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Indiana County
Jefferson County, Indiana
Madison - Indiana's finest 19th-century river town - from Madison's National Historic Landmark district (the entire town center of Madison is a National Historic Landmark - the concentration of Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate architecture along the Ohio River bluffs represents Indiana's finest surviving antebellum commercial district, preserved because Madison's commercial decline after the railroads bypassed it left the Victorian streetscape intact) to the Madison-Milton Bridge (the historic Ohio River span connecting Indiana to Kentucky) and the Madison Regatta hydroplane races.
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Office: Jefferson County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via jeffersoncounty.in.gov.
Sheriff: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office – 300 E. Main Street, Madison, IN 47250. Confirm current phone via jeffersoncounty.in.gov.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-421 and SR-7/56 serve Madison, the county seat, on the Ohio River – the largest city on the river between Louisville and Cincinnati. Madison was the southern terminus of the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad (built 1836-1847), one of the first railroad lines west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Notes: Jefferson County was formed February 1, 1811, from Dearborn and Clark counties, one of Indiana’s first counties, named for Thomas Jefferson, principal draftsman of the Northwest Ordinance. Madison, settled around 1808, was for decades one of Indiana’s largest cities, rivaling Vincennes and New Albany, before falling into decline after the Civil War as industry shifted north.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Jefferson County Courthouse – Madison, IN. A May 20, 2009 fire, which began in the courthouse steeple during bicentennial renovations, destroyed much of the building’s interior and county records; fire departments from across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky responded. The historic Jefferson County Jail and Sheriff’s House (Courthouse Square, built 1848-1850, Greek Revival, kitchen wing added 1859) is separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.
Notes: Madison’s downtown is genuinely one of the largest National Historic Landmark districts in the United States – 133 blocks were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The crown jewel is the Lanier Mansion State Historic Site, itself individually designated a National Historic Landmark. Jefferson County also has a documented Underground Railroad history: as an Indiana county directly across the Ohio River from Kentucky, Madison served as a gateway for enslaved people escaping bondage, commemorated by multiple Indiana historical markers (including one honoring Chapman Harris, a formerly enslaved man who helped freedom seekers cross the river). Madison hosts the Madison Regatta each summer, featuring some of the world’s fastest unlimited hydroplane boats, along with a music festival before the Fourth of July. Actress Irene Dunne, a five-time Academy Award nominee, graduated from Madison High School in 1916.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Jefferson County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via jeffersoncounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Madison-Jefferson County Public Library (Madison) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Lanier Mansion State Historic Site, the 133-block Madison Historic District, the Madison riverfront, and the annual Madison Regatta are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine scale of Madison’s National Historic Landmark district – among the largest in the country – alongside the county’s documented Underground Railroad history, make Jefferson County among the most historically significant counties covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Jefferson County Assessor’s Office – 300 E. Main Street, Madison, IN 47250.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office – (812) 265-2648, for animal control arrangements; confirm any dedicated shelter contact via jeffersoncounty.in.gov.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Jefferson County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via jeffersoncounty.in.gov.
NOTES: Jefferson County is the fortieth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine scale of Madison’s National Historic Landmark district and the county’s documented Underground Railroad history make this among the most historically significant counties 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 Jefferson County
Jefferson County is southeast Indiana’s finest antebellum river town – Madison’s entire downtown is a National Historic Landmark, its Federal and Greek Revival streetscape preserved by the same commercial decline that left it untouched by 20th-century redevelopment.
Madison (the county seat, population ~12,000) is one of the Midwest’s most architecturally significant small cities – the Ohio River bluff setting and the intact 19th-century commercial district make it a heritage tourism destination of national significance.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Jefferson County Assessor at 300 E. Main Street, Suite 108, Madison, IN 47250, phone 812-265-8900. IN residential deductions reduce assessed value.
Courts & Legal
Jefferson County Circuit Court at 300 E. Main Street, Madison, IN 47250, phone 812-265-8922, 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)
300 E. Main St., Madison, IN 47250
(812) 265-8922
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
300 E. Main St., Madison, IN 47250
(812) 265-8922
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Jefferson County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Madison’s historic district, one of the largest and best-preserved in the Midwest, is a major regional historical resource with strong genealogical significance.
Local societies
No dedicated Jefferson 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
Jefferson County Circuit Court 300 East Main Street, Room 203, Madison, IN 47250 (812) 265-8924 / (812) 265-8930
Jefferson County’s seat, Madison, on the Ohio River, is renowned for one of the largest and best-preserved historic districts in the Midwest, home to hundreds of 19th-century buildings.
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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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
323 W. Main St., Madison, IN 47250
(812) 265-8916
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
300 E. Main St., Madison, IN 47250
(812) 265-8922
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Jefferson County Health Department – confirm current contact via jeffersoncounty.in.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Madison
Population: 33,000
Area: 362 sq mi
Established: 1811
Tier: 3
Public Records
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