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Kentucky County
Lawrence County, Kentucky
Louisa's Big Sandy River heritage and the Hatfield-McCoy border country - from Lawrence County's position on the Tug Fork (the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River forms the Kentucky-West Virginia border through Lawrence County - the same watershed that was the setting of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, the most famous family conflict in American history, whose violence in the neighboring hollows of Mingo County WV and Pike County KY defined the image of Appalachian isolation and clan conflict for the nation) and Louisa's Ohio River tributary community heritage.
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Office: Lawrence County Emergency Management – 180 Bulldog Lane, Louisa, KY 41230 | (606) 638-0334 | Email: [email protected]; Director Travis Hughes. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Sheriff: Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office – 310 East Main Street, Louisa, KY 41230 | (606) 638-4368 | Fax (606) 638-1316; Sheriff Chuck Jackson.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-23 and KY-3 serve Louisa, the county seat, on the Big Sandy River along the West Virginia border in eastern Kentucky.
Notes: Lawrence County, formed December 14, 1821, is named for Captain James Lawrence, a naval officer killed in the War of 1812 remembered for the order “Don’t give up the ship.”
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lawrence County Courthouse – Louisa, KY.
Notes: Lawrence County has produced a remarkable roster of notable Americans for its size. It is the birthplace of Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Tyler Childers, bluegrass legend and Country Music Hall of Fame member Ricky Skaggs, songwriter Larry Cordle, and “American Idol” winner Noah Thompson. The county is also the birthplace of Fred M. Vinson, 13th Chief Justice of the United States (1946-1953), and of Paul E. Patton, a former Governor of Kentucky.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lawrence County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via lawrencecountyky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Lawrence County Public Library (Louisa) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Big Sandy River waterfront and downtown Louisa are the county’s notable local features, alongside its significant musical and legal heritage.
Notes: The genuine concentration of notable musicians and a U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice from one small Appalachian county is a distinctive fact covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Lawrence County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via lawrencecountyky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Lawrence County Humane Society (Open Arms Animal Shelter) – 820 Isaac Park Road/Route 3395, Louisa, KY 41230 | (606) 673-4509 | after-hours (606) 638-0512 | Email: [email protected]. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit; sources differ on founding date (1953 vs. 1990/1995), but the shelter has operated for decades as a mandatory spay/neuter humane organization.
Lawrence County Animal Control – Officer Jessica Fletcher, (606) 624-5070.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Lawrence County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via lawrencecountyky.gov.
NOTES: Lawrence County is the seventh and final county in Kentucky’s ninth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine concentration of notable musicians (Tyler Childers, Ricky Skaggs) and a U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice (Fred Vinson) from this small Appalachian county is a distinctive fact 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 Lawrence County
Lawrence County sits on the Hatfield-McCoy border – the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River that forms the Kentucky-West Virginia line runs through the same mountain watershed where America’s most famous family feud played out, and Lawrence County’s communities share the Appalachian heritage of the Big Sandy valley.
Louisa (the county seat, population ~2,000) serves the county’s communities at the Kentucky-West Virginia border junction of the Big Sandy and Levisa Fork rivers.
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Lawrence County PVA at 122 S. Main Cross Street, Suite 2, Louisa, KY 41230, phone 606-638-4743. KY residential assessed at 100% of fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Lawrence County Circuit Court at 122 S. Main Cross Street, Louisa, KY 41230, phone 606-638-4471, 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)
122 S. Main Cross St., Louisa, KY 41230
(606) 638-4108
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
122 S. Main Cross St., Louisa, KY 41230
(606) 638-4369
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
122 S. Main Cross St., Louisa, KY 41230
(606) 638-4108
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lawrence County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Lawrence 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
Lawrence County District Court Lawrence County Judicial Center, 29 River Bend Road, Louisa, KY 41230 (606) 638-4215
Lawrence County is in northeastern Kentucky on the Ohio River (bordering West Virginia), seated in Louisa.
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
122 S. Main Cross St., Louisa, KY 41230
(606) 638-4527
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
122 S. Main Cross St., Louisa, KY 41230
(606) 638-4527
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
122 S. Main Cross St., Louisa, KY 41230
(606) 638-4108
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
122 S. Main Cross St., Louisa, KY 41230
(606) 638-4108
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Lawrence County Health Dept
(606) 638-4389
KY CHFS — Northeastern Region
(606) 929-9090
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Three Rivers Medical Center
threeriversmedicalcenter.com (Louisa — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lawrence County Health Department – confirm current contact via chfs.ky.gov local health department directory.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Louisa
Population: 16,000
Area: 419 sq mi
Established: 1822
Tier: 3
Public Records
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