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Kentucky County
Woodford County, Kentucky
Woodford Reserve Distillery and the Bluegrass's most beautiful horse farms - from Woodford Reserve Distillery (the oldest distillery in Kentucky, operating at its Versailles location since 1812 - the stone distillery buildings on Glenn's Creek are a National Historic Landmark, and Woodford Reserve's small-batch production methods have made it one of America's most prestigious bourbon brands) to Woodford County's extraordinary concentration of premier Thoroughbred horse farms (the county's deep limestone-based soil and bluegrass pastures support some of the world's finest Thoroughbred breeding operations - the white-fenced paddocks and stone walls of Woodford County represent the quintessential Kentucky horse farm landscape).
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Office: Woodford County Emergency Management – 103 S. Main Street, Room 12, Versailles, KY 40383 | (859) 873-3170. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM. Serves both Versailles and Midway.
Sheriff: Woodford County Sheriff’s Office – 103 S. Main Street, Room 102, Versailles, KY 40383 | (859) 873-3119 | Fax (859) 873-8371; Sheriff John Wilhoit. Hours: Mon-Thu 8 AM-5 PM, Fri 8 AM-6 PM; emergency line same as main number after hours.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-60 and US-62 serve Versailles (pronounced “Ver-SALES”), the county seat, in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region just west of Lexington. The village of Midway is also within the county.
Notes: Woodford County was formed November 12, 1788 from part of Fayette County, Virginia, one of Kentucky’s original counties, named for American Revolutionary War General William Woodford.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Woodford County Courthouse – Versailles, KY.
Notes: Woodford County is genuinely one of the most significant horse-and-bourbon destinations in the world. It sits on Kentucky’s oldest distilling site, where Elijah Pepper began crafting whiskey in 1812 – today the location of Woodford Reserve Distillery, one of the oldest and smallest distilleries in Kentucky and a National Historic Landmark, famous for its 500-foot gravity-fed barrel run, copper pot stills, and 100-year-old cypress fermenters. Woodford County is also home to several of the world’s most celebrated Thoroughbred breeding operations, including Coolmore’s Ashford Stud (home to Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify), Taylor Made at Diamond A Farm, Godolphin at Gainsborough Farm, and others – placing it, alongside neighboring Fayette County, among the most famous horse-farm concentrations anywhere in the world.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Woodford County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via woodfordcountyky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Woodford County Public Library (Versailles) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Woodford Reserve Distillery, the county’s numerous world-class Thoroughbred horse farms, and the historic downtowns of Versailles and Midway are the county’s premier tourism attractions on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail and Horse Country circuits.
Notes: The genuine “oldest distilling site in Kentucky” distinction at Woodford Reserve, alongside the concentration of elite Thoroughbred farms, makes this one of the most internationally recognized Kentucky counties covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Woodford County Property Valuation – confirm current contact via woodfordcountyky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Woodford County Animal Care & Control – (859) 879-0598; general/administrative matters during office hours; emergency calls routed to Versailles Police Department dispatch, (859) 873-3126.
Woodford Humane Society – 265 Thomas Lane, Versailles, KY 40383 | Mailing: PO Box 44 | (859) 873-5491 | Email: [email protected]. A 501(c)3 no-kill adoption center serving Woodford and surrounding counties since 1975, caring for roughly 1,000-1,200 animals annually with a placement rate above 90-95% – nearly triple the national average, and entirely privately funded (no government funding). Adoptions by appointment; call after 12 PM daily. Hours: Tue-Fri 12-6 PM, Sat-Sun 12-5 PM, closed Monday.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Woodford County Solid Waste/Recycling – confirm current contact via woodfordcountyky.gov.
NOTES: Woodford County is the fourth county in Kentucky’s seventeenth (and final) batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard, completing all 120 Kentucky counties. The genuine “oldest distilling site in Kentucky” distinction at Woodford Reserve, alongside the concentration of elite Thoroughbred farms, makes this one of the most internationally recognized Kentucky counties 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 Woodford County
Woodford County is Kentucky’s most perfectly realized Bluegrass county – the National Historic Landmark Woodford Reserve Distillery, the white-fenced Thoroughbred farms, and stone walls along country roads create the archetypal Kentucky horse country landscape.
Versailles (the county seat, population ~9,500) is surrounded by some of the world’s most valuable horse farms – the limestone-based soil, bluegrass pastures, and mild climate of Woodford County have produced more Kentucky Derby winners per acre than any other comparable area.
Woodford Reserve’s Glenn’s Creek distillery (established 1812) is the oldest in Kentucky and a National Historic Landmark.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Woodford County PVA at 103 S. Main Street, Suite 206, Versailles, KY 40383, phone 859-873-4101. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Woodford County Circuit Court at 103 S. Main Street, Versailles, KY 40383, phone 859-873-3461, 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 S. Main St., Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 873-3421
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
103 S. Main St., Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 873-5173
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
103 S. Main St., Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 873-3421
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Woodford County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Woodford County’s Bluegrass horse farms and Versailles’ historic downtown are significant local heritage resources.
Local societies
No dedicated Woodford 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
Woodford County District Court Woodford County Courthouse Annex, 130 Court Street, Versailles, KY 40383
Woodford County was founded November 12, 1788, named for General William Woodford, in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass horse country. Its seat, Versailles, is also its largest city, part of the Lexington-Fayette metro area and nicknamed a “Kentucky Renaissance 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 S. Main St., Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 873-3291
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
103 S. Main St., Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 873-3291
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
103 S. Main St., Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 873-3421
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
103 S. Main St., Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 873-3421
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Woodford County Health Dept
(859) 873-4541
KY CHFS — Bluegrass Region
(859) 246-2090
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
UK HealthCare (Lexington)
uky.edu/healthcare (Level I Trauma; elite academic medical center)
Baptist Health Lexington
baptisthealthlexington.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Woodford County Health Department – confirm current contact via woodfordcountyky.gov.
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Versailles
Population: 28,000
Area: 193 sq mi
Established: 1788
Tier: 3
Public Records
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