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Office: Johnson County Emergency Management/Homeland Security – Annex A, Suite B, 26 N DeSmet Ave, Buffalo, WY 82834 | (307) 684-2761 | Cell: (307) 217-1879 | Fax: (307) 684-2708 | Email: [email protected]
Services: Countywide disaster preparedness, response, and recovery; the City of Buffalo has contracted CodeRED high-speed notification for targeted emergency alerts – residents should register at the CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment page or call the Emergency Management Office (Mon–Fri, 8 AM–5 PM) if without internet access
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-25 and I-90 both serve Buffalo, the county seat, southeast of the Bighorn Mountains; the Powder River flows north through eastern Johnson County; Kaycee is the county’s only other incorporated town
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Johnson County Planning – 26 N DeSmet Ave, Buffalo, WY 82834 | (307) 684-1907 | Fax: (307) 684-2392
Services: County land use and building permits
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under county or City of Buffalo jurisdiction, as the city maintains its own separate building permitting.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Johnson County Veterans Service Office – Buffalo, WY
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Johnson County Library – 171 North Adams Avenue, Buffalo, WY 82834 | (307) 684-5546 | Fax: (307) 684-7888 | Email: [email protected] | Hours: Mon–Fri 10 AM–6 PM, Sat 10 AM–1 PM (closed Sun)
Services: Maintains an extensive History & Genealogy Department (by appointment Mon–Fri 10 AM–2 PM) with eight vertical file cabinets covering local history, the 1892 Johnson County Cattle War, outlaws, ranches, Forts Reno/McKinney/Phil Kearny, Hole-in-the-Wall and Kaycee history, and Ancestry Library Edition database access
Key Assets: Johnson County’s Buffalo was ground zero for one of the most notorious events in American frontier history – the JOHNSON COUNTY WAR of 1892, which longtime Wyoming historian T.A. Larson called “the most notorious event in the history of Wyoming”; on April 5, 1892, 52 armed men (including 23 hired Texas gunmen), organized by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and led by Frank Canton and Major Frank Wolcott, rode a secretly chartered train north from Cheyenne with a hit list of 70 targeted small ranchers accused of cattle rustling; the invaders killed Nick Ray and Nate Champion at the KC Ranch (near present-day Kaycee) on April 9, 1892, after a dramatic day-long siege in which Champion, alone, wounded three of his 50 attackers before the cabin was torched; word spread and a posse of over 400 local citizens surrounded the invaders at the TA Ranch south of Buffalo for a three-day standoff before U.S. Cavalry intervened; the TA RANCH remains the only fully intact site associated with the war, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Smithsonian National Historic Landmark, still bearing the original siege trenches and historic barn, and operating today as a working ranch and event venue; a new historical marker is being placed at the KC Ranch site in 2026 for America’s semiquincentennial; the JIM GATCHELL MEMORIAL MUSEUM, housed in Buffalo’s 1909 Carnegie Public Library building (itself NRHP-listed, funded by a $12,500 Andrew Carnegie grant), holds one of the premier collections of Johnson County War artifacts, weapons, documents, and photographs in Wyoming, open daily through the summer; the adjacent 1884 Johnson County Courthouse, also NRHP-listed, remains in active use
Notes: The Johnson County War’s genuine, extensively documented status as “the most notorious event in Wyoming history” – with a fully intact National Historic Landmark battle site still standing – is an extraordinary piece of American frontier history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Johnson County GIS – accessible via johnsoncowy.gov
Parcel Search: Johnson County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Johnson County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: St. Francis Animal Shelter, Inc. – 109 Flatiron Drive, Buffalo, WY 82834 | (307) 684-1738 | Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat 12–4 PM (closed Tue/Thu/Sun)
Services: A genuine no-kill, nonprofit shelter founded in 1997, serving Buffalo, Kaycee, and all of Johnson County; works alongside the city’s municipal Animal Control; offers low-cost vaccinations, microchipping, spaying/neutering, a Trap-Neuter-Return program, and a “Loan Closet” for county residents; dogs residing within Buffalo city limits must carry a City License Tag
Related: Johnson County Animal Control Office/Dog Pound – 624 West Fetterman Street, Buffalo, WY (municipal impound facility).
Notes: Contact Johnson County or the City of Buffalo directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Johnson County’s Buffalo was the epicenter of the 1892 Johnson County War – genuinely called “the most notorious event in Wyoming history” – and the fully intact TA Ranch battle site remains a National Historic Landmark today. 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 Johnson County County
Johnson County is Wyoming’s Johnson County War heritage and Bighorn Mountains county – the 1892 cattle baron invasion that became one of the most dramatic episodes in American frontier history and the Cloud Peak Wilderness rising above Buffalo define a county whose history and natural beauty are equally extraordinary in the foothills between the Powder River Basin and the Bighorn peaks.
Buffalo (the county seat, population ~4,600) is Johnson County’s governmental hub at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains, a north-central Wyoming small city whose Johnson County War Museum, Cloud Peak Wilderness access, and Clear Creek fishing anchor its identity.
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Johnson County Assessor at 76 N. Main Street, Buffalo, WY 82834, phone 307-684-7392. WY assessed at 9.5% of market value.
Courts & Legal
Johnson County District Court at 76 N. Main Street, Buffalo, WY 82834, phone 307-684-7272, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
76 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834
(307) 684-7272
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
76 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834
(307) 684-7272
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Johnson County Clerk of District Court, Buffalo (probate case files – see Probate section above); Johnson County Clerk’s Office (separate office) for recorded deeds, small-estate affidavits, and summary distribution decrees. The Johnson County Courthouse (1884, Italianate) and the Main Street Historic District in Buffalo are both on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Johnson 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
Johnson County Clerk of District Court (Fourth Judicial District) 620 West Fetterman Street, Suite 208, Buffalo, WY 82834 (307) 684-7271
Johnson County was authorized in 1875 and organized in 1881, county seat Buffalo. 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 Procedure for 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 Johnson County District Court.
Step 2: filing for administration
File a Petition for Probate with the Johnson 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
76 N Main St, Buffalo, WY 82834
(307) 684-7208
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(307) 684-7272
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
Johnson County Public Health, 1701 Adams Ave, Buffalo, WY 82834
(307) 684-2561
DFS Office
Johnson County DFS Office, 1701 Adams Ave, Buffalo, WY 82834
(307) 684-7272
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Johnson County Public Health – Buffalo, WY
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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County Facts
County Seat: Buffalo
Population: 8,700
Public Records
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