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Utah County
Iron County, Utah
Cedar City - the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Mountain Meadows Massacre - from the Utah Shakespeare Festival (the Tony Award-winning professional theatre company in Cedar City - one of the most celebrated regional Shakespeare festivals in North America - whose summer and fall seasons draw theatre lovers from across the West to the high desert Colorado Plateau for world-class productions in a purpose-built replica of the Globe Theatre) to the Mountain Meadows Massacre (the September 11, 1857 killing of 120 California-bound emigrants by a combined force of Utah Territorial Militia and Paiute warriors at Mountain Meadows in Iron County - the deadliest act of mass murder in Utah history and one of the darkest episodes in Mormon pioneer history - whose causes and responsibility remain subjects of historical debate and LDS Church acknowledgment).
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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Office: Iron County Emergency Management – (435) 867-7550
Alert System: CodeRED
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Southwestern Utah county anchored by Cedar City, home to Southern Utah University; winter storm and wildfire risk; Parowan is the county seat, though Cedar City is the largest city
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-15, the primary corridor; Cedar City Regional Airport serves the region
Transit: Iron County Care and Share regional transit; limited standalone Cedar City transit
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Iron County Building/Permit Office – (435) 477-8360
Services: Building permits for unincorporated areas; floodplain permits
Notes: Cedar City and Parowan each handle their own in-city permitting; Southern Utah University’s growth has significantly shaped local student-housing permitting demand
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Iron 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: Cedar City Public Library
Services: Books; e-books; public computers; Wi-Fi
Notes: Southern Utah University’s Sherratt Library is a separate major academic institution; Cedar City is home to the Utah Shakespeare Festival, one of the most significant regional Shakespeare festivals accessible anywhere in the United States, running annually since 1961
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Utah Shakespeare Festival, Cedar City, one of the most significant and longest-running regional Shakespeare festivals accessible anywhere in the country, a Tony Award-winning regional theater operation; Cedar Breaks National Monument, a significant natural amphitheater similar in geology to Bryce Canyon; Brian Head Resort, one of the highest-elevation ski resorts accessible anywhere in Utah
Notes: The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s national reputation, having won a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, gives Cedar City one of the most significant regional theater heritage identities accessible anywhere in the American West, alongside Cedar Breaks National Monument’s dramatic geological scenery
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Iron County GIS – ironcounty.net/gis
Parcel Search: Iron County Assessor site
Addressing/911: Iron County 911 Addressing – via County Commission
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Iron County Care and Share Animal Shelter – (435) 586-4718
Notes: Legacy iron-ore mining site reclamation, tied to the county’s namesake industry, and Cedar Breaks conservation are significant local environmental considerations
NOTES
Iron County, anchored by Cedar City and Southern Utah University, is home to the Utah Shakespeare Festival, one of the most significant and longest-running regional Shakespeare festivals accessible anywhere in the country and a Tony Award-winning regional theater operation, giving the county one of the most distinctive cultural heritage identities accessible anywhere in Southwest Utah alongside its historic iron-mining namesake industry.
About Iron County
Iron County is the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Mountain Meadows – the Tony Award-winning professional theatre in Cedar City draws theatre lovers to the high desert for world-class Shakespeare, and the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre killing of 120 emigrants is the darkest and most debated episode in Utah pioneer history.
Cedar City (population ~35,000) is the county’s cultural and commercial hub. Parowan (the county seat, population ~3,200) is one of the oldest communities in Utah, founded by Mormon pioneers in 1851.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Iron County Assessor at 68 S. 100 E., Parowan, UT 84761, phone 435-477-8310. UT primary residential 45% exemption applies.
Courts & Legal
Iron County District Court at 40 N. 100 E., Parowan, UT 84761, phone 435-477-8380, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK/AUDITOR
68 South 100 East, Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 477-8350
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Fifth District Court / Iron County Clerk, Cedar City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Iron 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
Fifth District Court, Iron County 40 North 100 East, Cedar City, UT 84720 (435) 867-3250
Iron County is in Southwest Utah, seated in Cedar City – home to Southern Utah University. Utah has NO separate probate court – probate is handled by the District Court. Iron County is part of the Fifth Judicial District (Iron, Beaver, Washington), seated in St. George.
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 Fifth 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 Iron 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
97 East 200 North, Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 867-7500
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
68 South 100 East, Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 477-8350
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
260 East DL Sargent Dr, Cedar City, UT 84721
(435) 586-2437
DWS Office
585 North Main St, Cedar City, UT 84721
(435) 865-3782
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Southwest Utah Public Health Department (regional district) – (435) 673-3528
Services: Immunizations; WIC; environmental health
Notes: Cedar City’s Intermountain Cedar City Hospital gives the county substantial regional healthcare infrastructure for Southwest Utah
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