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Kentucky County
Nelson County, Kentucky
Bardstown - the Bourbon Capital of the World - from Bardstown's extraordinary bourbon concentration (more bourbon is produced within a few miles of Bardstown than anywhere else on Earth - Heaven Hill, Willett, Barton 1792, and numerous other distilleries operate in Nelson County, producing the majority of the world's bourbon supply in the same limestone-filtered water and white oak barrel aging conditions that have defined Kentucky whiskey since the 18th century) to My Old Kentucky Home State Park (the Federal Hill mansion - believed to have inspired Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home," Kentucky's state song - preserves an antebellum plantation house that has drawn visitors since the 1920s).
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Office: Nelson County Emergency Management – 1301 Atkinson Hill Avenue, Bardstown, KY 40004 | (502) 348-4929. Nelson County Dispatch, a multi-agency 911 center operational since 2007, serves over 50,000 residents across the county’s 424 square miles, 24/7.
Sheriff: Nelson County Sheriff’s Office – Bardstown, KY 40004; staffed by a small deputy team serving law enforcement, civil process, tax collection, and courthouse security countywide.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. After-hours dispatch: (502) 348-3211.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-31E and the Bluegrass Parkway serve Bardstown, the county seat, in north-central Kentucky.
Notes: Nelson County, formed November 29, 1784, was the fourth county created in what is now Kentucky, named for Thomas Nelson Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Virginia governor. Bardstown, settled as “Bard’s Town” in the 1780s, is one of Kentucky’s oldest towns.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Nelson County Courthouse – Bardstown, KY.
Notes: Bardstown is widely known as the “Bourbon Capital of the World,” with a distilling tradition dating to 1792 and home to Heaven Hill and other major distilleries; the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History documents the industry’s heritage. The city is also home to My Old Kentucky Home State Park, centered on the historic Federal Hill mansion – visited in 1852 by composer Stephen Foster, whose stay there is credited with inspiring “My Old Kentucky Home,” now the official state song of Kentucky, performed annually at the Kentucky Derby. Bardstown was named the “Most Beautiful Small Town in America” by Rand McNally and USA Today in 2012, and the historic 1819 Nelson County Jail (in use until 1987) sits on the National Register of Historic Places in the Bardstown Historic District.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Nelson County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via nelsoncountyky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Nelson County Public Library (Bardstown) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: My Old Kentucky Home State Park (Federal Hill mansion, The Stephen Foster Story outdoor musical, golf course), Heaven Hill Distillery, and the historic Bardstown downtown are the county’s premier tourism attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Bourbon Capital of the World” and Kentucky state song origin are among the most nationally recognized Kentucky cultural facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Nelson County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via nelsoncountyky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Nelson County Animal Shelter – 2391 New Haven Road, Bardstown, KY 40004 | (502) 348-1865 | Email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Open-admission shelter, now managed directly by county government (Fiscal Court) as of March 2022; supported by the Humane Society of Nelson County (est. 1994) as a “Friend of the Shelter” nonprofit partner, (502) 349-2082. Live-release rate for canines has reached up to 85% in some years via out-of-state rescue transport partnerships. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM, Sat 8 AM-2 PM, closed Sunday.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Nelson County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via nelsoncountyky.gov.
NOTES: Nelson County is the second county in Kentucky’s thirteenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine “Bourbon Capital of the World” and Kentucky state song origin are among the most nationally recognized Kentucky cultural 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 Nelson County
Nelson County is the Bourbon Capital of the World – more bourbon whiskey is produced in the limestone-filtered spring water country around Bardstown than anywhere else on the planet, making it the most important county in the global spirits industry.
Bardstown (the county seat, population ~14,000) is Kentucky’s most bourbon-dense community – Heaven Hill’s massive warehouses, the Bardstown Bourbon Company, Willett Distillery, and Barton 1792 Distillery cluster within miles of the town square. The Kentucky Bourbon Festival each September draws visitors from around the world.
My Old Kentucky Home State Park preserves Federal Hill, the inspiration for Kentucky’s state song.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Nelson County PVA at 113 E. Stephen Foster Avenue, Suite 4, Bardstown, KY 40004, phone 502-348-1810. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Nelson County Circuit Court at 113 E. Stephen Foster Avenue, Bardstown, KY 40004, phone 502-348-1838, 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 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-1820
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
102 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-1870
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
102 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-1820
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Nelson County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The “Bourbon Capital of the World” designation and its distilling heritage sites are significant local historical resources.
Local societies
No dedicated Nelson 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
Nelson County District Court Nelson County Justice Center, 200 Nelson County Plaza, Bardstown, KY 40004 (502) 348-3648
Nelson County is in central Kentucky, seated in Bardstown, known as the “Bourbon Capital of the World.”
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 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-3211
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
102 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-3211
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
102 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-1820
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
102 Court Square, Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 348-1820
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Nelson County Health Dept
(502) 348-3222
KY CHFS — Lincoln Trail Region
(270) 766-5100
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Flaget Memorial Hospital
flagetmemorial.com (Bardstown — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Nelson 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: Bardstown
Population: 46,000
Area: 420 sq mi
Established: 1784
Tier: 3
Public Records
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