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Office: Owsley County is served by KYEM Area Office covering Bell, Clay, Estill, Fayette, Garrard, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, Madison, Owsley, Powell, and Whitley counties – Emergency Management Coordination Center, 3436 S. US Hwy 421, Harlan, KY 40831 | (502) 229-7159 | Email: [email protected]. Owsley County Search and Rescue also operates locally.
Sheriff: Owsley County Sheriff’s Office – 20 Main Street (mailing: PO Box 70), Booneville, KY 41314 | (606) 593-5161; Sheriff Bill Whitaker.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: KY-11 and KY-30 serve Booneville, the county seat, on the South Fork of the Kentucky River in eastern Kentucky’s Eastern Coalfield region.
Notes: Owsley County was organized January 23, 1843 from parts of Clay, Estill, and Breathitt counties and named for William Owsley, Kentucky’s governor (1844-1848). It is Kentucky’s second-least populous county. Booneville was originally named Moore’s Station, then Boone’s Station, before taking its present name in honor of frontiersman Daniel Boone.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Owsley County Courthouse – Booneville, KY.
Notes: Owsley County’s history includes the Baker-Bales feud, a lengthy 19th-century family conflict that began in 1843 and is documented among the region’s notable Appalachian family feuds. ⚠️ Owsley County has historically ranked among the poorest counties in the nation by per-household income; readers researching the area for relocation or economic purposes should note this context and consult current county economic development resources for up-to-date information.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Owsley County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via Owsley County Courthouse, (606) 593-6226.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Owsley County Public Library (Booneville) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The South Fork of the Kentucky River and the historic Booneville courthouse square are the county’s notable local features.
Notes: Owsley County’s rural Appalachian setting and small-town character are its defining qualities; no major tourist attraction was confirmed in current sourcing.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Owsley County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via the Owsley County Courthouse.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
⚠️ No confirmed standalone Owsley County animal shelter was found in current sourcing. The Owsley County Cooperative Extension Office (92 Lone Oak Industrial Park Road, Booneville, KY 41314 | (606) 593-5109 | Email: [email protected]) runs a 4-H Dog Club and may be able to direct residents to the nearest regional animal control/shelter resource; contact the Sheriff’s Office or Judge Executive’s office for current animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Owsley County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via the Owsley County Courthouse.
NOTES: Owsley County is the seventh and final county in Kentucky’s thirteenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. ⚠️ This is a thinly sourced, small rural county – no confirmed standalone animal shelter and limited tourism/attraction data were found; flagged for manual follow-up rather than smoothed over. 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 Owsley County County
Owsley County is one of Kentucky’s smallest, most remote, and most persistently rural counties – a South Fork Kentucky River Appalachian community where Booneville’s courthouse serves fewer than 4,500 residents in a steep mountain landscape that has maintained traditional community bonds through the economic challenges that have made the county one of the most discussed rural poverty cases in America.
Booneville (the county seat, population ~100) is Owsley County’s governmental hub, one of the smallest county seat communities in the United States – a tiny Appalachian mountain town whose courthouse serves a dispersed population in the steep hollows and ridges of the South Fork Kentucky River watershed.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Owsley County Property Valuation Administrator at 154 Court Street, Booneville, KY 41314, phone 606-593-5821. KY assessed at 100% fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Owsley County Circuit Court at 154 Court Street, Booneville, KY 41314, phone 606-593-5275, 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)
100 Court St., Booneville, KY 41314
(606) 593-5715
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
100 Court St., Booneville, KY 41314
(606) 593-5177
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
100 Court St., Booneville, KY 41314
(606) 593-5715
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Owsley County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Owsley 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
Owsley County District Court 20 Main Street, Booneville, KY 41314 (606) 593-6226
Owsley County is in eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian region, seated in Booneville. It is one of Kentucky’s least populous counties.
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
100 Court St., Booneville, KY 41314
(606) 593-5177
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
100 Court St., Booneville, KY 41314
(606) 593-5177
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
100 Court St., Booneville, KY 41314
(606) 593-5715
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
100 Court St., Booneville, KY 41314
(606) 593-5715
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Owsley County Health Dept
(606) 593-5609
KY CHFS — Kentucky River Region
(606) 439-3557
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Morgan County ARH Hospital
arh.org/morgan (West Liberty — nearest significant hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Owsley County Health Department – (606) 593-5028.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Booneville
Population: 4,500
Area: 199 sq mi
Established: 1843
Public Records
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