County
Kings County
Kings County has an estimated 2025 population of 154,327 across about 1,390.972 square miles of land. The county handles work tied to parcels, records, elections, health, and countywide services. Cities inside it still set many permit and local-service rules.
Starting point
County offices handle the countywide work.
Start with county offices for records, taxes, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and work on unincorporated land. Court cases go through the state court system, including the superior court serving the county.
What changes the answer: Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
County offices
Start with the task in front of you.
Kings County handles countywide work and services on unincorporated land. Find the task below, then open the responsible office.
- Property Open the property-tax guide
Assessed value, exemptions, tax bills, and appeals
Kings County assessor handles value and exemptions. The clerk of the board handles a formal value appeal. The tax collector handles the bill, payment, and penalties.
- Records Open the records guide
Deeds, birth and death records, marriage records, and name changes
Kings County recorder is the usual office for deeds and many public records. Vital-record access depends on the record and year. A legal name change or divorce decree can involve Superior Court.
- Property work Open local-office help
Building permits, ADUs, zoning, code, water, and septic
For an unincorporated address, start with Kings County planning or building. An address inside a city or town starts with that local permit counter.
- Housing Open rent and housing help
Rent rules, repairs, notices, and eviction papers
Start with a local rent, housing, or code office if one serves the address. Court papers go to the Superior Court self-help path, and the deadline on the papers keeps running.
- Household help Open the benefits guide
CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, General Assistance, and IHSS
Kings County social-services agency is the main local office. Coverage, food, cash aid, and in-home support remain separate programs with separate notices.
- Public health Open health and benefits help
Vaccines, disease reporting, health records, and local health programs
Kings County public health is the local health jurisdiction. Health coverage and benefits still use separate programs and offices.
- Business Open the business guide
Business setup, seller's permits, local licenses, and regulated work
State filings and tax accounts do not replace county zoning, licensing, building, fire, or health approvals for the address.
- Neighborhood services Open local-office help
Potholes, streetlights, graffiti, trash, and service requests
For a county-maintained road or service in an unincorporated area, start with Kings County. Caltrans, utilities, transit systems, waste haulers, and special districts can own separate reporting paths.
- School and care Open the school and care guide
School enrollment, student records, and child-care checks
The school district handles assignment and records. County offices can help with some family services, while the state licenses child-care facilities.
- Parking Open parking help
Residential, guest, overnight, and local parking permits
A local parking permit is separate from a citation, moving ticket, and toll notice. Match the permit to the address, vehicle, district, or parking facility.
- Tickets Open ticket help
Traffic court, parking citations, and toll notices
Kings County Superior Court handles traffic court matters. A city or issuing agency handles parking. The toll operator handles toll notices.
- Safety Open emergency checks
Emergency alerts, evacuations, smoke, roads, and power
Use the county or city alert system for local warnings. Follow the local emergency office for evacuation wording, then check the matching state fire, smoke, road, or utility update.
Official county links
Open the office that handles the task.
The county links below come from California statewide directories and official county corrections. Property and recorder links open the state directory because several county offices can share one task.
Kings County
City, county, and district responsibilities
County and city rules can share one address.
An address in Kings County can sit inside a city. It can also sit on county land outside any city. That line picks the permit desk and some local rules. It does not move every county job to city hall.
County jobs stay with the county
The county assessor sets property value. The tax collector handles bills. The recorder, elections office, benefits office, and usually the health office also stay with Kings County. The court serves the county but is part of the state court system.
Permits follow the city line
A city or town usually handles permits, zoning, parking, business licenses, and local code inside its lines. Kings County handles these jobs on county land outside a city.
Districts can cross city and county lines
Water, sewer, fire, schools, transit, trash, and flood work may belong to a special district or other provider. The parcel or service bill is often the quickest way to name that agency.
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Kings County
Community answer · Home and property · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Hanford building permits need a complete submittal
Hanford building permit applications use the Citizen Self Service Portal, and the city asks applicants to submit a complete package with the required documents.
Community answer · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Hanford utility service starts at Utility Billing
Hanford Utility Billing handles customer billing for water, refuse, and sewer, and new service requires an application plus ID and lease or ownership paperwork.
Community answer · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
My Hanford is the city report path for everyday issues
Hanford uses My Hanford, a web and mobile request system, for reports such as potholes, stray animals, code violations, graffiti, tripping hazards, and similar local issues.
Community answer · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 1, 2026
Winter wood burning in the Valley gets a daily status
In the San Joaquin Valley, residential wood-burning rules can change by county and day during the winter Check Before You Burn season.
Stories & Notes
Stories and local context across Kings County
Community story · History and culture
NAS Lemoore is a huge aviation neighbor in farm country
Naval Air Station Lemoore gives the Kings County farm landscape a major Navy layer, with a base commissioned in 1961 and tied to carrier aviation.
Community story · History and culture
China Alley keeps Hanford's rural Chinatown story visible
Hanford's China Alley includes the 1893 Taoist Temple, surviving rural Chinatown features, railroad-era growth, and an important Kings County community story.
Community story · History and culture
Avenal's name starts with oats, then oil changes the map
Avenal's history moves from wild oats on the Kettleman Plains to an oil discovery that turned tents into a west-side Kings County town.
Community story · History and culture
Corcoran's name sits between railroad and Tulare Lake stories
Corcoran's local history ties the city to a railroad junction, H. J. Whitley's development work, agriculture, the Tulare Lake Basin, and a name with two possible roots.
- 2025 population
- 154,327
- Land area
- 1,390.972 sq mi
- Water area
- 1.222 sq mi