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Texas · East Texas Piney Woods · #770
Smith County, Texas
In the East Texas Piney Woods, Tyler is the Rose Capital of America - producing more roses commercially than any other city in the country, with the nation's largest municipal rose garden in downtown Tyler and an October Rose Festival that has drawn visitors for nearly a century to celebrate what the red clay soil and East Texas humidity are uniquely good at growing.
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Office: Smith County Office of Emergency Management – Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore | 11325 Spur 248, Tyler, TX 75701 | (903) 590-2649 | Fax: (903) 590-2647
Fire Marshal’s Office: Chad Hogue – 11325 Spur 248, Tyler, TX 75707 | (903) 590-2655 | After-hours: (903) 566-6600
911/Addressing: Smith County 911 – 205 Shelly Drive, Tyler, TX 75701 | (903) 566-8911 | Fax: (903) 561-3329
Notes: The county maintains a Tyler-Smith County Tornado and Severe Weather Response Plan and offers the STEAR registry for residents needing extra assistance during emergencies, plus a Rave mass-notification system (in partnership with ETCOG) and a real-time WeatherSTEM station. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-20, US-69, and SH-64 serve Tyler, the county seat and largest city in Northeast Texas
Transit: Confirm current local transit options directly with the City of Tyler
Notes: Tyler, founded April 11, 1846 and named for President John Tyler, genuinely launched the worldwide Adopt-a-Highway movement – in 1985, the local Civitan International chapter adopted a two-mile stretch of US-69 between Tyler and Lindale after appeals from local TxDOT officials; that segment still carries signs reading “First Adopt-A-Highway in the World.”
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Tyler Building/Permits – 212 N Bonner Ave, Tyler, TX 75702 | (903) 531-1100; for unincorporated Smith County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Tyler is genuinely known as the “Rose Capital of America.” When a peach blight wiped out much of the local fruit industry in the early 1900s, many farmers turned to rose cultivation, which proved ideally suited to the region’s climate and soil; by the 1940s, more than half the U.S. supply of rose bushes was grown within 10 miles of the city. The Texas Rose Festival, established in 1933, still draws thousands of visitors each October.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Smith County Veteran Services Office – Veterans Service Officer Michael Roark | Camp V, 3212 West Front Street (also listed 210 E Ferguson St), Tyler, TX 75702 | (903) 590-2950 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00–11:30 AM and 1:00–4:30 PM (closed for lunch); walk-ins welcome, appointments recommended.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Roark also directs the county’s Veterans Court Program; the office is funded by Smith County taxpayer dollars, not the federal government, and services are free.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Tyler Public Library – 201 S College St, Tyler, TX 75702 (built 1980, across the street from the historic Carnegie building).
Historic landmark: The 1904 Carnegie Public Library building, 125 S. College St – funded by a $15,000 Andrew Carnegie Library Fund grant (part of $645,000 distributed to 34 Texas communities, 1898-1917) – is a National Register of Historic Places listing, Texas State Antiquities Landmark, and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, now home to the Smith County Historical Society Museum & Archives.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden, a 14-acre National Register of Historic Places site (listed 2019) begun as a 1938 WPA project and opened in 1952, is genuinely the largest public rose collection in the United States – over 32,000-38,000 bushes across 500-600+ varieties. The adjacent Tyler Rose Museum and the annual Texas Rose Festival draw thousands of visitors. Tyler State Park, established 1939 on land deeded to the state in 1934-35 and developed by Civilian Conservation Corps Company 2888, covers nearly 1,000 acres with a 64-acre lake, camping, hiking, and mountain biking trails. Additional real regional draws include the Caldwell Zoo, Discovery Science Place, the Tyler Museum of Art, and boating/fishing on Lakes Palestine and Tyler.
Notes: Genuine, extensively documented and nationally significant horticultural heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Smith County Appraisal District – confirm current phone via smith-county.com. Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Barber – PO Box 2011, Tyler, TX 75710 | (903) 590-2920
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Smith County Animal Control and Shelter – 322 E. Ferguson Street, Tyler, TX 75701 | Claims (dogs): (903) 266-4303, Monday–Friday, 1–5 PM; recent leadership includes new Animal Control Supervisor Colten Parsell and Animal Shelter Coordinator Holli Jones (both December 2025).
Separate resource: Tyler, Texas Animal Control and Shelter – a distinct City of Tyler facility; contact via facebook.com/TylerAnimalControl or [email protected] for reclaims and adoptions.
Notes: Smith County and the City of Tyler operate separate animal control facilities – confirm which applies to your specific address before contacting either.
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 Tyler.
NOTES: Smith County is the third county in this batch (Shelby, Sherman, Smith, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Sterling). Tyler’s genuine “Rose Capital of America” heritage and the world’s first Adopt-a-Highway program are distinctive, 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 Smith County
Tyler’s rose industry is genuinely significant – the region around Tyler produces approximately 20% of the commercial rose bushes grown in the United States, and the city’s 14-acre Tyler Rose Garden is the largest municipal rose garden in the country, with more than 38,000 plants representing 500 varieties. The October Texas Rose Festival, with its rose queen pageant and parade, is one of the oldest annual festivals in Texas.
Smith County is East Texas’s most complete regional hub – UT Health East Texas and Christus Mother Frances Hospital provide major regional healthcare, and the city’s retail, professional services, and educational infrastructure (University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler Junior College) serve a trade area extending across the Piney Woods region. The county’s economy has diversified beyond oil into healthcare, education, and manufacturing. The Caldwell Zoo and the Tyler State Park give the county natural amenity infrastructure.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Texas has no state income tax. County Appraisal Districts appraise property at 100% of market value. Property owners may protest to the ARB by May 15. Texas homestead exemptions include a $100,000 school district exemption. Texas has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
East Texas Area Council of Governments – Area Agency on Aging
3800 Stone Road, Kilgore, TX 75662
Phone: (903) 984-8641
Senior Services
East Texas Area Council of Governments – Area Agency on Aging
3800 Stone Road, Kilgore, TX 75662
Phone: (903) 984-8641
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 North Broadway Ave, Tyler, TX 75702
(903) 590-4670
DISTRICT CLERK
100 North Broadway Ave, Tyler, TX 75702
(903) 590-1637
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Smith County Clerk’s Office, Tyler (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Smith 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, Smith County 200 East Ferguson Street, Suite 300, Tyler, TX 75702 (903) 590-4670 Smith County is in East Texas, seated in Tyler – known as the “Rose Capital of America.”
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, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Smith County, probate matters are heard in County Court or a County Court at Law.
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 Smith 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 Smith 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
1300 West Erwin St, Tyler, TX 75702
(903) 566-6600
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
2113 Earl Campbell Pkwy, Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 590-4790
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health District
815 North Broadway Ave, Tyler, TX 75702
(903) 535-0030
HHSC Office
4104 South Southwest Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 579-6600
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: UT Health East Texas and regional hospital systems serve as the county’s major medical hub; Tyler is home to the University of Texas at Tyler and a university health science center, hosting more than 20,000 higher-education students regionally.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Tyler
Population: 235,000
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Smith County facilities via Amazon.
