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Kentucky County
Ohio County, Kentucky
Beaver Dam's Paradise and Green River coal heritage - from Ohio County's Western Kentucky Coal Field production (the county's bituminous coal seams in the Illinois Basin have supported mining operations for over a century - Ohio County's coal has been surface-mined extensively, shaping the landscape and economy of the county's communities) to the Green River's Ohio County corridor and Rochester Dam's historic waterpower site, and Rough River State Park's proximity to the county's recreational landscape.
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Office: Ohio County Emergency Management – 312 S. Main Street, Hartford, KY 42347 | (270) 298-4412; Director Charles Shields, who also serves as Search and Rescue Coordinator.
Sheriff: Ohio County Sheriff’s Office – 301 S. Main Street, PO Box 186, Hartford, KY 42347 | (270) 298-4444 | Fax (270) 298-4440 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Adam Wright. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM (CST).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-231 and the Western Kentucky Parkway serve Hartford, the county seat; Beaver Dam is the county’s largest city.
Notes: Ohio County was formed December 17, 1798 from part of Hardin County, the 35th Kentucky county in order of formation, and is named for the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern border. It is classified as a “moist” county, with alcohol sales legal only within certain city limits.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Ohio County Courthouse – Hartford, KY.
Notes: Ohio County’s largest city, Beaver Dam, is genuinely the birthplace of the Everly Brothers, Don and Phil Everly, the pioneering harmony duo whose late-1950s and early-1960s hits helped shape the sound of American rock and pop music and directly influenced acts including the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel. Beaver Dam grew as a coal and railroad town beginning in the late 19th century, prospering from the region’s rich coal reserves in Kentucky’s Western Coal Field.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Ohio County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via ohiocounty.ky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Ohio County Public Library (Hartford) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Beaver Dam City Park and the surrounding western Kentucky coalfield countryside are notable local attractions; Ohio County is the 5th-largest county by land area in Kentucky.
Notes: The genuine Everly Brothers birthplace connection is a widely recognized piece of American music history covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Ohio County Property Valuation Administrator – Arthur Leach; confirm current contact via ohiocounty.ky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Ohio County Animal Shelter – 1802 Country Club Lane, Hartford, KY 42347 | (270) 256-6611 (also listed (270) 298-4499); Animal Control Officer Jennifer Daugherty. Hours: closed Mondays to the public (available for emergencies), Tue-Fri 9 AM-3 PM.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Ohio County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via ohiocounty.ky.gov.
NOTES: Ohio County is the fourth county in Kentucky’s thirteenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine Everly Brothers birthplace connection is a widely recognized piece of American music history 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 Ohio County
Ohio County is west-central Kentucky’s Green River coal and agricultural county – the Western Kentucky Coal Field’s bituminous seams and the Green River’s corridor define a community between the knob country and the western coalfields.
Hartford (the county seat, population ~2,900) serves the county’s governmental and commercial needs in the rolling terrain between the Pennyroyal plateau and the Western Coal Field.
Beaver Dam (population ~3,500) is the county’s largest commercial community, serving the coal and agricultural economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Ohio County PVA at 301 S. Main Street, Suite 1, Hartford, KY 42347, phone 270-298-4492. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Ohio County Circuit Court at 301 S. Main Street, Hartford, KY 42347, phone 270-298-3686, 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)
301 S. Main St., Hartford, KY 42347
(270) 298-4410
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
301 S. Main St., Hartford, KY 42347
(270) 298-4420
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
301 S. Main St., Hartford, KY 42347
(270) 298-4410
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Ohio County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Ohio 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
Ohio County District Court Ohio County Community Center, 130 East Washington Street, Hartford, KY 42347 (270) 298-3671 Ohio County is in west-central Kentucky, seated in Hartford.
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
301 S. Main St., Hartford, KY 42347
(270) 298-4411
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
301 S. Main St., Hartford, KY 42347
(270) 298-4411
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
301 S. Main St., Hartford, KY 42347
(270) 298-4410
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
301 S. Main St., Hartford, KY 42347
(270) 298-4410
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Ohio County Health Dept
(270) 298-4423
KY CHFS — Green River Region
(270) 687-7000
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Ohio County Hospital
ohiocountyhospital.com (Hartford — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Ohio County Health Center – 1336 Clay Street, Hartford, KY 42347 | (270) 298-3663.
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