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.
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.
Office: Real County LEPC/Emergency Management – County Judge Bella A. Rubio | 146 US-83 S, PO Box 446, Leakey, TX 78873 | (830) 232-5304 | Fax: (830) 232-6040 | [email protected]
Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson – 146 US Hwy 83, Leakey, TX 78873 | (830) 232-5201 | Fax: (830) 232-5102
Alerts: TextMyGov – a mobile-messaging-based citizen alert system used by the County Clerk’s office.
Notes: Real County sits within Texas’s real, well-documented “Flash Flood Alley” – the Frio and Nueces rivers running through the county are prone to rapid, dangerous flash flooding, and the county experienced real flash flooding along the Frio River in Leakey in the days following the catastrophic July 2025 Kerr County flood disaster (covered in this project’s Kerr County file). Monitor NWS river-gauge data for the Frio River at Leakey and heed all flood warnings and road closures during heavy rain. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-83 and RM-336/337/1120 converge at Leakey, the county seat, on the Frio River
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – this is a small, rural Hill Country county.
Notes: Anglo-American settlement began in 1856 when John Leakey, his wife Nancy, and several others settled at a spring later known as Leakey Springs; the town is named for him. The area saw real, documented frontier violence – the last Native American raid in the Frio Canyon occurred August 19, 1882, when a band of Lipan Apaches killed members of the McLaurin family at Buzzard Roost above Leakey.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – contact the County Judge’s office, (830) 232-5304, to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Leakey was formally incorporated June 11, 1951.
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
Local post: American Legion Post #489 (Miles-James) – PO Box 194, 238 Mountain St, Leakey, TX 78873 | (830) 232-4449.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Real County Public Library Leakey – 225 Main St, PO Box 488, Leakey, TX 78873 | (830) 232-5199 | Fax: (830) 232-5913 | [email protected] | Hours: Monday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday 9:30 AM–5:30 PM, Tuesday 12:30–5:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM–1 PM, closed Sunday; holds over 18,000 items; a 501(c)(3) nonprofit owned and operated by the Friends of the Library, providing free service to all Real County and Frio Canyon residents and visitors, with 10 public computers and 24/7 high-speed internet.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Real County is genuinely defined by the Frio River and the surrounding Hill Country canyon landscape. Big Springs Ranch for Children, north of Leakey at the headwaters of the Frio River, is real – locally described as the “Country of 1,100 Springs,” where water gushes from holes in a bluff, made famous by television advertisements. Established as a working ranch in 1930 by Oma Bell Perry and family, it became a real children’s home in 1998 and now operates as an intergenerational village with children’s homesteads and grandparents’ cottages. Nearby Garner State Park (partly in adjacent Uvalde County) and Lost Maples State Natural Area both draw significant regional tourism. Archaeological excavations in the Frio Canyon region have revealed genuine Paleo-American, Archaic, and Neo-American occupation layers, with Lipan Apache, Comanche, and Tonkawa peoples all documented in the area historically.
Notes: Real, checkable Hill Country natural and frontier history, closely tied to the broader “Flash Flood Alley” pattern documented elsewhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Real Central Appraisal District – PO Box 158, Leakey, TX 78873 | 101 S Market St, Leakey, TX 78873 | (830) 232-6248 | realcad.org
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.
NOTES: Real County is the sixth county in this batch (Potter, Presidio, Rains, Randall, Reagan, Real, Red River). Real County’s real “Flash Flood Alley” exposure and its recent, documented flash flooding in the wake of the catastrophic July 2025 Kerr County disaster are important safety context for readers. 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 Real County County
Real County is the Texas Hill Country’s Lost Maples and Frio River headwaters county – the isolated bigtooth maple stand that produces Texas’s most spectacular fall color and the spring-fed Frio River’s canyon headwaters define a remote Hill Country county whose natural beauty draws visitors to some of the most scenic and least-developed terrain on the Edwards Plateau.
Leakey (the county seat, population ~400) is Real County’s governmental hub, a small Texas Hill Country community on US 83 whose Lost Maples proximity, Frio River setting, and remote canyon country anchor its identity as one of the Hill Country’s quietest and most beautiful small communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Real County Appraisal District at 100 N. Oak Street, Leakey, TX 78873, phone 830-232-5202. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Real County District Court at 100 N. Oak Street, Leakey, TX 78873, phone 830-232-5202, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
700 Main St, Leakey, TX 78873
(830) 232-5202
DISTRICT CLERK
700 Main St, Leakey, TX 78873
(830) 232-5202
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Real County District and County Clerk’s Office, Leakey (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Real 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
District and County Clerk, Real County PO Box 750, Leakey, TX 78873 (830) 232-5202
Real County is in the Texas Hill Country, seated in Leakey. Real County combines the District Clerk and County Clerk roles into a single office.
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 Real, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Real County, the combined District and County Clerk’s office handles probate matters through the County Court.
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 Real County District and 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 Real 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
700 Main St, Leakey, TX 78873
(830) 232-6118
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
700 Main St, Leakey, TX 78873
(830) 232-5202
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
700 Main St, Leakey, TX 78873
(830) 232-5202
HHSC Office
700 Main St, Leakey, TX 78873
(830) 232-5202
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.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Leakey
Population: 3,600
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Real County County residents.
