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Indiana County
Dubois County, Indiana
Jasper's German Catholic heritage and furniture capital - from Jasper's extraordinary German Catholic community (Jasper was settled by German Catholics in the 1830s and has maintained one of the most cohesive German immigrant cultural identities in Indiana - the Strassenfest celebration of German heritage, the St. Joseph Catholic Church's imposing Romanesque tower, and the community's work ethic and craftsmanship traditions reflect 190 years of cultural continuity) to Dubois County's wood furniture manufacturing (Dubois County is one of the most significant wood furniture manufacturing regions in the United States - Kimball International, MasterBrand Cabinets, and dozens of smaller manufacturers make the county a major employer in residential and office furniture production).
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Office: Dubois County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via duboiscounty.in.gov.
Sheriff: Dubois County Sheriff’s Office – Jasper, IN | (812) 482-3522.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-231 and SR-64 serve Jasper, the county seat, in southwestern Indiana.
Notes: Dubois County was created in 1818, named for Toussaint DuBois, a Montreal-born Frenchman who fought alongside Americans in the Revolutionary War. The county seat moved from Portersville to Jasper in 1830.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Dubois County Courthouse – Jasper, IN.
Notes: Dubois County holds one of Indiana’s richest and most actively celebrated German heritage identities. German immigrants began settling the area in the 1840s, drawn by Father Joseph Kundek, a local priest fluent in German, English, and French. St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jasper, built 1867-1880 of native sandstone, stands as one of the most architecturally significant religious buildings in southwestern Indiana. Jasper maintains an active sister-city relationship with Pfaffenweiler, Germany, and its riverfront Strassenfest, held each summer, draws tens of thousands of visitors with traditional German food, music, and dance. Nearby Ferdinand hosts an artisan-based Christkindlmarkt each November and is home to the Monastery Immaculate Conception, a striking hilltop Benedictine convent – one of the largest communities of Benedictine women in the country. Jasper is also historically known as the “Wood Capital of the World” for its concentration of furniture manufacturing companies.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Dubois County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via duboiscounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Jasper Public Library (Jasper) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Monastery Immaculate Conception (Ferdinand), St. Joseph Catholic Church (Jasper), the Dubois County Museum, Patoka Lake, and Hoosier National Forest lands within the county are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, deeply preserved German Catholic heritage of Dubois County – including an active sister-city relationship with a town in Germany – is among the most distinctive local cultural facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Dubois County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via duboiscounty.in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via duboiscounty.in.gov; Dubois County Sheriff’s Office, (812) 482-3522, for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Dubois County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via duboiscounty.in.gov.
NOTES: Dubois County is the twentieth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, deeply preserved German Catholic heritage of Dubois County is among the most distinctive local cultural facts covered anywhere 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 Dubois County
Dubois County is southwest Indiana’s German Catholic furniture capital – Jasper’s 190-year German Catholic heritage and the county’s concentration of wood furniture manufacturers make it one of the most culturally and industrially distinctive counties in southern Indiana.
Jasper (the county seat, population ~17,000) is defined by its German heritage and furniture industry – the Strassenfest’s lederhosen and the Kimball furniture complex represent the twin pillars of the community’s identity.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Dubois County Assessor at 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 105, Jasper, IN 47546, phone 812-481-7030. IN residential deductions reduce assessed value.
Courts & Legal
Dubois County Circuit Court at 1 Courthouse Square, Jasper, IN 47546, phone 812-481-7050, 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)
1 Courthouse Square, Jasper, IN 47546
(812) 481-7060
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
1 Courthouse Square, Jasper, IN 47546
(812) 481-7060
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Dubois County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The county’s strong German heritage, including the town of Santa Claus, Indiana, is a notable regional historical topic.
Local societies
No dedicated Dubois 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
Dubois County Circuit Court One Courthouse Square, Jasper, IN 47546 (812) 481-7020 / (812) 481-7035
Dubois County is in southern Indiana, home to a strong German heritage and the town of Santa Claus, Indiana.
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 Dubois 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 Dubois 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
701 Main St., Jasper, IN 47546
(812) 481-7090
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
1 Courthouse Square, Jasper, IN 47546
(812) 481-7060
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Dubois County Health Dept
(812) 481-7080
IN FSSA — Southwest Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center
mhhcc.com (Jasper — excellent regional hospital)
Deaconess Health System (Evansville)
deaconess.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Dubois County Health Department – confirm current contact via duboiscounty.in.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Jasper
Population: 43,000
Area: 430 sq mi
Established: 1817
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Dubois County residents.
