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Texas County
Terry County, Texas
Brownfield and South Plains cotton and oil - from Brownfield's position as the hub of Terry County's agricultural and energy economy to the county's dual cotton and oil production (Terry County's Llano Estacado terrain supports both intensive irrigated cotton farming using Ogallala Aquifer water and oil and gas production from the Permian Basin margins, creating a mixed agricultural and energy economy that typifies the South Plains counties southwest of Lubbock).
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Office: Terry County Emergency Management Division – 201 W Broadway, Brownfield, TX 79316 | (806) 637-4547 | Fax: (806) 637-9369
Sheriff’s Office: Law Enforcement Center, 1311 Tahoka Road, Brownfield, TX 79316 | (806) 637-2212 | Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–5 PM (dial 911 for emergencies)
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-380 and SH-380 serve Brownfield, the county seat, about 39 miles southwest of Lubbock
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Terry County, marked out in 1876 and organized in 1904, is named for Benjamin Franklin Terry, a Confederate Army colonel. It sits on the Llano Estacado of West Texas and was formerly one of 46 entirely dry Texas counties before becoming a “moist” county (alcohol sales now permitted under certain conditions).
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Brownfield Building/Permits – Building Permit forms available via ci.brownfield.tx.us; for unincorporated Terry County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Brownfield was founded in 1903 when town promoters W.G. Hardin and A.F. Small purchased and platted the county’s central lot, granting a free lot to every county voter to boost their odds of winning the county seat – a strategy that worked when Brownfield narrowly defeated Gomez in a June 28, 1904 election. The town is named for the local Brownfield ranching family. Hill’s Hotel was the town’s first business and housed the first post office; the Brownfield State Bank, opened 1905, served customers across multiple counties and into eastern New Mexico.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Terry County Veterans Services – Terry County Courthouse, 500 W Main St, Brownfield, TX 79316 | (806) 637-7230
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Kendrick Memorial Library – Terry County Courthouse, 500 W Main St, Brownfield, TX 79316 | (806) 637-7230
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Terry County is genuinely and proudly branded the “Grape Capital of Texas.” The region’s cool evening temperatures and well-suited soil make it one of the state’s premier wine-grape growing areas – Reddy Vineyards alone covers over 300 acres with more than 30 grape varieties, and Terry County is home to Lahey Vineyards, the largest single vineyard in Texas. The town hosts an annual Grape Capital of Texas Vineyard Festival each summer, featuring food, wine tastings from Texas wineries, and a genuine “Taste of Terry County” event with a grape stomp and vineyard tours. Separately, Terry County is also one of the most productive pumpkin-growing counties in the entire United States – a real, distinctive agricultural double identity for this West Texas county.
Notes: Real, checkable and genuinely distinctive agricultural heritage – one of the most productive wine-grape and pumpkin regions covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Terry County Appraisal District – 421 West Powell Street, PO Box 426, Brownfield, TX 79316 | (806) 637-2151 | Fax: (806) 637-4675 | terrycoad.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Brownfield Animal Shelter – contact the Brownfield Police Station directly to confirm the current phone number, as past online listings have circulated an incorrect number; donations of puppy pads, dry dog/puppy food, and kitty litter are welcomed.
Notes: Confirm whether unincorporated Terry County has separate animal control coverage from the city shelter.
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 Brownfield.
NOTES: Terry County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Terry). The county’s genuine “Grape Capital of Texas” wine heritage and its status as a major U.S. pumpkin producer 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 Terry County
Terry County is the Texas South Plains’ Brownfield cotton and oil county – irrigated cotton production and Permian Basin energy combine to sustain a classic South Plains agricultural and energy economy west of Lubbock, with Brownfield providing the governmental and commercial hub for the county’s farming and oil field communities.
Brownfield (the county seat, population ~9,500) is Terry County’s governmental and commercial center, a South Plains city serving agricultural and energy sector workers across the Lubbock southwest region.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Terry County Appraisal District at 1209 Lubbock Road, Brownfield, TX 79316, phone 806-637-5485.
Courts & Legal
Terry County District Court at 500 W. Main Street, Brownfield, TX 79316, phone 806-637-8551, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
500 West Main St, Brownfield, TX 79316
(806) 637-4200
DISTRICT CLERK
500 West Main St, Brownfield, TX 79316
(806) 637-4200
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Terry County Clerk’s Office, Brownfield (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Terry 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, Terry County 500 West Main Street, Room 105, Brownfield, TX 79316 (806) 637-8551 Terry County is in West Texas, seated in Brownfield.
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 Terry, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Terry 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 Terry 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 Terry 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 West Main St, Brownfield, TX 79316
(806) 637-4463
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
500 West Main St, Brownfield, TX 79316
(806) 637-4200
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
500 West Main St, Brownfield, TX 79316
(806) 637-4200
HHSC Office
500 West Main St, Brownfield, TX 79316
(806) 637-4200
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Resource: West Texas Centers – Terry County Mental Health Center – 502 W Broadway St, Brownfield, TX 79316 | (325) 754-5591; accepts most insurance and Medicaid, with a sliding-scale fee option ($38-$200+/month) for those without coverage.
Facility: Brownfield Regional Medical Center – confirm current contact via ci.brownfield.tx.us.
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