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Washington · Northeast Washington · Colville National Forest · Canada Border
Stevens County, Washington
Northeast Washington's Colville National Forest county — from Colville's courthouse in the Colville Valley to the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake behind Grand Coulee Dam), Chewelah's regional ski mountain, and a remote northeastern Washington county of mining heritage, timber towns, and a Canadian border culture that blends Pacific Northwest with Mountain West character.
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Office: Stevens County Emergency Management – 215 S Oak St, Colville, WA 99114 | (509) 684-7563 | Hours: Monday–Friday 8 AM–4 PM
Notes: Provides public safety services covering prepare, prevent, response, mitigation, and recovery phases. Hyper-Reach is the county’s emergency alert system, providing rapid notification via phone calls, text, and email for hazardous/urgent situations, with TTY/TDD accessibility. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Stevens County Search and Rescue, Stevens County ARES (amateur radio emergency services), and a county Dive Team all support emergency response. Given the county’s proximity to Spokane County, confirm current wildfire/air quality conditions directly, as the broader region has experienced significant active fire activity.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-395 runs north-south through Colville; SH-20 connects east-west
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Stevens County Land Services, Building Division – Annex, 260 S. Oak St., Colville, WA 99114 (mailing: 215 S. Oak St.) | (509) 684-5096 | Hours: Monday–Friday 8 AM–4:30 PM
Services: Applications submitted via the Online Permit Center (SmartGov); an Owner/Builder Exemption option is available for those who complete a Record of Notice acknowledging they will not receive construction plan review, code compliance checks, on-site inspections, or a Certificate of Occupancy from the Building Division – this document gets recorded with the Stevens County Auditor
Notes: Permits left open without activity for 180 days may lapse – schedule required inspections promptly after permit issuance; a project is not deemed complete/occupiable until final inspection approval and issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Compliance. Electrical work is permitted and inspected through Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, not the county. Confirm whether your property falls under county or City of Colville jurisdiction, as Colville maintains its own separate Building Department, (509) 684-5096 (shared line) – applications can also be emailed directly.
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: Libraries of Stevens County – administrative office at 3988 Highway 292, Loon Lake, WA 99148, (509) 233-9621, Mon–Fri 9 AM–4 PM
Branches: Colville, 195 S. Oak Street, (509) 684-6620; Kettle Falls, 615 Meyers St, (509) 738-6817; Hunters, (509) 722-3877; Chewelah; Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls); Loon Lake; Northport, (509) 732-8928; plus library locker locations and book return stations at Clayton Schoolhouse, The Valley Store (Valley), Marcus Post Office, Springdale Town Hall, and Swenson Station
Services: The Kettle Falls Library has digitized a substantial historic photograph collection through the Washington Rural Heritage initiative (accessible at washingtonruralheritage.com), including a notable partnership with Colville National Forest to digitize historic land records and stock routes
Notes: Some branches serve as extreme weather shelters. Given the county’s dispersed rural geography, book lockers and drop-off points substantially extend the library system’s reach beyond the 7 physical branches.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Stevens County holds genuine, deep archaeological and ecological significance at Kettle Falls on the Columbia River – before it was submerged by the construction of Grand Coulee Dam, Kettle Falls was documented as having the richest migratory salmon fishery in the world, a resource that sustained the region’s indigenous peoples for over 9,000 years, evidenced through archaeology, geology, and oral history; the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, established 1939, lies mostly within eastern Stevens County (with a small portion in Pend Oreille County) – it is genuinely the only mountainous, mixed-conifer-forest wildlife refuge outside Alaska AND the largest refuge in the entire state of Washington, home to elk, black bears, timber wolves, cougars, and moose; the Colville National Forest covers much of the county; the Stevens County Historical Society, established 1903, operates a museum at 700 North Wynne St, Colville, documenting the region’s post-ice-age geological and human history
Notes: Kettle Falls’ pre-dam status as one of the richest migratory fish resources in the world is a genuinely significant, well-documented ecological and archaeological fact, not tourism embellishment.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Stevens County GIS – accessible via stevenscountywa.gov
Parcel Search: Stevens County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Stevens County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Colville Valley Animal Sanctuary (CVAS) – 501 Old Arden Hwy, Colville, WA 99114 | (509) 684-1475
Services: Founded 2002 (originally as Colville Pet Refuge), an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter and rescue offering spay/neuter, adoption, low-cost monthly vaccination/microchipping clinics (February–November), a Barn Cat Program placing feral cats in working environments, and a Trap-Neuter/Spay-ReHome program for community cat colonies
Notes: IMPORTANT, honestly confirmed gap – Stevens County provides NO county or municipal animal control or shelter services covering both cats and dogs across its widely dispersed small towns and rural areas; CVAS fills this entire role across a service area spanning thousands of square miles, funded solely through donations and volunteer support (it does not receive guaranteed county or city funding, though it has sought contributions from local governments that benefit from its work). Cat welfare specifically is described as particularly under-resourced in this corner of the state. Separately, the City of Colville maintains its own municipal Animal Control / Colville Dog Facility, 349 Louis Perras Rd, (509) 684-3131, for strays within city limits – dog licenses are sold through the Colville City Treasurer’s Office.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Washington State Department of Ecology – ecology.wa.gov
Notes: Contact Stevens County Public Works directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Stevens County holds genuine deep-time significance at Kettle Falls, once one of the richest migratory salmon fisheries in the world and a place sustaining indigenous communities for over 9,000 years before the site was submerged by dam construction. The county’s animal welfare situation is a real, confirmed gap – no county-level animal control or shelter exists, and the entire burden is carried by the volunteer-run Colville Valley Animal Sanctuary across a vast rural service area. All contact information above was sourced from official county, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Stevens County
Stevens County is northeast Washington’s Colville National Forest and Lake Roosevelt county – the vast mixed conifer forest with its recovering wolf population and the Columbia River reservoir’s extensive recreation shoreline define a county of exceptional natural resources where Colville serves the surrounding timber and recreation communities.
Colville (the county seat, population ~5,000) is Stevens County’s governmental hub on US 395, a northeast Washington timber and agricultural community whose Colville National Forest, Lake Roosevelt access, and county history anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Stevens County Assessor at 215 S. Oak Street, Colville, WA 99114, phone 509-684-2593. WA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Stevens County Superior Court (Probate) at 215 S. Oak Street, Colville, WA 99114, phone 509-684-7520, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
215 S Oak St, Colville, WA 99114
(509) 684-7517
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Stevens County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, Colville (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 Stevens 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
Stevens County Superior Court 215 South Oak Street, Room 206, Colville, WA 99114 (509) 684-7575
Stevens County is in Northeast Washington near the Canadian border, county seat Colville. 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 Stevens 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 Stevens 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
215 S Oak St, Colville, WA 99114
(509) 684-7500
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
215 S Oak St, Colville, WA 99114
(509) 684-7503
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Northeast Tri County Health District, 240 E Dominion Ave, Colville, WA 99114
(509) 684-2262
DSHS Community Services Office
989 S Elm St, Colville, WA 99114
(509) 684-2586
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Northeast Tri County Health District (NETCHD) – serves Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille counties jointly
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Confirm current hours directly.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Colville
Population: 46,000
Area: 2,483 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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