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: Covington-Tipton County Emergency Management Agency – 8629 Highway 51 South, Brighton, TN 38011 | PO Box 306, Covington, TN 38019 | (901) 840-3000 / (901) 840-4190 | [email protected]; created jointly by the City of Covington and Tipton County in 1972.
911: Tipton County Emergency Communications District – 220 Highway 51 North, Suite 4, Covington, TN 38019
Notes: For an active emergency, call or text 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-51 bisects Tipton County north-south, passing through Covington, the county seat
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Tipton County was established October 29, 1823 from territory within Shelby County, named for Captain Jacob Tipton, killed fighting Native American forces near Fort Wayne on November 4, 1791. Covington, the county seat since December 11, 1824, was named for General Leonard Wales Covington, mortally wounded at the Battle of Chrystler’s Field in 1813. Tipton County sits in the Mississippi Delta region, a short drive north of Memphis.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Building/Permits vary by Planning Region – Covington: City of Covington Code Compliance, (901) 476-7191; Brighton: Town of Brighton Building/Codes, (901) 476-8661; Munford: City of Munford Planning and Zoning, (901) 837-5971; Atoka: Town of Atoka Planning and Inspection, (901) 837-5300.
Notes: Tipton County is genuinely home to the Tipton County Museum, Veterans Memorial & Nature Center, 751 Bert Johnston Ave, Covington, TN – a distinctive, one-of-a-kind facility that combines military history, environmental education, and historical preservation under one roof. The county has a documented, proud military tradition dating to the “Covington Sentinels,” its first militia company (formed 1830); roughly 1,000 Tiptonians served in the Confederate army during the Civil War, and Confederate Soldiers’ Reunions were held in the county from 1876-1941. The South Main Historic District in Covington, with about 50 intact residences from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the Hotel Lindo among other sites.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Tipton County Veterans Service – 113 E Church Ave, Covington, TN 38019; confirm current officer name/phone via tiptonco.com. See also the Tipton County Museum, Veterans Memorial & Nature Center (above).
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Key Assets: The Tipton County Museum, Veterans Memorial & Nature Center and the historic downtown Covington square are the county’s signature attractions.
Notes: The genuine three-in-one Tipton County Museum/Veterans Memorial/Nature Center is a distinctive local fact – a rare combination of purposes under one roof.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Tipton County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via tiptonco.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Tipton County Animal Shelter – 8621 Highway 51 S, Brighton, TN 38011 | (901) 837-5919 | Hours: Monday-Friday 10 AM-3 PM, Saturday 9-11:30 AM; as of September 19, 2023, Tipton County Animal Control also handles animal control concerns within the City of Covington.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Tipton County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via tiptonco.com.
NOTES: Tipton County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton) of the Tennessee v2 redo. The genuine, distinctive Tipton County Museum/Veterans Memorial/Nature Center combination facility is a notable 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 Tipton County County
Tipton County is Memphis’s fast-growing northern suburb and West Tennessee cotton heritage county – the county’s rapid residential growth as the Memphis metro expands northward and its deep roots in the cotton-farming culture of the Mississippi River bottomlands define a community navigating the transition from agricultural past to suburban present.
Covington (the county seat, population ~9,500) is Tipton County’s governmental and commercial hub on US 51, a West Tennessee city whose downtown square, cotton heritage, and Memphis suburban growth anchor its evolving community character.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Tipton County Assessor of Property at 1801 S. College Street, Covington, TN 38019, phone 901-476-0214. TN assessed at a percentage of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
Tipton County Circuit Court at 1801 S. College Street, Covington, TN 38019, phone 901-476-0214, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 West Liberty Ave, Covington, TN 38019
(901) 476-0210
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Tipton County Probate Court, Covington (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Tipton 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
Probate Court, Tipton County 1801 South College Street, Covington, TN 38019 (901) 476-0209 Tipton County is in West Tennessee, seated in Covington.
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 Tipton County, the Clerk and Master (part of Chancery Court, Probate Division) 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 Tipton County Probate Court.
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 Tipton 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
675 Radar Rd, Covington, TN 38019
(901) 476-0311
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
105 South College St, Covington, TN 38019
(901) 476-0523
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
700 Highway 51 North, Covington, TN 38019
(901) 476-0231
DHS Office
900 Highway 51 North, Covington, TN 38019
(901) 475-3300
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Tipton County Health Department – confirm current contact via tiptonco.com.
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: Covington
Population: 62,000
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Tipton County County residents.
