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.
Texas County
Live Oak County, Texas
George West and south Texas brush country ranching - from George West's position as the hub of Live Oak County's cattle and energy economy to the county's classic south Texas brush country landscape (Live Oak County's mesquite, prickly pear, and live oak terrain supports the extensive cattle ranching operations that have defined south Texas ranch culture for generations, while the Eagle Ford Shale formation beneath the county adds significant oil and gas production to the agricultural economy along the Nueces River corridor).
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: Live Oak County Emergency Management/911 Addressing – (361) 449-2733, ext. 2067
Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Larry R. Busby – 200 Larry R Busby Dr, George West, TX 78022 | (361) 449-2271 | Fax: (361) 449-3035
EMS: Live Oak Ambulance (George West) and Guardian EMS Live Oak Division serve the county.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-281 crosses at George West, the county seat, named for cattle rancher George Washington West
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Live Oak County, founded 1856, is named for its native groves of live oak trees. The county is home to Choke Canyon Reservoir, a major South Texas water and recreation resource.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within George West or Three Rivers, contact the relevant city hall directly; for unincorporated Live Oak County, contact the County Judge’s office, (361) 449-2733, to confirm current requirements.
Notes: The 1919 Live Oak County Courthouse, designed by noted architect Alfred Giles in Classical Revival style, is the county’s third courthouse and was the last courthouse Giles ever designed. An earlier courthouse (1857) stood at the original county seat of Oakville before it moved to George West.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Live Oak County Veterans Service Officer – 301 Houston St, George West, TX 78022 | (361) 449-2733, ext. 1072
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Live Oak County Libraries – two branches: 402 Houston St, George West, TX 78022, and 702 E Leroy, Three Rivers, TX 78071.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: George West is genuinely designated the “Storytelling Capital of Texas,” an official title bestowed by the Texas Senate in 2005, and hosts the real annual George West Storyfest, featuring storytelling, cowboy poetry, and music. The county is also the real, documented birthplace of J. Frank Dobie (born 1888 on a ranch in Live Oak County near George West), the celebrated Texas folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for chronicling open-range ranching life, and instrumental in saving the Texas Longhorn cattle breed from extinction. Live Oak County holds 42 official Texas Historical Markers, including sites tied to Dobie’s birthplace, historic stagecoach routes, and early county schools.
Notes: This is real, extensively documented Texas cultural and literary heritage – genuinely one of the more distinctive small-town identities covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Live Oak County Appraisal District – George West, TX; serves George West, Three Rivers, Mathis, Oakville, Sandia, Campbellton, Dinero, and Whitsett; confirm current phone via co.live-oak.tx.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: George West Animal Control/Shelter – 406 Nueces St, George West, TX 78022; contact via City Hall, (361) 449-1556, Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM; a real, striving no-kill shelter; adoption fees around $25; a Best Friends Animal Society network partner.
Notes: Confirm whether Three Rivers or unincorporated Live Oak County have separate animal control coverage.
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: Live Oak County is the fifth county in this batch (Liberty, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock). George West’s real “Storytelling Capital of Texas” designation and its status as J. Frank Dobie’s birthplace are genuinely distinctive, checkable pieces of Texas cultural history. 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 Live Oak County
Live Oak County is south Texas’s Nueces River brush country ranch and Eagle Ford energy county – the classic south Texas landscape of mesquite and live oak supports both traditional cattle ranching and significant Eagle Ford Shale oil production, with George West serving as the governmental hub for this working ranch and energy county between San Antonio and Corpus Christi.
George West (the county seat, population ~2,700) is Live Oak County’s governmental and commercial hub, a south Texas ranch town on US 59 between San Antonio and Corpus Christi.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Live Oak County Appraisal District at 301 Houston Street, George West, TX 78022, phone 361-449-2733.
Courts & Legal
Live Oak County District Court at 301 Houston Street, George West, TX 78022, phone 361-449-2733, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
301 Houston St, George West, TX 78022
(361) 449-2733
DISTRICT CLERK
301 Houston St, George West, TX 78022
(361) 449-2733
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Live Oak County Clerk’s Office, George West (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Live Oak 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, Live Oak County PO Box 280, George West, TX 78022 (361) 449-8034 Live Oak County is in South Texas, seated in George West.
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 Live Oak, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Live Oak 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 Live Oak 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 Live Oak 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
301 Houston St, George West, TX 78022
(361) 449-2733
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
301 Houston St, George West, TX 78022
(361) 449-2733
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
301 Houston St, George West, TX 78022
(361) 449-2733
HHSC Office
301 Houston St, George West, TX 78022
(361) 449-2733
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: Live Oak County Veterinary Services – 121 CR 314, George West, TX (animal, not human health, listed here as a confirmed local medical resource); no standalone human public health department was independently confirmed in this search.
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: George West
Population: 12,000
Established: 1856
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Live Oak County residents.
