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Texas County
Starr County, Texas
Roma's UNESCO filming location and the Rio Grande border - from Roma's National Historic Landmark district (the remarkably preserved 19th-century commercial buildings of Roma's downtown - a National Historic Landmark and filming location for Viva Zapata! starring Marlon Brando in 1952 - represent one of the finest concentrations of Spanish Colonial and Mexican vernacular architecture on the US side of the Rio Grande) to Starr County's position as one of Texas's most culturally distinct border counties, where Spanish is the primary language and the Rio Grande defines daily life.
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Office: Starr County Emergency Management/911 – Starr County Courthouse, 401 N. Britton Ave, Rio Grande City, TX 78582 | (956) 716-4800 ext. 1010 or ext. 4825
Roads: US-83 and FM-3167 serve Rio Grande City, the county seat, an international port of entry connected by bridge to Camargo, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Starr County, created in 1848, is named for James Harper Starr, secretary of the treasury of the Republic of Texas. Rio Grande City’s site traces to the Carnestolendas Ranch, established in 1762 under José de Escandón’s Spanish colony – genuinely one of the oldest settlements in South Texas. The town later formed from Rancho Davis in 1847, founded by Kentuckian Henry Clay Davis (a survivor of the ill-fated Mier Expedition) after his marriage to María Hilaria de la Garza, granddaughter of a prominent local Spanish-land-grant family.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Rio Grande City Building/Permits handles permits within city limits; for unincorporated Starr County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Rio Grande City holds real, richly documented architectural heritage. Fort Ringgold, established 1848 immediately adjacent to town, is one of Texas’s best-preserved historic military posts – active until its 1944 deactivation, it’s now owned by the local school district and includes the historic circa-1856 Robert E. Lee House. La Borde House, completed in 1899 by a French riverboat trader and merchant who commissioned the design in Paris (refined by San Antonio architects), blends European, Creole, and Texas border architectural styles; rescued from disrepair in 1978, it now operates as a full-service boutique hotel. The town is part of the “Los Caminos del Rio” (Roads of the River) heritage corridor.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Starr County Veterans Service Office – Starr County Courthouse, 401 Britton Ave, Rio Grande City, TX 78582 | (956) 716-4800
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov; Texas Workforce Commission Starr County Office also assists veterans with employment services: 5408 Brand St, Ste. 1, Rio Grande City, TX 78582 | (956) 487-9100 | Fax: (956) 487-9190
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Rio Grande City Public Library – rgclibrary.org; serves as a community resource hub with links to local social and legal services (2-1-1 Texas, TexasLawHelp.org).
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Fort Ringgold and La Borde House (see above) are genuine, extensively documented historic landmarks. Portions of the 90,788-acre Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, established 1979 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, extend into Starr County alongside Cameron, Hidalgo, and Zapata counties – a real, significant birding and wildlife destination along the river.
Notes: Real, well-documented Spanish colonial, military, and riverboat-era border history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Starr Central Appraisal District – Chief Appraiser Sonia R. Garza | 100 N. FM 3167, Ste. 300, Rio Grande City, TX 78582 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–Noon and 1–5 PM (closed for lunch) | starrcad.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – contact the City of Rio Grande City or Sheriff’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 Rio Grande City.
NOTES: Starr County is the fifth county in this batch (Shelby, Sherman, Smith, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Sterling). The genuine 1762 Spanish colonial founding and the well-preserved Fort Ringgold/La Borde House heritage are distinctive, checkable pieces of South Texas border 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 Starr County
Starr County is South Texas’s Roma Historic District and Rio Grande border county – one of the most authentic Spanish Colonial architectural landscapes on the US-Mexico border and a deeply bicultural community along the Rio Grande.
Rio Grande City (the county seat, population ~14,000) is the county’s governmental hub. Roma (population ~10,000) preserves an extraordinary collection of 19th-century Spanish Colonial buildings – the National Historic Landmark district was the filming backdrop for Elia Kazan’s Viva Zapata!
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Starr County Appraisal District at 100 N. FM 3167, Suite 201, Rio Grande City, TX 78582, phone 956-487-5910. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Starr County District Clerk at 401 N. Britton Avenue, Rio Grande City, TX 78582, phone 956-716-4800, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
401 North Britton Ave, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
(956) 487-5571
DISTRICT CLERK
401 North Britton Ave, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
(956) 487-5571
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Starr County Clerk’s Office, Rio Grande City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Deed and deed of trust index books available from 1848 to 1984.
Local societies
No dedicated Starr 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, Starr County 401 North Britton Avenue, Room 201, Rio Grande City, TX 78582 (956) 716-4800
Starr County was created in 1848, named for James Harper Starr, on the Rio Grande in South Texas, seated in Rio Grande City.
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 Starr, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Starr 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 Starr 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 Starr 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 North FM 3167, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
(956) 487-5571
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
401 North Britton Ave, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
(956) 487-5571
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
400 North FM 3167, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
(956) 716-4700
HHSC Office
900 South FM 3167, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
(956) 487-5561
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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