Its county seat was located in the state capital of Carson City 270 miles (430 km) away, and its officers were appointed by the governor rather than elected.

The United States federal government had plans to create a disposal site for radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, then within Nye County.

[1] More than three-fourths of its land was closed to the public; half of it was taken up by the Nevada Test Site, and a quarter by the Nellis Air Force Range.

[2] If a felony or gross misdemeanor was committed in Bullfrog County, it would have been theoretically impossible to empanel a jury, potentially opening the possibility of a perfect crime.

[2][9] Nevada Attorney General Brian McKay insisted that such cases could be taken care of via "the rule of necessity",[2] and officials said that it was very unlikely that a crime would be committed in any event.

[11] Critics also asserted that the county's existence established a conflict of interest and sent a message that the state would support the dump in exchange for the money.

[9] Despite its history, the name was also subject to some ridicule, and critics suggested that Nevada had become a laughing stock due to the county's creation.

[13] On February 11, 1988, retired Supreme Court of Nevada justice David Zenoff conducted a special hearing and found Bullfrog County's creation to be unconstitutional.

He also ruled the provision of the law giving Bryan the power to appoint the commissioners and sheriff ran counter to the democratic process.

[3] Yucca Mountain was ultimately selected as the site of the repository, but as of 2022[update] its construction has been delayed due to continued opposition from the state and area.