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Virginia · Shenandoah Valley · Winchester · #375
Frederick County, Virginia
The Shenandoah Valley's northern gateway - Frederick County surrounds Winchester, which changed hands 72 times during the Civil War and sits at the strategic junction of the Valley Pike, the B&O Railroad, and the natural corridor into Virginia from the North. Apple orchards, poultry processing, and a growing Washington exurban population define the county today. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Frederick County residents.
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Office: Frederick County Fire & Rescue, Emergency Management Division – P.O. Box 1105
Notes: The Winchester-Frederick Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), formed under the federal “Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986” (SARA Title II), prepares hazardous-materials emergency plans and meets quarterly; membership includes local/state officials, police, fire/rescue, public health professionals, community groups, and media. Facilities with reportable hazardous chemicals are encouraged to submit reports via the EPA’s Tier2Submit software rather than paper forms, sent to both Virginia DEQ and the LEPC.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-81 and I-66 both serve the county; US-11 (Valley Pike) and US-50 are also primary corridors; Winchester Regional Airport serves the region
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Frederick County Building Inspections – 107 N. Kent St., Winchester, VA 22601 | (540) 665-5600
Planning and Development: same address, Suite 202 | (540) 665-5651 | Fax: (540) 665-6395
Hours: Building Inspections Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM onward (confirm exact closing time); general county offices Monday–Friday 8 AM–5 PM
Services: Applications and status checks available through an Interactive Permit Inquiry tool online; monthly building permit reports published publicly; records requests beyond standard permit info go through the county’s FOIA portal (frederickcountyva.nextrequest.com)
Notes: A 10% late payment fee applies to any permit-related account delinquent more than 90 days, in addition to underpayment-rate interest under Code of Virginia § 58.1-15 – worth knowing if you’re managing a larger development project with staged fee payments. Commercial/subdivision projects involving on-site stormwater BMP facilities require a formal maintenance agreement with the county.
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: Handley Regional Library System – serves the City of Winchester and Frederick and Clarke counties jointly; central Handley Library (Winchester) established 1913, plus Bowman Library (Stephens City, established 2001) and Clarke County Library (Berryville, established 1985)
Notes: A genuinely shared regional system across two counties and an independent city – confirm current branch hours directly, as they can vary by location
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, a 3,712-acre National Park Service unit (authorized 2002) spanning Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren counties, protecting the site of the October 19, 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek – the last major Civil War battle in the Shenandoah Valley, where Union General Philip Sheridan’s counterattack effectively ended the Valley Campaign in the North’s favor – and the Belle Grove Plantation, a 283-acre National Historic Landmark Federal-style manor built 1794–97 for Maj. Isaac Hite Jr. (married to James Madison’s sister, Nelly Conway Madison), with design input sought from Thomas Jefferson; the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation hosts an annual battle reenactment on the third weekend of October
Notes: Over half the park’s authorized 3,700+ acres remains privately owned and the battlefield is not fully open to the public, though ranger-led and self-guided driving tours are available via public roads – check nps.gov/cebe for current program schedules before visiting. Belle Grove itself is separately owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation with its own visitor hours.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Frederick County GIS – accessible via fcva.us
Parcel Search: Frederick County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Frederick County Fire & Rescue Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Esther Boyd Animal Shelter – 161 Fort Collier Road, Winchester, VA 22603 | (540) 667-9192
Animal Control (enforcement, under the Sheriff’s Department): (540) 662-6162
Services: Officers enforce Virginia’s comprehensive animal laws, transport strays to the shelter, and investigate cruelty/neglect complaints; shelter staff can discuss alternatives to surrender by phone before you schedule a surrender appointment
Notes: For lost pets, the shelter recommends also checking the “Winchester-Frederick Lost and Found Pets” social media group. A separate independent nonprofit, the Winchester, Frederick and Clarke SPCA, (540) 662-8616, also assists in the region – confirm which organization applies to your specific need.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact Frederick County Public Works directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details, as specifics were not independently confirmed for this entry
NOTES
Frederick County, surrounding the independent City of Winchester in the northern Shenandoah Valley, holds genuinely significant Civil War history at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, site of the last major battle fought in the Valley and home to a National Historic Landmark plantation house with direct ties to James Madison’s family and consultation from Thomas Jefferson. The county shares its library system regionally with Winchester and Clarke County, reflecting the area’s tightly interconnected local government structure. All contact information above was sourced from official county and National Park Service pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Frederick County
Frederick County surrounds Winchester but is legally distinct from it – Winchester is an independent city, a Virginia peculiarity that places the county’s governmental offices in Winchester while technically making them separate jurisdictions. The practical effect is that Frederick County and Winchester share a metro area, a hospital system, and an economy, while maintaining distinct tax structures, school systems, and governing bodies. For residents, the boundary is largely invisible in daily life.
What defines Frederick County physically and economically is the orchard land in its north and east – the limestone ridges of the Shenandoah Valley produce some of the best apple-growing conditions in the eastern United States, and Frederick County accounts for a significant share of Virginia’s apple crop. Fruit packing operations, cold storage facilities, and agri-tourism have built a genuine agricultural economy alongside the suburban development that has moved steadily westward from Northern Virginia along Route 7 and Interstate 81. The county’s growth has been significant but more measured than Stafford or Spotsylvania – it retains more rural character and a stronger agricultural tax base. Fort Collier Civil War historic site and Shenandoah National Park’s northern terminus add heritage tourism to the county’s economic mix.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Frederick County conducts annual real property assessments at 100% of fair market value. The 2025 real property tax rate is $0.61 per $100 of assessed value – among the lower rates in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, a reflection of the county’s agricultural heritage and restrained spending priorities. Property owners may appeal informally to the Assessor and then formally to the Board of Equalization, with the spring appeal deadline typically around April 1; Circuit Court appeal is available thereafter. Frederick County’s senior and disabled relief program: qualifying residents 65 or older (or permanently disabled) with income below approximately $75,000 and net worth below $540,000 may receive a partial or full real estate tax exemption; applications are due by March 31. Virginia has no estate or inheritance tax. 100% service-connected disabled veterans are fully exempt from real estate tax on their primary residence.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Frederick County Circuit Court (shared with Winchester): 5 N. Kent Street, Winchester, VA 22601 | (540) 667-5770. The Circuit Court Clerk serves both Frederick County and the City of Winchester for probate, deed recording, and estate filings. For Frederick County residents with orchard land, timber tracts, or farm parcels, estate planning should specifically address land use value assessments – agricultural land enrolled in use-value taxation (Virginia’s land use program) loses that preferential assessment if transferred to heirs who don’t continue qualifying agricultural use within a certain period. Coordinating an estate plan with the county’s land use administrator protects the assessment for the next generation.
Senior Services
Northwestern Community Services Board – Aging Services
315 Fest Street NW, Winchester, VA 22601
Phone: (540) 722-3900
Senior services, transportation, Meals on Wheels, and aging-in-place support for Frederick County and Winchester residents.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
5 North Kent St, Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 665-5646
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Frederick Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Winchester (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Handley Regional Library / Stewart Bell Jr. Archives Room, Winchester – a notable regional resource for Frederick County and Shenandoah Valley genealogical research.
Local societies
No dedicated Frederick County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories, though the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives serves as a strong regional alternative.
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
Frederick Circuit Court 5 North Kent Street, Winchester, VA 22601 (540) 667-5770
Frederick County is in the Shenandoah Valley, county seat Winchester (an independent city). Virginia has NO separate probate court – probate (“qualification”) is handled entirely by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Frederick County shares its Circuit Court with the independent City of Winchester.
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 Frederick 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 Frederick 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
1080 Coverstone Dr, Winchester, VA 22602
(540) 665-6350
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
107 North Kent St, Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 665-5674
ELECTIONS
Frederick County Electoral Board, 107 North Kent St, Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 665-5674
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Lord Fairfax Health District, 107 North Kent St, Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 722-3480
Department of Social Services
107 North Kent St, Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 665-5624
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lord Fairfax Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – serves Frederick 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: Winchester (independent city)
Population: 92,000
Area: 415 mi²
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Frederick County facilities via Amazon.
