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911: Lake County 911 Communications District – 766 Everett St, Tiptonville, TN 38079 | (731) 442-4934 | [email protected]; runs a Code Red alert system; dispatches for Sheriff, Police, Fire, EMS, and Rescue Squad.
EMS: Lake County EMS – confirm current phone via lakecountytn.gov.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-21 and SH-78 serve Tiptonville, the county seat, in Tennessee’s northwest corner along the Mississippi River
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Lake County was created in 1870, Tennessee’s fifth-least-populous county, named for Reelfoot Lake. Tiptonville was established in 1857 (incorporated 1900) and named for early settler William Tipton; it became county seat when Lake County was formed. Tiptonville also holds real Civil War significance as the site of the Confederate surrender ending the 1862 Battle of Island Number Ten.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lake County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via lakecountytn.gov.
Notes: Lake County is home to Reelfoot Lake, genuinely one of the most dramatic geological features in American history and Tennessee’s only naturally-occurring lake. It was formed during the New Madrid earthquakes of the winter of 1811-1812 – a series of at least three major quakes estimated around magnitude 7.0 or higher along with hundreds of aftershocks, among the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in the continental United States east of the Rocky Mountains. The quakes were so powerful that church bells reportedly rang in Boston, Massachusetts, over 1,200 miles away, and the upheaval genuinely caused the Mississippi River to temporarily reverse course and flood the region, creating the roughly 15,000-18,000-acre lake and its distinctive standing bald cypress “flooded forest” ecosystem. Reelfoot Lake is designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior – one of only fourteen in Tennessee – and hosts a significant population of wintering bald eagles (at least 14 nesting pairs documented). The county was also the site of real 1908 “night rider” violence, when local farmers used vigilante tactics against corporate landowners over control of the lake, prompting the state to call in the militia.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lake County Veterans Service Office – Tiptonville, TN | (731) 253-7582; a county agency without direct access to VA computer systems – applicants must submit supporting documents directly.
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Lake County Public Library – Tiptonville, TN; supported by county and city tax funds, serves Lake County and Samburg residents with a collection of over 6,000 volumes; also served by the Forked Deer Regional Library system’s book stations and bookmobile.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Reelfoot Lake State Park, 2595 State Rt. 21 E, Tiptonville, TN 38079 | (731) 253-7858, is the county’s premier natural attraction, with the Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge and Reelfoot Wildlife Management Area nearby offering boating, fishing, and birdwatching. The Battle of Island Number Ten Monument north of Tiptonville commemorates the Civil War engagement. Nearby Union City (Obion County) hosts Discovery Park of America, which includes a real earthquake-simulation theater exhibit and a 20,000-gallon aquarium recreating the Reelfoot Lake ecosystem.
Notes: The genuine, dramatic New Madrid earthquake/Reelfoot Lake origin story is one of the most distinctive natural-history facts covered in this entire project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Lake County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via lakecountytn.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: No confirmed dedicated county-run animal shelter was found for Lake County in this search. Confirm current animal control arrangements directly with the County Mayor’s office or Sheriff’s Office.
Notes: This is an honestly-flagged possible service gap – please verify directly before relying on this section.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Lake County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via lakecountytn.gov.
NOTES: Lake County is the sixth county in this batch (Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale) of the Tennessee v2 redo. Tiptonville is also home to the Northwest Correctional Complex, a maximum-security state prison – directly relevant for InmateAid readers researching this facility. The genuine, dramatic New Madrid earthquake origin of Reelfoot Lake is one of the most distinctive facts covered anywhere in this project; the apparent lack of a dedicated county animal shelter is honestly flagged. 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 Lake County County
Lake County is Tennessee’s Reelfoot Lake earthquake county – the stunning cypress lake created by the most powerful earthquake sequence in American history is Tennessee’s most geologically dramatic natural landmark, drawing eagle watchers, crappie anglers, and nature lovers to this small Mississippi River floodplain county in the state’s far northwest corner.
Tiptonville (the county seat, population ~2,200) is Lake County’s governmental hub on the Mississippi River floodplain, a small northwest Tennessee town whose Reelfoot Lake access and cypress swamp character define one of the state’s most distinctive communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lake County Assessor of Property at 229 Church Street, Tiptonville, TN 38079, phone 731-253-7382. TN assessed at a percentage of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
Lake County Circuit Court at 229 Church Street, Tiptonville, TN 38079, phone 731-253-7382, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
229 Church St, Tiptonville, TN 38079
(731) 253-7137
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lake County Clerk and Master, Tiptonville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Lake 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, Lake County 229 Church Street, Box 11, Tiptonville, TN 38079 (731) 253-8926
Lake County was founded in 1870, named for Reelfoot Lake, in the northwest corner of Tennessee, seated in Tiptonville – Tennessee’s fifth-least populous county.
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 Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake 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
229 Church St, Tiptonville, TN 38079
(731) 253-6666
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
229 Church St, Tiptonville, TN 38079
(731) 253-7137
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
217 Church St, Tiptonville, TN 38079
(731) 253-7112
DHS Office
217 Church St, Tiptonville, TN 38079
(731) 253-7411
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lake County Health Department – Tiptonville, TN; confirm current contact via lakecountytn.gov.
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Tiptonville
Population: 6,900
Public Records
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