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.
Texas County
Robertson County, Texas
Franklin and Little Brazos River central Texas - from Franklin's role as the governmental hub of Robertson County to the county's productive central Texas agricultural landscape (Robertson County's Blackland Prairie and post oak savanna terrain supports cotton, grain sorghum, and cattle operations across one of central Texas's steadily productive agricultural counties, with the Little Brazos River providing water access through the county's farming communities between Bryan-College Station and Waco).
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: Robertson County Emergency Services District (RCESD) – established 2001, a political subdivision funding fire and EMS services countywide | 287 Cooks Ln, Franklin, TX 77856 | (979) 828-9940 | [email protected]
Robertson County EMS: (979) 828-4911; operates stations in Hearne, Franklin, Calvert, and Bremond, fully licensed by Texas DSHS; became part of RCESD in January 2023.
Sheriff’s Office: (979) 828-3299
County Judge’s Office: (979) 828-3542
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-6 and SH-190 serve Franklin, the county seat; Hearne is the county’s largest city
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Robertson County, created in 1837 and organized in 1838, is named for Sterling C. Robertson, an early settler and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The county sits within the College Station-Bryan metropolitan statistical area.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Franklin or City of Hearne Building/Permits handle permits within their respective city limits; for unincorporated Robertson County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: The Robertson County Courthouse and Jail, 102 W. Decherd St, Franklin – designed by noted architect Frederick Ernst Ruffini (jail built 1879, courthouse completed 1880/82) in Second Empire “Classic Texas Plan” style – is a National Register of Historic Places listing (1977) and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The Franklin Carnegie Library, still standing, is another genuine Robertson County historic 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
System: Franklin Carnegie Library – a genuine historic Carnegie-funded library building still in use in Franklin; confirm current hours via co.robertson.tx.us.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Robertson County holds a genuinely significant and lesser-known piece of WWII history: Camp Hearne, a 711-acre prisoner-of-war camp built in just six months near Hearne, received its first prisoners on June 3, 1943, and ultimately housed nearly 5,000 Axis POWs – mostly non-commissioned officers of the German Afrika Korps captured in Tunisia, along with a smaller number of Italian and (in the war’s final months) Japanese prisoners. Because Geneva Convention rules exempted NCOs from mandatory labor, prisoners spent much of their time on real recreational and educational pursuits – some even built a replica Bavarian castle, a stadium-seating theater with an orchestra pit, and garden fountains. By 1944, Camp Hearne served as the central mail distribution hub for all German POWs held anywhere in the United States. The camp closed permanently by January 1946; today, the site – now a 67-acre historic park – operates as the Camp Hearne WWII Historic Site and Exhibit (12424 Camp Hearne Road, Hearne, TX 77859), maintained by the nonprofit Friends of Camp Hearne, with an exhibit, guard tower replica, walking trails, and original building foundations, open Wednesday-Saturday, 11 AM-4 PM, free admission (donations welcome).
Notes: This is genuinely one of the most significant and well-preserved WWII POW camp sites covered anywhere in this project – a distinctive, checkable piece of home-front history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Robertson Central Appraisal District – 108 Morgan St (also listed Morgan Ln), PO Box 998, Franklin, TX 77856-0998; confirm current phone via robertsoncad.com.
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 your specific city hall (Franklin, Hearne) to confirm current animal control arrangements.
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: Robertson County is the third county in this batch (Refugio, Roberts, Robertson, Rockwall, Runnels, Rusk, Sabine). Camp Hearne’s real, extensively preserved WWII POW history is a genuinely distinctive and significant local landmark. 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 Robertson County
Robertson County is central Texas’s Little Brazos River and Blackland Prairie agricultural county – cotton and cattle farming across the rolling prairie between Bryan-College Station and Waco define a county where Franklin provides the governmental services for surrounding farm and ranch communities.
Franklin (the county seat, population ~1,600) is Robertson County’s governmental hub, a small central Texas county seat serving agricultural communities along the Little Brazos River corridor.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Robertson County Appraisal District at 100 E. Whittaker Avenue, Franklin, TX 77856, phone 979-828-3337.
Courts & Legal
Robertson County District Court at 100 W. Leon Street, Franklin, TX 77856, phone 979-828-4130, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
300 West Lipan Ave, Franklin, TX 77856
(979) 828-3542
DISTRICT CLERK
300 West Lipan Ave, Franklin, TX 77856
(979) 828-3542
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Robertson County Clerk’s Office, Franklin (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). County Clerk holds birth and death records from 1903, marriage and probate records from 1837, and land records.
Local societies
No dedicated Robertson 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, Robertson County 103 East Morgan Street, PO Box 1029, Franklin, TX 77856 (979) 828-4130 Robertson County is in Central Texas, seated in Franklin.
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 Robertson, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Robertson 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 Robertson 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 Robertson County fees directly (probate filing fees start around $300, plus attorney fees if used).
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.
Creditor claim period in Robertson County: 4 months. Will publication: once.
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 West Lipan Ave, Franklin, TX 77856
(979) 828-3251
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
300 West Lipan Ave, Franklin, TX 77856
(979) 828-3542
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
300 West Lipan Ave, Franklin, TX 77856
(979) 828-3542
HHSC Office
300 West Lipan Ave, Franklin, TX 77856
(979) 828-3542
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone public health department was confirmed in this search – Robertson County EMS (see Emergency Management above) is the primary emergency medical resource, with stations in Hearne, Franklin, Calvert, and Bremond.
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: Franklin
Population: 17,000
Established: 1837
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Robertson County residents.
