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.
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: Gallatin County Emergency Management – 303 East Main Street, Warsaw, KY 41095 | (859) 992-6588. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM.
Sheriff: Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office – 106 West Main Street, Warsaw, KY 41095 | (859) 567-5751 or (859) 567-7020; Anonymous tip line (859) 567-4000.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-42, KY-16, and KY-35 serve Warsaw, the county seat, on the Ohio River across from Indiana in northern Kentucky.
Notes: Gallatin County, established December 14, 1798 from parts of Franklin and Shelby counties, is named for Albert Gallatin, U.S. Treasury Secretary under Thomas Jefferson. Warsaw itself was named after the novel “Thaddeus of Warsaw,” which a riverboat captain happened to be reading when the town was founded.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gallatin County Courthouse – Warsaw, KY.
Notes: Gallatin County was the site of one of the deadliest disasters in Ohio River history. On the night of December 4, 1868, the sister steamboats “America” and “United States,” both operated by the U.S. Mail Line Company on the Louisville-Cincinnati route, collided near Rayl’s Landing above Warsaw after confusion over passing signals. Barrels of kerosene aboard the United States ignited, and both vessels burned to the waterline; an estimated 70-162 people died (sources vary), making it among the worst maritime disasters ever recorded on the river. A Kentucky Historical Society marker (#720) commemorates the tragedy near Warsaw today. Kentucky’s future governor J. Proctor Knott, then a U.S. Congressman, was among the passengers aboard the America that night.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gallatin County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via gallatinky.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Gallatin County Public Library (Warsaw) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Ohio River waterfront, the Warsaw Sports Complex, and the historical marker at the 1868 steamboat disaster site are the county’s notable local features.
Notes: The genuine 1868 “America”/”United States” steamboat disaster is one of the deadliest confirmed Ohio River tragedies covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Gallatin County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) – confirm current contact via gallatinky.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Gallatin County Animal Shelter – 4550 Kentucky Highway 455 (Johnson Road), Sparta, KY 41086 | (859) 643-3647. Provides animal control and adoption for the county; responds to strays, aggressive dogs, and abuse/neglect reports. Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 9 AM-4 PM, Sat 12-3 PM.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Gallatin County Emergency & Waste – confirm current contact via gallatinky.org.
NOTES: Gallatin County is the third county in Kentucky’s sixth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine 1868 “America”/”United States” steamboat disaster is one of the deadliest confirmed Ohio River tragedies 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 Gallatin County County
Gallatin County is northern Kentucky’s speedway and Ohio River agricultural county – Kentucky Speedway’s NASCAR races that bring massive crowds to Sparta and the quiet Ohio River bottomland farming that defines the county the other 51 weeks define a small northern Kentucky community whose agricultural identity and motorsports profile coexist in one of the river corridor’s most rural settings.
Warsaw (the county seat, population ~1,900) is Gallatin County’s governmental hub on the Ohio River, a small northern Kentucky river community whose courthouse serves the county’s agricultural population while Sparta hosts the speedway’s race events.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Gallatin County Property Valuation Administrator at 100 Main Street, Warsaw, KY 41095, phone 859-567-5391. KY assessed at 100% fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Gallatin County Circuit Court at 100 Main Street, Warsaw, KY 41095, phone 859-567-5411, 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)
100 Main St., Warsaw, KY 41095
(859) 567-5411
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
100 Main St., Warsaw, KY 41095
(859) 567-7600
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
100 Main St., Warsaw, KY 41095
(859) 567-5411
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gallatin County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Gallatin 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
Gallatin County District Court Gallatin County Courthouse, 100 Main Street, P.O. Box 256, Warsaw, KY 41095 (859) 567-5691 Gallatin County is in northern Kentucky along the Ohio River, seated in Warsaw.
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
100 Main St., Warsaw, KY 41095
(859) 567-5621
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
100 Main St., Warsaw, KY 41095
(859) 567-5621
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
100 Main St., Warsaw, KY 41095
(859) 567-5411
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
100 Main St., Warsaw, KY 41095
(859) 567-5411
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Gallatin County Health Dept
(859) 567-5481
KY CHFS — Northern KY Region
(859) 344-7900
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
St. Elizabeth Healthcare (Edgewood)
stelizabeth.com (primary regional hospital)
University Hospital (Cincinnati)
uchealth.com (accessible from Warsaw)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Gallatin County Health Department – confirm current contact via chfs.ky.gov local health department directory.
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: Warsaw
Population: 8,900
Area: 99 sq mi (one of Kentucky's smallest counties by area)
Established: 1798
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Gallatin County County residents.
