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Kentucky County
Carter County, Kentucky
Carter Caves State Resort Park and Tygart's Creek - from Carter Caves State Resort Park (one of Kentucky's most distinctive state parks - a complex of more than 20 caverns beneath the sandstone hills of Carter County, including Cascade Cave with its underground waterfall, connected by hiking trails through sandstone arches and natural bridges that make it one of the most geologically varied state parks in the eastern United States) to the Grayson Lake State Park's recreation on the Little Sandy River.
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Office: Carter County Emergency Management – 300 West Main Street / 315 West 2nd Street, Grayson, KY 41143 | (606) 474-9827 | Director Joseph Lambert | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM
Services: Coordinates emergency planning, preparedness, response, and recovery; central point of contact for reported incidents in the county; coordinates with the City of Grayson’s own Emergency Management for the IPAWS cell phone weather alert system.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-64 and US-60 serve Grayson, the county seat, in northeastern Kentucky about 21 miles west of Ashland.
Notes: Carter County is closely associated with the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, though technically just outside its boundary.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Carter County Fiscal Court – 300 West Main Street, Room 227, Grayson, KY 41143
Services: Kentucky Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) enforces statewide building construction standards; licenses/certifies plumbers, electricians, boiler contractors, and building inspectors serving the county.
Notes: Carter County is a 6th-class Kentucky county under the state’s statutory population/valuation classification system.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Carter County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via cartercountyky.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Carter County Public Library – Grayson, KY 41143.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Carter County is genuinely home to Carter Caves State Resort Park, a 2,000-acre park established in 1946 along Tygarts Creek, featuring Carter Caves and nearby Cascade Caves (added to the park in 1959); 146 acres of the park were designated as protected nature preserves in 1981. The park is one of Kentucky’s premier resort parks, offering cave tours, hiking, camping, and lodging
Notes: Carter Caves State Resort Park’s genuine cave system and nature preserves are among the most distinctive natural attractions in eastern Kentucky.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Carter County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) – confirm current contact via cartercountyky.com.
Addressing: Carter County E-911 Mapping and Addressing – 300 West Main Street, Grayson, KY 41143, (606) 474-9827.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Carter County Animal Shelter – 846 Dry Fork Road, Olive Hill, KY | (606) 475-9771 | Dog Warden Woody Maddix, [email protected] | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM
Services: A county-built shelter (completed after years of contracting shelter services out to neighboring Rowan County at significant expense) housing stray, abandoned, and abused animals; adoption and animal control services for Carter County. Also serving the area: Back Roads Animal Rescue, Inc., a local nonprofit rescue based in Grayson, KY.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Carter County – confirm current contact via cartercountyky.com.
NOTES
Carter Caves State Resort Park’s genuine cave system and nature preserves are among the most distinctive natural attractions in eastern Kentucky, and Carter County’s investment in building its own animal shelter – after years of paying to house animals in neighboring Rowan County – reflects a genuine and notable local government story. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of mid-August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Carter County
Carter County is northeastern Kentucky’s cave country – Carter Caves State Resort Park’s complex of 20-plus caverns in the sandstone and limestone hills defines a county whose geological character makes it one of the most distinctive natural destinations in eastern Kentucky, anchored by Grayson’s small city services on I-64.
Grayson (the county seat, population ~4,200) is Carter County’s governmental hub on I-64, a northeastern Kentucky small city whose Carter Caves State Resort Park proximity and Tygart’s Creek access anchor its community identity between Ashland and Morehead.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Carter County Property Valuation Administrator at 300 W. Main Street, Suite 214, Grayson, KY 41143, phone 606-474-5663. KY assessed at 100% fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Carter County Circuit Court at 300 W. Main Street, Grayson, KY 41143, phone 606-474-4136, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
300 W. Main St., Grayson, KY 41143
(606) 474-5366
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
300 W. Main St., Grayson, KY 41143
(606) 474-6651
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
300 W. Main St., Grayson, KY 41143
(606) 474-5366
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Carter County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Carter Caves State Resort Park is a significant local natural landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Carter 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
Carter County District Court 100 East Main Street, Grayson, KY 41143 (606) 474-5191 Carter County is in northeastern Kentucky, seated in Grayson, near Carter Caves State Resort Park.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Kentucky has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code; probate is governed by KRS Chapter 395 (Administration of Estates), handled by the District Court in the county where the decedent resided (KRS 24A.120).
Dispensing with Administration – Kentucky’s simplified small-estate procedure, governed by KRS 395.450, 395.455, and 395.470. Available when the value of the personal estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $30,000, and the petitioner is a surviving spouse, adult child, or other qualifying heir/preferred creditor. The petitioner files a Petition to Dispense with Administration (Form AOC-830) with an affidavit listing assets, debts, and proposed distribution – no personal representative or full administration is required. Real estate is generally not covered by this procedure.
Regular (Full) Administration – for larger or more complex estates, the District Court appoints a personal representative (executor if named in a will, administrator if intestate), who gathers assets, pays debts, and distributes what remains under court oversight.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor/Administrator (Form AOC-805) with the District Court in the county of residence.
If there’s a will, the court admits it to probate; it is then recorded with the county clerk (KRS 394.140).
The personal representative files an Inventory and Appraisement (Form AOC-841) of estate assets.
Notice to creditors is published; creditors generally have 6 months from appointment to file claims.
The personal representative pays valid debts, taxes, and expenses.
A Settlement of Estate (Form AOC-846) is filed, and the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Filing fees and publication costs are collected by the clerk and vary somewhat by county.
Kentucky does not require an attorney for probate, though it is commonly recommended, especially for formal administration.
Typical timelines: full probate generally takes 6-12 months; the creditor claims period is 6 months. Dispensing with Administration can move significantly faster once the estate qualifies.
Before distribution, a surviving spouse may petition for release of up to $2,500 from the estate as an exempt charge against estate property.
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 W. Main St., Grayson, KY 41143
(606) 474-5884
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
300 W. Main St., Grayson, KY 41143
(606) 474-5884
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
300 W. Main St., Grayson, KY 41143
(606) 474-5366
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
300 W. Main St., Grayson, KY 41143
(606) 474-5366
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Carter County Health Department – 105 Robert and Mary Ave., Grayson, KY 41143 | (606) 474-5109
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Grayson
Population: 27,000
Area: 411 sq mi
Established: 1838
Tier: 3
Public Records
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