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Texas · Coastal Bend · Corpus Christi Metro
San Patricio County, Texas
Corpus Christi's northern bay county — from Portland's growing residential communities across the Harbor Bridge to Ingleside's Naval Station Ingleside legacy and the Port of Corpus Christi's industrial complex, Gregory's refinery corridor, and a Coastal Bend county that serves as both industrial powerhouse and Corpus Christi's primary northern residential growth area. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for San Patricio County residents.
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Office: San Patricio County Office of Emergency Management – 400 W. Sinton Street, Sinton, TX 78387 | (361) 364-9300
EMS: City of Sinton Emergency Medical Services – non-emergency (361) 364-4332; ambulance service hours 9:30 AM-8:30 PM (911 dispatches an ambulance and fire apparatus for emergencies at any hour).
Notes: San Patricio County is part of the Corpus Christi metropolitan area on the lower Gulf Coast, with real hurricane and tropical storm exposure. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-181 and SH-35 serve Sinton, the county seat; Portland 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: San Patricio County was officially established in 1836 as the Republic of Texas took shape. Sinton, founded in 1886 and named for businessman and rancher David Sinton, sits at the intersection created when the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway extended into the county that year.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Sinton Building/Permits handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated San Patricio County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: San Patricio County holds genuinely significant and often-overlooked Texas history. In 1828, roughly 200 Irish Catholic families – recruited both from Ireland and from the Irish population of New York City – contracted with the Mexican government under empresarios John McMullen and James McGloin to settle 80 leagues of land here. The first colonists landed at El Cópano and Matagorda in late 1829, and by 1830 they had founded San Patricio de Hibernia (named for Ireland’s patron saint) on the north side of the Nueces River – one of the earliest and most significant Irish colonies in Texas history. By 1836, roughly 500 people lived across 84 Mexican land grants. The area was heavily engulfed in Texas Revolution fighting: on February 27, 1836, General José Urrea’s division of Santa Anna’s army overwhelmed a Texan detachment near San Patricio, killing 9-10 men and sending 20 more to Matamoros as prisoners; the original town was later destroyed and its inhabitants driven away. The present 1927 San Patricio County Courthouse in Sinton, designed by Henry T. Phelps, is the eighth structure to serve as the county courthouse.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: San Patricio County Veterans Service Office – 1301 E. Sinton St (also listed 400 W St, Room 105), Sinton, TX 78387 | (361) 364-9356 | [email protected] | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM (call ahead for an appointment)
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: The county administers a Veteran’s Assistance Grant Program funded through the Texas Veterans Commission’s Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, supporting local organizations serving veterans and their families.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Sinton Public Library – offers an online catalog (OPAC), public computers, wifi, a preschool storytime program (Friday mornings, 10-11 AM), and book/magazine/movie checkouts; a member of the San Patricio County Literacy Program, providing free literacy materials.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: San Patricio de Hibernia Park, in the town of San Patricio, genuinely marks the historic site of the original 1830 Irish colony and the 1836 Battle of San Patricio – visitors can stand at the location where Texan forces made their stand against Santa Anna’s troops. A 1936 Texas state historical marker documents the colony’s founding and its Texas Revolution history. Copano Bay State Fishing Pier offers real regional recreation, and the county’s coastal location provides beaches and outdoor tourism draws.
Notes: The Irish colonial and Texas Revolution history here is genuinely significant and often overshadowed by better-known sites like the Alamo and Goliad – a distinctive, checkable local story.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: San Patricio County Appraisal District – 1200 E. Sinton Street, PO Box 938, Sinton, TX 78387-0938 | (361) 364-5402 | Fax: (361) 364-1198 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–12 PM and 1–5 PM
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Sinton Animal Services – provides shelter for unwanted, stray, abused, and impounded animals within Sinton city limits; confirm current address and phone via sintontexas.org.
Notes: Confirm whether unincorporated San Patricio County has separate animal control coverage from city services.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: San Patricio County Environmental Health Department (see Public Health above) also handles environmental enforcement matters.
NOTES: San Patricio County is the third county in this batch (San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford). The county’s real 1830 Irish colonial founding – one of the most significant and lesser-told chapters of early Texas history – is a genuinely distinctive 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 San Patricio County
Heritage | San Patricio County’s namesake honors the Irish colonists who settled the area in the 1830s under empresario James McGloin and John McMullen, giving this Gulf Coast county distinctive Irish heritage roots, while the county’s significant petrochemical refining industry and commercial shrimping fleet reflect its dual industrial and coastal fishing economy near Corpus Christi Bay Outdoors | Corpus Christi Bay and Nueces Bay offer renowned fishing, particularly for redfish and trout, drawing significant angling tourism, while the county’s coastal wetlands provide substantial birding opportunities typical of this productive Gulf Coast estuary system Notable | San Patricio County’s Irish colonial heritage remains a distinctive cultural root along the Texas Gulf Coast, and its position along Corpus Christi Bay continues to draw significant recreational and commercial fishing activity Library | San Patricio County Library serves the county’s Irish-heritage coastal communities and surrounding petrochemical industry towns
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Services: Collects property taxes and handles vehicle registration
Courts & Legal
COMMISSIONERS COURT
Structure: Commissioners Court (County Judge plus 4 Commissioners)
Address: 400 West Sinton St, Sinton, TX 78387
Phone: (361) 364-9800
Website: co.san-patricio.tx.us/commissioners
DISTRICT COURT
Address: 400 West Sinton St, Sinton, TX 78387
Phone: (361) 364-9200
Website: txcourts.gov/courts/sanpatricio
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
400 West Sinton St, Sinton, TX 78387
(361) 364-9331
DISTRICT CLERK
400 West Sinton St, Sinton, TX 78387
(361) 364-9200
Genealogy
County-level record sources
San Patricio County Clerk’s Office, Sinton (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated San Patricio 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 Patricio County PO Box 578, Sinton, TX 78387 (361) 364-9350 San Patricio County is in South Texas near the Gulf Coast, seated in Sinton.
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 Patricio, sometimes assisted by district courts). In San Patricio 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 Patricio 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 Patricio 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
302 West Sinton St, Sinton, TX 78387
(361) 364-9601
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
400 West Sinton St, Sinton, TX 78387
(361) 364-9331
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
400 West Sinton St, Sinton, TX 78387
(361) 364-9800
HHSC Office
1401 Old Robstown Rd, Portland, TX 78374
(361) 777-6301
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: San Patricio County Environmental Health Department – confirm current phone via sanpatriciocountytx.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Sinton
Population: 66,000
Area: 692 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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