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Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Jason Chatham – 4 S. Divide Street, Eldorado, TX 76936 | (325) 853-2737 | Fax: (325) 853-2713
County Judge’s Office: Schleicher County Courthouse, 2 S. Divide, Eldorado, TX 76936 | (325) 853-1820
EMS: Schleicher County Volunteer EMS – 305 E Murchison Ave, Eldorado, TX 76936; confirm current phone via schleichercounty.gov.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-277 serves Eldorado, the county seat and only incorporated city in the county
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Schleicher County, created in 1887 and organized in 1901, sits on the Edwards Plateau and is named for Gustav Schleicher, a German immigrant surveyor and politician.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Eldorado Building/Permits handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated Schleicher County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: The Mittel Site, an address-restricted archaeological location near Eldorado, is the county’s sole National Register of Historic Places listing, reflecting the area’s deep human history dating back to roughly 8000 BC, when Jumano peoples were likely the first inhabitants, later followed by Lipan Apache and Comanche groups.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer was confirmed in this search – this position has been listed as vacant in recent state directories.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov; Workforce Solutions of the Concho Valley also serves the region.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Schleicher County Library – 2 S. Divide, Eldorado, TX 76936 | (325) 853-1820 (Schleicher County Courthouse)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Notes: Schleicher County is nationally known as the site of the Yearning For Zion (YFZ) Ranch, a compound belonging to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), located near Eldorado. In April 2008, Texas authorities raided the ranch following abuse allegations, ultimately removing more than 400 children in the largest such state child-welfare action in U.S. history. The investigation led to convictions of eleven men, including FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, on charges related to arranging or participating in marriages between underage girls and older men; Jeffs is serving a life sentence in Texas prison. The state seized the roughly 1,700-acre property in 2014. This is factual public-record history included here because of its direct relevance and searchability for anyone researching this county.
No other confirmed local recreational attractions were found in this search – this is a small, rural county without extensively documented tourism infrastructure.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Schleicher County Appraisal District – PO Box 936, Eldorado, TX 76936; confirm current phone via schleichercad.org | Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 AM–12 PM and 1–4 PM
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 very small population (fewer than 2,500 residents) – contact the Sheriff’s Office or County Judge’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 or City of Eldorado.
NOTES: Schleicher County is the fifth county in this batch (San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford). The YFZ Ranch case is a nationally significant piece of public-record legal history directly tied to this county and included here factually. 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 Schleicher County County
Schleicher County is west-central Texas’s Edwards Plateau mohair and open range county – the sheep and Angora goat ranching that contributes to Texas’s national wool and mohair leadership and the vast open ranch terrain between San Angelo and Del Rio define a remote community where Eldorado serves the county’s ranching families in authentic Texas ranch country.
Eldorado (the county seat, population ~1,900) is Schleicher County’s governmental hub on US 277, a west-central Texas Edwards Plateau ranching community whose wool and mohair economy, open range heritage, and remote setting anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Schleicher County Appraisal District at 200 S. Division Street, Eldorado, TX 76936, phone 325-853-2691. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Schleicher County District Court at 200 S. Division Street, Eldorado, TX 76936, phone 325-853-2833, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
106 West Murchison St, Eldorado, TX 76936
(325) 853-2833
DISTRICT CLERK
106 West Murchison St, Eldorado, TX 76936
(325) 853-2833
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Schleicher County District and County Clerk’s Office, Eldorado (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Schleicher 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, Schleicher County PO Drawer 580, Eldorado, TX 76936 (325) 853-2833
Schleicher County is in West Texas, seated in Eldorado. Schleicher 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 Schleicher, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Schleicher 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 Schleicher 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 Schleicher 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
106 West Murchison St, Eldorado, TX 76936
(325) 853-2737
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
106 West Murchison St, Eldorado, TX 76936
(325) 853-2833
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
106 West Murchison St, Eldorado, TX 76936
(325) 853-2833
HHSC Office
106 West Murchison St, Eldorado, TX 76936
(325) 853-2833
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: Schleicher County Medical Center – Eldorado, TX; 24/7 emergency room, radiology (CT, bone density, X-ray), physical therapy, and a Swing Bed Program for Medicare patients needing continued recovery care; has served the county for more than 50 years.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Eldorado
Population: 2,900
Public Records
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