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: Van Buren County Emergency Management Agency – Director Joey Grissom | PO Box 217, Spencer, TN 38585 | (931) 946-2314 | [email protected]
911: Van Buren County E-911 – 1150 Old Dunlap Rd, Spencer, TN 38585 | Admin: (931) 946-2034
Fire: Cedar Grove, Fall Creek Falls, Piney, Rocky River, and Spencer Volunteer Fire Departments serve the county.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-30 and SH-111 serve Spencer, the county seat, atop the Cumberland Plateau
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Van Buren County was formed January 3, 1840 from parts of White, Warren, and Bledsoe counties, named for President Martin Van Buren. It is Tennessee’s second-least populous county. Spencer, established 1850 and incorporated in 1909, was named for Thomas Sharp Spencer, an 18th-century long hunter. In a genuinely notable piece of local history, Spencer elected a full slate of women officials in 1942. The town was also home to Burritt College, one of the South’s first coeducational colleges, operating from 1848 until its closure in 1939.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Van Buren County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via vanburencountytn.com.
Notes: Van Buren County is genuinely home to the majority of Fall Creek Falls State Park (shared with neighboring Bledsoe County), Tennessee’s largest and most-visited state park at roughly 29,800-30,600 acres on the Cumberland Plateau. Its namesake, the 256-foot Fall Creek Falls, is a documented, verifiable natural landmark: the tallest free-fall waterfall east of the Mississippi River (some sources say east of the Rocky Mountains). The park’s history includes federal land purchases beginning in 1937 to reclaim badly eroded surrounding land, followed by Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration development work.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Van Buren County Veterans Service Office – 179 Veterans Sq, Spencer, TN 38585; confirm current officer name/phone via vanburencountytn.com.
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Burritt Memorial Library – 427 College Street, Spencer, TN 38585; named for the county’s historic Burritt College.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Fall Creek Falls State Park (see above) is the county’s premier attraction, offering hiking, camping, a golf course, cabins, and the Betty Dunn Nature Center with its iconic suspension bridge.
Notes: The genuine “tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi” status of Fall Creek Falls is one of the most distinctive, checkable natural facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Van Buren County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via vanburencountytn.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: No dedicated county-run animal shelter was clearly confirmed in this search – regional rescue/humane organizations (such as Van Buren Hearts for Paws) appear to serve the area rather than a county-operated facility. 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: Van Buren County Convenience Center #1 – 879 Drake and Shockley St, Spencer, TN 38585 | (931) 946-2616.
NOTES: Van Buren County is the fourth county in this batch (Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, Wayne) of the Tennessee v2 redo. The genuine “tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi” designation of Fall Creek Falls is one of the most distinctive natural 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 Van Buren County County
Van Buren County is Tennessee’s Fall Creek Falls county – the 256-foot plunge of the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains into a Cumberland Plateau gorge makes Van Buren County the home of one of the eastern United States’ most spectacular natural landmarks, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to one of the least-populated counties in the state.
Spencer (the county seat, population ~1,300) is Van Buren County’s small governmental hub on the Cumberland Plateau, a tiny Tennessee mountain town whose Fall Creek Falls State Park proximity defines both its economy and its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Van Buren County Assessor of Property at 182 Chancery Row, Spencer, TN 38585, phone 931-946-2121. TN assessed at a percentage of appraised value.
Courts & Legal
Van Buren County Circuit Court at 182 Chancery Row, Spencer, TN 38585, phone 931-946-2121, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
121 Court Sq, Spencer, TN 38585
(931) 946-2314
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Van Buren County Probate Court, Spencer (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Van Buren 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, Van Buren County 179 Veterans Square, Spencer, TN 38585 Van Buren County is on the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee, seated in Spencer.
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 Van Buren County, the Clerk and Master (part of Chancery Court, Probate Division) administers probate. Van Buren County shares its Chancellor (31st Judicial District) with Warren County.
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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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
121 Court Sq, Spencer, TN 38585
(931) 946-2515
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
121 Court Sq, Spencer, TN 38585
(931) 946-2314
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
105 Sparta Hwy, Spencer, TN 38585
(931) 946-2337
DHS Office
105 Sparta Hwy, Spencer, TN 38585
(931) 946-7161
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Van Buren County Health Department – confirm current contact via vanburencountytn.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: Spencer
Population: 5,700
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Van Buren County County residents.
