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Texas County
San Jacinto County, Texas
Sam Houston National Forest and Lake Livingston's western shore - from the Sam Houston National Forest (the 163,000-acre national forest covering much of San Jacinto County - hiking the Lone Star Hiking Trail, paddling the Big Creek Scenic Area, and exploring the longleaf pine restoration areas provide East Texas's finest forest recreation experiences) to Lake Livingston's western San Jacinto County shoreline (the massive Trinity River reservoir's western communities draw Houston area visitors to lakefront properties and water recreation in the Big Thicket transition zone).
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Office: San Jacinto County Office of Emergency Management – Coordinator/Fire Marshal Jeff Williams | [email protected] | [email protected]
Sheriff’s Office (non-emergency): (936) 653-4367
San Jacinto County ESD: manages funding and services for 9 fire departments plus EMS covering all of San Jacinto County except the Waterwood community | 101 FM 1514 Rd, Coldspring, TX 77331
Notes: The county’s preparedness guide specifically references hurricane storm-surge risk (citing Hurricane Ike’s 2008 Texas landfall) – this is a Gulf-adjacent East Texas county with real severe-weather exposure. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-150 serves Coldspring, the county seat, within the Sam Houston National Forest
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Coldspring was founded in 1847 as “Coonskin,” later renamed “Firemen’s Hill,” then “Cold Spring,” and finally “Coldspring” – the name reportedly traces to Spanish explorers who named a nearby hyacinth-lined stream for Saint Hyacinth, with cold spring waters along its bed.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Coldspring Building/Permits handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated San Jacinto County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: After a 1915 fire destroyed the original wooden courthouse, the community relocated the county seat to higher ground just blocks away, building a new courthouse there – with the exception of the 1887 jail, which remained on the old townsite. One local resident reportedly solved his own relocation dilemma by having his house physically turned to face the new courthouse square rather than moving it. Today’s downtown, largely built 1916-1923, is a real, distinctive slice of early-20th-century small-town Texas architecture.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: San Jacinto County Veterans Services Officer – 111 State Hwy. 150, Room C-2, Coldspring, TX 77331 | Office Hours: Tuesdays
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 co.san-jacinto.tx.us.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: San Jacinto County sits largely within the 163,045-acre Sam Houston National Forest, established October 13, 1936 and located about 50 miles north of Houston – genuinely one of only four national forests in Texas. Nearby Lake Livingston and the Double Lake Recreation Area (part of the “Big Thicket” section of the national forest) offer real camping, hiking, fishing, and water-skiing opportunities, alongside roughly 25 golf courses within a 50-mile radius of Coldspring. The San Jacinto County & Old Jail Museum, housed in the original 1887 jail on the old townsite, preserves local history alongside more than 35 historical markers placed throughout the town. Coldspring’s oldest continuously active United Methodist Church in Texas was established in 1848. Real regional history: the Foster Lumber Company sold 30,000 acres along the East San Jacinto River to the federal government in 1935, forming the core of what became Sam Houston National Forest; Civilian Conservation Corps camps (including a segregated Black camp) operated in the county during the Great Depression.
Notes: Genuine, checkable East Texas Piney Woods and national forest heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: San Jacinto County Appraisal District – 99 Slade St, PO Box 1170, Coldspring, TX 77331 | (936) 653-1450 | Fax: (936) 653-5271 | [email protected] | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM (closed for lunch 12-1 PM)
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: San Jacinto County Animal Control – (936) 524-3891.
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 Jacinto County is the second county in this batch (San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford). The county’s Sam Houston National Forest setting and its distinctive 1915 courthouse-relocation story are genuine, checkable local facts. 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 Jacinto County
San Jacinto County is East Texas’s Sam Houston National Forest and Lake Livingston county – 163,000 acres of federal forest and Houston’s primary reservoir’s western shore define a Piney Woods community of exceptional natural resources.
Coldspring (the county seat, population ~900) is one of Texas’s smaller county seats – a quiet Piney Woods community surrounded by national forest land. The Sam Houston National Forest’s Lone Star Hiking Trail – at 128 miles, the longest continuous hiking trail in Texas – begins in San Jacinto County.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
San Jacinto County Appraisal District at 99 State Highway 150 W., Suite 3, Coldspring, TX 77331, phone 936-653-1450. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
San Jacinto County District Clerk at 1 State Highway 150, Room 1, Coldspring, TX 77331, phone 936-653-2324, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1 State Highway 150, Coldspring, TX 77331
(936) 653-2828
DISTRICT CLERK
1 State Highway 150, Coldspring, TX 77331
(936) 653-4013
Genealogy
County-level record sources
San Jacinto County Clerk’s Office, Coldspring (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The NRHP-listed 1917 San Jacinto County Courthouse and the 1887 San Jacinto County Jail (both in Coldspring) are notable local landmarks.
Local societies
No dedicated San Jacinto 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 Jacinto County 1 State Highway 150, Room 2, Coldspring, TX 77331 (936) 653-2324
San Jacinto County was created in 1870, named after the Battle of San Jacinto, in Southeast Texas, seated in Coldspring (largest city Shepherd). The 1917 San Jacinto County Courthouse is NRHP-listed.
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 Jacinto, sometimes assisted by district courts). In San Jacinto 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 Jacinto 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 Jacinto 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
292 State Highway 150, Coldspring, TX 77331
(936) 653-4367
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
1 State Highway 150, Coldspring, TX 77331
(936) 653-2828
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
1 State Highway 150, Coldspring, TX 77331
(936) 653-2352
HHSC Office
1 State Highway 150, Coldspring, TX 77331
(936) 653-2352
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: Coldspring
Population: 28,000
Established: 1870
Tier: 3
Public Records
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