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, courts, records, elections, health, and countywide services. Cities inside it still set many permit and local-service rules.
Starting point
Start with the county layer.
County offices are the usual first stop for records, taxes, courts, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and unincorporated-area routing.
What changes the answer: Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
How local government works here
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, court, elections office, benefits office, and usually the health office also stay with Kings County. Berkeley, Long Beach, and Pasadena run separate city health departments.
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 both layers
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.
2025 population
154,327
Land area
1,390.972 sq mi
Water area
1.222 sq mi
Local front desk
Start with the task in front of you.
Kings County is the working county layer. Use the task rows for the division of work, then open the official office door below.
- Property Open the property-tax path
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 path
Deeds, birth and death records, marriage records, and name changes
Kings County recorder is the usual deed and public-record door. Vital-record access depends on the record and year. A legal name change or divorce decree can involve Superior Court.
- Property work Open the local-office path
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 the housing path
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 path
CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, General Assistance, and IHSS
Kings County social-services agency is the main local door. Coverage, food, cash aid, and in-home support remain separate programs with separate notices.
- Public health Open the health path
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 program doors.
- Business Open the business path
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 the local-office path
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 path
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 the parking path
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 the ticket path
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 the emergency path
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 use the state fire, smoke, road, and utility sources for the matching layer.
Official county doors
Open the office that owns the next step.
California's statewide directories and verified official corrections supply the county-specific links below. Property and recorder links open the state directory because several county offices can share one task.
Kings County
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.