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: Obion County Emergency Management Agency – Director Danny Carr | 1700 North 5th Street, Union City, TN 38261 | (731) 599-4347 | Fax: (731) 885-7515 | [email protected] | Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
911: Obion County 911 – 426 South Home Street, Union City, TN 38261; live since February 1991, operates 24/7/365 with training exceeding state minimum standards.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-51 serves Union City, the county seat, in the far northwest corner of Tennessee
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Obion County was formed in 1823 and organized in 1824, named for the Obion River. Union City, founded in 1852 by General George Gibbs, was named for its location at the junction (“union”) of the Nashville/Northwestern Railroad and the Mobile & Ohio Railroad.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Obion County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via obioncountytn.gov.
Notes: Obion County is genuinely home to Discovery Park of America, 830 Everett Blvd, Union City, TN 38261 | (731) 885-5455 – a 100,000-square-foot museum and 50-acre heritage park opened November 1, 2013, widely regarded as one of Tennessee’s premier educational attractions. The park grew out of the volunteer-run Obion County Museum (founded 1970) after local businessman Robert E. Kirkland – co-founder of the Kirkland’s home décor chain – contributed an estimated $80 million to build a dramatically larger successor facility; planning began in secret meetings at the Obion County Library to avoid raising public expectations before the project’s feasibility was confirmed. The museum covers natural history, military history, science, technology, and art across ten exhibit galleries. Separately, Obion County is genuinely one of only two Tennessee counties (with Lake County) that border Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee’s only natural lake, formed by the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Obion County Veterans Service Office – 316 S 3rd St, Union City, TN 38261; assists with claims appeals, VA medical care access, DOD retiree benefits, and operates a free Obion County/VA Van shuttling veterans to medical appointments in Memphis, TN (Tue/Thu) and Marion, IL (Mon/Wed).
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Obion County Public Library – 1221 E. Reelfoot Avenue, Union City, TN 38261; opened November 2003, a 30,000-square-foot facility with over 84,000 items – the largest public library collection in West Tennessee outside Jackson and Memphis.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Discovery Park of America (see above) is the county’s premier attraction. Reelfoot Lake’s northern reaches touch Obion County, offering fishing and birdwatching.
Notes: Discovery Park of America is one of the most distinctive, nationally-recognized local attractions covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Obion County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via obioncountytn.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Nonprofit: Northwest Tennessee Humane Society – PO Box 595, Troy, TN 38260 | (423) 586-9373
Additional nonprofit: Pudge N Pals Humane Society – PO Box 663, Union City, TN 38281 | (731) 335-3502
Notes: Confirm which service applies based on your specific location within the county.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Obion County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via obioncountytn.gov.
NOTES: Obion County is the third county in this batch (Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk) of the Tennessee v2 redo. Discovery Park of America is one of the most distinctive, nationally-recognized attractions covered anywhere in this project, and the genuine Kirkland philanthropy origin story is a compelling, checkable local fact. 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 Obion County County
Obion County is northwest Tennessee’s Dixie Gun Works muzzleloading heritage and Reelfoot Lake gateway county – the legendary antique firearms dealer that made Union City famous among black powder enthusiasts and the county’s proximity to the earthquake-formed cypress lake define a northwest Tennessee agricultural community whose commercial and recreational identity is rooted in the flat Mississippi River floodplain.
Union City (the county seat, population ~10,500) is Obion County’s governmental and commercial hub, a northwest Tennessee city on US 51 whose Dixie Gun Works legacy and agricultural service role anchor the county’s identity near the Kentucky border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Obion County Assessor of Property at 2 Bill Burnett Circle, Union City, TN 38261, phone 731-885-3831. TN assessed at a percentage of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
Obion County Circuit Court at 2 Bill Burnett Circle, Union City, TN 38261, phone 731-885-3831, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1 Courthouse Sq, Union City, TN 38261
(731) 885-1341
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Obion County Clerk and Master, Union City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Obion 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, Obion County 6 Bill Burnett Circle, Union City, TN 38261 (731) 885-2562 Obion County is in the northwest corner of Tennessee, seated in Union City.
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 Obion County, the Chancery Court Clerk and Master oversees probate filings.
Small Estate Affidavit (T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 through 30-4-103) – available when the decedent’s personal property is valued at $50,000 or less (real property 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. Non-probate transfers (assets with designated beneficiaries, or property held as tenancy by the entirety or joint tenancy with right of survivorship) pass directly to the co-owner or beneficiary without probate.
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 Obion 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 Obion 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
1250 East Reelfoot Ave, Union City, TN 38261
(731) 885-1234
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
1 Courthouse Sq, Union City, TN 38261
(731) 885-1341
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
1225 Edwards St, Union City, TN 38261
(731) 885-9700
DHS Office
1225 Edwards St, Union City, TN 38261
(731) 884-5761
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Obion County Health Department – confirm current contact via obioncountytn.gov.
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: Union City
Population: 30,500
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Obion County County residents.
