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Kentucky County
Perry County, Kentucky
Hazard's coal heritage and the Kentucky River's North Fork - from Hazard's deep bituminous coal identity (Perry County sits atop some of the most productive coal seams in eastern Kentucky - the county was one of the most significant coal-producing counties in Appalachia for over a century, and Hazard served as the commercial and governmental hub for the surrounding coalfield communities) to the North Fork of the Kentucky River's dramatic gorge through Perry County and the community's efforts to diversify beyond coal through healthcare, education, and entrepreneurship initiatives.
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Perry County Emergency Management – 481 Main Street, 1st Floor, Hazard, KY 41701 | (606) 439-1816; Director Jerry Stacy. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM. Also served by KYEM Area 8 (covering Breathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Perry, Pike, and Wolfe counties), 782 Dawahare Drive, Hazard, KY.
Sheriff: Perry County Sheriff’s Office – 481 Main Street, Suite 200, Hazard, KY 41701 | (606) 439-4523 | Fax (606) 436-4970; Sheriff Joseph Engle. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. ⚠️ Perry County has experienced multiple recent flooding disasters (including a 2025 event that displaced 32 families, sheltered at Perry County Park) – confirm current disaster-recovery resources directly with Emergency Management.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-15/80 and the Hal Rogers Parkway serve Hazard, the county seat, on the North Fork of the Kentucky River in southeastern Kentucky.
Notes: Perry County was established in 1821 as Kentucky’s 68th county. Hazard was founded in 1795 by Elijah Combs, who built the area’s first structure, the “Old Log Fort,” where court was held for years; the town is named for War of 1812 naval hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (as is the county itself). Hazard was formally incorporated in 1884.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hazard/Perry County Courthouse – Hazard, KY.
Notes: Hazard transformed from a logging town into southeastern Kentucky’s major coal-mining center after the railroad arrived in 1912, becoming the beating heart of the region’s coal industry by the 1920s. This legacy is celebrated every September at the Black Gold Festival in downtown Hazard, now in its fifth decade, honoring the community’s mining heritage and resilience through the industry’s later decline.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Perry County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via perrycounty.ky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Perry County Public Library (Hazard) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Downtown Hazard (home to the annual Black Gold Festival) and Buckhorn Lake are the county’s notable heritage and outdoor attractions; Hazard has been designated a Kentucky Trail Town.
Notes: The genuine coal-mining heritage and Black Gold Festival are significant pieces of Appalachian regional identity covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Perry County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via perrycounty.ky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Kentucky River Regional Animal Shelter – 194 Animal Shelter Lane, Hazard, KY 41701 | (606) 439-4064 | Email: [email protected]; a regional facility serving Perry, Letcher, Knott, and Breathitt counties. Adoption fees: dogs $125, cats $35 (includes spay/neuter, shots, heartworm test for dogs). Hours: Mon-Fri 10 AM-5 PM, Sat 10 AM-2 PM (some listings show Mon-Fri 2-5 PM, Sat 11 AM-2 PM – confirm current hours directly).
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Perry County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via perrycounty.ky.gov.
NOTES: Perry County is the second county in Kentucky’s fourteenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine coal-mining heritage and Black Gold Festival are significant pieces of Appalachian regional identity covered in this project. ⚠️ Recent (2025) flooding disaster activity noted – confirm current recovery resources directly. 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 Perry County
Perry County is eastern Kentucky’s Hazard coalfield county – one of Appalachian Kentucky’s most storied coal communities, navigating a significant economic transition as the coal industry declines.
Hazard (the county seat, population ~4,500) was the commercial capital of the North Fork Kentucky River coal country for generations. The city has invested in healthcare (ARH Regional Medical Center) and education as diversification strategies, and its designation as a KentuckyWired broadband hub reflects efforts to attract technology employment to the mountains.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Perry County PVA at 481 Main Street, Suite 1, Hazard, KY 41701, phone 606-436-4914. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Perry County Circuit Court at 481 Main Street, Hazard, KY 41701, phone 606-436-4614, 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)
481 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 436-4614
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
481 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 436-2185
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
481 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 436-4614
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Perry County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Perry 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
Perry County District Court Perry County Hall of Justice, 545 Main Street, P.O. Box 7433, Hazard, KY 41702 (606) 435-6000
Perry County was founded November 2, 1820, named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Its seat, Hazard (nicknamed “Queen City of the Mountains”), is also its largest city.
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
481 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 436-2171
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
481 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 436-2171
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
481 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 436-4614
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
481 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 436-4614
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Perry County Health Dept
(606) 436-2217
KY CHFS — Kentucky River Region
(606) 439-3557
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center
arh.org/hazard (quality regional hospital; significant Eastern KY medical anchor)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Perry County Health Department – confirm current contact via chfs.ky.gov local health department directory.
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