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Utah County
Emery County, Utah
The San Rafael Swell and Goblin Valley - from the San Rafael Swell (the massive geological anticline in Emery County - a 75-mile-long dome of uplifted Navajo sandstone cut by slot canyons, mesas, and canyon country that constitutes one of the most spectacular and least-visited geological landscapes in Utah - the San Rafael Reef's jagged upturned sandstone fins and the Little Grand Canyon of the San Rafael River define a wilderness that dwarfs most national parks in its scale and drama) and Goblin Valley State Park (the extraordinary collection of hoodoo formations - mushroomlike sandstone figures carved by differential erosion - that create a surreal landscape unlike any other in the American Southwest, used as a filming location for the original My Favorite Martian).
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Office: Emery County Emergency Management – (435) 381-2515
Alert System: CodeRED (confirm)
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: East-Central Utah county; coal mining and power generation significant; winter storm and wildfire risk; Castle Dale is the county seat
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-10 and US-6, primary routes
Transit: No fixed-route transit; a rural county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Emery County Building/Permit Office – (435) 381-2401
Services: Building permits for unincorporated areas
Notes: Castle Dale, Huntington, and other small communities each handle their own limited in-city permitting
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Emery County Veterans Service Office (shared/regional arrangement)
State VSO: Utah Office of Veterans and Military Affairs – veterans.utah.gov
VA Medical: George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City (accessible north, though distant)
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Emery County Library System, Castle Dale and Huntington branches
Services: Books; e-books; public computers; Wi-Fi
Notes: The county is home to the College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum’s satellite paleontology programs and significant dinosaur quarry sites given the region’s substantial fossil deposits
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Millsite State Park and Huntington State Park, significant regional reservoirs for fishing and boating; the San Rafael Swell, one of the most geologically significant and scenic dramatic rock formations accessible anywhere in Utah, a vast eroded anticline popular for backcountry hiking and canyoneering; the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, one of the most significant concentrations of Jurassic dinosaur fossils accessible anywhere in the world
Notes: The San Rafael Swell’s dramatic geological formations and the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry’s status as one of the most significant Jurassic fossil concentrations accessible anywhere in the world give Emery County one of the most scientifically and scenically significant natural heritage identities accessible anywhere in Utah
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Emery County GIS (confirm URL)
Parcel Search: Emery County Assessor site
Addressing/911: Emery County 911 Addressing – via County Commission
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Emery County Animal Control (confirm current arrangement)
Notes: Coal mining and coal-fired power plant operations, and San Rafael Swell land conservation, are significant local environmental considerations
NOTES
Emery County holds one of the most scientifically significant paleontological sites accessible anywhere in the world at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, one of the densest concentrations of Jurassic dinosaur fossils accessible anywhere on Earth, alongside the dramatically scenic San Rafael Swell, one of the most geologically distinctive landscapes accessible anywhere in Utah. The county’s economy remains tied to coal mining and power generation, a traditional industrial base now navigating a period of significant transition.
About Emery County
Emery County is the San Rafael Swell and Goblin Valley – the massive geological anticline whose slot canyons and Little Grand Canyon rival any national park in spectacle, and Goblin Valley’s surreal mushroom hoodoos constitute one of the most otherworldly landscapes in Utah’s already extraordinary canyon country.
Castle Dale (the county seat, population ~1,600) and Green River (population ~900) serve Emery County’s coal, agricultural, and adventure tourism communities in the remote central Utah canyon country.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Emery County Assessor at 75 E. Main Street, Castle Dale, UT 84513, phone 435-381-5106. UT primary residential 45% exemption applies.
Courts & Legal
Emery County District Court at 75 E. Main Street, Castle Dale, UT 84513, phone 435-381-2414, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK/AUDITOR
95 East Main St, Castle Dale, UT 84513
(435) 381-3600
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Seventh District Court / Emery County Clerk, Castle Dale (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Emery 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
Seventh District Court, Emery County 1850 North 560 West, PO Box 635, Castle Dale, UT 84513 (435) 381-5419
Emery County is in East Central Utah, seated in Castle Dale. Utah has NO separate probate court – probate is handled by the District Court. Emery County is part of the Seventh Judicial District (Carbon, Emery, Grand, San Juan), seated in Price.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Utah has adopted the Uniform Probate Code (Title 75, Utah Uniform Probate Code) in full – one of about 16 states to do so. This makes Utah’s probate process comparatively streamlined.
Small Estate Affidavit (Utah Code § 75-3-1201) – available when the total estate value (minus liens and encumbrances) is $100,000 or less AND the estate includes NO real property. At least 30 days must have passed since death. This is a true affidavit process – it is NOT filed with the court. The successor fills it out, signs it before a notary, and presents it directly to whoever holds the property (a bank, brokerage, employer, etc.), which is then legally obligated to release the asset. A separate, similar affidavit can transfer title to up to four boats, motor vehicles, trailers, or semi-trailers directly through the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles.
Informal Probate – the most common track in Utah under the UPC. Minimal court involvement; a probate registrar (not a judge) reviews the application and appoints the personal representative administratively when there’s no dispute.
Unsupervised Formal Probate – involves a judge and a court hearing to resolve a specific question (such as confirming a will’s validity) but otherwise proceeds with the same independence as informal probate afterward.
Supervised Formal Administration – full ongoing court supervision, reserved for contested, complex, or high-conflict estates.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Informal Probate and Appointment of Personal Representative with the Seventh District Court.
The original will (if one exists) and a certified death certificate are submitted with the application.
The court registrar reviews the application; if in order, Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one) are issued – often without a hearing.
The personal representative provides notice to creditors and known heirs, and inventories the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts, expenses, and taxes from the estate.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
District court filing fee: $375 statewide (confirm current fee for Emery County directly, as fees can be adjusted).
Utah has NO statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be “reasonable” based on time spent, complexity of the estate, and its value.
Small estate affidavit proceedings cost far less since no court filing is required at all – mainly notary and any professional assistance fees.
Utah does NOT impose a state estate tax or 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
340 South Main St, Castle Dale, UT 84513
(435) 381-2404
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
95 East Main St, Castle Dale, UT 84513
(435) 381-3600
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
60 South Main St, Castle Dale, UT 84513
(435) 381-2252
DWS Office
90 South 100 East, Castle Dale, UT 84513
(435) 381-2100
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Southeast Utah Health Department (regional district) – (435) 637-3671
Services: Immunizations; WIC; environmental health
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