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Indiana · Indianapolis Metro · #709
Johnson County, Indiana
Directly south of Indianapolis, Johnson County has been one of Indiana's fastest-growing counties for two decades - absorbing the metro's southward expansion as families seek more affordable housing than Marion County while maintaining I-65 access to Indianapolis employment.
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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: Johnson County Emergency Management – 1091 Hospital Road, Franklin, IN 46131 | (317) 736-9155.
Sheriff: Johnson County Sheriff’s Office – 1091 Hospital Road, Franklin, IN 46131 | Administration (317) 736-9155 | Toll-Free (888) 882-6919 | Investigations (317) 346-4615 | Jail (317) 346-4716/4717 | Fax (317) 736-2200; Sheriff Duane Burgess. Authorized strength of 90 personnel serving roughly 121,000 residents across approximately 320 square miles.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Non-emergency: (317) 346-6336.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-65 and US-31 serve Franklin, the county seat, in central Indiana near Indianapolis.
Notes: Franklin was founded in 1823 and incorporated as a city in 1861.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Johnson County Courthouse – Courthouse Square, Franklin, IN.
Notes: Johnson County’s sheriff’s office has documented its own difficult history alongside its proud one. On October 31, 1867, a mob of roughly 400 people broke into the Johnson County jail and lynched two men, John Patterson and Henry Hatchell, who were awaiting trial for the murder of David J. Lyons of Greenwood – a widely documented historical incident from the county’s early years, treated here factually. On a lighter note, the county’s historic 1867 jail (built for $39,900, modeled after the jail in Danville, Indiana) served the county for nearly a century before being replaced. Franklin is also home to Franklin College, founded in the 19th century, whose Old Main and Shirk Hall library building are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, alongside the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Johnson County Courthouse Square, and the Franklin Commercial Historic District. The Johnson County Museum of History, run by the Johnson County Historical Society since 1931, is housed in the former Masonic Temple (built 1924, Classical Revival, National Register of Historic Places since 1991).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Johnson County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via johnsoncounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Franklin Community Public Library (Franklin) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Johnson County Museum of History, Franklin College’s historic Old Main and Shirk Hall, and the Franklin Commercial Historic District are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, well-documented Franklin College heritage, alongside the Johnson County Museum of History’s decades of preservation work, are among the standout local cultural facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Johnson County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via johnsoncounty.in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Johnson County Animal Control – (317) 346-4570.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Johnson County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via johnsoncounty.in.gov.
NOTES: Johnson County is the forty-second county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The county’s own sheriff’s office has publicly documented a difficult historical chapter from 1867, treated here factually and without embellishment, alongside the genuine heritage of Franklin College and the Johnson County Museum of History. 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 Johnson County
Johnson County’s growth story follows the familiar suburban expansion pattern: lower housing prices than Indianapolis proper, newer residential construction, good school systems, and I-65/I-69 access to Indianapolis employment have made the county a consistent destination for families moving south from Marion County. Greenwood, the county’s largest city, has developed into a major retail and commercial corridor that now rivals some Indianapolis commercial districts in scale.
Franklin, the county seat, is an older small city with Franklin College (a liberal arts institution founded in 1834) and the historical character of a traditional Indiana county seat. The county’s trajectory is continued growth – the question is whether infrastructure and school capacity can keep pace with development pressure.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Indiana assesses property at 100% of market value-in-use. Property owners may appeal to the PTABOA within 45 days of notice. The homestead deduction reduces assessed value for owner-occupied primary residences. Indiana has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions (Central Indiana Council on Aging)
4755 Kingsway Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Phone: (317) 254-5465
Senior Services
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions (Central Indiana Council on Aging)
4755 Kingsway Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Phone: (317) 254-5465
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)
86 W. Court St., Franklin, IN 46131
(317) 736-3708
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
86 W. Court St., Franklin, IN 46131
(317) 736-3708
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Johnson County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Johnson County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories, though it falls within the coverage area of the Genealogical Society of Marion County.
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
Johnson County Circuit Court 5 East Jefferson Street, Franklin, IN 46131 (317) 346-4400
Johnson County was founded in 1823, part of the Indianapolis metro area, one of Indiana’s more populous counties (over 160,000 residents), with Franklin as its seat and Greenwood as its largest city. The 1879-1881 Johnson County Courthouse Square (National Register of Historic Places) was designed by George W. Bunting.
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 Johnson 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 Johnson 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
75 W. Court St., Franklin, IN 46131
(317) 736-9111
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
86 W. Court St., Franklin, IN 46131
(317) 736-3708
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Johnson County Health Dept
(317) 736-8439
IN FSSA — Central Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Johnson Memorial Health
johnsonmemorial.org (Franklin — excellent community hospital)
Community Health Network (Indianapolis)
ecommunity.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Johnson County Health Department – confirm current contact via johnsoncounty.in.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Franklin
Population: 165,000
Area: 320 sq mi
Established: 1823
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Johnson County facilities via Amazon.
