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Indiana County
Jay County, Indiana
Portland and northeast Indiana border agriculture - from Portland's role as the commercial and governmental hub of Jay County to the county's productive northeast Indiana farmland (Jay County's flat to gently rolling terrain along the Indiana-Ohio border supports strong corn, soybean, and hog production, with the county's agricultural economy anchored by farm supply cooperatives, grain elevators, and the processing facilities that serve the surrounding farm community).
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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: Jay County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via jaycounty.net.
Sheriff: Jay County Sheriff’s Office – 224 W. Water Street, Portland, IN 47371 | (260) 726-8188 | Security Center/Jail (260) 726-7541. Established 1836, Sheriff Christopher Hanna the first appointee, Henderson Graves the first elected sheriff (1837-1838). Current jail expanded to 112 beds in a 2010 north-side addition. Sheriff Larry “Ray” Newton Jr.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-27 and SR-67 serve Portland, the county seat, platted in 1837 and named for Portland, Maine.
Notes: Jay County was authorized February 7, 1835 and organized in 1836, named for John Jay, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Jay County Courthouse – US-27, Portland, IN (built 1915-1919, Renaissance Revival limestone, architects Peter Hulsken and Thomas McLaughlin; National Register of Historic Places since 1981; part of the Portland Commercial Historic District).
Notes: Jay County is genuinely home to Dunkirk, self-proclaimed “Glass Capital of Indiana” and a key stop on the Indiana Glass Trail, an eight-county self-guided driving tour of the state’s glassmaking heritage. Dunkirk became a leading glass-producing hub in the 1880s, fueled by the discovery of natural gas around 1886 in the Trenton Gas Field; at its peak the small city hosted 23 glass factories. The Dunkirk Glass Museum (also called simply “The Glass Museum,” 309 S. Franklin Street) displays an estimated 5,500-20,000 pieces of glass from 110-115 factories worldwide, originally founded as an exhibit by the Dunkirk Lions Club and presented to the Dunkirk Public Library in 1970. Ardaugh (formerly Indiana Glass Company), still operating in Dunkirk today, is believed to be the oldest glass container plant in the United States.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Jay County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via jaycounty.net.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Jay County Public Library (Portland) and Dunkirk Public Library (Dunkirk, houses The Glass Museum) – confirm current addresses/phones via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Dunkirk Glass Museum, the Jay County Historical Society Museum (glass displays from local factories, 903 E. Main Street, Portland), and the Indiana Glass Trail are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, deeply preserved “Glass Capital of Indiana” heritage centered on Dunkirk – including what’s believed to be the oldest operating glass container plant in the United States – is among the standout local industrial histories covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Jay County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via jaycounty.net.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via jaycounty.net; Jay County Sheriff’s Office, (260) 726-8188, for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Jay County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via jaycounty.net.
NOTES: Jay County is the thirty-ninth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, deeply preserved “Glass Capital of Indiana” heritage centered on Dunkirk is among the standout local industrial histories 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 Jay County
Jay County is northeast Indiana’s Ohio border agricultural county – Portland anchors a rural county defined by productive row crop and livestock farming, with the county’s economy closely tied to the agricultural processing and supply industries that serve farmers across the Indiana-Ohio border region.
Portland (the county seat, population ~6,000) is Jay County’s governmental and commercial hub, providing regional services to the county’s farm communities in Indiana’s northeast corner near the Ohio state line.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Jay County Assessor at 120 N. Court Street, Portland, IN 47371, phone 260-726-4456. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Jay County Circuit Court at 120 N. Court Street, Portland, IN 47371, phone 260-726-4951, 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)
120 N. Court St., Portland, IN 47371
(260) 726-4951
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
120 N. Court St., Portland, IN 47371
(260) 726-4951
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Jay County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Jay 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
Jay County Circuit Court 120 Court Street (Courthouse), Portland, IN 47371 (260) 726-4848 Jay County is on the Ohio border in east-central 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 Jay 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 Jay 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
224 W. Water St., Portland, IN 47371
(260) 726-8188
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
120 N. Court St., Portland, IN 47371
(260) 726-4951
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Jay County Health Department – confirm current contact via jaycounty.net.
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