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Florida · North Central Florida · Suwannee River Region
Union County, Florida
Florida's smallest county by area — from Lake Butler's historic courthouse in one of Florida's smallest county seats to the Florida State Prison complex that is the community's dominant employer, and the quiet north Florida farmland between Gainesville and Lake City that preserves the agricultural character of the state's interior. Property tax, courts, public records, and senior services for Union County residents.
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Office: Union County Sheriff’s Office – 55 West Main Street, Room 102, Lake Butler, FL 32054 | (386) 496-2501 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Brad Whitehead, appointed January 2014 and elected the same year, re-elected 2016, 2020, and 2024, with a career spanning the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, the Florida Department of Corrections Inspector General’s Office, and an assistant warden role before becoming sheriff.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Union County genuinely has a remarkable father-son sheriff legacy: John H. Whitehead served as sheriff from 1953-1985, followed by his son Jerry Whitehead, elected in 1984 and serving from 1985 until his death in office in December 2013 – at the time of his passing, Jerry Whitehead was serving as the “Dean of Sheriffs,” recognized as Florida’s longest-serving sheriff.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-441 and SR-100 serve Lake Butler, the county seat, carrying the motto “Welcome Home Community,” settled in 1859 and incorporated in May 1893.
Notes: Union County became Florida’s 61st county by legislative act on May 20, 1921, formed from portions of Bradford County; its name honors national unity. Union County is genuinely Florida’s smallest county by land area.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Union County Courthouse – Lake Butler, FL (completed 1936, cost $39,000 with $7,000 from the county and the remainder from the Works Progress Administration, Classical Revival, architect John Pearson of Gainesville), a red-brick Depression-era WPA building.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Union County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via unioncountyfl.net.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Union County Public Library (Lake Butler) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Townsend-Green Building & Museum and the historic Union County Courthouse are notable downtown Lake Butler landmarks. Union Correctional Institution and Florida State Prison, both located in the county, make corrections a significant part of the local economy.
Notes: Confirm current parks and recreation facilities via unioncountyfl.net.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Union County Property Appraiser – confirm current contact via unioncountyfl.net.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via unioncountyfl.net; Union County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Union County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via unioncountyfl.net.
NOTES: Union County is the third county completed in this Florida Round 3 v2 redo batch, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine multi-generational Whitehead sheriff legacy, spanning from 1953 through Jerry Whitehead’s death in office as Florida’s longest-serving sheriff in 2013, is among the standout local facts covered here. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Union County
Heritage | Lake Butler is one of Florida’s smallest county seats; Union County is Florida’s smallest county by area; a deeply rural north Florida county dominated by timber, agriculture, and the Florida Department of Corrections (several major correctional institutions are in the county) Outdoors | Lake Butler (recreational lake at the center of town); New River; Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park (adjacent Baker County — site of the largest Civil War battle in Florida, February 20, 1864); Osceola National Forest (nearby) Notable | Union Correctional Institution (one of Florida’s oldest and largest prisons) and Florida State Prison are both in Union County — the county’s economy has a significant public sector component related to corrections; the annual Olustee Festival and battle reenactment draws visitors from across the Southeast Library | Union County Public Library — (386) 496-3432
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS (Records, Marriage Licenses)
55 W. Main St., Lake Butler, FL 32054
(386) 496-3711
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Union County Clerk and Comptroller (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Union County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
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
Union County Clerk and Comptroller, Probate Division 55 W. Main Street, Room 103, Lake Butler, FL 32054 (386) 496-3711 / (386) 496-2621
Union County sits in Florida’s 8th Judicial Circuit. Union is one of Florida’s smallest counties by population.
IMPORTANT – a major statewide law change just took effect: Florida’s summary administration threshold DOUBLED from $75,000 to $150,000 effective July 1, 2026, under CS/HB 1337 (Chapter 2026-57, Laws of Florida). Confirm which threshold applies based on date of death when helping someone (see
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
55 W. Main St., Lake Butler, FL 32054
(386) 496-2501
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
55 W. Main St., Lake Butler, FL 32054
(386) 496-3312
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
FL Dept of Health — Union
440 SE 5th Ave., Lake Butler, FL 32054
(386) 496-3211
FL DCF — Union
(386) 496-3401
FL Medicaid
(800) 299-4833
Lake Butler Hospital
lakebutlerhospital.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Florida Department of Health in Union County – confirm current contact via unioncountyfl.net.
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