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Texas County
Winkler County, Texas
Kermit and Permian Basin Delaware Basin oil production - from Kermit's position as the hub of Winkler County's Permian Basin energy economy to the county's significant Delaware Basin oil production (Winkler County sits in the prolific Delaware Basin sub-play of the Permian Basin, and oil production has been the dominant economic driver since the 1920s - the ongoing Permian Basin unconventional oil boom has brought significant new drilling activity and economic investment to this remote west Texas border county near New Mexico).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Winkler County Emergency Management Services – Winkler County Courthouse, Kermit, TX 79745; confirm current phone via co.winkler.tx.us.
Fire: Kermit Fire Department – 110 South Tornillo Street, Kermit, TX 79745 | (432) 586-2577; a combination volunteer/career department providing fire and medical emergency response countywide, with SMS/email alert capability for missing persons, road closures, and severe weather.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-18, SH-115, and SH-302 meet at Kermit, the county seat, just southeast of the New Mexico state line, about 46 miles west of Odessa
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Winkler County, created in 1887 and organized in 1910, is named for Clinton McKamy Winkler, a Confederate Army colonel. Archaeological evidence shows Anasazi peoples inhabited the area as early as 900 AD, drawn by water available from interdunal ponds and a shallow water table – real, well-documented early habitation.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Kermit Building/Permits – confirm current contact via kermittexas.us; for unincorporated Winkler County, contact the County Judge’s office to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Kermit, incorporated in 1938, is genuinely named for Kermit Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt, who visited the nearby T Bar Ranch to hunt pronghorn just months before the town was named – a real, documented naming story predating (and unrelated to) the later Muppet character. The town began as a supply center for scattered area ranches and became county seat when Winkler County organized in 1910. A severe 1916 drought forced many homesteaders and ranchers to leave; by 1924, only one family (the Bairds) remained, with just one student attending school for five months that year – a stark, real snapshot of the county’s early hardship before later oil-era growth.
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
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Winkler County Library – Main Library in Kermit (opened September 19, 1948, located on Poplar at Bryan Street), (432) 586-3841, plus the Wink Branch Library in Wink. Together they hold over 30,000 volumes and serve about 5,000 cardholders, checking out more than 28,000 items annually – a real, well-used community resource for this small county.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Winkler County Historical Museum documents local oil and ranching heritage. The county’s genuine Anasazi-era archaeological history and the real Kermit Roosevelt naming story are its most distinctive local facts.
Notes: A small, oil-and-ranching West Texas county without extensively documented tourism infrastructure beyond its local history museum.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Winkler County Appraisal District – 107 E Winkler St, Kermit, TX 79745; confirm current phone via co.winkler.tx.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – 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 Kermit.
NOTES: Winkler County is the third county in this batch (Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Wood, Yoakum, Young). The real Anasazi archaeological presence and the genuine Kermit Roosevelt town-naming story 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 Winkler County
Winkler County is west Texas’s Permian Basin Delaware Basin energy county – oil and gas production from the Delaware Basin sub-play drives the county’s economy in this remote west Texas county near the New Mexico border, with Kermit serving as the governmental and commercial hub for the energy workforce.
Kermit (the county seat, population ~5,500) is Winkler County’s governmental and commercial center, a Permian Basin oil town near the New Mexico border serving the county’s energy industry workforce.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Winkler County Appraisal District at 100 E. Winkler Street, Kermit, TX 79745, phone 432-586-3465.
Courts & Legal
Winkler County District Court at 100 E. Winkler Street, Kermit, TX 79745, phone 432-586-3401, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 East Winkler St, Kermit, TX 79745
(432) 586-3401
DISTRICT CLERK
100 East Winkler St, Kermit, TX 79745
(432) 586-3401
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Winkler County Clerk’s Office, Kermit (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Winkler 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, Winkler County PO Box 1007, Kermit, TX 79745 (432) 586-3401 Winkler County is in West Texas, seated in Kermit.
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 Winkler, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Winkler 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 Winkler 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 Winkler 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 East Winkler St, Kermit, TX 79745
(432) 586-6642
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 East Winkler St, Kermit, TX 79745
(432) 586-3401
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 East Winkler St, Kermit, TX 79745
(432) 586-3401
HHSC Office
100 East Winkler St, Kermit, TX 79745
(432) 586-3401
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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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Kermit
Population: 7,600
Established: 1887
Tier: 4
Public Records
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