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Utah County
Kane County, Utah
Kanab - Little Hollywood and the Grand Staircase - from Kanab's Hollywood connection (the red rock canyon country surrounding Kanab served as the filming location for hundreds of Western films and television shows from the 1920s through the 1970s - John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Ronald Reagan all filmed in the Kanab area, and the community's Little Hollywood Museum celebrates the dozens of productions that used Kane County's dramatic landscapes as the quintessential American West backdrop) to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (the 1.87-million-acre monument - the largest national monument in the contiguous United States when designated in 1996 - whose remote canyon country, paleontological riches, and wilderness character make it one of the least-visited and most scientifically significant federal lands in America).
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Office: Kane County Emergency Management – (435) 644-4986
Alert System: CodeRED (confirm)
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: South-Central Utah county; flash flooding in canyon terrain and wildfire risk; Kanab is the county seat, historically known as “Little Hollywood” for its extensive use as a Western film location
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-89 and SH-9, primary routes; SH-9 provides direct access to Zion National Park
Transit: No fixed-route transit; a rural county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Kane County Building/Permit Office – (435) 644-4914
Services: Building permits for unincorporated areas
Notes: City of Kanab handles its own in-city permitting; significant tourism-related hospitality development permitting activity given proximity to multiple national parks
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Kane 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: Kane County Library System, Kanab branch
Services: Books; e-books; public computers; Wi-Fi
Notes: Kanab’s nickname “Little Hollywood” reflects the town’s extensive history as a filming location for dozens of Western movies and TV shows from the 1920s through the 1970s, one of the most significant film-industry heritage towns accessible anywhere in the American West
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, one of the largest no-kill animal sanctuaries accessible anywhere in the United States, located near Kanab; access to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, giving the county one of the most significant concentrations of nearby national park access accessible anywhere in Utah; Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Notes: Kane County’s proximity to multiple major national parks and monuments, combined with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s status as one of the largest no-kill animal sanctuaries accessible anywhere in the country, give the county one of the most significant combinations of nature tourism and animal welfare heritage accessible anywhere in Utah
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Kane County GIS (confirm URL)
Parcel Search: Kane County Assessor site
Addressing/911: Kane County 911 Addressing – via County Commission
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Kane County Animal Control; Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (a significant separate nonprofit sanctuary, not a municipal shelter)
Notes: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument land management and tourism-driven infrastructure strain are significant local environmental considerations
NOTES
Kane County’s Kanab, nicknamed “Little Hollywood” for its extensive history as a Western film location, sits at the crossroads of some of the most significant national park access accessible anywhere in Utah – Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Grand Staircase-Escalante are all within reach. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, one of the largest no-kill animal sanctuaries accessible anywhere in the country, adds a further distinctive dimension to the county’s tourism and nonprofit economy.
About Kane County
Kane County is Utah’s Little Hollywood and Grand Staircase gateway – the red rock landscapes where John Wayne filmed hundreds of Westerns and the 1.87-million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante monument’s remote canyon country make this south-central Utah community one of the most cinematically and geologically significant in America.
Kanab (the county seat, population ~4,800) is the gateway to five national parks within a two-hour drive – Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon North Rim, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Kane County Assessor at 76 N. Main Street, Kanab, UT 84741, phone 435-644-2314. UT primary residential 45% exemption applies.
Courts & Legal
Kane County District Court at 76 N. Main Street, Kanab, UT 84741, phone 435-644-2458, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK/AUDITOR
76 North Main St, Kanab, UT 84741
(435) 644-4907
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Sixth District Court / Kane County Clerk, Kanab (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Kane 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
Sixth District Court, Kane County 76 North Main Street, Suite 2, Kanab, UT 84741 (435) 644-4923
Kane County is in South Central Utah near Zion National Park, seated in Kanab. Utah has NO separate probate court – probate is handled by the District Court. Kane County is part of the Sixth Judicial District (Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield, Kane), seated in Richfield.
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 Sixth 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 Kane 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
76 North Main St, Kanab, UT 84741
(435) 644-2668
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
76 North Main St, Kanab, UT 84741
(435) 644-4907
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
445 North Main St, Kanab, UT 84741
(435) 644-2537
DWS Office
76 North Main St, Kanab, UT 84741
(435) 644-4919
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Southwest Utah Public Health Department (regional district) – (435) 673-3528
Services: Immunizations; WIC at a regional site; environmental health
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