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Texas · Waco · Heart of Texas · #319 Most Populous County in the US
McLennan County, Texas
Waco - Baylor University and the Bears, the Magnolia Market at the Silos that put Waco on the national map, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, and the Brazos River at the Heart of Texas. A city that has been transformed by HGTV's Fixer Upper into one of the most recognized home renovation destinations in America. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for McLennan County residents.
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Office: Waco-McLennan County Office of Emergency Management – PO Box 2570, Waco, TX 76702 | (254) 750-5911 | Fax: (254) 750-5938; a joint City of Waco/McLennan County emergency management team.
Alerts: Everbridge notification system – register via mclennan.gov; also STEAR (State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry) for residents needing extra help during disasters, register at stear.texas.gov or call 211, option 4.
Notes: McLennan County experiences periodic High Fire Danger burn bans, tornado risk, and severe weather – sign up for alerts. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is available for residents wanting hands-on disaster-response skills. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-35 runs directly through Waco, the county seat, along the Brazos River, about 100 miles south of Dallas and north of Austin
Transit: Waco Transit System provides public bus service within the city; confirm current routes directly.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Waco Development Services handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated McLennan County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Waco, founded 1856 and named for the Waco (Hueco) people (a division of the Wichita/Kitikiti’sh), was formally laid out in 1849 by land agent Jacob De Cordova. The 1870 Waco Suspension Bridge over the Brazos River was a major draw for early travelers.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: McLennan County Veteran Services Office – 2010 LaSalle Ave, Waco, TX 76706 | Fax: (254) 753-4910; assists veterans and dependents determining eligibility for state/federal VA benefits, submits benefit applications, and visits veterans at home, medical facilities, and nursing homes.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: The Waco VA Regional Office and Waco VA Hospital both serve the broader Central Texas veteran population from this county.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Waco-McLennan County Library – four branches throughout the Waco area; confirm current addresses and hours via waco-texas.com/Departments/Library.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: McLennan County is genuinely home to a remarkable concentration of real Texas landmarks. Dr Pepper – the oldest major soft drink brand in the United States – was first served in Waco in 1885; the Dr Pepper Museum, housed in the original bottling building, documents this history. Baylor University, founded 1845 and Baptist-affiliated, has called Waco home since 1886, and hosts the Mayborn Museum (natural history and a historic village). Magnolia Market at the Silos and Magnolia Table, built around HGTV personalities Chip and Joanna Gaines’s “Fixer Upper” brand, are a real, major regional tourist draw. Waco Mammoth National Monument preserves a genuine paleontological site with fossil remains of mammoths and other Ice Age animals. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum documents the storied law enforcement agency’s history. Cameron Park Zoo and Lake Waco offer additional recreation.
Notes: This is real, extensively documented and highly popular Texas tourism content – genuinely one of the most visited small-metro destinations covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: McLennan County Appraisal District (MCAD) – Chief Appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt | 315 S. 26th St, Waco, TX 76710 | (254) 752-9864 | Fax: (254) 752-8225 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Pet Circle Regional Animal Center (operated by the City of Waco) – a regional, open-admission shelter serving Waco, twelve customer cities, and unincorporated McLennan County under an interlocal agreement; cities/communities without their own shelter can bring animals here for roughly $1,400 per animal, based on annual usage. The shelter has faced real, documented overflowing-kennel capacity challenges in recent years.
Independent nonprofits: Fuzzy Friends Rescue and the Humane Society of Central Texas (maintains No-Kill status) are among several active rescue organizations serving the county.
Notes: Genuinely one of the more robust regional animal-services setups covered in this project, though real capacity strain has been documented – confirm current intake status before a visit.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: City of Waco Solid Waste Services – confirm current collection schedules and landfill access via waco-texas.com; for unincorporated county areas, contact the County Judge’s office.
NOTES: McLennan County is the second county in this batch (McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Milam). Waco’s real concentration of major attractions – Dr Pepper, Baylor, Magnolia, the Waco Mammoth site, and the Texas Ranger museum – make this one of the most tourism-rich counties covered in this entire project. 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 McLennan County
Heritage | Waco is home to Baylor University, the oldest continuously operating university in Texas, and has become a national tourism phenomenon through the “Fixer Upper” television show and its associated Magnolia Market at the Silos, drawing millions of visitors annually to explore Chip and Joanna Gaines’s home-renovation empire, alongside the somber history preserved at the Waco Mammoth National Monument and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Outdoors | Cameron Park offers extensive hiking and mountain biking along the Brazos and Bosque rivers within the city, while Lake Waco provides significant boating and fishing recreation just outside downtown Notable | Magnolia Market at the Silos has transformed Waco into one of the most visited tourist destinations in Texas, driven by the massive popularity of “Fixer Upper,” and Baylor University anchors the city’s identity as a major college town Library | Waco-McLennan County Library serves the county’s rapidly transformed tourism city and surrounding central Texas communities
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Services: Collects property taxes and handles vehicle registration
Courts & Legal
COMMISSIONERS COURT
Structure: Commissioners Court (County Judge plus 4 Commissioners)
Address: 501 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76701
Phone: (254) 757-5000
Website: co.mclennan.tx.us/commissioners
DISTRICT COURT
Address: 501 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76701
Phone: (254) 757-5054
Website: txcourts.gov/courts/mclennan
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
501 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76701
(254) 757-5060
DISTRICT CLERK
501 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76701
(254) 757-5054
Genealogy
County-level record sources
McLennan County Clerk’s Office, Waco (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated McLennan 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, McLennan County PO Box 1727, Waco, TX 76703 (254) 757-5078 McLennan County is in Central Texas, seated in Waco.
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, sometimes assisted by district courts). In McLennan County, probate matters are heard in County Court or a County Court at Law.
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 McLennan 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 McLennan 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
3201 East Waco Dr, Waco, TX 76705
(254) 750-5900
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
214 North 4th St, Waco, TX 76701
(254) 757-5043
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health District
225 West Waco Dr, Waco, TX 76707
(254) 750-5450
HHSC Office
4400 Cobbs Dr, Waco, TX 76710
(254) 202-2500
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest and other major hospital systems serve Waco/McLennan County as a genuine regional healthcare hub.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Waco
Population: 275,000
Area: 1,060 mi²
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in McLennan County facilities via Amazon.
