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Virginia County
Gloucester County, Virginia
Gloucester Court House and York River watermen heritage - from Gloucester Court House's remarkably preserved colonial and antebellum courthouse complex (Gloucester's historic courthouse green contains one of Virginia's finest collections of early public buildings, including a debtor's prison, clerk's office, and tavern dating from the 1700s, all surrounding the working county courthouse in an ensemble that evokes colonial Virginia as authentically as anywhere in the state) to the county's Chesapeake Bay watermen heritage (Gloucester County's extensive York River and Mobjack Bay shoreline has supported generations of commercial watermen harvesting blue crabs, oysters, and fin fish from the Chesapeake Bay system).
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Office: Gloucester County Administration – 6489 Main Street, Building Two, Gloucester, VA 23061 | (804) 693-4042
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–4:30 PM
Alert System: Bee Alert, powered by the Everbridge network – register with your street address for geographically targeted alerts, even if you have an unlisted number or use a cell/VOIP phone
Emergency Shelter: Peasley Middle School, 2885 Hickory Fork Road (opened only when county officials determine it’s warranted)
Notes: Being a low-lying tidewater county along the Chesapeake Bay, Gloucester takes flood preparedness seriously – the county encourages residents to know their VDEM evacuation zone at vaemergency.gov, and requires new homes be built higher than the base flood elevation, a stricter standard than FEMA’s national minimum.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-17 and SH-14 are primary corridors; the county sits on the Middle Peninsula between the York and Rappahannock Rivers
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gloucester County Building Inspection – (804) 693-2744
Services: Administers the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and county building regulations; issues zoning/building permits requiring detailed applicant, property, and contractor information (fees due at submission)
Notes: Obtain your building permit before you build, especially in flood-prone areas – floodwaters “don’t care where FEMA draws a line,” as the county puts it. Code Enforcement also handles complaints about tall grass/weeds on vacant developed parcels, improperly stored bulky waste, unsafe/abandoned structures, and inoperative vehicles (60+ days non-operating) – a broader property-maintenance scope than building permits alone.
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: Gloucester County Public Library – celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2014
Main branch: 6920 Main Street, P.O. Box 2380, Gloucester, VA 23061 | (804) 693-2998 | Hours: Mon/Wed 10 AM–6 PM, Tue/Thu 10 AM–8 PM, Fri–Sat 10 AM–5 PM, closed Sunday
Point Branch: 2354 York Crossing Drive (York River Crossing Shopping Center), Hayes, VA | (804) 642-9790
Services: The Virginia Room, funded by a 1973 donation from Mr. and Mrs. George H. Cunningham, holds genealogical and Virginia local-history research materials including historic Gloucester newspapers dating back decades; Notary Public services available by appointment at either branch (patrons must bring their own witnesses); reader-printer-scanner copies $0.15 each
Notes: The Main Library was upgraded to its current 24,000-square-foot facility in 2004; the Point Branch moved to its current 3,916-square-foot location in October 2011. Book donations are accepted at the Main Library only, limited to two banker’s boxes or three grocery bags per week.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Walter Reed Birthplace, a modest one-room 1821 vernacular cottage near Belroi where Dr. Walter Reed – the US Army physician whose discovery that mosquitoes transmit yellow fever led to the disease’s eradication – was born September 13, 1851 while his father served as a temporary Methodist circuit-rider minister for the area; listed on the National Register of Historic Places (originally 1973, boundary expanded 2015), now owned and operated by the Gloucester Preservation Foundation and open by appointment; Rosewell Ruins, the remains of a grand 18th-century plantation house (four chimneys, an east wall with carved keystone window, and wine cellar still standing), donated to the Gloucester Historical Society in 1979 and now preserved by the Rosewell Foundation, with the visitor center and ruins open Friday–Sunday through November 1
Notes: Confirm current open-house dates and appointment availability for the Walter Reed Birthplace directly, as it is not open on a standard daily schedule
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Gloucester County GIS – accessible via gloucesterva.gov
Parcel Search: Gloucester County Real Estate Assessment records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Gloucester County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Gloucester County Animal Control (GCAC) – 6584 Beehive Dr, Gloucester, VA 23061 | (804) 693-5290
Services: Adoptions facilitated through GCAC, the independent nonprofit Friends of GCAC, and additional rescue partners; supports humane Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats (trapped, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped, and returned); currently welcoming K9 Walker volunteers
Notes: Walk-in meet-and-greets with adoptable animals are not currently available – call ahead and complete a full adoption application first. A separate independent nonprofit, the Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society (founded 1912, one of the older animal welfare organizations in the region), serves Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex counties jointly – (804) 693-5520 – and is a distinct organization from county Animal Control.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Gloucester County Environmental Programs – listed among county departments
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Gloucester also maintains a Mosquito Control program as a separate county department – contact directly for current service area and scheduling if mosquito-borne disease risk is a concern for your property
NOTES
Gloucester County, on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula along the Chesapeake Bay, is the birthplace of Dr. Walter Reed, whose discovery that mosquitoes transmit yellow fever led to the disease’s eradication – his modest 1821 birthplace cottage is preserved and open by appointment. The county’s tidewater geography drives serious flood-preparedness requirements, including building standards stricter than FEMA’s national minimum. All contact information above was sourced from official county and preservation-foundation pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Gloucester County
Gloucester County is the Middle Peninsula’s colonial courthouse and watermen heritage county – the county’s extraordinary preserved courthouse green and centuries of Chesapeake Bay fishing culture give Gloucester a depth of historical character matched by few Virginia counties, set against the scenic York River and Mobjack Bay landscape.
Gloucester Court House (the county seat, population ~700) anchors the county’s governmental and historical identity while the broader community of Gloucester provides commercial services to residents across the Middle Peninsula.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Gloucester County Assessor at 6489 Main Street, Gloucester, VA 23061, phone 804-693-3451. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Gloucester County Circuit Court at 7400 Justice Drive, Gloucester, VA 23061, phone 804-693-4042, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
6489 Main St, Gloucester, VA 23061
(804) 693-2502
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gloucester Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Gloucester (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Gloucester County is one of Virginia’s oldest counties, with deep colonial-era ties to the Werowocomoco/Powhatan area and early English settlement.
Local societies
No dedicated Gloucester 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.
Gloucester County is on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula, county seat Gloucester (also known as Gloucester Court House). 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 Gloucester 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 Gloucester 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
7259 Justice Dr, Gloucester, VA 23061
(804) 693-3890
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
6489 Main St, Gloucester, VA 23061
(804) 693-1650
ELECTIONS
Gloucester County Electoral Board, 6489 Main St, Gloucester, VA 23061
(804) 693-1650
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Three Rivers Health District, 7400 Carriage Ln, Gloucester, VA 23061
(804) 693-2331
Department of Social Services
6893 Main St, Gloucester, VA 23061
(804) 693-1210
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Three Rivers Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – serves Gloucester 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: Gloucester
Population: 38,000
Established: 1651
Tier: 3
Public Records
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