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Washington · Northeast Washington · Kettle River Range · Canada Border
Ferry County, Washington
Ferry County's gold mining heritage and Curlew Lake — from Republic's Stonerose Interpretive Center (where 49-million-year-old plant and insect fossils are found in roadside shale) to the Colville National Forest's Kettle Crest Trail, Curlew Lake State Park, and one of Washington's most remote and sparsely populated counties at the Canadian border in the northeast corner of the state.
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Office: Ferry County Emergency Management – coordinated through the county courthouse
Notes: Ferry County borders British Columbia, Canada to the north and is Washington’s 4th least populous county – genuinely remote, mountainous terrain worth factoring into any emergency response expectations. Confirm current emergency management contact directly, as detailed contact info was limited in available sources.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-20 (Sherman Pass, which remains open year-round) is the primary east-west corridor; SH-21 runs north-south
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Ferry County Planning Department – 147 North Clark Avenue, Ste 7, Republic, WA 99166 | (509) 775-5209 or (509) 775-5225 ext. 3101
Services: Issues permits and licenses for construction and development countywide, coordinates with other county departments; road approach/driveway permits handled separately through Ferry County Public Works, 350 E Delaware Ave #8, (509) 775-5225, emailed to [email protected]
Notes: Road/driveway approach permit dates run May 1st through November 1st of the year approved. Inspections require 24-hour advance notice. Courthouse and Public Works office hours: Monday–Thursday 8 AM–4 PM (closed Fridays).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs – dva.wa.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest County Veterans Service Officer)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with dva.wa.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Republic Public Library, part of NCW Libraries (North Central Washington Libraries) – 794 S Clark Avenue, Republic, WA 99166 | (509) 775-3328 | Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu 9 AM–6 PM, Wed 11 AM–6 PM, Fri 9 AM–5 PM, Sat 10 AM–2 PM
Services: Computers, Early Literacy Computers, microfilm reader, printer/photocopier, free Wi-Fi, a Makerspace, Storytime, and even Ukulele tutorials
Notes: Part of the same broader NCW Libraries regional system covering Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, and Okanogan counties – see the Chelan County services file for full system details, including the pioneering Mail Order Library program that serves remote rural patrons like those in Ferry County particularly well.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Ferry County is genuinely home to one of the world’s most significant Eocene-era fossil sites – the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Boot Hill Fossil Site in Republic sits atop a 49.4-million-year-old former lakebed, where visitors can dig for and keep real fossil impressions of plants, fish, and insects from an extinct ecosystem found nowhere else on Earth; the fossils were first noticed by early 1900s gold miners and formally established as a public dig site in 1989 by artist Wes Wehr and Republic city councilman Bert Chadwick, with fossils from the site later featured in National Geographic and Sunset magazine; Republic itself began as the gold-mining camp “Eureka” in 1896, part of the Colville Indian Reservation’s northern half, opened to prospecting in 1898; the annual Prospector Days festival each June in Republic celebrates the area’s mining and logging heritage, while Barrel Derby Days in the town of Curlew commemorates a colorful Prohibition-era history – barrels of liquor were floated down the Kettle River from Canada into Curlew to evade revenue agents; Sherman Pass, the highest paved mountain pass in Washington open year-round, and the 123-acre Curlew Lake State Park (camping, kayaking, water skiing) offer additional recreation; the Colville National Forest covers much of the county
Notes: The Stonerose fossil site’s scientific significance is genuinely, internationally recognized – not tourism embellishment – and its “dig your own fossil and keep it” model is a distinctive, hands-on experience rare among U.S. paleontological sites.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Ferry County GIS & 911 Addressing – accessible via ferry-county.com
Parcel Search: Ferry County Assessor’s records, (509) 775-5225 ext. 2502
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Ferry County GIS
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Forget Me Not Animal Shelter of Ferry County – 49 West Curlew Lake Road, Republic, WA 99166 | (509) 775-2308 | Fax: (509) 779-4339
Services: A genuinely well-regarded 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter established 2004, serving dogs, cats, and occasionally rabbits, iguanas, or horses; cats are socialized in dedicated buildings with litter box training and pet-door access to screened outdoor porches; the shelter runs monthly volunteer transport deliveries to both the Seattle and Spokane areas for adopters who can’t travel to remote Republic themselves; a “Stop the Cycle” program provides spay/neuter vouchers for lower-income residents plus a litter rehoming service (including free spay/neuter vouchers for parent animals regardless of income)
Notes: All shelter visits require an appointment – call or email ahead. Impounds/strays are held for 72 hours before becoming available for adoption. Dogs/cats at large in unincorporated Ferry County are impounded at the discretion of the Ferry County Sheriff; those within Republic city limits fall under the Republic Police Department instead.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Washington State Department of Ecology – ecology.wa.gov
Notes: Contact Ferry County Public Works directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Ferry County offers a genuinely remarkable scientific attraction in the Stonerose Interpretive Center, where visitors can dig for and personally keep real 49-million-year-old fossil impressions from an Eocene-era lakebed – a rare, hands-on paleontological experience recognized in National Geographic. The county’s beloved Forget Me Not Animal Shelter runs a genuinely thoughtful monthly transport program to help remote-area adopters connect with pets despite the distance. All contact information above was sourced from official county, shelter, and heritage pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Ferry County
Ferry County is northeast Washington’s Eocene fossil beds and Kettle Range wilderness county – the world-class 49-million-year-old fossil site where visitors dig their own specimens and the Colville National Forest’s remote mountain landscape define a county of extraordinary natural character where Republic serves the mining and forest communities.
Republic (the county seat, population ~1,000) is Ferry County’s governmental hub on WA-20, a northeast Washington community whose Stonerose fossil site, Kettle Range setting, gold mining heritage, and Colville National Forest access anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Ferry County Assessor at 350 E. Delaware Avenue, Republic, WA 99166, phone 509-775-5225. WA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Ferry County Superior Court (Probate) at 350 E. Delaware Avenue, Republic, WA 99166, phone 509-775-5225, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
350 East Delaware Ave, Republic, WA 99166
(509) 775-5223
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Ferry County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, Republic (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Eastern Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives, at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, serves counties in this region.
Local societies
No dedicated Ferry 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
Ferry County Superior Court 350 East Delaware Avenue, Suite 4, Republic, WA 99166 (509) 684-7527
Ferry County was founded February 21, 1899, named for Governor Elisha P. Ferry, on Washington’s northern border, the fourth-least populous county in the state, county seat Republic. Washington has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is handled through the Superior Court in each county, under Title 11 RCW.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Washington probate is entirely discretionary – the law does not require a probate proceeding to be filed after a death, regardless of whether there was a will. Probate is typically pursued only when the decedent owned real property titled solely in their name, or personal property exceeding the small estate threshold.
Small Estate Affidavit (RCW 11.62.010) – available when the decedent’s entire probate estate does not exceed $100,000 (personal property only, not counting the surviving spouse’s community property interest), and at least 40 days have passed since death. No court filing is required – the successor presents the sworn affidavit directly to whoever holds the asset. All debts must be paid or provided for first.
Nonintervention Powers (RCW 11.68) – Washington’s signature alternative to full court-supervised probate. If the estate is solvent, the Superior Court MUST grant the personal representative nonintervention powers upon request (unless the will specifically forbids it). Once granted, the representative can sell, mortgage, and distribute estate property, and ultimately close the estate by filing a Declaration of Completion – all without further court orders, notice to beneficiaries, or hearings.
Full/Supervised Administration – required only when nonintervention powers are denied or not sought, typically in contested or insolvent estates.
TEDRA (Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act, RCW 11.96A) – Washington’s framework for resolving probate, trust, and estate disputes.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as personal representative files a petition with the Ferry County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, along with the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one).
The personal representative petitions for nonintervention powers, which the court must grant if the estate is solvent (unless the will forbids it).
Once granted, the representative pays debts, manages and distributes property, and notifies creditors, without further court supervision.
The estate is closed by filing a Declaration of Completion.
What it costs
Filing fees and probate costs vary by estate complexity; confirm current Ferry County Superior Court fees directly.
Washington HAS a state estate tax, separate from any small estate affidavit or nonintervention process. For deaths on or after July 1, 2026, the applicable exclusion amount is $3,000,000 (RCW 83.100.020), with rates from 10% to 20%. There is NO portability between spouses.
The federal estate tax exemption is far higher, at $15,000,000 for a 2026 death.
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
350 East Delaware Ave, Republic, WA 99166
(509) 775-3132
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
350 East Delaware Ave, Republic, WA 99166
(509) 775-5200
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Ferry County Health Department, 350 East Delaware Ave, Republic, WA 99166
(509) 775-3111
DSHS Community Services Office
350 East Delaware Ave, Republic, WA 99166
(509) 775-3117
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Ferry County Health Resources / Ferry County Public Health District
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Confirm current hours and services directly via ferry-county.com.
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