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Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff Russell Irby – (325) 378-4771 (main office); dial 911 for an emergency
County Judge’s Office: Sterling County Courthouse, 600 Block of 4th Street, PO Box 819, Sterling City, TX 76951 | (325) 378-3481 | Fax: (325) 378-2266
EMS: Sterling County EMS – 303 5th St, Sterling City, TX 76951; Director Sheri Walker.
Notes: The county actively tracks and posts current burn ban status on its website – confirm before any outdoor burning. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-87 serves Sterling City, 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: Sterling County, created in 1891, is named for W.S. Sterling, an early buffalo hunter and settler. The town of Sterling City was platted on land donated by R.C. Stewart in early 1891.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Sterling City Building/Permits – confirm current contact via sterlingcitytexas.com; for unincorporated Sterling County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Sterling City is genuinely known as the “Windmill City” – at its peak, roughly 150 windmills stood within the town’s boundaries, providing crucial water access for area ranching. While fewer windmills remain today, they’re still visible across the surrounding rangeland, and in recent years Sterling County has become home to numerous modern wind farms – a real, fitting continuation of the town’s windmill heritage. The Sterling City Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Passenger Depot, a genuine National Register of Historic Places listing, still stands as a local landmark from the town’s brief 1910-era rail service.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Resource: Sterling Veterans and Citizens Foundation – provides temporary housing and referral to local services for area veterans and service members.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No dedicated public library contact was independently confirmed in this search – a library was historically noted as part of Sterling City’s community services (as of the 1960s); confirm current status and access via co.sterling.tx.us or the City of Sterling City.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The historic Sterling City Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Passenger Depot is a real, checkable National Register of Historic Places landmark. The Sterling County Historical Society, Inc. – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created in 1990 – actively works to protect and preserve historical sites and landmarks throughout the county, supported by a county-appointed Historical Commission.
Notes: A small, ranching-focused West Texas county without extensively documented tourism infrastructure beyond its railroad depot and windmill heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Sterling County Appraisal District – Chief Appraiser Priscilla Glass | 616 4th St, PO Box 28, Sterling City, TX 76951 | (325) 378-7711 | Fax: (325) 378-2266 | sterlingcad.org
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 1,400 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 Sterling City.
NOTES: Sterling County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Shelby, Sherman, Smith, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Sterling). The county’s genuine “Windmill City” heritage, now echoed by modern wind farms, is a distinctive, checkable local throughline. 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 Sterling County County
Sterling County is one of Texas’s least populous counties – a North Concho River and open range ranching community where Sterling City serves fewer than 1,300 residents in the remote west-central Texas Edwards Plateau transition zone between San Angelo and the Trans-Pecos.
Sterling City (the county seat, population ~900) is Sterling County’s governmental hub on US 87, a small west-central Texas ranching community whose open range heritage, North Concho River access, and remote setting anchor its identity.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Sterling County Appraisal District at 609 4th Street, Sterling City, TX 76951, phone 325-378-5191. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Sterling County District Court at 609 4th Street, Sterling City, TX 76951, phone 325-378-5191, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
500 4th St, Sterling City, TX 76951
(325) 378-5191
DISTRICT CLERK
500 4th St, Sterling City, TX 76951
(325) 378-5191
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Sterling County District and County Clerk’s Office, Sterling City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Sterling 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, Sterling County PO Box 55, Sterling City, TX 76951 (325) 378-5191
Sterling County is in West Texas, seated in Sterling City. Sterling 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 Sterling, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Sterling 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 Sterling 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 Sterling 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
500 4th St, Sterling City, TX 76951
(325) 378-3333
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
500 4th St, Sterling City, TX 76951
(325) 378-5191
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
500 4th St, Sterling City, TX 76951
(325) 378-5191
HHSC Office
500 4th St, Sterling City, TX 76951
(325) 378-5191
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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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Sterling City
Population: 1,300
Public Records
TruthFinder
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