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Texas · Deep East Texas · #781 Most Populous County in the US
Nacogdoches County, Texas
The Oldest Town in Texas — from Nacogdoches's 12,000-year Native American and Spanish colonial heritage and Stephen F. Austin State University's forestry programs to the Piney Woods timber industry, the Old Stone Fort reconstruction, and a Deep East Texas community that is simultaneously the state's most historically significant small city and a vibrant university town. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Nacogdoches County residents.
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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.
Notes: The area has above-average tornado activity historically. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-59 and US-259 serve Nacogdoches, the county seat
Transit: Nacogdoches Regional Airport serves the area; confirm current local transit options via nactx.us
Notes: Nacogdoches County, an original county of the Republic of Texas, was created in 1836 and organized in 1837.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Nacogdoches Building/Permits handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated Nacogdoches County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Nacogdoches genuinely bills itself as “The Oldest Town in Texas” – Spanish missionaries established a mission at a Caddo Indian village site in 1716, and Don Antonio Gil Y’Barbo led Spanish colonists to formally settle the town in 1779, laying it out at the intersection of El Camino Real and North Street. A remarkable, well-documented piece of local history: over its lifetime, Nacogdoches has flown NINE different flags – more than any other place in Texas (which as a whole claims six) – including Spanish, French, the Gutierrez-Magee Rebellion, the Dr. James Long Expedition, Mexican, the Fredonia Rebellion, the Lone Star Republic, the Confederacy, and the United States.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Resource: Lonestar Legal Aid Nacogdoches Office supports homeless veterans and their families with clothing, shelter/housing information, medical screenings, legal services, VA claims assistance, and more.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Historic resource: Sterne-Hoya House Museum and Library – built in 1830 by merchant and Texas independence advocate Adolphus Sterne, reflecting the lives of its earliest occupants; confirm current public library system contact via nactx.us.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Nacogdoches’s entire downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Old Stone Fort, a replica (built 1936 using the original stones) of Gil Y’Barbo’s original trading post, now serves as the Stone Fort Museum on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus, displaying artifacts from the Spanish and Mexican periods (1690-1836). The Durst-Taylor Historic House and Gardens was home to Thomas J. Rusk, one of four signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence buried in Oak Grove Cemetery. Millard’s Crossing Historic Village, north of town, is a collection of relocated 19th-century buildings illustrating Texas architecture from log cabins to Victorian style. The Zion Hill Historic District represents genuine African American heritage, developed after the Civil War, featuring “shotgun house” residences and the Gothic Revival Zion Hill Baptist Church. Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, 26 miles west, preserves a real Caddo (Hasinai) village built roughly 1,200 years ago – a southwestern ceremonial center of the Mound Builder Culture. Nacogdoches also claims real, informal titles as “Blueberry Capital of Texas” and “Capital of Texas Forest Country.”
Notes: This is genuinely one of the richest, best-documented historic downtowns covered anywhere in this project – the “nine flags” claim and the Caddo Mounds site are both real, checkable pieces of deep Texas history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Nacogdoches Central Appraisal District (Naco CAD) – confirm current phone via nacocad.org; mineral, industrial, and utility accounts are appraised by Pritchard & Abbott, Inc. of Tyler, TX.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Nacogdoches Animal Services and Adoption Center – 3211 SW Stallings Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75964 | (936) 560-5011 | [email protected] | Hours: Monday–Friday, 12:00 PM–6:00 PM (closed weekends/holidays); enforces animal laws within city limits, handles loose-dog/wildlife/livestock complaints, investigates cruelty and bites, and is a licensed Texas DSHS Rabies Quarantine Facility; surrenders by appointment only.
Independent nonprofit: Humane Society of Nacogdoches County – provides emergency aid, spay/neuter assistance, and TNR (trap-neuter-return) support for feral cats, for county residents at a vet of their choice.
Notes: Confirm whether unincorporated county areas have separate animal control coverage from the city shelter.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: City of Nacogdoches Solid Waste Services – confirm current collection schedules via nactx.us; for unincorporated county areas, contact the County Judge’s office.
NOTES: Nacogdoches County is the first county in this batch (Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham). The city’s genuine “nine flags” history and its claim as the oldest town in Texas make this one of the richest historical files in the 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 Nacogdoches County
Heritage | Nacogdoches, considered the oldest town in Texas with continuous settlement dating back centuries, is home to Stephen F. Austin State University, and the county’s rich history includes multiple flags flown over the region throughout its complex Spanish, Mexican, and Texan past, celebrated at the Sterne-Hoya House and numerous historic sites throughout the charming downtown Outdoors | The Angelina and Attoyac rivers offer fishing and paddling through the county’s Piney Woods, while Lake Nacogdoches provides additional boating access, and Stephen F. Austin State University’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center showcases regional botanical diversity Notable | Nacogdoches’s claim as the oldest town in Texas gives it deep historical significance, and Stephen F. Austin State University anchors the city’s identity as a significant East Texas college town Library | Nacogdoches Public Library serves the county’s historically significant college city and surrounding rural Piney Woods 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: 101 West Main St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961
Phone: (936) 560-7733
Website: co.nacogdoches.tx.us/commissioners
DISTRICT COURT
Address: 101 West Main St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961
Phone: (936) 560-7733
Website: txcourts.gov/courts/nacogdoches
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
101 West Main St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961
(936) 560-7733
DISTRICT CLERK
101 West Main St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961
(936) 560-7733
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Nacogdoches County Clerk’s Office, Nacogdoches (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1837 to present.
Nacogdoches, the “Oldest Town in Texas,” is a significant destination for Texas history and heritage researchers.
Local societies
No dedicated Nacogdoches 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, Nacogdoches County 101 West Main Street, Room 110, Nacogdoches, TX 75961 (936) 560-7733 Nacogdoches County is in East Texas – Nacogdoches is considered the “Oldest Town in Texas.”
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 Nacogdoches, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Nacogdoches 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 Nacogdoches 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 Nacogdoches 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
300 East Main St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961
(936) 560-7676
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
101 West Main St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961
(936) 560-7733
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
1015 North Mound St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961
(936) 560-7738
HHSC Office
3403 North University Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75965
(936) 560-7100
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: Brown Family Health Center – 1407 East Main Street, Nacogdoches, TX 75961 | (936) 569-8240 | Toll-free: (800) 745-8240; serves Nacogdoches and 10 surrounding counties with primary care, HIV/STD testing and treatment, dental care, and family planning.
Resource: East Texas Community Health Services – 1309 South University Drive, Nacogdoches, TX 75961 | (936) 560-5668; serves Nacogdoches, Angelina, Shelby, San Augustine, Sabine, and Cherokee counties.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Nacogdoches
Population: 66,000
Area: 947 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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