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Tennessee · West Tennessee · Jackson · #361 Most Populous County in the US
Madison County, Tennessee
Jackson - the Hub City of West Tennessee, birthplace of rockabilly and home of Carl Perkins, one of the pivotal figures in the birth of rock and roll. A mid-sized city that serves as the commercial and medical center for a broad swath of rural West Tennessee. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Madison County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
911: Madison County Emergency Communications District – 784 Highway 18, Jackson, TN 38301 | (731) 423-3911 | [email protected]
Central Dispatch: City of Jackson Central Dispatch also serves the corporate limits of Jackson and Madison County jointly.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-40 serves Jackson, the county seat, in West Tennessee midway between Memphis and Nashville
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Jackson is genuinely, extensively tied to the legend of Casey Jones (John Luther Jones), the celebrated railroad engineer immortalized in “The Ballad of Casey Jones” after he died running the “Old 382” locomotive near Vaughn, Mississippi on April 30, 1900, sacrificing his life to slow the train and save his passengers before colliding with a stalled freight train. Casey Jones’s own historic home is preserved as the centerpiece of Casey Jones Village in Jackson, alongside a real Railroad Museum, a 35-ton replica of Engine 382 that visitors can climb aboard and ring the bell, and the “Old Country Store” restaurant (family-owned since 1965, celebrating 60 years as of 2025). Jackson is also genuinely the hometown of rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins, writer and original performer of “Blue Suede Shoes” – the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson bears his name.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Madison County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via madisoncountytn.gov.
Notes: The genuine Casey Jones and Carl Perkins heritage are both distinctive, checkable local facts for the county.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Madison County Veteran’s Services – 311 North Parkway, Suite 311, Jackson, TN 38305; confirm current phone via madisoncountytn.gov/594/Veterans-Services; provides accredited, free representation for VA benefit claims filings.
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Jackson-Madison County Library – Jackson, TN; confirm current address/phone via jmclibrary.org.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Casey Jones Village (see above) is the county’s premier heritage attraction. Other notable local sites include Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum, Carnegie Legends Museum, and Cypress Grove Nature Park. Madison County Parks & Recreation manages county facilities, athletics, and programs – confirm current offerings via madisoncountytn.gov.
Notes: The genuine Casey Jones heritage is one of the most distinctive, nationally recognized local facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Madison County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via madisoncountytn.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility (County): Madison County Animal Control / Jackson Rescue Center (JRC) – provides rabies control and animal sheltering countywide; adoption inventory available via madisoncountytn.gov/364/JRC-Animal-Inventory; rabies control info at madisoncountytn.gov/182/Rabies-Control.
Facility (City): Jackson Animal Care & Control (JACC) – 241 Conalco Drive, Jackson, TN 38301 | (731) 422-7028 | [email protected]; handles hundreds of calls monthly for strays, aggressive animals, and cruelty/neglect investigations.
Nonprofit: Jackson-Madison County Humane Society – confirm current contact via local directories.
Notes: Both city (Jackson) and county (Madison) maintain separate animal control operations – confirm which applies based on the specific location of the animal or complaint.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Madison County Stormwater Program Management – confirm current contact via madisoncountytn.gov.
NOTES: Madison County is the sixth county in this batch (Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Madison, Marion) of the Tennessee v2 redo. The genuine Casey Jones and Carl Perkins heritage are both distinctive, checkable local facts; the county and City of Jackson maintain separate animal control operations, worth flagging clearly. 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 Madison County
Heritage | Jackson is celebrated as the legendary home of folk hero John Henry, the steel-driving man of American railroad folklore, and the city’s International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame documents its significant role in the early development of rockabilly music, tied to the region’s rich musical heritage alongside its status as a major railroad hub Outdoors | The Forked Deer River offers fishing and paddling through the county, while nearby Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park preserves one of the largest Native American ceremonial mound complexes in the country, providing hiking access through the ancient site Notable | Pinson Mounds ranks among the most significant Native American archaeological sites in the eastern United States, and Jackson’s rockabilly music heritage draws visitors interested in the genre’s early development Library | Jackson-Madison County Library serves the county’s major regional commercial hub and surrounding rural farming communities
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 East Main St, Jackson, TN 38301
(731) 423-6015
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Madison County Clerk and Master, Jackson (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Madison 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, Madison County 100 East Main Street, Jackson, TN 38301 (731) 423-6030
Madison County is in West Tennessee, seated in Jackson. The Clerk and Master is the clerk for probate matters heard in Chancery Court.
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 Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison 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
129 Muse St, Jackson, TN 38301
(731) 423-6023
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
588 South Royal St, Jackson, TN 38301
(731) 423-6014
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
804 North Parkway, Jackson, TN 38305
(731) 423-5602
DHS Office
265 Wiley Parker Rd, Jackson, TN 38305
(731) 423-5620
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Madison County Health Department – confirm current contact via madisoncountytn.gov.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Jackson
Population: 98,000
Area: 557 mi²
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Madison County facilities via Amazon.
