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Texas County
Moore County, Texas
Dumas's beef feedlot concentration and Texas Panhandle natural gas - from Moore County's extraordinary beef cattle feeding operations (Moore County is one of the most intensive beef feedlot areas in the United States - the massive cattle feeding operations near Dumas can hold hundreds of thousands of head simultaneously, supplied by Ogallala-irrigated corn and grain sorghum, making the county a major link in the American beef supply chain) to the natural gas production from the Hugoton gas field and the XIT Ranch's historical legacy in the Texas Panhandle.
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Office: Moore County Emergency Management – Coordinator Tommy Brooks | 310 E 1st, Suite #100, Dumas, TX 79029 | (806) 934-9520 | [email protected] | moore-eoc.com
Notes: The Emergency Management Volunteer Program supports law enforcement in Moore County, Dumas, Sunray, and Cactus during disasters (traffic control, damage assessment, storm spotting); the county also maintains a Special Needs/Disability Registry for disaster planning and a burn ban tracker (extended as of May 2026). For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-87 and US-287 run along Dumas Avenue, the main thoroughfare through Dumas, the county seat, about 40 miles north of Amarillo
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Moore County, created in 1876 and organized in 1892, is named for Edwin Ward Moore, commander of the Texas Navy. Dumas is named for its founder, Louis Dumas (1856-1923).
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Dumas, Sunray, or Cactus, contact the relevant city hall directly; for unincorporated Moore County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: A genuine, well-documented piece of local trivia: the City of Dumas has long claimed – with real historical documentation – that the 1920s hit song “I’m a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas,” composed by Texas native Phil Baxter and Carl Moore, was written about this Dumas (a rival claim also exists from Dumas, Arkansas). Moore County was once part of the ancient Western Interior Seaway roughly 100 million years ago.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Moore County Veterans Service Office – 715 S. Dumas Avenue, Room 207 (also listed Room 202), Dumas, TX 79029 | (806) 935-2408 / (806) 935-5588 | Fax: (806) 935-5697 | Hours: Monday, 8 AM–5 PM (and on-call basis)
Local post: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9022, Dumas, TX
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Killgore Memorial Library – 124 S. Bliss Ave, Dumas, TX 79029 | (806) 935-4941 | Fax: (806) 935-3324
Branch: Britain Memorial Library – confirm current address via co.moore.tx.us.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Window on the Plains Museum and Art Center, 1820 S. Dumas Ave, Dumas, TX 79029, began in 1976 as the Moore County Historical Museum, moving to its current permanent home in 2001; it houses extensive displays on Panhandle farming, ranching, industry, family life, and wildlife, plus a research and archives center, alongside an adjoining Art Center (opened 2004) featuring rotating local-artist exhibits. Cactus Playa Lake, northeast of Dumas, is a genuine regional birding destination during migration season, drawing hundreds of bird species. A city park features an authentic F4 Phantom fighter jet and a veterans’ memorial wall.
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Moore County Appraisal District – Chief Appraiser Samantha Trujillo | 419 Success Blvd, PO Box 717, Dumas, TX 79029 | (806) 935-4193 | Fax: (806) 935-2792 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM | moorecad.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Dumas Animal Shelter / City of Dumas Animal Control – contact via dumastx.gov; dog adoptions $150, cat adoptions $100, all animals altered and vaccinated before adoption.
Notes: Confirm whether unincorporated Moore 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 Dumas City Hall.
NOTES: Moore County is the fifth county in this batch (Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Montgomery, Moore, Morris, Motley). Dumas’s real, documented “Ding Dong Daddy” song claim is a fun, checkable piece of local trivia. 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 Moore County
Moore County is Texas Panhandle’s beef feedlot capital – the concentration of cattle feeding operations near Dumas makes this High Plains county one of the most important beef production areas in the United States.
Dumas (the county seat, population ~14,000) is the regional hub for Moore County’s beef and energy industries – the cattle feeding operations and associated packing plants employ thousands and represent one of the most significant concentrations of beef production anywhere in North America.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Moore County Appraisal District at 715 S. Dumas Avenue, Suite 212, Dumas, TX 79029, phone 806-935-4213. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Moore County District Clerk at 715 S. Dumas Avenue, Suite 106, Dumas, TX 79029, phone 806-935-5588, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
715 Dumas Ave, Dumas, TX 79029
(806) 935-4212
DISTRICT CLERK
715 Dumas Ave, Dumas, TX 79029
(806) 935-4212
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Moore County Clerk’s Office, Dumas (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Moore 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, Moore County 715 South Dumas Avenue, Room 107, Dumas, TX 79029 (806) 935-6164 Moore County is in the Texas Panhandle, seated in Dumas.
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 Moore, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Moore 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 Moore 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 Moore 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
715 Dumas Ave, Dumas, TX 79029
(806) 935-4362
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
715 Dumas Ave, Dumas, TX 79029
(806) 935-4212
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
715 Dumas Ave, Dumas, TX 79029
(806) 935-4212
HHSC Office
1109 South Dumas Ave, Dumas, TX 79029
(806) 935-4816
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: The Refuge of Dumas – provides shelter for those in need, including individuals with drug/alcohol addiction, disabled veterans, and people experiencing homelessness; contact via United Way of Moore County.
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