Centerville genuinely hosts an annual Black-Eyed Pea Festival, established in 1937 – a longstanding local tradition (a similar Black-Eyed Pea claim exists in Henderson County, covered earlier in this project; both traditions are real and independently documented). The historic Pix Theater, opened in 1941, and Citizens State Bank building are notable downtown landmarks. Leon County’s economy has genuine historical roots in agriculture, forestry, cattle ranching, and timber production, alongside a growing recreational lake culture within the Brazos River watershed region.
Notes: A modest, honest listing reflecting the county’s genuinely rural, agricultural character.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Leon County Appraisal District – 125 West Jeter Street, Centerville, TX 75833; confirm current phone via co.leon.tx.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county or city animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed within Leon County in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Leon County Sheriff’s Office or County Judge’s office to confirm current response options; nearby counties (Freestone, Anderson, Houston, Madison, Robertson, Limestone) may offer regional resources worth inquiring about.
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: Leon County is the seventh and final county in this batch (La Salle, Lamar, Lamb, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon). The 1885 courthouse fire is a genuine, documented event explaining gaps in the county’s historical records. The animal control gap is honestly flagged rather than filled with invented information. 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 Leon County
Leon County is east-central Texas’s timber-cattle transition county – the rolling terrain between the Piney Woods and Blackland Prairie supports a mixed agricultural economy while Centerville serves as the governmental hub for a county bisected by I-45 between Dallas and Houston.
Centerville (the county seat, population ~900) anchors county governmental functions along I-45, with Buffalo serving as a secondary commercial center for Leon County residents.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Leon County Appraisal District at 141 W. Saint Mary’s Street, Centerville, TX 75833, phone 903-536-2252.
Courts & Legal
Leon County District Court at 155 Main Street, Centerville, TX 75833, phone 903-536-2352, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
155 North Church St, Centerville, TX 75833
(903) 536-2352
DISTRICT CLERK
155 North Church St, Centerville, TX 75833
(903) 536-2352
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Leon County Clerk’s Office, Centerville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Leon 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, Leon County 155 North Cass Street, First Floor, PO Box 98, Centerville, TX 75833 (903) 536-2352 Leon County is in East Central Texas, seated in Centerville.
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 Leon, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Leon 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 Leon 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 Leon 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
240 East Rusk St, Centerville, TX 75833
(903) 536-2151
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
155 North Church St, Centerville, TX 75833
(903) 536-2352
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
155 North Church St, Centerville, TX 75833
(903) 536-2352
HHSC Office
155 North Church St, Centerville, TX 75833
(903) 536-2352
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: Leon County Health Resource Center – assists with health care access, transportation, and senior services; contact via co.leon.tx.us.
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