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Kentucky County
Todd County, Kentucky
Elkton - the birthplace of Jefferson Davis - from the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site (Jefferson Davis - President of the Confederate States of America - was born in Todd County, Kentucky on June 3, 1808, just eight months and about 100 miles from Abraham Lincoln's birthplace in LaRue County - the Jefferson Davis Monument, a 351-foot concrete obelisk near Fairview, is the fourth-tallest monument in the United States and one of the most visited Confederate heritage sites in the nation - the fact that both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were born in Kentucky within the same year makes the state unique in American Civil War history).
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Office: Todd County Emergency Management – 202 East Washington Street, Elkton, KY 42220 | (270) 265-9985. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM.
Sheriff: Todd County Sheriff’s Office – 202 E. Washington Street, Elkton, KY 42220 | (270) 265-9966 ext. 2 | Fax (270) 265-9966 ext. 236; Sheriff Tracy White.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-68 and US-79 serve Elkton, the county seat, in southwestern Kentucky. Elkton was founded by Major John Gray and established by the state legislature in 1820, named for a local elk herd that used a nearby salt lick.
Notes: Todd County was formed in 1819 (Kentucky’s 79th county).
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Todd County Courthouse – 202 E. Washington Street, Elkton, KY. Property Valuation Administration is housed inside the courthouse, (270) 265-9966 ext. 504.
Notes: Todd County shares a genuine and historically significant distinction with neighboring Christian County: the community of Fairview, which straddles the county line, is the birthplace of Jefferson Davis, the only President of the Confederate States of America, born June 3, 1808 to Samuel and Jane Cook Davis on the Todd County side of the community. A historical marker (#57) on US-68 in Fairview commemorates the birthplace directly; the towering 351-foot Jefferson Davis Monument – the tallest concrete obelisk in the world, built 1917-1924 – sits nearby just across the line in Christian County at the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site. Notably, both Civil War presidents were born in Kentucky: Davis in 1808, Abraham Lincoln the following year, roughly 80 miles apart.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Todd County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via toddcounty.ky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Todd County Public Library (Elkton) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Fairview community and its Jefferson Davis birthplace marker are the county’s most historically significant point of interest, alongside historic downtown Elkton.
Notes: The genuine Jefferson Davis birthplace connection is a nationally significant, carefully presented piece of Civil War-era history covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Todd County Property Valuation Administration – 202 E. Washington Street (inside the courthouse), Elkton, KY 42220 | (270) 265-9966 ext. 504.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
⚠️ Todd County does not operate its own animal shelter. The county contracts with the Christian County Animal Shelter to house stray animals, coordinated through Todd County’s Animal Control Officer (transport limited to days the Christian County shelter is open). Residents should contact the Todd County Judge Executive’s Office, (270) 265-9966 ext. 225, for current animal control arrangements. Todd County Animal Clinic (private veterinary practice, not a shelter) – 103 Joiner Ave, Elkton, KY 42220 | (270) 265-5556.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Garbage/trash pickup contracted to GFL, (931) 552-7276. Convenience Center trash cards ($48/year) available through the County Judge Executive’s Office, (270) 265-9966 ext. 225.
NOTES: Todd County is the first county in Kentucky’s sixteenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine Jefferson Davis birthplace connection is a nationally significant, carefully presented piece of Civil War-era 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 Todd County
Todd County is where Jefferson Davis was born – the President of the Confederacy came into the world just eight months and 100 miles from Abraham Lincoln’s Kentucky birthplace, making Kentucky the only state that birthed both leaders of the Civil War, and the 351-foot Jefferson Davis Monument near Fairview is one of the tallest obelisks in the United States.
Elkton (the county seat, population ~2,000) serves Todd County’s dark-fired tobacco and agricultural communities in the southwest Kentucky Pennyrile.
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Todd County PVA at 102 E. Washington Street, Suite 3, Elkton, KY 42220, phone 270-265-2442. KY residential assessed at 100% of fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Todd County Circuit Court at 102 E. Washington Street, Elkton, KY 42220, phone 270-265-2447, 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)
203 Main St., Elkton, KY 42220
(270) 265-2363
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
203 Main St., Elkton, KY 42220
(270) 265-9996
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
203 Main St., Elkton, KY 42220
(270) 265-2363
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Todd County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Todd 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
Todd County District Court 204 West Main Street, Elkton, KY 42220 (270) 265-5631 Todd County is on the Tennessee border in south-central Kentucky, seated in Elkton.
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
203 Main St., Elkton, KY 42220
(270) 265-2361
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
203 Main St., Elkton, KY 42220
(270) 265-2361
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
203 Main St., Elkton, KY 42220
(270) 265-2363
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
203 Main St., Elkton, KY 42220
(270) 265-2363
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Todd County Health Dept
(270) 265-2361
KY CHFS — Pennyrile Region
(270) 825-3500
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Jennie Stuart Medical Center
jsmc.org (Hopkinsville — Christian County; primary regional hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Todd County Health Department – confirm current contact via toddcounty.ky.gov.
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