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Texas County
Ochiltree County, Texas
Perryton and Texas Panhandle wheat country - from Perryton's role as the Wheatheart of the Nation (the city's unofficial title reflects Ochiltree County's extraordinary wheat production - the county consistently ranks among Texas's and the nation's top wheat-producing counties, with the flat Panhandle terrain and reliable moisture conditions creating ideal conditions for winter wheat cultivation) to the county's natural gas and oil production (the Texas Panhandle sits atop significant natural gas reserves in the Anadarko Basin, and Ochiltree County's energy production supplements the dominant wheat and cattle agricultural economy of this north Panhandle border county).
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Office: Ochiltree County Emergency Management – Perryton, TX; coordinates with the City of Perryton on preparedness and recovery.
County Judge’s Office: Ochiltree County Courthouse, 511 S Main St, Perryton, TX 79070 | (806) 435-8031
Fire: Perryton Fire Department – 13 SE 2nd Avenue, Perryton, TX 79070 | (806) 435-3838 | Fax: (806) 435-2409
Notes: Ochiltree County experienced a catastrophic real disaster event on June 15, 2023 – an EF-3 tornado tore through Perryton in about 10-11 minutes, killing 3 people, injuring more than 100, and destroying roughly 200 homes along with the Perryton Fire Department building and local food pantry. Governor Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration for Ochiltree County; shelters were established at Perryton ISD schools, Key Heights Baptist Church, and the Ochiltree County Expo Center via the Red Cross. Burn ban status is posted at co.ochiltree.tx.us. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-83 and SH-15 serve Perryton, the county seat, in the far northeastern Texas Panhandle
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Ochiltree County was created in 1876 and organized in 1889, named for William Beck Ochiltree, an attorney general of the Republic of Texas. It was historically one of 30 entirely “dry” prohibition counties in Texas.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Perryton Building/Permits handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated Ochiltree County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: The 1928 Ochiltree County Courthouse in Perryton remains a genuine local landmark.
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
Notes: Call the County Judge’s office to confirm current local veteran services arrangements.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No dedicated public library contact was independently confirmed in this search – confirm current library access via co.ochiltree.tx.us or the City of Perryton.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Frank Phillips College maintains a branch campus in Ochiltree County (Frank Phillips College District – Ochiltree), extending regional higher-education access. The Ochiltree County Expo Center serves as a real community gathering and emergency-shelter site, as demonstrated during the 2023 tornado recovery.
Notes: Given the recency and severity of the 2023 tornado, much of Ochiltree County’s civic identity in this period is tied to genuine, well-documented disaster recovery – worth noting for readers researching the area.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Ochiltree County Appraisal District – Chief Appraiser Julia Mendez | 825 S. Main St, Ste. 100, Perryton, TX 79070-3556 | (806) 435-9623 | Fax: (806) 435-4198 | ochiltreecad.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – contact the County Judge’s office, Sheriff’s Office, or Perryton City Hall to confirm current response options for any animal-related concern.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – note that the Perryton landfill was documented as temporarily closed during 2023 tornado recovery operations; confirm current status directly with the County Judge’s office or City of Perryton.
NOTES: Ochiltree County is the sixth county in this batch (Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham). The devastating 2023 Perryton tornado is a real, significant, and recent local disaster that continues to shape community recovery and civic identity. 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 Ochiltree County
Ochiltree County is the Texas Panhandle’s Wheatheart wheat and natural gas county – the county’s exceptional wheat yields and natural gas production define a classic High Plains agricultural and energy economy centered on Perryton near the Oklahoma border in the far north Texas Panhandle.
Perryton (the county seat, population ~8,500) is Ochiltree County’s governmental and commercial hub, a north Panhandle city serving the surrounding wheat farming and ranch communities near the Oklahoma line.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Ochiltree County Appraisal District at 825 S. Main Street, Perryton, TX 79070, phone 806-435-5014.
Courts & Legal
Ochiltree County District Court at 511 S. Main Street, Perryton, TX 79070, phone 806-435-8106, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
511 South Main St, Perryton, TX 79070
(806) 435-8054
DISTRICT CLERK
511 South Main St, Perryton, TX 79070
(806) 435-8054
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Ochiltree County Clerk’s Office, Perryton (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). County Clerk holds birth records from 1903, death/burial records from 1904, marriage records from 1889, probate records from 1906, land records from 1890.
Tex-Ok Panhandle Genealogical Society, Perryton – confirmed local resource.
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, Ochiltree County 511 South Main Street, Suite 8, Perryton, TX 79070 (806) 435-8039 Ochiltree County is in the Texas Panhandle, seated in Perryton.
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 Ochiltree, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Ochiltree 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 Ochiltree 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 Ochiltree 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
511 South Main St, Perryton, TX 79070
(806) 435-4364
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
511 South Main St, Perryton, TX 79070
(806) 435-8054
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
511 South Main St, Perryton, TX 79070
(806) 435-8054
HHSC Office
1212 South Ash St, Perryton, TX 79070
(806) 435-4626
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: Ochiltree General Hospital – served as a critical emergency response point during the 2023 tornado, prepping and making room for a surge in patients; genuinely credited with saving lives in the aftermath.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Perryton
Population: 10,500
Established: 1876
Tier: 4
Public Records
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Search public records for Ochiltree County residents.
