Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Indiana County
Clinton County, Indiana
Frankfort's Hot Dog Festival and Mexican immigrant community - from Frankfort's Hot Dog Festival (the annual summer Hot Dog Festival in Frankfort - one of Indiana's quirkiest and most beloved small-town celebrations, drawing thousands of visitors to celebrate the humble frankfurter with eating contests, wiener dog races, and hot dog-themed events that have made Frankfort nationally known for its irreverent community spirit) to Frankfort's significant Mexican immigrant community (the meat processing and manufacturing plants in Frankfort have attracted a substantial Hispanic population that has transformed the community's schools, businesses, and cultural life).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Clinton County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via clintonco.com.
Sheriff: Clinton County Sheriff’s Office – 301 E. Walnut Street, Frankfort, IN 46041 | (765) 654-5563.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SR-28 and US-421 serve Frankfort, the county seat, about 30 miles northwest of Indianapolis.
Notes: Clinton County was created March 1, 1830, from the eastern part of Tippecanoe County, named for DeWitt Clinton, sixth governor of New York and architect of the Erie Canal. Frankfort was settled in 1829 by brothers John, William, and Nicholas Pence, who donated 60 acres to the county commissioners in 1830, securing the county seat over rival community Jefferson; the town was named at the brothers’ request for their German great-grandparents’ home of Frankfurt am Main.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Clinton County Courthouse – 50 N. Jackson Street, Public Square, Frankfort, IN (built 1882-1884 for $170,450, Second Empire, architect George W. Bunting, three-story limestone with statuary and a 165-foot domed clock tower; National Register of Historic Places since 1978, part of the Frankfort Commercial Historic District).
Notes: Lieutenant General James F. Record, a three-time Distinguished Service Cross recipient, was born and raised in Clinton County.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Clinton County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via clintonco.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Clinton County Public Library (Frankfort) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: TPA Park’s Holiday Festival of Lights (just north of downtown Frankfort, late November through December, featuring over a million lights) is the county’s most distinctive seasonal attraction, alongside Prairie Creek Park.
Notes: Frankfort’s TPA Park holiday lights display, with over a million individual lights, is among the standout local seasonal attractions covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Clinton County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via clintonco.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Clinton County Sheriff’s Office – (765) 654-5563 ext. 1, for animal control arrangements. Confirm any dedicated shelter contact via clintonco.com.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Clinton County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via clintonco.com.
NOTES: Clinton County is the twelfth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. Frankfort’s TPA Park holiday lights display is among the standout local seasonal attractions covered in this project. 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 Clinton County
Clinton County is north-central Indiana’s Hot Dog Festival county – Frankfort’s annual celebration of the humble hot dog has given the city national recognition as one of Indiana’s most charmingly eccentric small-town festival communities.
Frankfort (the county seat, population ~16,000) celebrates hot dogs each summer with a festival that has drawn national media attention, while the city’s manufacturing and agricultural economy sustains year-round employment.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Clinton County Assessor at 265 Courthouse Square, Suite 105, Frankfort, IN 46041, phone 765-659-6355. IN residential deductions reduce assessed value.
Courts & Legal
Clinton County Circuit Court at 265 Courthouse Square, Frankfort, IN 46041, phone 765-659-6315, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
265 Courthouse Square, Frankfort, IN 46041
(765) 659-6330
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
265 Courthouse Square, Frankfort, IN 46041
(765) 659-6330
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Clinton County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Clinton 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
Clinton County Circuit Court 355 Courthouse Square, Frankfort, IN 46041 (765) 659-6335 Clinton County is in west-central Indiana, seated in Frankfort.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Indiana has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is governed by Indiana Code Title 29. Indiana offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the gross probate estate (less liens, encumbrances, and funeral expenses) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after death. The affidavit must be signed and recorded with the county recorder’s office before a personal representative is appointed. No court filing is required.
Devolution of Real Estate Affidavit – a separate affidavit specifically for transferring real property, available 7 months after death, with no value limit on the real estate, recorded with the county recorder.
Unsupervised Administration – a simplified probate track available when the estate is solvent and all inheritors agree; fewer court appearances and filings than supervised administration.
Supervised Administration – full court oversight, used for contested, complex, or insolvent estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and for Issuance of Letters (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Personal Representative (if intestate) with the Clinton County Circuit Court.
The court reviews the will for compliance with Indiana Code § 29-1-5-3 (in writing, signed by the testator, witnessed by at least 2 credible witnesses).
The court issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly 3 months from first publication) to file claims.
The personal representative marshals assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and distributes the estate.
File a closing statement or final accounting to formally close the estate.
What it costs
Indiana does not have a state estate or inheritance tax.
Filing fees vary by county – confirm current amounts with the Clinton County Circuit Court.
Indiana has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit – a minimum 45-day wait; Unsupervised Administration – roughly 6-9 months if uncontested; Supervised Administration – 9-12+ months.
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
301 E. Clinton St., Frankfort, IN 46041
(765) 659-6323
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
265 Courthouse Square, Frankfort, IN 46041
(765) 659-6330
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Clinton County Health Dept
(765) 659-3281
IN FSSA — North Central Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Witham Health Services (Lebanon)
witham.org
IU Health Arnett (Lafayette)
iuhealth.org/arnett
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Clinton County Health Department – confirm current contact via clintonco.com.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Frankfort
Population: 32,000
Area: 405 sq mi
Established: 1830
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Clinton County residents.
