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Office: Crook County Emergency Management – PO Box 475, Sundance, WY 82729 | (307) 283-2390 | Fax: (307) 283-2323 | Email: [email protected] | Coordinator: Ed Robinson
Services: Coordinates disaster preparedness, response, and recovery countywide; operates a RAVE emergency alerting system for public sign-up
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-14 and WY-24 serve Sundance, the county seat, in the northwestern Black Hills; Devils Tower National Monument sits about 25 miles northwest of Sundance near Hulett
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Crook County Planning – PO Box 825, Sundance, WY 82729 | (307) 283-4548 | Fax: (307) 283-4549 | Director: Timothy R. Lyons
Services: Zoning building permits, septic/greywater/holding tank system applications, land application permits, structural design load information, and E911 addressing applications
Notes: City of Sundance maintains its own separate building permit process – (307) 283-3451, applications mailed to City of Sundance, PO Box 542, Sundance, WY 82729. Confirm city vs. county jurisdiction for your property.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Crook County Veterans Service Office – Sundance, WY
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Crook County Public Library System – Sundance branch (headquarters), plus additional locations
Main Branch: Crook County Library, Sundance – 414 Main Street, PO Box 910, Sundance, WY 82729 | (307) 283-1006 or (307) 283-1008 | Fax: (307) 283-1006 | Email: [email protected] | Hours: Closed Mon, Tue–Fri 8 AM–5 PM (recently updated hours due to budget adjustments)
Services: Free internet access, WiFi, and test proctoring during regular hours; access to research databases, ebooks/audiobooks via Libby, and interlibrary loan; hosts community programming like an End of Summer Reading Celebration and seasonal crafternoons
Related: Additional branches serve Moorcroft and Hulett/other Crook County communities.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Crook County is home to one of the most iconic natural landmarks in America – DEVILS TOWER, genuinely designated the FIRST NATIONAL MONUMENT IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES, declared by President Theodore Roosevelt on September 24, 1906; the laccolithic butte, composed of igneous rock, rises 867 feet from its base (1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River) and is considered sacred by more than 20 Native American tribes, including the Lakota, Arapaho, Shoshone, Cheyenne, and Crow, with traditional ceremonies still performed at the site today; the tower gained additional fame as the backdrop for Steven Spielberg’s 1977 film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”; separately, Crook County’s Sundance is the genuine, documented namesake of the outlaw “SUNDANCE KID” (Harry Alonzo Longabaugh) – he was arrested and jailed here in 1887 for a horse theft, the only time he was ever incarcerated, and took the town’s name as his own nickname afterward; the Crook County Museum, housed in the restored 1922 “Old Stoney” schoolhouse (moved to this location in 2021), displays over 7,000 artifacts including a Sundance Kid courtroom scene reenactment, a historic 1914 jail exhibit visitors can pose in, and exhibits on Native American history and the Custer expedition; visitors can also explore the West Texas Trail Museum and the Hulett Museum and Art Gallery elsewhere in the county
Notes: Devils Tower’s genuine, well-documented status as America’s very first national monument – and Crook County’s real, historically verified connection to the Sundance Kid’s famous nickname – are extraordinary and richly verifiable pieces of American heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Crook County GIS – accessible via crookcounty.wy.gov
Parcel Search: Crook County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Crook County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Crook County Sheriff’s Office – 213 E Main St, Sundance, WY 82729 | (307) 283-1225 (animal control) / (307) 283-3451 (general) | Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM
Services: Serves as the primary contact for animal control matters in Crook County
Notes: No dedicated county animal shelter facility is confirmed to exist in Crook County – the Sheriff’s Office serves as the fallback point of contact for animal-related concerns; confirm current arrangements directly, as rural Wyoming counties often rely on neighboring county shelters or private rescue partnerships for placement.
Notes: Contact Crook County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Crook County is home to two extraordinary, genuinely documented pieces of American history: Devils Tower, the nation’s very first national monument, and Sundance, the actual namesake town of the outlaw Sundance Kid. Crook County does not appear to have a dedicated county animal shelter – the Sheriff’s Office is the current fallback contact for animal-related concerns. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Crook County County
Crook County is Wyoming’s Devils Tower and Sundance Kid county – America’s first national monument rising from the Wyoming plains and the outlaw who took his name from the county seat define a northeast Wyoming community whose Black Hills scenery and legendary associations give it a profile far exceeding its small population near the South Dakota border.
Sundance (the county seat, population ~1,200) is Crook County’s governmental hub, a small northeast Wyoming town whose outlaw legend, Devils Tower gateway role, and Bearlodge Mountain access anchor its community identity near the Black Hills.
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Crook County Assessor at 309 Cleveland Street, Sundance, WY 82729, phone 307-283-1024. WY assessed at 9.5% of market value.
Courts & Legal
Crook County District Court at 309 Cleveland Street, Sundance, WY 82729, phone 307-283-2523, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
309 E Cleveland St, Sundance, WY 82729
(307) 283-1323
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
309 E Cleveland St, Sundance, WY 82729
(307) 283-1323
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Crook County Clerk of District Court, Sundance (probate case files – see Probate section above); Crook County Clerk’s Office (separate office) for recorded deeds, small-estate affidavits, and summary distribution decrees.
Local societies
No dedicated Crook 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
Crook County Clerk of District Court (Sixth Judicial District) 309 Cleveland Street, PO Box 406, Sundance, WY 82729 (307) 283-2523
Crook County was authorized in 1875 and organized in 1888, named for General George Crook, in the northeastern corner of Wyoming, county seat Sundance. Wyoming has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – it runs its own probate framework under Title 2 of the Wyoming Statutes (“the Wyoming Probate Code”). Probate is filed with the DISTRICT COURT for the county where the decedent lived, administered day-to-day by that county’s Clerk of District Court. Note that Wyoming counties have TWO separate elected clerk offices relevant here: the Clerk of District Court (handles probate case filings) and the County Clerk (a separate office that records deeds, small-estate affidavits, and summary distribution decrees).
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Wyoming Statutes Title 2 governs probate.
Small Estate Affidavit (Wyo. Stat. §2-1-201) – available when the decedent’s entire estate, including personal property (and, per a 2025 update, mineral interests), does not exceed $400,000 (increased from $200,000 effective July 1, 2025, via 2025 Enrolled Act 85/SF0104), less liens and encumbrances. This estate must consist ONLY of personal property (no real estate) for the pure affidavit-to-County-Clerk route. Available 30 days after death; skips court entirely – filed with the County Clerk, who issues a certified copy the claimant presents to banks or other asset holders.
Summary Distribution (Wyo. Stat. §2-1-205) – for small estates up to $400,000 that DO include real property. Requires filing an Application for Decree of Summary Distribution with the District Court (not just the County Clerk); requires 2 consecutive weeks of published notice; the court issues a decree that gets recorded with the County Clerk to clear title.
Full Probate Administration – required for estates exceeding $400,000 or otherwise not eligible for the small-estate or summary paths. File a Petition for Probate with the Crook County District Court.
Step 2: filing for administration
File a Petition for Probate with the Crook County District Court.
Notice must be published for 3 consecutive weeks (Wyo. Stat. §2-7-201).
Once a personal representative is appointed, creditors have 3 months from the date of first publication to file claims (Wyo. Stat. §2-7-703).
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses, then distributes remaining assets to heirs/beneficiaries.
Close the estate with a final accounting to the District Court.
Wyoming courts are increasingly moving toward e-filing; check with the Clerk of District Court for current e-filing requirements for pro se (self-represented) filers.
Wyoming does NOT have a statutory percentage fee schedule for personal representatives or attorneys – unlike many states. Fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval (Wyo. Stat. §§2-7-803, 2-7-804).
A bond may be required (Wyo. Stat. §§2-3-102, 2-3-111) unless waived by the will or all beneficiaries.
Wyoming does NOT impose a state estate tax, inheritance tax, or state income tax – one of the most tax-friendly states in the country for estate administration. Only the federal estate tax may apply, with a $15,000,000 per-person exemption for 2026.
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
309 E Cleveland St, Sundance, WY 82729
(307) 283-1100
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(307) 283-1323
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
Crook County Public Health, 309 E Cleveland St, Sundance, WY 82729
(307) 283-1131
DFS Office
Crook County DFS Office, 309 E Cleveland St, Sundance, WY 82729
(307) 283-1323
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Crook County Public Health – 420½ E. Main Street, PO Box 543, Sundance, WY 82729 | (307) 283-1142 | Fax: (307) 283-1143 | Nurse Manager: Carol Stutzman
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Sundance
Population: 7,600
Public Records
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