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.
Kansas County
Jefferson County, Kansas
Perry Lake and the Delaware River valley - from Perry Lake (the 12,200-acre Army Corps reservoir on the Delaware River - one of northeastern Kansas's most popular recreation lakes, providing boating, camping, and fishing within easy reach of the Topeka and Lawrence metros) to Jefferson County's Bleeding Kansas heritage (the Delaware River valley was one of the most contested areas during the Bleeding Kansas period - proslavery and Free State settlers fought repeatedly for control of northeastern Kansas communities) and the county's rapid growth as a Lawrence-Topeka exurb.
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: Jefferson County Emergency Management – Sheriff’s Annex/EOC, 1230 Walnut Street, Oskaloosa, KS 66066 | Mailing: PO Box 248 | Director Keith Jeffers, (785) 863-2096 or (785) 309-6956.
Sheriff: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office – Oskaloosa, KS | (785) 863-2765; Sheriff Jeff Herrig.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Jefferson County Emergency Communications (established 1995) is the countywide 911 dispatch center, staffed 24/7/365, serving McLouth, Meriden, Nortonville, Oskaloosa, Ozawkie, Perry, Valley Falls, and Winchester.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-24 and K-4 serve Oskaloosa, the county seat, in northeastern Kansas.
Notes: Oskaloosa was founded in 1856, named for Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Jefferson County Courthouse – Oskaloosa, KS.
Notes: Oskaloosa holds a genuinely remarkable place in American political history. In April 1888, the town elected Mary D. Lowman as mayor alongside an entirely female city council – Carrie Johnson, Sadie Balsley, Hanna Morse, Emma Hamilton, and Mittie Golden – making Oskaloosa the first town in the United States known to have an all-woman municipal government. The election became a national sensation, drawing press coverage, telegrams, and letters from across the country and abroad; Lowman and her council inherited an empty, debt-ridden treasury and left it replenished after being re-elected for a second term. Lowman’s story was later profiled in the book “A Woman of the Century” by Frances Willard and Mary Livermore. She served as mayor from 1888 to 1890.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Jefferson County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via jfcountyks.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Oskaloosa Public Library (Oskaloosa) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Historic downtown Oskaloosa, tied to the 1888 all-woman government story, is the county’s most distinctive point of civic pride.
Notes: The genuine, nationally significant 1888 all-woman city government is one of the most historically remarkable facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Jefferson County Appraiser’s Office – confirm current contact via jfcountyks.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Jefferson County Humane Society – 15295 K4 Highway, Valley Falls, KS 66088 | (785) 945-6600 | Email: [email protected]. Founded 1998; no-kill shelter established at its current location January 2006. Hours: Tue, Fri-Sun (closed Mon/Wed/Thu – confirm current schedule).
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Jefferson County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via jfcountyks.com.
NOTES: Jefferson County is the fourth county in the seventh Kansas Round 3 batch, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, nationally significant 1888 all-woman city government is one of the most historically remarkable 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 Jefferson County
Jefferson County is northeastern Kansas’s Perry Lake and exurban growth county – the Delaware River reservoir and the county’s position between Topeka and Lawrence drive both recreation and residential development.
Perry Lake – 12,200 acres on the Delaware River – is one of the most-visited Army Corps reservoirs in Kansas, drawing boaters, campers, and anglers from Topeka and Lawrence.
Oskaloosa (the county seat, population ~1,100) is a small northeastern Kansas courthouse community. McLouth (population ~900) and Valley Falls (population ~1,100) serve the county’s rural and increasingly suburban population.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Jefferson County Appraiser at 300 Jefferson Street, Oskaloosa, KS 66066, phone 785-863-2355. KS residential assessed at 11.5% of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
Jefferson County District Court at 300 Jefferson Street, Oskaloosa, KS 66066, phone 785-863-2461, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections)
300 Jefferson St., Oskaloosa, KS 66066
(785) 863-2272
DISTRICT COURT CLERK (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
300 Jefferson St., Oskaloosa, KS 66066
(785) 863-2461
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
300 Jefferson St., Oskaloosa, KS 66066
(785) 863-2272
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Jefferson County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
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 District Court, 2nd Judicial District 300 Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 327, Oskaloosa, KS 66066 (785) 863-2461
Jefferson County was established August 25, 1855, named for President Thomas Jefferson. Oskaloosa has been the county seat since 1855. The 1961-1962 Jefferson County Courthouse (Modern style) is the current building.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Kansas has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own statutory framework under the Kansas Probate Code (K.S.A. Chapter 59). Kansas offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the total value of probate property, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $75,000 (raised from $40,000 effective July 1, 2023), available under K.S.A. 59-1507b. This transfers personal property only. If the decedent left a will, it must still be filed with the probate court even though it isn’t being formally probated.
Simplified Administration – under the Kansas Simplified Estates Act (K.S.A. 59-3201 et seq.), the most common route for straightforward estates.
Formal Probate – supervised or unsupervised administration through the District Court for larger or more complex estates.
A will must be filed for probate within 6 months of death, or it may not be admitted, forcing the estate into intestate distribution.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Administration (if intestate) with the Jefferson County District Court.
The court admits the will (if any) and appoints the personal representative.
Notice to creditors is published per court order; creditors have a defined window to file claims.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and – under unsupervised administration – acts with reduced court check-ins.
Without a surviving spouse or children, Kansas intestate succession law (K.S.A. 59-501 et seq.) determines which blood relatives inherit.
After debts are paid, the personal representative distributes assets and files a final accounting; the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Court costs may be remitted for small estates under recent statutory changes.
Executor/administrator and attorney fees are generally reasonable-fee based rather than a fixed statutory percentage.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit can proceed relatively quickly; formal probate commonly takes several months to over a year.
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
300 Jefferson St., Oskaloosa, KS 66066
(785) 863-2351
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections)
300 Jefferson St., Oskaloosa, KS 66066
(785) 863-2272
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
300 Jefferson St., Oskaloosa, KS 66066
(785) 863-2272
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
lmh.org (adjacent Douglas County — major regional hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Jefferson County Public Health Department – confirm current contact via jfcountyks.com. Supported by a volunteer Medical Reserve Corps for vaccination support, first aid, and animal rescue teams.
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: Oskaloosa
Population: 19,000
Area: 548 sq mi
Established: 1855
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Jefferson County residents.
