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Kentucky County
Simpson County, Kentucky
Franklin's I-65 corridor and Kentucky-Tennessee border commerce - from Franklin's strategic I-65 position (the Franklin exit on I-65 - the primary Louisville-to-Nashville interstate corridor - has developed a significant commercial and industrial presence serving travelers and the regional economy) to Simpson County's tobacco farming heritage and its position as one of Kentucky's southernmost Bluegrass communities, with the Tennessee border running along its southern edge.
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Office: Simpson County Office of Emergency Management – 100 Courthouse Square, Franklin, KY 42134 | Mailing: PO Box 242, Franklin, KY 42135-0242 | (270) 586-1800; Director Robert “Bob” Palmer. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM. Residents can sign up for Simpson County ALERT emergency notifications.
Sheriff: Simpson County Sheriff’s Office – 203 E. Kentucky Street, Franklin, KY 42134 | Mailing: PO Box 434 | (270) 586-7425 | Fax (270) 586-9505 | Email: [email protected]. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-65 and US-31W serve Franklin, the county seat, just 6 miles north of the Tennessee state line in south-central Kentucky.
Notes: Simpson County was established in 1819 from parts of Allen, Logan, and Warren counties, named for Captain John Simpson, a Kentucky militia officer killed at the Battle of River Raisin during the War of 1812. In December 2025, Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocer, announced a $391 million high-tech automated distribution center in Franklin expected to create roughly 430 full-time jobs.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Old Simpson County Courthouse – Franklin, KY (built 1882-83, National Register of Historic Places, now houses Fiscal Court and administrative offices; court functions moved to the Franklin Justice Center in 2004).
Notes: Franklin holds a genuinely notable place in American music history: country music legends Johnny Cash and June Carter were married at Franklin’s First United Methodist Church on March 1, 1968, an event still commemorated with a historical marker at the Simpson County Tourism office. Franklin is also the birthplace of Alexander Majors, a co-founder of the Pony Express, and of hymn writer Thomas Obadiah Chisholm. During the Civil War, Confederate cavalry commander Nathan Bedford Forrest’s forces moved through Simpson County during the 1862 Confederate invasion of Kentucky.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Simpson County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via simpsoncountyky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Goodnight Memorial Library (Franklin) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Simpson County Historical Society Museum and Old Jail, historic downtown Franklin, and the Johnny Cash/June Carter wedding site are the county’s notable heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine Johnny Cash and June Carter wedding connection is a widely recognized piece of American music history covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Simpson County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via simpsoncountyky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Simpson County Animal Shelter – 2194 Kenneth Utley Drive (also listed Ditmore Ford Road), Franklin, KY 42134 | (270) 586-3125 | Email: [email protected]. County-owned, managed by volunteer nonprofit Friends of the Shelter. Adoption fees: dogs $95 (or $50 if sponsored), cats $50-85 (includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchip, heartworm test). Note: this shelter is NOT animal control and cannot pick up strays – report strays/complaints to Animal Control at (270) 586-8824. Hours: Tue-Sat 10 AM-4 PM (some sources list 10 AM-3 PM – confirm current hours directly).
The Fix Foundation – low-cost spay/neuter clinic next door to the shelter, (270) 586-6600, open Tue-Thu.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Simpson County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via simpsoncountyky.gov.
NOTES: Simpson County is the fifth county in Kentucky’s fifteenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine Johnny Cash and June Carter wedding 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 Simpson County
Simpson County is south-central Kentucky’s I-65 border corridor county – Franklin’s position on the primary Louisville-Nashville interstate and its proximity to the Tennessee line define a commercial and agricultural community at the southern edge of the Kentucky Bluegrass.
Franklin (the county seat, population ~8,500) has developed manufacturing and commercial activity along the I-65 corridor – automotive suppliers and light manufacturing take advantage of the strategic interstate position between Louisville and Nashville.
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Simpson County PVA at 103 W. Cedar Street, Suite 1, Franklin, KY 42134, phone 270-586-4261. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Simpson County Circuit Court at 103 W. Cedar Street, Franklin, KY 42134, phone 270-586-7145, 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)
103 W. Cedar St., Franklin, KY 42134
(270) 586-8161
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
103 W. Cedar St., Franklin, KY 42134
(270) 586-7197
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
103 W. Cedar St., Franklin, KY 42134
(270) 586-8161
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Simpson County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Simpson 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
Simpson County District Court 101 North Court Street, Franklin, KY 42134 (270) 586-4241
Simpson County is on the Tennessee border in south-central Kentucky, seated in Franklin, 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
103 W. Cedar St., Franklin, KY 42134
(270) 586-4441
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
103 W. Cedar St., Franklin, KY 42134
(270) 586-4441
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
103 W. Cedar St., Franklin, KY 42134
(270) 586-8161
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
103 W. Cedar St., Franklin, KY 42134
(270) 586-8161
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Simpson County Health Dept
(270) 586-4421
KY CHFS — Barren River Region
(270) 780-2340
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Medical Center at Franklin
medicalcenteratfranklin.com (quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Simpson County Health Department – confirm current contact via simpsoncountyky.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Franklin
Population: 18,500
Area: 236 sq mi
Established: 1819
Tier: 3
Public Records
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