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Kentucky County
Trigg County, Kentucky
Land Between the Lakes and Cadiz's resort lake economy - from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (the 170,000-acre national recreation area occupying the narrow peninsula between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley - the largest inland peninsula in the US - whose elk herd, bison range, dark sky observatory, and 300 miles of shoreline make it one of the most popular outdoor recreation destinations in the mid-South, and Trigg County's Lake Barkley shoreline provides direct access to this extraordinary resource) and Cadiz's growing lake resort and retirement economy.
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Office: Trigg County Emergency Management – 39 Jefferson Street, Cadiz, KY 42211 | Mailing: PO Box 672 | (270) 522-8459 | Mobile (270) 350-0818 | Fax (270) 522-9489 | Email: [email protected]; Director David Bryant. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM. Trigg County 911 – (270) 522-7445 | Email: [email protected].
Sheriff: Trigg County Sheriff’s Office – 134 Commerce Street, Cadiz, KY 42211 | (270) 522-6014 | Fax (270) 522-8781; Sheriff Ray Burnam II.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-68 and the Pennyrile Parkway serve Cadiz, the county seat, on the shores of Lake Barkley in far southwestern Kentucky bordering Tennessee.
Notes: Trigg County was formed in 1820 and named for Stephen Trigg, an American Revolutionary War officer killed at the 1782 Battle of Blue Licks – the same battle discussed under Nicholas and Robertson counties elsewhere in this project. Trigg was a dry county until a narrow 2009 referendum permitted off-premises alcohol sales.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Trigg County Courthouse – Cadiz, KY.
Notes: Cadiz is genuinely renowned for its country ham heritage. The Trigg County Country Ham Festival, launched in 1977 by UK Extension Agent John Fourqurean around the courthouse square, is now in its fifth decade and draws more than 50,000 visitors annually to a town of roughly 2,600 residents – nearly 20 times the local population. The festival’s Country Ham Judging Contest, sponsored by the Trigg County Farm Bureau, has crowned champion hams every year since 1977, and features the unveiling of “Kentucky’s Largest Country Ham & Biscuit” as a signature attraction. Broadbent B&B Food Products, founded in Cadiz in 1909, remains a nationally prizewinning cured-ham and bacon producer with roots in the county’s long agricultural history.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Trigg County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via triggcounty.ky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Trigg County Public Library (Cadiz) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lake Barkley, the Trigg County Recreation Complex (303 Complex Road, (270) 350-2232), and downtown Cadiz (site of the annual Country Ham Festival) are the county’s premier outdoor and heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, nearly 50-year-running Trigg County Country Ham Festival is a distinctive and well-loved piece of Kentucky agricultural heritage covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Trigg County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via triggcounty.ky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Trigg County Animal Control – Steve Skinner, PO Box 672, Cadiz, KY 42211; contact via the County Judge Executive’s Office, (270) 522-8459.
Trigg County Humane Society – 4146 Canton Road, Cadiz, KY 42211 | (270) 522-9548; primary community shelter/rescue partner. ⚠️ No standalone county-run animal shelter facility was confirmed in current sourcing beyond the Humane Society’s operations – confirm current arrangements directly with Animal Control.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Trigg County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via triggcounty.ky.gov.
NOTES: Trigg County is the second county in Kentucky’s sixteenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine, nearly 50-year-running Trigg County Country Ham Festival is a distinctive and well-loved piece of Kentucky agricultural heritage 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 Trigg County
Trigg County is the Land Between the Lakes gateway – the 170,000-acre national recreation area with its elk and bison herds and 300 miles of shoreline anchors an outdoor recreation and resort economy on Lake Barkley that makes western Kentucky’s most scenically distinctive county a growing retirement and tourism destination.
Cadiz (the county seat, population ~2,500) serves the county’s lake resort, retirement, and agricultural communities between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Trigg County PVA at 45 S. Main Street, Suite 3, Cadiz, KY 42211, phone 270-522-8561. KY residential assessed at 100% of fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Trigg County Circuit Court at 45 S. Main Street, Cadiz, KY 42211, phone 270-522-6520, 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)
31 Main St., Cadiz, KY 42211
(270) 522-6661
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
31 Main St., Cadiz, KY 42211
(270) 522-3341
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
31 Main St., Cadiz, KY 42211
(270) 522-6661
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Trigg County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Cadiz Downtown Historic District (NRHP), including the 1921 Trigg County Courthouse, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Trigg 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
Trigg County District Court Trigg County Justice Center, 41 Main Street, P.O. Box 673, Cadiz, KY 42211 (270) 522-7070
Trigg County was founded 1820, named for Colonel Stephen Trigg, on Kentucky’s far southwestern border near Land Between the Lakes. Its seat, Cadiz, 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
31 Main St., Cadiz, KY 42211
(270) 522-6464
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
31 Main St., Cadiz, KY 42211
(270) 522-6464
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
31 Main St., Cadiz, KY 42211
(270) 522-6661
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
31 Main St., Cadiz, KY 42211
(270) 522-6661
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Trigg County Health Department – confirm current contact via triggcounty.ky.gov.
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