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Alabama County
Cherokee County, Alabama
Weiss Lake - the Crappie Capital of the World - from Weiss Lake (the 30,200-acre Alabama Power reservoir on the Coosa River - consistently ranked as one of the finest crappie fishing lakes in the United States, earning Centre the designation "Crappie Capital of the World" - the lake's shallow water, abundant timber structure, and productive spawning habitat create exceptional crappie populations that draw tournament anglers and recreational fishers year-round) to Cherokee County's northeast Alabama position at the Georgia border in the Appalachian foothills.
County SeatCentre
Population26,000
Founded1836
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Office: Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency
Address: 260 Cedar Bluff Rd, Centre, AL 35960
Phone: (256) 927-3363
Alert System: AL Alert statewide; CodeRed
Shelter Info: Contact EMA for shelter locations
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: Northeast Alabama mountain county; tornado and severe weather risk; Weiss Lake area flood considerations; Georgia border county
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Cherokee County Highway Department
Phone: (256) 927-3363
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response only; rural mountain county
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: Mountain terrain creates road maintenance challenges; rural county with minimal transit
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Cherokee County Building Department
Address: 260 Cedar Bluff Rd, Centre, AL 35960
Phone: (256) 927-3363
Services: Building permits for unincorporated areas; lakefront construction common near Weiss Lake
Notes: Weiss Lake development generates significant permit activity for lakefront properties and docks
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Cherokee County Veterans Service Office
Address: 260 Cedar Bluff Rd, Centre, AL 35960
Phone: (256) 927-3363
VA Medical: Birmingham VA – (205) 933-8101
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Rural mountain county; VA access requires travel to Birmingham or Rome, GA area
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Cherokee County Public Library
Address: 310 N Church Ave, Centre, AL 35960
Phone: (256) 927-3867
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Alabama Digital Library, children’s programs
Notes: Small rural library; important internet access point for area residents
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Weiss Lake – “Crappie Capital of the World”; Little River Canyon National Preserve (adjacent – DeKalb County); Weiss Lake Water Park; Cedar Bluff area boat launches
Notes: Weiss Lake is Cherokee County’s signature attraction; premier crappie fishing draws anglers from across the Southeast; significant lake-based tourism economy
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Limited; Alabama state GIS – alabamamaps.ua.edu
Notes: Rural mountain county; basic GIS through state resources; lake property mapping important
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Cherokee County Animal Shelter
Phone: (256) 927-3363 (County Commission)
Services: Basic animal control and stray intake
Notes: Limited shelter resources typical of small rural Alabama county
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Cherokee County Solid Waste – (256) 927-3363
Recycling: Limited
Environmental: Weiss Lake water quality is a priority environmental concern; Coosa River watershed
ADEM: adem.alabama.gov | (334) 271-7700
Notes: Weiss Lake water quality directly impacts the recreation economy; algae blooms and water quality issues are monitored; ADEM oversight of lake watershed
About Cherokee County
Cherokee County is northeast Alabama’s Crappie Capital – Weiss Lake’s world-class crappie fishery draws anglers from across the country to the Centre area, building a significant fishing tourism economy in the Appalachian foothills near Georgia.
Centre (the county seat, population ~3,400) is the gateway to Weiss Lake – the crappie capital designation brings tournament fishing organizations, fishing guides, and recreational anglers to sustain the local economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Cherokee County Revenue Commissioner at 260 Cedar Bluff Road, Suite 102, Centre, AL 35960, phone 256-927-5527. AL residential assessed at 10% of market value.
Public Records
Health Dept Services: WIC, environmental, home care, clinical (STD, family planning, vaccines, breast/cervical cancer screening)
Environmental Health / Septic / Well: Contact Health Department
Recommended
Search Cherokee County public records for Centre, Cedar Bluff, and Cherokee County residents.
Courts & Legal
Cherokee County Probate Court at 260 Cedar Bluff Road, Centre, AL 35960, phone 256-927-3668, handles probate.
Senior Services
Nutrition Center / Senior Center & Public Transportation: https://cherokeecounty-al.gov/senior-centre/
Nutrition program (meals); public transportation — combined county dept
Transportation: County-operated public transportation combined with nutrition/senior center function
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
100 Main St., Centre, AL 35960
(256) 927-3363
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
100 Main St., Centre, AL 35960
(256) 927-3363
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Cherokee County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Cherokee County Historical Society, 101 East Main Street, Centre, AL 35960
Cherokee County Genealogy Society, P.O. Box 90, Spring Garden, AL 36275
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
Cherokee County Probate Office 260 Cedar Bluff Road, Suite 101, Centre, AL 35960 (256) 927-3363 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (call ahead to confirm, especially around lunch)
Step 1: figure out which path applies
This is the fork in the road that determines everything else – how long it takes, what it costs, and whether you need an attorney.
Small/Summary Distribution – for estates made up of personal property only (no real estate) worth up to roughly $47,000 (the threshold is CPI-adjusted annually; it rose from about $36,000 to ~$47,000 under the Revised Alabama Small Estates Act, effective October 1, 2025). No personal representative is appointed, and there’s no months-long court oversight – just a single verified petition.
Formal Probate – required if the estate includes real property, exceeds the small-estate threshold, or there’s a dispute among heirs. This appoints a personal representative (an executor if there’s a will, an administrator if there isn’t) with legal authority to act for the estate.
If the estate qualifies for summary distribution
Wait at least 30 days after the death before filing – filings submitted earlier will be rejected.
The surviving spouse (if there is one) is the only person who can file; if there’s no surviving spouse, any rightful heir can.
File a verified petition with the Cherokee County Probate Court listing the decedent’s assets, debts, and heirs, plus the will if one exists.
Notice must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county; no distribution can happen until 30 days after publication.
The petitioner must separately notify the Alabama Medicaid Agency by certified mail (Medicaid has 30 days to respond with any claim against the estate – this step is required in every case, not just where Medicaid was involved).
Once both 30-day windows close and the judge approves, the court issues an order you can present to banks or other institutions to claim and distribute the property.
Simple, uncontested cases can wrap up in weeks to a few months. Anything with disputed debts or unclear heirs takes longer.
If formal probate is required
Gather what you’ll need before your first visit: the original will (if any), several certified copies of the death certificate, a list of assets and debts, and names/addresses of all heirs and beneficiaries.
File a Petition for Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Petition for Letters of Administration (without one). Filing fee is a flat $45, plus $3/page for wills over 5 pages, and covers three certified copies of the letters.
Creditor notice must be published once a week for three successive weeks in a Cherokee County newspaper of general circulation.
If uncontested with waivers filed, a hearing may not be required; otherwise the judge holds one and, if approved, issues the Letters.
The personal representative then has 2 months to file a full inventory of estate assets, and creditors have 6 months from the grant of letters (or 5 months from first publication, whichever is later) to submit claims.
After debts and taxes are settled, the representative files a final accounting; once approved, assets are distributed and the estate is formally closed.
Alabama requires an estate to stay open a minimum of 6 months, whether or not there’s a will.
A will must be filed for probate within 5 years of the date of death, or it loses effect.
What it costs
Court filing: $45 flat (plus the per-page will fee noted above).
Personal representative compensation: capped by law at 2.5% of the estate’s value received plus 2.5% of disbursements (extra allowed for genuinely extraordinary work).
Attorney fees: not fixed by statute – negotiated between the family and the attorney. Alabama doesn’t require an attorney for probate, but most formal (non-small-estate) cases benefit from one, especially if there’s a dispute or the estate includes real property.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
100 Main St., Centre, AL 35960
(256) 927-3363
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
101 County Services Dr., Centre, AL 35960
(256) 927-3365
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
100 Main St., Centre, AL 35960
(256) 927-3363
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
351 Cedar Bluff Rd., Centre, AL 35960
(256) 927-3376
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Cherokee County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Cherokee County Health Department
Address: 101 E Main St, Centre, AL 35960
Phone: (256) 927-3167
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/cherokee
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Rural northeast Alabama county; limited local healthcare options
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Centre
Population: 26,000
Area: 553 sq mi
Established: 1836
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Cherokee County residents.
