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Office: Bath County Emergency Services – 65 Courthouse Hill Road, Warm Springs, VA 24484 | (540) 839-7221
Emergency Services Coordinator: Andy Seabolt, (540) 839-7236
911 Coordinator: Teresa Phillips, (540) 839-7287
Emergency Dispatch (outside the immediate area, non-911): (540) 839-2375
Notes: The county’s 911 Emergency Communications Center is operated by the Sheriff’s Office, staffed by 8 full-time certified communications officers, and located in a renovated building at the Courthouse complex (renovated for this purpose in 2008). Multiple volunteer fire and rescue companies serve the county – Bolar, Burnsville, Hot Springs, Millboro, Millboro Area, and Mountain Grove – each with its own station.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-220 and SH-39 are primary corridors through this mountainous county
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county, given the county’s remote, rural geography
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Bath County Building, Planning and Zoning – 65 Courthouse Hill Road (2nd floor of the Courthouse), Warm Springs, VA 24484 | Mailing: P.O. Box 216, Warm Springs, VA 24484
Building Code Official: Andy Seabolt
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
Notes: The office works with the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and County Administrator on land use and zoning matters in addition to issuing building permits – applications and questions should be submitted by email (check the county website for the current address)
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: Virginia Department of Veterans Services – dvs.virginia.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest Veterans Service Representative)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with dvs.virginia.gov, as Bath’s very small population means veteran services are typically delivered through regional VDVS staff rather than an in-house county office
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Bath County Public Library – 96 Courthouse Hill, Warm Springs, VA | (540) 839-7286
Notes: Confirm current hours directly, as detailed branch hours were limited in available sources; a “Friends of the Bath County Public Library” support group also exists for the library
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Omni Homestead Resort, one of the oldest resorts in continuous operation in the United States, opened in 1764 and hosting 23 US presidents over its history – its guest history also includes a period during World War II when it served as an internment site for Japanese diplomats and their families, and in 1959 it became the first full-service ski resort in the southern US; Douthat State Park; Lake Moomaw and the T.M. Gathright Wildlife Management Area (13,428 acres, with a 2,530-acre lake for boating and water sports); George Washington National Forest, which along with state park land covers roughly 57% of the county’s 540 square miles; Garth Newel, a chamber music conservatory
Notes: Bath County has no traffic signal anywhere in the county and no chain fast-food or coffee locations – a genuinely distinctive, verifiable fact about its rural character rather than a generic claim. Confirm current visiting details for the Homestead and any state park/WMA access requirements directly before a trip.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) GIS viewer, linked from the county’s Building, Planning and Zoning page
Parcel Search: Bath County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through the Bath County Sheriff’s Office 911 Emergency Communications Center
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Bath County Animal Shelter – 1164 Virginia Ave, Hot Springs, VA 24445 | (540) 839-7210 (adoption/shelter line) | (540) 839-2375 (Animal Control non-emergency)
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM, for reclaims and adoptions
Services: Operated by the Bath County Sheriff’s Department; animals are spayed/neutered and current on vaccinations before adoption; pregnant cats are held until kittens are weaned
Notes: For an active/emergency animal control issue, call 911 rather than the non-emergency line. The independent nonprofit Bath County Animal Welfare Foundation partners with the county shelter to help place adoptable animals and accepts donations separately from the county.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact Bath County Administration directly for current refuse collection, transfer station, and recycling program details, as specifics were not independently confirmed for this entry
NOTES
Bath County is one of the most sparsely developed counties accessible in Virginia – no traffic light anywhere in the county, roughly 89% forested (with more than half in national forest), and centered on the Omni Homestead Resort, one of the oldest continuously operating resorts in the United States, dating to 1764. Emergency services, animal control, and the Sheriff’s Office operate closely together out of the Courthouse complex in Warm Springs given the county’s small year-round population. All contact information above was sourced from official county pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Bath County County
Bath County is Virginia’s least populous county and its healing springs resort county – The Homestead’s 250-year resort legacy and the natural warm mineral springs that have drawn presidents and travelers since the 18th century define an Allegheny Highlands community of extraordinary historical and recreational depth in one of Virginia’s most remote and beautiful mountain settings.
Warm Springs (the county seat, population ~300) is Bath County’s governmental hub, a tiny Allegheny Highlands community whose 1836 octagonal bathhouses, Homestead proximity, and mountain setting anchor its identity as one of Virginia’s most historically significant and scenically spectacular small communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Bath County Commissioner of Revenue at 13 Courthouse Hill, Warm Springs, VA 24484, phone 540-839-7226. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Bath County Circuit Court at 13 Courthouse Hill, Warm Springs, VA 24484, phone 540-839-7226, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
17 Court House Hill, Warm Springs, VA 24484
(540) 839-7226
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Bath Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Warm Springs (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Bath 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
Bath Circuit Court 65 Courthouse Hill Road, PO Box 180, Warm Springs, VA 24484 (540) 839-7226
Bath County is in Western Virginia’s mountains, one of Virginia’s least populous counties, county seat Warm Springs. Virginia has NO separate probate court – probate (“qualification”) is handled entirely by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Virginia calls the probate process “qualification” rather than “appointment,” and it happens administratively at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, not before a judge, unless a dispute arises.
Small Estate Affidavit (Va. Code § 64.2-601, the “Virginia Small Estate Act”) – available when the decedent’s entire personal probate estate (excluding real estate) does not exceed $75,000, at least 60 days have passed since death, and no personal representative has been appointed or has a pending application in any jurisdiction. If a will exists, it must first be admitted to probate (recorded with the Clerk) even though no executor is appointed. As of July 1, 2026, the affidavit must be filed on the statewide form (CC-1685).
Single Small Asset Release (Va. Code § 64.2-602) – any person or institution holding a single asset of $35,000 or less may release it directly to a successor once 60 days have passed since death and no personal representative has qualified, without any affidavit required at all.
Real Estate Affidavit (Form CC-1612) – if the decedent owned only real estate, this can be recorded directly in land records without full probate. Real estate generally cannot be transferred through the small estate affidavit process.
Full Qualification / Administration – the standard path for larger or more complex estates. The personal representative appears before the Clerk, takes an oath, files the will and death certificate, and typically posts a surety bond. The estate is then supervised by a Commissioner of Accounts throughout administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to qualify as executor or administrator brings the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate to the Bath Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
The Clerk reviews the will’s validity and admits it to probate.
The personal representative takes an oath and qualifies, posting a bond if required; the Clerk issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The Commissioner of Accounts oversees the estate going forward.
The personal representative notifies creditors, pays valid debts, and manages estate assets.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed once final accounting is approved.
What it costs
Virginia imposes a PROBATE TAX on most wills admitted to probate and grants of administration: $1 state tax + $0.33 local tax for every $1,000 of estate value. No tax is imposed on estates valued at $15,000 or less.
Filing fees for qualification vary by estate size; confirm current Bath County fees directly.
Virginia does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax – repealed for deaths on or after July 1, 2007. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
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
17 Court House Hill, Warm Springs, VA 24484
(540) 839-7207
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
17 Court House Hill, Warm Springs, VA 24484
(540) 839-7236
ELECTIONS
Bath County Electoral Board, 17 Court House Hill, Warm Springs, VA 24484
(540) 839-7236
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Central Shenandoah Health District, 17 Health Center Dr, Hot Springs, VA 24445
(540) 839-7222
Department of Social Services
30 Deer Run Rd, Hot Springs, VA 24445
(540) 839-7241
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Virginia Department of Health office serving Bath County (regional district – confirm current name/office directly, as Bath’s small population may be served through a shared district office)
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Virginia delivers public health primarily through regional Virginia Department of Health districts rather than standalone county health departments
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Warm Springs
Population: 4,100
Public Records
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