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Kentucky County
Washington County, Kentucky
Springfield - where Lincoln's parents were born and Kentucky bourbon began - from the Lincoln heritage (both of Abraham Lincoln's parents - Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks - were born in Washington County, making Springfield one of three Kentucky counties with direct Lincoln family connections, and the Lincoln family's Washington County roots are documented at the Lincoln Homestead State Park) to the first Kentucky distillery (the first licensed distillery in Kentucky was established in Washington County - the bourbon heritage that made Kentucky synonymous with American whiskey has roots in the Washington County grain farming and limestone water tradition).
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Office: Washington County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via washingtoncountyky.com.
Sheriff: Washington County Sheriff’s Office – 124 East Main Street, Springfield, KY 40069 | (859) 336-5400 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Jerry Pinkston. Sheriff & Deputies available 24/7; front office hours Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Springfield Police non-emergency dispatch: (859) 336-5450.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-150 and KY-55 serve Springfield, the county seat, in central Kentucky’s “Land of Bourbon, Horses and History” region.
Notes: Washington County, formed in 1792, was genuinely the very first county created in Kentucky upon statehood (the state’s 16th county overall, counting pre-statehood Virginia-era counties), named for George Washington. It is also home to the geographic center of Kentucky’s population, located in the town of Willisburg.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Washington County Courthouse – Public Square, Springfield, KY (built 1814-15, Georgian style, National Register of Historic Places, part of the Springfield Main Street Historic District – Kentucky’s oldest active courthouse).
Notes: Springfield’s motto is “Where the Lincoln Legacy Began,” and the connection is genuine and well-documented: Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, the parents of President Abraham Lincoln, were married in Washington County on June 12, 1806. Their original marriage bond is preserved inside the historic Washington County Courthouse – a document whose 1878 rediscovery there finally settled 1860s-era political attacks questioning Lincoln’s legitimacy, after earlier searches in Hardin and LaRue counties had failed. A Lincoln statue was erected across from the courthouse in 2009, and the nearby Lincoln Homestead State Park preserves replicas of the family’s 1782 cabin and blacksmith shop, along with the Mordecai Lincoln House – the only surviving home built by a Lincoln family member still standing in its original location.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Washington County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via washingtoncountyky.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Washington County Public Library (Springfield) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lincoln Homestead State Park, the historic Washington County Courthouse, and the 2009 Lincoln statue are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, well-documented Lincoln family marriage connection is one of the most historically significant presidential-history facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Washington County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via washingtoncountyky.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Washington County Animal Control – Animal Control Officer David Kelly, (859) 805-1617. Dogs only (strays and owner surrenders); animal welfare checks for suspected neglect/abuse. Washington County contracts with the Marion County Animal Shelter (Lebanon, KY) to house impounded animals.
Washington County Humane Society – 102 Garden Court, Springfield, KY 40069; separate community nonprofit partner.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Washington County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via washingtoncountyky.com.
NOTES: Washington County is the sixth county in Kentucky’s sixteenth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine, well-documented Lincoln family marriage connection is one of the most historically significant presidential-history facts covered anywhere 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 Washington County
Washington County is where Abraham Lincoln’s parents were born and where Kentucky bourbon began – the Lincoln Homestead State Park documents Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks’s Washington County roots, and the first licensed distillery in Kentucky established the bourbon tradition that defines the state’s global identity.
Springfield (the county seat, population ~2,800) serves the county’s burley tobacco, grain, and bourbon heritage communities in the central Kentucky Knobs.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Washington County PVA at 121 E. Main Street, Suite 1, Springfield, KY 40069, phone 859-336-5401. KY residential assessed at 100% of fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Washington County Circuit Court at 121 E. Main Street, Springfield, KY 40069, phone 859-336-3862, 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)
121 E. Main St., Springfield, KY 40069
(859) 336-5410
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
121 E. Main St., Springfield, KY 40069
(859) 336-5491
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
121 E. Main St., Springfield, KY 40069
(859) 336-5410
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Washington County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Washington 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
Washington County District Court 100 East Main Street, Suite 100, Springfield, KY 40069 (859) 336-3761 Washington County is in central Kentucky, seated in Springfield, 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
121 E. Main St., Springfield, KY 40069
(859) 336-3760
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
121 E. Main St., Springfield, KY 40069
(859) 336-3760
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
121 E. Main St., Springfield, KY 40069
(859) 336-5410
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
121 E. Main St., Springfield, KY 40069
(859) 336-5410
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Washington County Health Dept
(859) 336-3989
KY CHFS — Lincoln Trail Region
(270) 766-5100
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Spring View Hospital
springviewhospital.com (Lebanon — Marion County; accessible)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Washington County Health Department – confirm current contact via washingtoncountyky.com.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Springfield
Population: 12,000
Area: 297 sq mi
Established: 1792
Tier: 3
Public Records
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