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Office: DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency – Director Charlie Parker | 104 East Main, Smithville, TN 37166 | (615) 597-4141 | [email protected]
EMS/911: DeKalb County EMS & 911 – DeKalb County Courthouse, Room 204, Smithville, TN 37166 | (615) 597-5175; EMS also reachable at 248 Meadowbrook Dr, Smithville | (615) 597-6768.
Sheriff: DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department – confirm current phone via dekalbtennessee.com.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-56 and SH-70 serve Smithville, the county seat, in Middle Tennessee on Center Hill Lake
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: DeKalb County was created December 2, 1837 by the Tennessee General Assembly, named for Revolutionary War hero Major General Johann de Kalb. The county was historically the site of several saltpeter mines – gunpowder’s key ingredient, obtained by leaching earth from local caves; Overall Cave near Liberty is named for early settler Abraham Overall, who arrived from Luray, Virginia in 1805. NAMING TRAP: DeKalb County, Tennessee is a completely separate jurisdiction from the much larger DeKalb County, Georgia (Atlanta metro area) – general “DeKalb County” searches often surface Georgia results, including for the library system.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: DeKalb County Building Department – confirm current contact via dekalbtennessee.com.
Notes: DeKalb County is genuinely home to the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Crafts Festival, the official Jamboree and Crafts Festival of the State of Tennessee. First held in July 1972 on a stage built on the steps of the DeKalb County Courthouse – an idea originated by U.S. Congressman Joe L. Evins, Smithville’s hometown representative – the inaugural event drew 714 musicians from 16 states. Held annually the Friday and Saturday nearest July 4th on the Smithville town square, it now features over 35 music and dance competition categories (fiddle, guitar, dulcimer, mandolin, banjo, clogging, square dancing, and more), open to amateur competitors rather than professionals, alongside extensive craft vendor booths – a real, extensively documented tribute to Appalachian art and culture that continues to draw thousands of visitors and past recognition from the Grand Ole Opry.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: DeKalb County Veteran’s Services – DeKalb County Courthouse, Room 204, Smithville, TN 37166 | (615) 597-5175; confirm current officer name via dekalbtennessee.com/veterans-services.html.
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: DeKalb County Public Library, Smithville – confirm current address/phone via dekalbtennessee.com/libraries.html (do not confuse with the much larger DeKalb County Public Library system in Georgia, which shares the name).
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree (see above) is the county’s signature cultural event. Center Hill Lake, a real and popular Army Corps of Engineers reservoir, anchors much of the county’s recreation and tourism. The annual DeKalb County Fair is another established local tradition.
Notes: The genuine, official-state-status Fiddlers’ Jamboree is one of the most distinctive cultural heritage facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: DeKalb County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via dekalbtennessee.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: DeKalb Animal Shelter – Shaw Street, Smithville, TN 37166; operated by the DeKalb Animal Coalition (501c3), formed through agreements between the City of Smithville and DeKalb County to run a joint congruent shelter; a real, self-described low-kill shelter with 3 full-time staff. Friends of the DeKalb Animal Shelter (a separate 501c3, formed 2020) helps offset adoption costs – currently $90 for dogs and $50 for cats.
Additional nonprofit: Humane Society of DeKalb County (HSDC) – PO Box 18, Smithville, TN 37166 | (615) 464-6738; runs a feral cat “snip & tip” trap-neuter program and a spay/neuter voucher program.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: DeKalb County Solid Waste Management – confirm current contact via dekalbtennessee.com.
NOTES: DeKalb County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb) of the Tennessee v2 redo. The genuine, state-designated Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree is one of the most distinctive cultural heritage facts covered in this project; the DeKalb Co. TN vs. DeKalb Co. GA naming trap is worth flagging for future research. 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 DeKalb County County
DeKalb County is Middle Tennessee’s Center Hill Lake and Fiddlers’ Jamboree county – the cold, clear reservoir fed by Cumberland Plateau springs and the annual old-time music celebration on the courthouse square define a county whose natural and cultural assets give it an identity well beyond its modest size in the Upper Cumberland region.
Smithville (the county seat, population ~4,500) is DeKalb County’s governmental hub on the Caney Fork River, a Middle Tennessee small city whose Fourth of July Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Center Hill Lake access anchor the county’s identity.
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DeKalb County Assessor of Property at 1 Public Square, Smithville, TN 37166, phone 615-597-5177. TN assessed at a percentage of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
DeKalb County Circuit Court at 1 Public Square, Smithville, TN 37166, phone 615-597-5177, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1 Public Sq, Smithville, TN 37166
(615) 597-5175
Genealogy
County-level record sources
DeKalb County Clerk and Master, Smithville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated DeKalb 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
Clerk and Master, DeKalb County 1 Public Square, Room 302, Smithville, TN 37166 (615) 597-4360
DeKalb County was created December 2, 1837, named for Revolutionary War hero Johann de Kalb, in Middle Tennessee, seated in Smithville.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Tennessee has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Instead, Tennessee uses its own common form and solemn form probate framework, governed by Title 30 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. In DeKalb County, the Clerk and Master (part of Chancery Court) administers probate.
Small Estate Affidavit (T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 through 30-4-103) – available when the value of the probate estate does not exceed $50,000 (personal property; real property is generally excluded). The affidavit can be filed no sooner than 45 days after death. A bond payable to the state is commonly required to protect creditors and other heirs, though it is often waived when the person filing is the estate’s sole heir/beneficiary, or when all heirs consent in writing.
Common Form Probate – the standard, uncontested path: the will (if any) is admitted to probate without formal notice to all interested parties, and the personal representative is appointed and issued Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will).
Solemn Form Probate – used when formal proof of the will’s validity is needed, typically because of an anticipated will contest; requires notice to all interested parties and a hearing.
Muniment of Title – used to transfer real estate when there is a valid will but no other assets requiring administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files the original will (if one exists) and a Petition for Probate of Will or Petition for Letters of Administration with the DeKalb County Clerk and Master.
The court issues Letters Testamentary (testate) or Letters of Administration (intestate), giving the personal representative authority to act.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors in a local newspaper; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly around 4 months from the notice) to file claims.
The personal representative inventories and appraises the estate’s assets (may be waived by the will or by all beneficiaries).
The personal representative pays valid debts, expenses, and taxes.
The estate is closed with a final accounting (unless waived) and distribution to beneficiaries or heirs.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county; confirm current fees with DeKalb County directly.
Tennessee has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or executors – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval if contested.
Tennessee does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Typical timeline for a simple, uncontested estate: roughly 6-9 months.
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
730 South Congress Blvd, Smithville, TN 37166
(615) 597-4935
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
1 Public Sq, Smithville, TN 37166
(615) 597-4780
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
712 South Congress Blvd, Smithville, TN 37166
(615) 597-4405
DHS Office
712 South Congress Blvd, Smithville, TN 37166
(615) 597-4176
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: DeKalb County Health Department – confirm current contact via dekalbtennessee.com.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Smithville
Population: 20,000
Public Records
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