Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Kerr County, Texas
A porch-side guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical local checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
7 stories · 22 practical · 1 good to know
The practical part
Kerr County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for Kerr County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
Kerr County · City Park
Kerrville-Schreiner Park Has Both River Shade and Hill Country Trail Dust
Kerrville-Schreiner Park is the city's 517-acre municipal park, with Guadalupe River access on one side and natural-surface trails on the other.
Kerr County · River Trail
Kerrville's River Trail Turns the Guadalupe Into a Front Porch
The Kerrville River Trail follows the Guadalupe as a concrete walking and biking route through the city's river parks.
Kerr County · Camp Verde
Camp Verde's Store Keeps the Camel Post Story on the Roadside
The Camp Verde General Store and Post Office grew beside the old Army post tied to the 1850s camel experiment on Verde Creek.
Practical Building Permits Inside the Kerrville City Limits Inside Kerrville almost any real construction needs a city permit, and the permit should be pulled in the name of whoever does the work, not the homeowner. Practical Running a Short-Term Rental in Kerrville Not every Kerrville house can legally be an Airbnb. Short-term rentals are only allowed in certain zoning districts, need a city permit, and have to pay hotel tax. Good to know The Upper Guadalupe River Authority manages water in Kerr County UGRA is a conservation and reclamation district created by the Texas Legislature that handles water quality, river monitoring, and flood preparedness for the Guadalupe River watershed in Kerr County.
All 30 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 30 notes.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Kerrville-Schreiner Park Has Both River Shade and Hill Country Trail Dust Kerrville-Schreiner Park is the city's 517-acre municipal park, with Guadalupe River access on one side and natural-surface trails on the other.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Building Permits Inside the Kerrville City Limits Inside Kerrville almost any real construction needs a city permit, and the permit should be pulled in the name of whoever does the work, not the homeowner. Kerrville
- Stories & local character Outdoors Kerrville's River Trail Turns the Guadalupe Into a Front Porch The Kerrville River Trail follows the Guadalupe as a concrete walking and biking route through the city's river parks.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Running a Short-Term Rental in Kerrville Not every Kerrville house can legally be an Airbnb. Short-term rentals are only allowed in certain zoning districts, need a city permit, and have to pay hotel tax. Kerrville
- Good to know Home & Property The Upper Guadalupe River Authority manages water in Kerr County UGRA is a conservation and reclamation district created by the Texas Legislature that handles water quality, river monitoring, and flood preparedness for the Guadalupe River watershed in Kerr County.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Camp Verde's Store Keeps the Camel Post Story on the Roadside The Camp Verde General Store and Post Office grew beside the old Army post tied to the 1850s camel experiment on Verde Creek.
- Practical Rules & Licenses The Certificate of Occupancy a Kerrville Business Needs Before a Kerrville storefront can legally open, it needs a Certificate of Occupancy, a sign-off that comes only after Planning, Engineering, Building, and the Fire Marshal all clear it. Kerrville
- Stories & local character History & Culture Kerrville was once called the Mohair Capital of the World Sheep and Angora goat ranching dominated Kerr County's economy for decades, and the county shipped over a million pounds of wool in a single year.
- Practical Money & Taxes Farm and ranch land in Kerr County can be taxed on productivity, not market value Land used for ranching, crops, or wildlife management may qualify for a special tax appraisal that is far lower than market value, and in Kerr County you apply through Kerr CAD.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The Schreiner Mansion Gives Downtown Kerrville a Limestone Landmark The Capt. Charles Schreiner Mansion at 216 Earl Garrett Street is a National Register building tied to Kerrville's business and civic history.
- Practical Outdoors The Kerr Wildlife Management Area offers public hunting by draw The 6,459-acre Kerr WMA near Hunt allows public hunting for deer and turkey, but you must win a spot through TPWD's public draw system.
- Stories & local character History & Culture H-E-B Started as a One-Room Kerrville Grocery H-E-B began in Kerrville in 1905 when Florence Thornton Butt opened Mrs. C. C. Butt's Staple and Fancy Grocery.
- Practical Home & Property A Free Heads-Up When Something Hits Your Kerr County Deed The Kerr County Clerk offers a free alert that emails you whenever a document is recorded against your name or property.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Kerr County was carved from the Hill Country in 1856 Kerr County was established January 26, 1856, named for James Kerr, a colonist and figure in the Texas Revolution.
- Practical Money & Taxes A homestead exemption can cut your school tax bill in Kerr County If your home is your primary residence, you can apply for a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable value of your property.
- Practical Home & Property Flash floods are a serious danger in Kerr County The Hill Country around Kerrville sits in what is commonly called Flash Flood Alley, one of the most flash-flood-prone areas in the United States.
- Practical Cars & Driving Getting a Disabled Parking Placard in Kerr County A Texas disabled parking placard is issued through your local county tax office. In Kerr County, that's the same Main Street counter that handles vehicle registration.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Getting a Marriage License in Kerr County Both of you show up in person at the courthouse on Main Street, pay $81, and then wait 72 hours before anyone can marry you.
- Practical Home & Property Looking Up Land Records in Kerr County Every deed, lien, and foreclosure notice in Kerr County is filed with the County Clerk, and you can search the real-property records for free online.
- Practical Home & Property Outside city limits in Kerr County, you likely need a septic permit Most of Kerr County is not served by public sewer, so homes outside city limits need a permitted on-site sewage facility.
- Practical Money & Taxes Paying Your Kerr County Property Tax Bill You can pay Kerr County property taxes online, by mail, or in person at the Kerrville courthouse or the Ingram annex, but the online payment takes a business day to post.
- Practical Money & Taxes The April 15 Rendition Most Kerr County Businesses Owe If your Kerr County business owns equipment, furniture, or inventory, Texas requires you to report it to the appraisal district every year by April 15, and there's a 10% penalty for skipping it.
- Practical Cars & Driving Transferring a Vehicle Title in Kerr County When you buy a vehicle from a private seller in Kerr County, the title transfer happens at the county tax office, and going in together with the seller heads off most problems.
- Practical Money & Taxes Two offices handle your property taxes in Kerr County The appraisal district sets your property value, but a separate tax assessor-collector sends the bill and takes payment.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Where a Kerr County DBA Actually Gets Filed A sole proprietor or partnership files an assumed-name certificate with the Kerr County Clerk; an LLC or corporation files only with the Secretary of State in Austin.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Who Can Vote by Mail in Kerr County Texas only lets you vote by mail for specific reasons (being 65 or older is the most common), and in Kerr County the request goes to the elections office inside the Main Street courthouse.
- Practical Home & Property Wildfire is a real risk in Kerr County's Hill Country landscape Hill Country grass, brush, drought, and wind make wildfire something Kerr County landowners need to think about before a dry spell arrives.
- Practical Home & Property Drilling a water well in Kerr County requires a permit The Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District regulates wells in Kerr County and requires permits before you drill.
- Practical Outdoors Kerr County has strong deer and turkey hunting seasons Kerr County falls in TPWD's North Zone for deer and turkey, with general deer season running November through early January.
- Practical Cars & Driving Kerr County vehicles do not require an emissions test Kerr County is not an emissions-testing county, so registering your car does not require a smog check.
Nearby counties