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Kentucky County
Montgomery County, Kentucky
Mount Sterling's Court Days tradition and Bluegrass-Appalachian transition - from Mount Sterling's October Court Days (one of Kentucky's oldest and most beloved traditional gatherings - the October Court Days flea market and trading fair in Mount Sterling has been held annually since the early 19th century, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to trade, buy, and sell in one of the most authentic surviving examples of the Kentucky courthouse square trading tradition) to Montgomery County's position in the Bluegrass-Appalachian transition zone where the flat horse country gives way to the eastern Kentucky mountains.
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Office: Montgomery County Emergency Management – 35 South Bank Street, Mount Sterling, KY 40353 | (859) 498-3825. Montgomery County 911 Dispatch operates 24/7, serving as the Public Safety Answering Point for the Sheriff’s Office, Mount Sterling Police, and county Fire/EMS.
Sheriff: Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office – 1 Court Street, Suite 4, Mount Sterling, KY 40353 | (859) 498-8704 | Fax (859) 498-8694; Sheriff David Charles. Created in 1797, the office currently has 14 sworn deputies, 6 court personnel, and 10 reserve deputies.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-64 and US-460 serve Mount Sterling, the county seat, in central Kentucky. Montgomery County is classified as a “moist” county – alcohol sales are otherwise prohibited countywide except within “wet” Mount Sterling.
Notes: Montgomery County was formed in 1796 and named for Revolutionary War General Richard Montgomery.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Montgomery County Courthouse – Mount Sterling, KY.
Notes: Mount Sterling is home to Court Days, widely recognized as Kentucky’s oldest continuously running street festival, dating to 1794 – originally a monthly gathering timed to the circuit court’s session, where residents came to buy, sell, and trade goods, livestock, guns, and knives. Today the four-day October festival draws roughly 200,000 visitors and 500+ vendors, making it one of the largest outdoor festivals in the state. Montgomery County is also the birthplace of Nancy Green (1834-1923), the formerly enslaved woman who became the original face and namesake spokesperson for the “Aunt Jemima” pancake brand – a significant and complicated piece of American commercial and civil rights history documented at the Montgomery County History Museum.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Montgomery County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via montgomerycounty.ky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Montgomery County Public Library (Mount Sterling) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Downtown Mount Sterling (site of the annual Court Days Festival) and the Montgomery County History Museum are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Kentucky’s oldest continuous festival” distinction (Court Days, since 1794) is one of the most historically significant American folk-tradition facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Montgomery County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via montgomerycounty.ky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Montgomery County Animal Shelter – 115 Adena Drive, Mount Sterling, KY 40353 | (859) 498-8751 | Email: [email protected]. County Fiscal Court-operated, open-admission shelter accepting strays and owner surrenders; $7 rescue pull fee for qualified nonprofit partners. Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 7 AM-3:30 PM, Tue/Thu 7 AM-5 PM, Sat 9 AM-12 PM, closed Sunday.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Montgomery County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via montgomerycounty.ky.gov.
NOTES: Montgomery County is the sixth county in Kentucky’s twelfth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine “Kentucky’s oldest continuous festival” distinction (Court Days, since 1794) is one of the most historically significant American folk-tradition 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 Montgomery County
Montgomery County is east-central Kentucky’s October Court Days and Bluegrass transition county – Mount Sterling’s ancient trading fair tradition and its position at the gateway between the Bluegrass and the mountains define a community at a distinctive geographic and cultural crossroads.
Mount Sterling (the county seat, population ~7,000) hosts October Court Days – one of Kentucky’s most authentic surviving 19th-century traditions. The annual fall gathering draws over 100,000 visitors for trading, flea market browsing, and community celebration in one of the most genuinely traditional events in the Bluegrass.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Montgomery County PVA at 44 W. Main Street, Suite 205, Mount Sterling, KY 40353, phone 859-498-8710. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Montgomery County Circuit Court at 44 W. Main Street, Mount Sterling, KY 40353, phone 859-498-8775, 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)
1 Court St., Mount Sterling, KY 40353
(859) 498-8700
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
1 Court St., Mount Sterling, KY 40353
(859) 498-8785
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
1 Court St., Mount Sterling, KY 40353
(859) 498-8700
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Montgomery County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Montgomery 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
Montgomery County District Court 1 Court Street, Mount Sterling, KY 40353 (859) 498-5966 Montgomery County is in central Kentucky, seated in Mount Sterling.
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
1 Court St., Mount Sterling, KY 40353
(859) 498-8720
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
1 Court St., Mount Sterling, KY 40353
(859) 498-8720
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
1 Court St., Mount Sterling, KY 40353
(859) 498-8700
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
1 Court St., Mount Sterling, KY 40353
(859) 498-8700
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Montgomery County Health Dept
(859) 498-3808
KY CHFS — Bluegrass Region
(859) 246-2090
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Meadowview Regional Medical Center
meadowviewregional.com (Maysville — accessible)
St. Joseph Mount Sterling
saintjosephmtstirling.org (quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Montgomery 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: Mount Sterling
Population: 27,000
Area: 199 sq mi
Established: 1796
Tier: 3
Public Records
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