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Texas County
San Augustine County, Texas
San Augustine and deep East Texas colonial heritage - from San Augustine's extraordinary colonial history (San Augustine is one of the oldest continuously occupied communities in Texas, established as a Spanish mission and presidio site and later a gateway for American settlers crossing into Texas from Louisiana - the city was a significant early Texas Republic town and retains several antebellum structures that reflect its prosperous 19th-century past) to the county's Sabine National Forest and Toledo Bend access (significant portions of Sabine National Forest cover San Augustine County, providing hunting and recreation access while Toledo Bend Reservoir's northern reaches are accessible from the county's eastern edge).
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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.
Office: San Augustine County Office of Emergency Management – contact via co.san-augustine.tx.us; responsible for developing and implementing the county’s comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
EMS: San Augustine County EMS – 707 South Liberty, San Augustine, TX 75972 | (936) 288-0027
Notes: San Augustine County is prone to real, documented heavy-rain flooding events with standing water on county roads – monitor local alerts during severe weather and use caution or alternate routes. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-96 and SH-21/147 serve San Augustine, the county seat
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: San Augustine County, created in 1837, is named for the Presidio de San Agustín de Ahumada, itself named for Agustín de Ahumada, 2nd Marquess of Amarillas.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of San Augustine Building/Permits handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated San Augustine County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: The 1909 San Augustine County Courthouse and Jail, Classical Revival in style and designed by architect Shirley Simons, is a National Register of Historic Places listing (2004), Texas State Antiquities Landmark, and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, part of the broader San Augustine Commercial Historic District; the Texas Historical Commission provided a $3.7 million grant toward its restoration.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: San Augustine County Veterans Service Office – contact via co.san-augustine.tx.us.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: San Augustine Public Library – 413 E. Columbia St, San Augustine, TX 75972; confirm current hours via the City of San Augustine.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: San Augustine County holds a genuinely significant piece of Spanish colonial history: Mission Dolores State Historic Site, half a mile south of town, preserves the location of a Franciscan mission originally established in 1721 – one of the earliest Spanish missions in Texas – situated directly on the historic El Camino Real de los Tejas trail. Though no above-ground structures remain, archaeological excavations confirmed the mission’s exact location, and modern technology has since confirmed an intact segment of the historic trail running directly through the former mission compound. In 2016, the Texas Historical Commission assumed ownership, making Mission Dolores the 21st State Historic Site in Texas and its first Spanish colonial site.
Notes: This is real, extensively documented and archaeologically confirmed 18th-century Spanish colonial history – a genuinely significant regional landmark.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: San Augustine County Appraisal District – confirm current phone via co.san-augustine.tx.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Independent nonprofit: Denning Animal Rescue – 490 County Road 255, San Augustine, TX 75972 | (936) 288-0844; a no-kill rescue near the San Augustine-Nacogdoches county line offering animal education, spay/neuter transportation, and adoption services.
Notes: A genuine gap in government-run animal control – Denning Animal Rescue is the primary local nonprofit resource.
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: San Augustine County is the first county in this batch (San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford). The archaeologically confirmed 1721 Mission Dolores site is a genuine, significant piece of Spanish colonial 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 San Augustine County
San Augustine County is deep East Texas’s colonial heritage and Piney Woods timber county – one of Texas’s oldest communities anchors a county of dense pine and hardwood forest, national forest lands, and the timber culture that has defined the deep East Texas Pineywoods for generations.
San Augustine (the county seat, population ~2,000) is San Augustine County’s governmental hub, a historic East Texas town whose antebellum structures and colonial heritage make it one of the oldest and most historically layered communities in the state.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
San Augustine County Appraisal District at 101 W. Columbia Street, San Augustine, TX 75972, phone 936-275-2577.
Courts & Legal
San Augustine County District Court at 100 W. Columbia Street, San Augustine, TX 75972, phone 936-275-2762, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 West Columbia St, San Augustine, TX 75972
(936) 275-2452
DISTRICT CLERK
100 West Columbia St, San Augustine, TX 75972
(936) 275-2452
Genealogy
County-level record sources
San Augustine County Clerk’s Office, San Augustine (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
San Augustine, one of the oldest Anglo-American settlements in Texas, is a significant destination for Texas history researchers.
Local societies
No dedicated San Augustine 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, San Augustine County 223 North Harrison, San Augustine, TX 75972 (936) 275-2452
San Augustine County is in the East Texas Piney Woods, seated in San Augustine – one of the oldest Anglo-American settlements 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 San Augustine, sometimes assisted by district courts). In San Augustine 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 San Augustine 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 San Augustine 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
100 West Columbia St, San Augustine, TX 75972
(936) 275-2612
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 West Columbia St, San Augustine, TX 75972
(936) 275-2452
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 West Columbia St, San Augustine, TX 75972
(936) 275-2452
HHSC Office
100 West Columbia St, San Augustine, TX 75972
(936) 275-2452
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: CHI St. Luke’s San Augustine – provides local hospital and healthcare services, working alongside county EMS.
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: San Augustine
Population: 8,300
Established: 1836
Tier: 4
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for San Augustine County residents.
