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Virginia County
Dickenson County, Virginia
Ralph Stanley birthplace and Russell Fork coal country - from Ralph Stanley's birthplace (the legendary bluegrass and old-time music icon Dr. Ralph Stanley was born in Dickenson County in 1927, and his distinctive high lonesome sound defined a generation of Appalachian music - the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood celebrates his life and legacy as one of the greatest musicians in American folk music history) to the Russell Fork River Gorge (the Russell Fork cuts one of the most dramatic river gorges in the eastern United States through the Pine Mountain ridge in Dickenson County, with Class V-VI whitewater that draws kayakers from across the country each October for the Russell Fork Gorge Festival).
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Office: Dickenson County Emergency Management – 128 Court House Lane, Clintwood, VA 24228 | (276) 926-1600
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
Dickenson County E-911: A consolidated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and Dispatch Center, answering all 911 calls in the county and dispatching the Clintwood, Clinchco, and Haysi Police Departments along with fire/rescue
Notes: Dickenson County is Virginia’s most recently created county (1880) and one of the most mountainous, bordering Kentucky on the Appalachian Plateau – terrain worth factoring into any weather/emergency planning given the steep, remote geography
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-83 and SH-63 are primary corridors through this mountainous, western Virginia county
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Dickenson County Building Department – 818 Happy Valley Dr, P.O. Box 733, Clintwood, VA 24228
Services: Jurisdiction covers the entire county including the Towns of Clintwood, Clinchco, and Haysi
Notes: If your property specifically falls within Town of Clintwood limits, you can also contact the Town of Clintwood directly at (276) 926-8383 for zoning-specific questions, though the county Building Department covers the whole county including all three towns for building permits
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
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Dickenson County is served by the Lonesome Pine Regional Library system, with two local branches: Jonnie B. Deel Memorial Library, 198 Chase Street, Clintwood, VA 24228, (276) 926-6617; and Haysi Public Library, 314 Main Street, Haysi, VA 24256
Notes: Confirm current hours directly, as detailed branch scheduling was limited in available sources
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Breaks Interstate Park, one of only two Interstate Parks in the entire United States (jointly managed by Virginia and Kentucky), encompassing 4,500 acres on the Virginia-Kentucky border and home to the “Grand Canyon of the South,” a roughly 1,000-foot gorge carved by the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River through a break in Pine Mountain – the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River; the John W. Flanagan Dam & Reservoir, where the Cranesnest and Pound Rivers form a large lake for fishing and boating, adjacent to Jefferson National Forest; the historic Dickenson County Courthouse (built 1915, extending an 1894 structure), listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982
Notes: Breaks Interstate Park’s unique interstate status and its canyon depth make it a genuinely significant regional destination, not just a local park – confirm current hours and any seasonal closures directly at (276) 865-4413
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Dickenson County GIS – accessible via dickensonva.org
Parcel Search: Dickenson County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Dickenson County E-911; 911 address applications are available directly through the county website
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Dickenson County Animal Shelter – 309 DC Truck Shop Rd, Clintwood, VA 24228
Animal Control: enforces state laws and local ordinances; staff are certified with specialized training and equipment for animal-related complaints
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM onward (confirm exact closing time directly)
Notes: This is a genuinely small, resource-stretched shelter that regularly relies on community donations of dog food and supplies – worth knowing if you’re looking for a way to help beyond adopting
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact Dickenson County Administration directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details, as specifics were not independently confirmed for this entry
NOTES
Dickenson County, Virginia’s most recently formed county (1880), sits deep in the Appalachian Plateau along the Kentucky border and is home to Breaks Interstate Park – one of only two Interstate Parks in the entire United States, jointly managed by Virginia and Kentucky and home to the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River. The county’s small animal shelter reflects the resource constraints typical of this remote, mountainous region, and regularly depends on community donations to operate. 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 Dickenson County
Dickenson County is Virginia’s most remote coalfield county and birthplace of bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley – the Russell Fork River Gorge’s dramatic Class V whitewater and Stanley’s haunting old-time music heritage define a county whose Appalachian character runs deeper than almost anywhere in Virginia.
Clintwood (the county seat, population ~1,300) is Dickenson County’s governmental hub along Cranes Nest River, serving one of Virginia’s most remote and authentically Appalachian mountain communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Dickenson County Assessor at 293 Clintwood Main Street, Clintwood, VA 24228, phone 276-926-1676. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Dickenson County Circuit Court at 293 Clintwood Main Street, Clintwood, VA 24228, phone 276-926-1610, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
190 Justice St, Clintwood, VA 24228
(276) 926-1616
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Dickenson Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Clintwood (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Dickenson County Courthouse (built 1915) is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Dickenson 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
Dickenson Circuit Court 119 Court House Lane, PO Box 190, Clintwood, VA 24228 (276) 926-1616
Dickenson County was founded in 1880, named for William J. Dickinson, in the far Southwest tip of Virginia bordering Kentucky, county seat Clintwood. Virginia has NO separate probate court – probate (“qualification”) is handled entirely by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Dickenson County is part of the 29th Judicial Circuit.
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 Dickenson 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 Dickenson 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
233 Volunteer Dr, Clintwood, VA 24228
(276) 926-1611
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
190 Justice St, Clintwood, VA 24228
(276) 926-1616
ELECTIONS
Dickenson County Electoral Board, 190 Justice St, Clintwood, VA 24228
(276) 926-1616
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Cumberland Plateau Health District, 90 Hospital Dr, Clintwood, VA 24228
(276) 926-1600
Department of Social Services
90 Hospital Dr, Clintwood, VA 24228
(276) 926-1653
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Cumberland Plateau Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – serves Dickenson County
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: Clintwood
Population: 14,500
Established: 1880
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Dickenson County residents.
