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Kentucky · Western Kentucky · #478
Daviess County, Kentucky
On the Ohio River in western Kentucky, Owensboro has built its identity around two things that are genuinely its own: burgoo (a legendary slow-cooked meat stew served at the International Bar-B-Q Festival) and bluegrass music, where the county's claim on the tradition is rooted in the soil as much as the sound.
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Office: Daviess County Emergency Management Agency – 212 Saint Ann Street, Suite 202, Owensboro, KY 42303 | (270) 685-8448. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM.
Sheriff: Daviess County Sheriff’s Office – 212 Saint Ann Street, Owensboro, KY 42303 | (270) 685-8444 | Fax (270) 685-8454; Sheriff Brad Youngman, a former Owensboro Police SWAT officer and narcotics detective who joined DCSO in 2015; roughly 70 deputies and civilian staff serve the 477-square-mile county, plus a field office at Whitesville City Hall.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Owensboro-Daviess County Central Dispatch: (270) 687-8888.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-60 and the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway serve Owensboro, the county seat, on the Ohio River.
Notes: Daviess County, established January 14, 1815, is named for Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, a U.S. attorney killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe (a spelling variation between “Daveiss” and “Daviess” persists to this day).
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Daviess County Courthouse – Owensboro, KY.
Notes: Owensboro hosts the annual International Bar-B-Q Festival (recently rebranded “BBQ and Barrels”), held every second weekend in May since 1979 and genuinely rooted in the area’s distinctive food heritage. Mutton barbecue – unusual nationally but a real Owensboro specialty – traces to early Welsh settlers who raised sheep for wool and turned to the meat once the animals aged out of wool production; burgoo (a thick mutton-and-vegetable stew) was brought by early German Catholic settlers. The festival, centered on a barbecue cook-off for the “Governor’s Cup,” has drawn crowds estimated at 80,000+ in recent years, with thousands of pounds of mutton, chicken, and burgoo prepared on-site.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Daviess County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via daviessky.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Daviess County Public Library (Owensboro) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The International Bar-B-Q Festival/BBQ and Barrels and Owensboro’s riverfront district along the Ohio River are the county’s premier draws.
Notes: The genuine mutton-and-burgoo culinary heritage, rooted in real Welsh and German settlement history, is one of the most distinctive regional-food facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Daviess County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) – confirm current contact via daviessky.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Daviess County Animal Shelter & Clinic – 2620 Highway 81, Owensboro, KY 42301 | (270) 685-8275 | Email: [email protected]; operated under contract by It Takes A Village Canine Rescue, Inc. (a nonprofit). Adoption fees: dogs $75-100, kittens $60, cats $30 (fees include vaccination, spay/neuter, and microchip); dogs 4 months+ must wear a $5 county dog tag. Hours: Tue-Fri 12-5 PM, Sat 9 AM-3 PM.
Daviess County Sheriff’s Office Civil Enforcement handles animal control/cruelty complaints – report via Central Dispatch (270) 687-8888.
Owensboro Humane Society – a separate no-kill nonprofit since 1968/1999.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Daviess County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via daviessky.org.
NOTES: Daviess County is the first county in Kentucky’s fifth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine mutton-and-burgoo culinary heritage behind the International Bar-B-Q Festival is one of the most distinctive regional-food facts 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 Daviess County
Daviess County’s Owensboro is western Kentucky’s largest city and the regional hub for a wide swath of the Ohio River valley. The city has built a genuine and distinctive identity that sets it apart from comparable Kentucky river cities. The International Bar-B-Q Festival, held every May since 1979, draws tens of thousands of visitors to sample competing versions of burgoo – the thick, multi-meat stew that is western Kentucky’s specific contribution to American barbecue culture – and mutton, the regional specialty that Owensboro uniquely claims as its preferred smoked meat. The festival is legitimately one of the best food events in the South.
The International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame reflect the county’s deep connection to the music form that grew up in the Ohio River valley communities of western Kentucky and Tennessee. Owensboro’s connection to bluegrass is biographical: several foundational figures of the genre – including Bill Monroe, whose western Kentucky roots are celebrated throughout the region – drew from the musical culture of these river communities. The county’s bourbon distilling industry – Owensboro Distilling Company, and proximity to the broader Kentucky Bourbon Trail – has grown with the national spirits renaissance. Brescia University and Kentucky Wesleyan College provide higher education. Owensboro Health Regional Hospital is the county’s medical anchor.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Kentucky assesses property at 100% of fair cash value annually; the PVA sets assessments. Property owners may appeal to the Board of Assessment Appeals by May 20. Kentucky has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Daviess County Circuit Court at 100 E. Second Street, Owensboro, KY 42303, phone 270-687-7270, handles probate.
Senior Services
Pennyrile Area Development District / Barren River ADD – Area Agency on Aging
3860 U.S. Highway 431 North, Owensboro, KY 42301
Phone: (270) 926-4433
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care counseling for Daviess County residents.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
212 St. Ann St., Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 685-8434
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
100 E. Second St., Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 687-7270
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
212 St. Ann St., Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 685-8434
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Daviess County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Daviess 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
Daviess County District Court, Probate Division Holbrook Judicial Center, 100 East 2nd Street, P.O. Box 277, Owensboro, KY 42302 (270) 687-7207 (Probate)
Daviess County was formed January 14, 1815, named for Joseph Hamilton Daveiss. Its seat, Owensboro, is on the Ohio River and is Kentucky’s fourth-most-populous county.
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
212 St. Ann St., Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 685-8466
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
212 St. Ann St., Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 685-8466
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
212 St. Ann St., Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 685-8434
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
212 St. Ann St., Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 685-8434
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Daviess County Health Dept
(270) 852-5700
KY CHFS — Green River Region
(270) 687-7000
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital
owensborohealth.org (major regional hospital; Level II Trauma)
Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital
owensborohealth.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Green River District Health Department (Daviess County) – confirm current contact via chfs.ky.gov local health department directory.
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Owensboro
Population: 102,000
Area: 462 sq mi
Established: 1815
Tier: 3
Public Records
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