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Wyoming · Casper · North Platte River · #338
Natrona County, Wyoming
Casper - Wyoming's oil capital and second-largest city, where the North Platte River flows through a city that has been the center of Wyoming's petroleum industry since the Salt Creek Oil Field boom of the 1890s. Casper Mountain rises behind the city, and the Oregon Trail crossed the Platte here at one of its most critical ford points. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Natrona County residents.
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Office: Natrona County Emergency Management – 201 N. David St., 2nd Floor, Casper, WY 82601 | Office: (307) 235-9205 | Emergency: (307) 235-9282 | Coordinator: Michael Cavalier, (307) 462-6927
Services: Coordinates disaster preparedness, response, and recovery countywide
Notes: Casper-Natrona County Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) – 201 N. David St. – offers Text-to-911 service and built-in TDD/TTY capability for callers with hearing or speech impairments; a Disability Indicator Form is available for residents with disabilities that may affect emergency communication.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-25 and I-90 serve Casper, the county seat and Wyoming’s second-largest city, on the North Platte River
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Natrona County Development Department – (307) 235-9435
Services: Building permits for unincorporated Natrona County; fences up to 7 feet do not require a building permit but do require a Zoning Certificate (per Zoning Resolution Chapter VII, Section 3); emergency equipment replacements (e.g., a failed furnace) may proceed with the permit application submitted the next business day; standard building plan review can take up to 10 business days
Notes: City of Casper maintains its own SEPARATE building permitting through its Community Development Department, (307) 235-8254 (email: [email protected]), with Planning/Zoning at (307) 235-8241 – confirm whether your property falls under city or county jurisdiction.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Natrona County Veterans Service Office – Casper, WY
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Natrona County Library – main branch in Casper plus an Edgerton branch and a Bookmobile
Main Branch: Natrona County Library – 307 E. 2nd St., Casper, WY 82601 | (307) 237-4935 or (307) 577-7323 | Fax: (307) 266-3734 | Email: [email protected] | Hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–7 PM (school year) / 9 AM–6 PM (summer), Fri–Sat 9 AM–5 PM, Sun 1–5 PM (winter; closed Sundays in summer)
Services: Established May 21, 1910, opening as a small one-person operation; today offers a large silk Wyoming State Flag display featuring Verna Keyes’ 1925 rendition of the Great Seal (plus an early prototype); no late fees for overdue items; Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program affiliate (free books mailed to children birth-age 5); offers soundproof meeting pods, Library2Business resources, legal forms, career/test prep support, and genealogical research
Key Assets: Natrona County’s Casper is genuinely and richly historic, originating around FORT CASPAR, a reconstructed 1865 military post at a major crossing point on the Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, California, and Pony Express Trails, where the California, Overland, and Oregon trails converged; in 1859, trader Louis Guinard built a bridge and trading post here, later becoming an overnight Pony Express station and stagecoach stop (frontiersman Richard Burton documented spending a night here in 1860); the U.S. Army later took over the site, naming it Platte Bridge Station and then Fort Caspar, in honor of 2nd Lieutenant Caspar Collins, killed in the 1865 Battle of the Platte Bridge Station while trying to rescue a stranded wagon train; the town’s name is a genuine, documented clerical MISSPELLING of “Caspar” that stuck permanently upon the city’s 1888 founding; today the reconstructed 1936 Fort Caspar Museum, operated by the City of Casper, features stockade buildings, a replica Mormon ferry, and a section of the original Guinard Bridge; the city is also genuinely and historically nicknamed “THE OIL CITY,” tracing to the development of the nearby Salt Creek Oil Field beginning in the 1890s – this same oil field includes Teapot Dome, the actual site at the center of the Teapot Dome Scandal that rocked the Warren G. Harding administration in 1922; the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center offers extensive dioramas and hands-on exhibits on the 1800s pioneer trail experience; former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney grew up in Casper and graduated from Natrona County High School
Notes: Fort Caspar’s genuine, well-documented role as a crossing point for four major historic trails – combined with the city’s real “Oil City” heritage tracing to the actual Teapot Dome Scandal site – makes Natrona County a richly significant piece of both frontier and 20th-century American history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Natrona County GIS – accessible via natronacounty-wy.gov
Parcel Search: Natrona County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Natrona County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Metro Animal Services (MAS) – Casper, WY | Details via caspermas.org
Services: Provides comprehensive animal shelter and protection services for Casper, Bar Nunn, and Natrona County; also offers shelter-only services to the Town of Mills
Related: Casper Humane Society – 849 East E St., Casper, WY 82601 | (307) 265-5439 – a separate 501(c)(3), no-kill nonprofit that has served the community for more than 75 years.
Notes: Contact Natrona County or the City of Casper directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Natrona County’s Casper genuinely traces to Fort Caspar, a real crossing point for four major historic westward trails, and holds a real, colorful “Oil City” legacy tied directly to the site of the 1922 Teapot Dome Scandal. 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 Natrona County
Heritage | Casper anchors Natrona County, proudly known as the “Oil City” for its historic role as a major petroleum refining hub during Wyoming’s early 20th-century oil boom, while the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center documents the county’s significant position along the Oregon, California, and Mormon pioneer trails Outdoors | Casper Mountain offers extensive hiking, skiing, and camping, while the North Platte River provides fishing and paddling throughout this significant central Wyoming energy and pioneer-trail city Notable | Casper’s “Oil City” heritage reflects its historic significance in Wyoming’s early petroleum industry, and the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center gives it profound significance in documenting 19th-century westward pioneer migration Library | Natrona County Library serves the county’s oil-heritage seat city and surrounding central Wyoming communities
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 N Center St, Casper, WY 82601
(307) 235-9217
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
200 N Center St, Casper, WY 82601
(307) 235-9203
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Natrona County Clerk of District Court, Casper (probate case files – see Probate section above); Natrona County Clerk’s Office (separate office) for recorded deeds, small-estate affidavits, and summary distribution decrees.
Local societies
No dedicated Natrona 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
Natrona County Clerk of District Court (Seventh Judicial District) 115 North Center Street, Suite 100, Casper, WY 82601 (307) 235-9243
Natrona County is in Central Wyoming, home to Casper – Wyoming’s second-most populous city, county seat Casper. 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 Natrona County District Court.
Step 2: filing for administration
File a Petition for Probate with the Natrona 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
201 N David St, Casper, WY 82601
(307) 235-9282
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(307) 235-9217
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Casper-Natrona County Health Department, 475 S Spruce St, Casper, WY 82601
(307) 577-9892
DFS Office
Natrona County DFS Office, 1030 N Poplar St, Casper, WY 82601
(307) 473-3900
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Natrona County Public Health – Casper, WY; Banner Wyoming Medical Center (formerly Memorial Hospital of Natrona County, founded 1911) serves as the region’s Level II Trauma Center with 249 beds
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Casper
Population: 82,000
Area: 5,340 mi²
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Natrona County facilities via Amazon.
