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Texas County
Parmer County, Texas
Farwell and Texas-New Mexico border agriculture - from Farwell's unique position as a border twin city (Farwell, Texas and Texico, New Mexico sit side by side on the state line, sharing a community identity across the Texas-New Mexico border in the southern High Plains) to Parmer County's diverse agricultural economy (the county's Ogallala Aquifer irrigation supports an unusually diverse agricultural mix for the Texas Panhandle - large-scale beef cattle feedlots, potato production, onions, and other vegetables alongside the region's traditional cotton and grain sorghum, making Parmer County one of the High Plains' most agriculturally varied counties).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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.
Roads: US-60 and US-84 meet at Farwell, the county seat, directly on the Texas-New Mexico border (across from Texico, NM)
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – this is a sparsely populated rural Panhandle county.
Notes: Parmer County was created in 1876 and organized in 1907 (previously part of Deaf Smith County), named for Martin Parmer, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and early judge. It was historically one of 10 entirely “dry” prohibition counties in Texas but is now wet.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – contact the County Judge’s office, (806) 481-3383, to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Parmer County has a genuine, direct connection to one of Texas’s most famous land deals. The county was originally part of the historic XIT Ranch – in 1900, the XIT was the only ranch in the area, covering 150,000 acres of Parmer County land alone. The XIT itself was granted to the Farwell brothers’ Capitol Syndicate in exchange for building the Texas State Capitol building, a deal covering roughly 3 million acres statewide. Farwell (named for syndicate leaders Charles B. and John V. Farwell) began as an XIT cow camp before being surveyed as a townsite in 1905; when Parmer County organized in 1907, a contested county-seat election among Farwell, Bovina, Parmerton, and Friona (all former XIT cow camps) initially favored Parmerton before Farwell ultimately prevailed. Bovina’s ranch headquarters, originally the XIT’s “Hay Hook Line Camp,” is among the county’s oldest buildings, and Lazbuddie began in 1902 when Thomas Kelly purchased the XIT’s 55,136-acre “Red Tower Camp.”
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Parmer County Veterans Service Officer Richard Villarreal – PO Box 392, Farwell, TX 79325 | (806) 433-3527 (on-call basis)
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No dedicated public library contact was independently confirmed in this search – confirm current library access via parmercounty.texas.gov or the City of Farwell.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Parmer County Museum in Bovina documents the county’s real XIT Ranch and railroad-era heritage, including the histories of Bovina, Farwell, Friona, and Lazbuddie as former XIT cow camps. The historic Parmer County Courthouse in Farwell remains a real local landmark.
Notes: The XIT Ranch/Capitol Syndicate story is a genuine, extensively documented piece of Texas land history shared with other Panhandle counties this project has already covered (including Oldham County).
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Parmer County Appraisal District – 305 3rd Street, Bovina, TX 79009 | (806) 251-1405
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap given the county’s small population – contact the County Judge’s office or Sheriff’s Office 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 – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office or your specific city.
NOTES: Parmer County is the fifth county in this batch (Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Polk). The county’s direct roots in the historic XIT Ranch and Capitol Syndicate land deal are genuine, well-documented 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 Parmer County
Parmer County is the Texas Panhandle’s New Mexico border and beef feedlot county – large-scale cattle feeding operations, irrigated vegetable production, and the twin border city character of Farwell-Texico define a High Plains county whose agricultural diversity stands out in the cotton and grain sorghum landscape of the southern Texas Panhandle.
Farwell (the county seat, population ~1,300) is Parmer County’s governmental hub, sharing its community identity with neighboring Texico, New Mexico directly across the state line.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Parmer County Appraisal District at 165 5th Street, Farwell, TX 79325, phone 806-481-3518.
Courts & Legal
Parmer County District Court at 401 3rd Street, Farwell, TX 79325, phone 806-481-3419, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
401 3rd St, Farwell, TX 79325
(806) 481-3419
DISTRICT CLERK
401 3rd St, Farwell, TX 79325
(806) 481-3419
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Parmer County Clerk’s Office, Farwell (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Parmer 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, Parmer County 401 3rd Street, PO Box 356, Farwell, TX 79325 (806) 481-3691 Parmer County is in the Texas Panhandle on the New Mexico border, seated in Farwell.
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 Parmer, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Parmer 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 Parmer 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 Parmer 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
401 3rd St, Farwell, TX 79325
(806) 481-3303
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
401 3rd St, Farwell, TX 79325
(806) 481-3419
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
401 3rd St, Farwell, TX 79325
(806) 481-3419
HHSC Office
401 3rd St, Farwell, TX 79325
(806) 481-3419
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone public health department was confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Farwell
Population: 9,300
Established: 1876
Tier: 4
Public Records
TruthFinder
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