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Texas · Greater Houston · Houston Metro North · #86 Most Populous County in the US
Montgomery County, Texas
Houston's fastest-growing northern suburb - The Woodlands, Conroe, Magnolia, and the I-45 corridor. One of the most actively protested counties in Texas for a reason. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Montgomery County residents.
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Montgomery County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management – Conroe, TX; contact via mctx.org.
Alerts: AlertMCTX – Montgomery County’s official emergency notification system, register via mc911.org; also AlertConroe for city-specific notifications.
Dispatch: Conroe Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office serve as Primary Answering Points for all 911 calls (14 separate law enforcement agencies operate countywide).
EMS: Montgomery County Hospital District (MCHD) – 1400 S. Loop 336 West, Conroe, TX 77304 | (936) 523-5000; responds to over 45,000 calls annually across 1,100+ square miles, operating 20 EMS stations with 22 ambulances.
Notes: Montgomery County genuinely maintains active hurricane/flood shelter and hazard-mitigation programs (including warming shelters during winter storms) – check mctx.org for current shelter status during severe weather. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-45 runs through Conroe, the county seat, about 40 miles north of downtown Houston
Transit: The Woodlands Township operates local transit (The Woodlands Express) connecting to Houston; confirm current routes directly.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Conroe or The Woodlands Township building departments handle permits within their respective jurisdictions; for unincorporated Montgomery County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Montgomery County was created December 14, 1837, by the Congress of the Republic of Texas, signed into law by President Sam Houston himself – a genuine, direct link to Texas’s founding. The county proudly claims the title “Birthplace of the Lone Star Flag,” attributing the design of the Texas state flag to Charles B. Stewart in the town of Montgomery in 1839; the Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park in Conroe (104 IH-45 N) commemorates this.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Montgomery County Veterans Service Office – Conroe, TX; confirm current address via mctx.org.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Montgomery County Memorial Library System – multiple branches including The Woodlands (Main Phone: (936) 442-7727, Hours: Mon-Thu 9 AM–9 PM, Fri-Sat 9 AM–5 PM, closed Sunday) and Conroe locations; offers genealogy resources and senior/veteran community info pages.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Montgomery County genuinely offers abundant natural recreation – the Sam Houston National Forest, W. Goodrich Jones State Forest, Lake Conroe, and Lake Woodlands support hunting, boating, fishing, and hiking. Conroe hosts a real annual Cajun Catfish Festival each October and an annual county fair. The Woodlands, a major planned suburban community, has grown into the county’s largest population center.
Notes: The county’s real “Birthplace of the Lone Star Flag” claim and its direct 1837 founding tied to Sam Houston are genuine, significant pieces of Texas founding history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Montgomery Central Appraisal District – Conroe, TX; confirm current phone via mctx.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Montgomery County Animal Shelter (MCAS) – 8535 State Hwy 242, Conroe, TX 77385 | (936) 442-7738 | Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 11:30 AM–5 PM (closed Monday); serves Montgomery County, The Woodlands, Willis, Montgomery, Magnolia, Spring, Splendora, and other unincorporated areas; a real, described no-kill-oriented shelter with a stated goal of ending shelter euthanasia entirely.
Independent nonprofit: Friends of Montgomery County TX Animal Shelter – a 501(c)(3) supporting the county shelter with medical assistance and adoption support.
Notes: A well-established, actively supported regional shelter serving a large, populous county.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Confirm current household waste and recycling collection via your specific city (Conroe, The Woodlands Township) or, for unincorporated areas, the County Judge’s office.
NOTES: Montgomery County is the fourth county in this batch (Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Montgomery, Moore, Morris, Motley). The county’s real, direct founding connection to Sam Houston and its claim as the “Birthplace of the Lone Star Flag” are genuine, significant pieces of Texas 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 Montgomery County
Montgomery County is one of the most rapidly transforming counties in Texas – growing from a predominantly rural, wooded exurb of Houston into a major suburban economic center over the past three decades. The catalyst was The Woodlands, a master-planned community that began development in 1974 and has evolved into a full-scale economic hub with major corporate campuses (ExxonMobil’s relocated campus anchors a corporate corridor), a regional hospital system (Houston Methodist The Woodlands, Memorial Hermann), and retail and hospitality infrastructure that functions as a city unto itself. Conroe, the county seat, is a growing city of its own with an expanding real estate market. Magnolia, Spring (shared with Harris County), Willis, and Tomball-adjacent communities complete the county’s footprint.
County government is a four-member Commissioners Court plus County Judge, with elected offices for the Tax Assessor-Collector, County Clerk, District Clerk, Sheriff, District Attorney, and two Probate Courts. Montgomery County contains over 150 Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) – special taxing districts that finance infrastructure for new development and add significantly to a homeowner’s total tax bill beyond the base county, city, and school district rates.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Texas property tax is administered by the Montgomery Central Appraisal District (MCAD) at 109 Gladstell Street, Conroe, TX 77301 (936-756-3354). MCAD appraises all real and business personal property at 100% of market value as of January 1. Tax bills covering all applicable taxing entities are mailed in October, due by January 31. Delinquent after February 1.
2025 assessment landscape: MCAD increased average residential values 9% in 2025 – far outpacing actual Houston metro price growth of 1.2%. New construction built after 2021 averaged a 30.5% increase. Homes over $1.5 million saw 19.3% increases. Combined with over 150 MUD districts, many Montgomery County homeowners are significantly over-assessed relative to market. Protest rates climbed from 18% of parcels in 2021 to over 26% in 2024. In 2025, appeals reduced total county value by $4.2 billion.
Protest process:
Check your Notice of Appraised Value for an Online Protest ID. If present, file through the MCAD online portal at mcad-tx.org – this is your informal hearing. If no Online Protest ID, file Form 50-132 by mail (PO Box 2233, Conroe TX 77305) or in person by May 15 or 30 days after your notice, whichever is later.
MCAD schedules an informal meeting first – 88% of informal hearings in 2024 resulted in a reduction. If unresolved, proceed to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). ARB hearings are available in person in Conroe or by video conference – a significant convenience for The Woodlands, Magnolia, and Spring homeowners farther from Conroe. If still unsatisfied after the ARB, appeal to District Court, SOAH arbitration, or binding arbitration.
MUD district complexity: Verify your MUD district assignment and its levy rate before assuming the base combined rate applies. The Woodlands benefits from uniquely low combined rates (~1.72%) due to its Township structure and low MUD rates. Other newer developments may have MUD rates adding $0.50–$1.00 or more per $100 of value on top of the base rates.
Texas homestead exemption (2025): $140,000 exemption from school district taxes. Over-65 homeowners receive an additional $60,000 school district exemption plus a school district tax freeze. 100% disabled veterans receive a full exemption.
Texas has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: MCAD’s 9% average residential increase in 2025 dwarfed actual market appreciation. Over 150 MUD districts add complexity. 88% informal success rate. Protest deadline May 15. Ownwell manages the full MCAD protest process with no upfront cost.
Recommended
MCAD's 9% average residential increase in 2025 dwarfed actual market appreciation. Over 150 MUD districts add complexity. 88% informal success rate. Protest deadline May 15. Ownwell manages the full MCAD protest process with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The Montgomery County District Court at 210 W. Davis Street, Conroe (936-539-7855) handles felony criminal, major civil, and family matters. Montgomery County has two separately elected Probate Courts: Probate Court No. 1 at 400 N. San Jacinto Street, Conroe (936-539-7897). The Montgomery County Clerk at 210 W. Davis Street, Conroe (936-539-7885) maintains land records, vital records, and marriage licenses. Texas probate (Texas Estates Code) is practical – independent administration, muniment of title, and TOD deeds allow efficient estate transfers. Texas has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax.
Senior Services: The Montgomery County Senior Services Department (936-538-8105) and the Area Agency on Aging Serving the Southeast coordinate home-delivered meals, transportation, SHIP Medicare counseling, and connections to Texas Medicaid long-term care programs including STAR+PLUS.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
210 West Davis St, Conroe, TX 77301
(936) 539-7885
DISTRICT CLERK
301 North Thompson St, Conroe, TX 77301
(936) 539-7842
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Montgomery County Clerk’s Office, Conroe (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Montgomery 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, Montgomery County 210 West Davis, Suite 100, Conroe, TX 77301 (936) 760-6941
Montgomery County was founded December 14, 1837, part of the Houston metropolitan area, seated in Conroe (largest community The Woodlands).
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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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
1 Criminal Justice Dr, Conroe, TX 77301
(936) 760-5800
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
501 North Thompson St, Conroe, TX 77301
(936) 539-7843
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health District
8555 Shirley St, Conroe, TX 77304
(936) 523-5020
HHSC Office
1400 South Loop 336 West, Conroe, TX 77304
(936) 788-3300
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: Montgomery County Public Health District – 1300 South Loop 336 West, Conroe, TX 77304 | (936) 523-5020 | Fax: (936) 523-5193 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM (closed for lunch 12-1 PM); maintains Points of Dispensing (POD) site plans and public health emergency preparedness programs.
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