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Utah County
Rich County, Utah
Bear Lake - the Caribbean of the Rockies shared with Idaho - from Bear Lake (the 109-square-mile glacial lake straddling the Utah-Idaho border - whose brilliant turquoise color produced by calcium carbonate suspended in the water has earned it the Caribbean of the Rockies nickname - is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Rocky Mountain West, and Rich County's Utah shore provides boating, fishing, and beachside resort access to one of the region's most distinctive natural lakes) and the Bear Lake raspberry festival (the Bear Lake raspberry - famous throughout Utah and Idaho for its intense flavor - is celebrated at the annual Bear Lake Raspberry Days festival in Garden City, one of the most beloved summer festivals in northern Utah).
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Office: Rich County Emergency Management – (435) 793-2415 (via County Commission)
Alert System: NOAA Weather Radio
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: A sparsely populated northeastern Utah county along Bear Lake and the Idaho/Wyoming borders; extreme winter cold and heavy snowfall are notable hazards given the county’s high-elevation mountain valley setting; Randolph is the county seat
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-89 and SH-16, primary routes; the county is a significant gateway to the Bear Lake recreation area
Transit: No fixed-route transit; extremely rural
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Rich County Building/Permit Office – (435) 793-2415
Notes: Small population; Bear Lake shoreline development drives a meaningful share of the county’s limited permitting activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Rich County Veterans Service Office (shared/regional arrangement likely)
State VSO: Utah Office of Veterans and Military Affairs – veterans.utah.gov
VA Medical: George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City (accessible south, though distant)
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Rich County Library, Randolph
Services: Books; public computers; Wi-Fi
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Bear Lake, a strikingly turquoise-colored natural lake straddling the Utah-Idaho border, one of the most significant and visually distinctive natural lakes accessible anywhere in the Intermountain West, famous for its unique mineral-driven water color and significant summer tourism; Bear Lake State Park
Notes: Bear Lake’s uniquely vivid turquoise coloring, caused by suspended limestone deposits, makes it one of the most visually distinctive and significant natural lakes accessible anywhere in the region, drawing substantial seasonal tourism to this otherwise sparsely populated county
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Rich County GIS (confirm URL)
Parcel Search: Rich County Assessor site
Addressing/911: Rich County 911 Addressing – via County Commission
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: No dedicated county animal shelter; handled via Sheriff’s Office as needed
Notes: Population too small to support standalone shelter infrastructure
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Landfill/Transfer: Rich County Transfer Station – contact County Commission for hours/location
Notes: Bear Lake water quality management and ranching are the county’s primary environmental considerations
NOTES
Rich County is anchored by Bear Lake, one of the most visually distinctive natural lakes accessible anywhere in the Intermountain West, famous for its striking turquoise coloring and drawing substantial seasonal tourism to an otherwise sparsely populated, high-elevation mountain ranching county. Randolph remains the sole hub for county government given the county’s minimal year-round population.
About Rich County
Rich County is the Utah side of Bear Lake – the Caribbean of the Rockies whose brilliant turquoise color and raspberry festival have made it a beloved Rocky Mountain destination, and Randolph is one of Utah’s most remote county seats at 6,300 feet in the Bear River Mountains.
Randolph (the county seat, population ~450) serves Rich County’s ranching and Bear Lake tourism communities on the Idaho border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Rich County Assessor at 20 S. Main Street, Randolph, UT 84064, phone 435-793-2415. UT primary residential 45% exemption applies.
Courts & Legal
Rich County District Court at 20 S. Main Street, Randolph, UT 84064, phone 435-793-2415, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK/AUDITOR
20 South Main St, Randolph, UT 84064
(435) 793-2415
Genealogy
County-level record sources
First District Court / Rich County Clerk, Randolph (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Rich 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
First District Court, Rich County 20 South Main Street, Randolph, UT 84064 (435) 793-2415
Rich County is in Northern Utah on the Wyoming and Idaho borders, seated in Randolph – Utah’s least populous county by some measures. Utah has NO separate probate court – probate is handled by the District Court. Rich County is part of the First Judicial District (Cache, Rich, Box Elder), seated in Logan.
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 First 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 Rich 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
20 South Main St, Randolph, UT 84064
(435) 793-2415
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
20 South Main St, Randolph, UT 84064
(435) 793-2415
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
20 South Main St, Randolph, UT 84064
(435) 793-2415
DWS Office
20 South Main St, Randolph, UT 84064
(435) 793-2415
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Bear River Health Department (regional district serving Box Elder, Cache, and Rich counties) – (435) 792-6500
Services: Immunizations; WIC at a regional site; environmental health
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