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.
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.
Office: McNairy County Emergency Management – Director Allen Strickland | 170 West Court Ave, Selmer, TN 38375 | (731) 645-3195 | [email protected]
911: McNairy County Emergency Communications – 12 Falcon St, Selmer, TN 38375 | (731) 645-3406; direct-dispatches for Selmer Police, McNairy County Sheriff, and other local agencies; staffed 24/7 since taking its first 911 call in 1994.
Fire: McNairy County Fire Department – Chief Willie Tapp | 170 West Court Ave, Selmer, TN 38375 | (731) 434-5516
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-64 and US-45 intersect in Selmer, the county seat, near the Mississippi border
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: McNairy County was founded October 8, 1823, named for John McNairy, an early Tennessee jurist. Selmer is the county seat and largest city.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: McNairy County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via mcnairycountytn.org.
Notes: McNairy County is genuinely, nationally famous as the setting of the true story behind the “Walking Tall” film series (1973, 1976, 1977). Buford Pusser, born in Adamsville on December 12, 1937, served as McNairy County Sheriff from 1964 to 1970, earning a reputation for aggressively fighting moonshining, gambling, and organized crime (the “Dixie Mafia” and “State Line Mob”) – in his first year alone raiding 42 illegal stills and arresting 75 moonshiners, often confronting suspects with a large hickory bat. He survived being shot eight times, stabbed seven, and run over by a car during his career. On August 12, 1967, an ambush intended for Pusser instead killed his wife, Pauline, and left him permanently disfigured. Pusser died in a single-car accident near Adamsville on August 21, 1974, the same day he had signed on to portray himself in a Walking Tall sequel. IMPORTANT RECENT DEVELOPMENT: in August 2025, following a three-year joint investigation with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the local district attorney’s office concluded there would be sufficient evidence to seek an indictment against Pusser for his wife’s 1967 murder, had he still been alive – a significant reexamination of the long-accepted account behind the films. The Buford Pusser Home and Museum in Adamsville preserves his residence, vehicles, firearms, and memorabilia, including the wrecked Corvette from his fatal accident. Separately, McNairy County is genuinely the site of the first meeting between rockabilly pioneers Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley, at one of Presley’s earliest road performances in Bethel Springs.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: McNairy County Veterans Services – Ct Ave, Selmer, TN | (731) 645-6343; confirm current officer name via mcnairycountytn.org.
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: McNairy County Libraries operates two branches: Jack McConnico Memorial Library, 225 Oak Grove Rd, Selmer, TN 38375; and Irving Meek Jr. Memorial Library, 204 W Main St (confirm town/zip via mcnairycountytn.org).
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Big Hill Pond State Park, spanning 4,138 acres of timberland and bottomland hardwood forest in the county’s southwest, offers over 30 miles of natural-surface hiking trails, camping, fishing, and kayaking on its 462-acre pond, plus a real Civil War-era fortification site used for Union defenses. The Buford Pusser Home and Museum (see above) is the county’s premier heritage attraction.
Notes: The genuine Buford Pusser/”Walking Tall” story, including the significant 2025 reopening of the case, is one of the most distinctive true-crime local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: McNairy County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via mcnairycountytn.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Nonprofit: McNairy County Humane Society – Selmer, TN; confirm current contact via local directories.
Notes: No dedicated county-run animal control shelter was clearly confirmed in this search – confirm current arrangements directly with the county before relying on this section for a stray or lost pet situation.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: McNairy County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via mcnairycountytn.org.
NOTES: McNairy County is the fourth county in this batch (Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery) of the Tennessee v2 redo. The genuine Buford Pusser/”Walking Tall” heritage – including the significant August 2025 reopening of the murder investigation – is one of the most distinctive true-crime facts covered anywhere in this project; the animal shelter situation should be confirmed directly. 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 McNairy County County
McNairy County is southwest Tennessee’s Walking Tall heritage and Pickwick Lake county – the legendary one-man war on crime waged by Sheriff Buford Pusser that inspired a film franchise and the excellent bass fishing of nearby Pickwick Lake define a rural southwest Tennessee community whose law enforcement folklore gives it a national recognition far exceeding its modest size.
Selmer (the county seat, population ~4,500) is McNairy County’s governmental hub, a southwest Tennessee agricultural town on US 64 whose Buford Pusser Museum and Pickwick Lake proximity anchor the county’s identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
McNairy County Assessor of Property at 170 W. Court Avenue, Selmer, TN 38375, phone 731-645-3511. TN assessed at a percentage of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
McNairy County Circuit Court at 170 W. Court Avenue, Selmer, TN 38375, phone 731-645-3511, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 Court Ave, Selmer, TN 38375
(731) 645-3611
Genealogy
County-level record sources
McNairy County Clerk and Master, Selmer (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated McNairy 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, McNairy County 530 Mulberry Avenue, Selmer, TN 38375 (731) 645-3511 McNairy County is in West Tennessee, seated in Selmer.
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 McNairy 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 McNairy 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 McNairy 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
115 East Court Ave, Selmer, TN 38375
(731) 645-3721
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
100 Court Ave, Selmer, TN 38375
(731) 645-3611
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
45 Karnes St, Selmer, TN 38375
(731) 645-3411
DHS Office
45 Karnes St, Selmer, TN 38375
(731) 645-6431
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: McNairy County Health Department – confirm current contact via mcnairycountytn.org.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Selmer
Population: 25,500
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for McNairy County County residents.
