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Kentucky County
Lincoln County, Kentucky
Stanford - Kentucky's first chartered town - and the Wilderness Road - from Stanford's distinction as Kentucky's first chartered town (Stanford, originally called Logan's Station, was chartered by the Virginia legislature in 1786 - making it the oldest chartered town in Kentucky - the Wilderness Road that Daniel Boone blazed through Cumberland Gap passed directly through Lincoln County, making it one of the most historically significant corridors in American westward expansion) to William Whitley House State Historic Site (the 1789 brick house built by frontiersman William Whitley - the first brick building west of the Alleghenies, featuring the first circular racetrack in America where horses ran counterclockwise in defiance of British tradition).
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Office: Lincoln County Emergency Management – 319B West Main Street, Stanford, KY 40484 | (606) 365-4513 | Email: [email protected]; Director Ashley Powell. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
Sheriff: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – 104 North 2nd Street, Stanford, KY 40484 | (606) 365-2696; Sheriff Shawn Hines (note: some listings show Sheriff Curt Folger – confirm current officeholder directly).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-27 and US-150 serve Stanford, the county seat, in south-central Kentucky.
Notes: Lincoln County is genuinely one of Kentucky’s original three counties, established by the Virginia General Assembly in June 1780 (alongside Fayette and Jefferson counties) when Kentucky was still part of Virginia. It is named for Revolutionary War General Benjamin Lincoln.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lincoln County Courthouse – 102 East Main Street, Stanford, KY 40484 | (606) 365-2534.
Notes: Lincoln County is home to the William Whitley House State Historic Site near Crab Orchard – the first brick house built west of the Allegheny Mountains, completed in 1794 by pioneer William Whitley and his wife Esther. Directly across from the house, Whitley built Sportsman’s Hill, widely credited as the first circular horse racing track in America; out of anti-British sentiment, Whitley deliberately ran his races counterclockwise, opposite the clockwise British tradition – establishing the counterclockwise convention still used at every American racetrack today, including Churchill Downs. The house, dubbed the “Guardian of the Wilderness Road,” hosted notable visitors including Daniel Boone and George Rogers Clark.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lincoln County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via lincolnky.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Lincoln County Public Library (Stanford) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: William Whitley House State Historic Site (Sportsman’s Hill racing exhibit, walking trail) and Cedar Creek Lake are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine origin of America’s counterclockwise horse-racing tradition – a convention followed by every major U.S. track, including the Kentucky Derby – is one of the most distinctive sports-history facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Lincoln County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via lincolnky.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Lincoln County Animal Shelter – 341 Workhouse Road, Stanford, KY 40484 | (606) 365-2354; also serves Casey County. Adoption fees: male dogs $60, female dogs $70, male cats $40, female cats $55 (includes spay/neuter, rabies vaccination, and county tags). Owner surrender fee $10/animal. Hours: Mon-Fri 10 AM-2 PM, Sat 10 AM-12 PM, closed Sunday.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Lincoln County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via lincolnky.com.
NOTES: Lincoln County is the fifth county in Kentucky’s tenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine origin of America’s counterclockwise horse-racing tradition at Sportsman’s Hill is one of the most distinctive sports-history 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 Lincoln County
Lincoln County is central Kentucky’s oldest chartered town and Wilderness Road county – Stanford’s 1786 charter, the William Whitley House’s first American racetrack, and the Wilderness Road corridor make Lincoln County one of the most historically layered counties in Kentucky.
Stanford (the county seat, population ~3,600) holds Kentucky’s oldest town charter (1786). The William Whitley House – first brick building west of the Alleghenies – features the first circular horse racetrack in America, where Whitley deliberately ran horses counterclockwise to distinguish American racing from British tradition.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lincoln County PVA at 102 E. Main Street, Stanford, KY 40484, phone 606-365-2275. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Lincoln County Circuit Court at 102 E. Main Street, Stanford, KY 40484, phone 606-365-2534, 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)
102 E. Main St., Stanford, KY 40484
(606) 365-4570
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
102 E. Main St., Stanford, KY 40484
(606) 365-4570
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
102 E. Main St., Stanford, KY 40484
(606) 365-4570
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lincoln County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Lincoln 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
Lincoln County District Court Lincoln County Judicial Center, 101 East Main Street, Stanford, KY 40484 (606) 365-2535 Lincoln County is in central Kentucky, seated in Stanford.
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
102 E. Main St., Stanford, KY 40484
(606) 365-2696
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
102 E. Main St., Stanford, KY 40484
(606) 365-2696
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
102 E. Main St., Stanford, KY 40484
(606) 365-4570
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
102 E. Main St., Stanford, KY 40484
(606) 365-4570
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Lincoln County Health Department – confirm current contact via chfs.ky.gov local health department directory.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Stanford
Population: 24,000
Area: 336 sq mi
Established: 1780
Tier: 3
Public Records
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