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.
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: Mason County Emergency Management – contact via County Judge Sheree Hardin’s office, 201 Ft. McKavett St, Mason, TX 76856 | (325) 347-5556
Notes: Beyond 911, major destructive events (flooding, wildfire, explosion) may involve county-wide disaster coordination – confirm current protocols via co.mason.tx.us. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-87 and SH-29 cross at Mason, the county seat, on the Edwards Plateau in the Texas Hill Country
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Mason County, established by the Texas Legislature on January 22, 1858, is named for Fort Mason, itself established July 6, 1851.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Mason, contact City Hall directly; for unincorporated Mason County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: The Mason County Courthouse has a genuinely dramatic recent history. Built in 1909 in Beaux Arts/Classical Revival style by architect E.C. Hosford using local limestone (the third courthouse on the site, after fires damaged the first in 1877 and the second in 1900), it was deliberately set ablaze by an arsonist on February 4, 2021, gutting the interior and destroying the dome and clock tower – though its historic exterior stone walls survived. County records had been removed shortly before the fire as part of a planned renovation. Following a full $20 million restoration (funded by insurance, $6 million in Texas state appropriations, and community donations), the courthouse was fully rededicated on July 13, 2024, with over 750 residents attending. The arsonist was convicted and sentenced to 75 years in prison. The courthouse sits on a rare “Double Block” Courthouse Square – two sides of the square span two full blocks – one of only a few such squares in Texas.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search (search results for “Mason County veterans” surfaced other-state Mason Counties – a real naming-collision risk).
Local veterans organization: VFW Post #8554 (Melvin Eckert Post) – 236 Post Hill, Mason, TX 76856 | (325) 265-4226 | meets 2nd Monday, 6:30 PM
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Contact the County Judge’s office directly to confirm current veterans service arrangements.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library – 410 Post Hill St, PO Box 1785, Mason, TX 76856 | (325) 347-5446 | Fax: (325) 347-6562 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM–5:30 PM (confirm current hours directly, as some listings show partial-week schedules); holds over 11,000 volumes.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Mason County is genuinely distinctive on two fronts. Fort Mason, established July 6, 1851 as a frontier defense post against Kiowa, Lipan Apache, and Comanche raids, was chosen and surveyed by Lt. Col. William J. Hardee – and was genuinely Robert E. Lee’s last US Army command post before the Civil War; visitors can tour reconstructed 1861-furnished officers’ quarters (self-guided, free, open 24/7, part of the Texas Forts Trail). Separately, the largest gem-quality topaz ever found in North America – nearly 3 pounds – came from Mason County; long held by the Smithsonian Institution, it was transferred to Mason’s Museum on the Square. The Mason County Historical Museum documents both this mineral heritage and the county’s ranching, banking, and Mason County War history. The Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve hosts a substantial bat colony nearby.
Notes: Both the Fort Mason/Robert E. Lee connection and the record-setting topaz find are real, well-documented, and genuinely distinctive – Texas is one of the few US states with an official state gemstone (blue topaz), directly tied to this county’s mineral history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Mason County Appraisal District (Mason CAD) – 200 Fort McKavitt St, Mason, TX 76856 | (325) 347-5989 | masoncad.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: City of Mason Animal Control Department – Animal Control Officers on duty Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM; on-call after hours/weekends for emergencies only; confirm current phone via cityofmason.us.
Independent nonprofit: Buddy’s Animal Rescue – (325) 970-0822, caring for and rehoming adoptable, homeless pets in the Mason area.
Notes: Confirm whether unincorporated Mason County has 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 Mason City Hall.
NOTES: Mason County is the fifth county in this batch (Lynn, Madison, Marion, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick). The 2021 courthouse arson and its full, community-driven restoration by 2024 is a genuinely dramatic and recently resolved local story, and the county’s Fort Mason/Robert E. Lee and record topaz connections are real and checkable. A same-name-county naming caution (Michigan, Washington, West Virginia) applied throughout this research. 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 Mason County County
Mason County is the Texas Hill Country’s topaz gemstone and German heritage county – the only blue topaz deposits in the United States and the 19th-century German immigrant community that built Mason’s limestone courthouse square define a central Hill Country county of distinctive geological and cultural character.
Mason (the county seat, population ~2,100) is Mason County’s governmental hub, a central Texas Hill Country community whose topaz fee-mining, German heritage, Llano River access, and limestone square architecture make it one of the Hill Country’s most distinctive and most visited small communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Mason County Appraisal District at 110 Moody Street, Mason, TX 76856, phone 325-347-5253. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Mason County District Court at 110 Moody Street, Mason, TX 76856, phone 325-347-5253, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 East Live Oak St, Mason, TX 76856
(325) 347-5253
DISTRICT CLERK
100 East Live Oak St, Mason, TX 76856
(325) 347-5253
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mason County District and County Clerk’s Office, Mason (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Mason 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, Mason County PO Box 702, Mason, TX 76856 (325) 347-5253
Mason County is in the Texas Hill Country, seated in Mason. Mason 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 Mason, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Mason 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 Mason 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 Mason 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
100 East Live Oak St, Mason, TX 76856
(325) 347-5253
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 East Live Oak St, Mason, TX 76856
(325) 347-5253
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 East Live Oak St, Mason, TX 76856
(325) 347-5253
HHSC Office
100 East Live Oak St, Mason, TX 76856
(325) 347-5253
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: A regional domestic violence/sexual assault service (covering McCulloch, Mason, and Menard counties) is available; confirm current contact via co.mason.tx.us.
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: Mason
Population: 4,000
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Mason County County residents.
