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Virginia County
Goochland County, Virginia
James River horse farm country and Richmond western corridor - from Goochland County's reputation as one of the Richmond metro's most exclusive rural retreats (the county's rolling James River countryside of horse farms, vineyards, and expansive estates has made it a destination for affluent rural living, with some of the region's finest equestrian properties and farm-to-table enterprises set against the scenic James River corridor) to Tuckahoe Plantation (one of Virginia's finest surviving colonial plantation homes, Tuckahoe was Thomas Jefferson's childhood home and is one of the oldest intact plantation complexes in America, reflecting Goochland County's deep colonial heritage along the James River).
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Office: Goochland County Department of Fire-Rescue & Emergency Services – 2938 River Rd. W, Bldg. I, P.O. Box 247, Goochland, VA 23063 | Fire Chief Dillard E. Ferguson Jr.
Alert System: CodeRED Emergency Notification System, plus county Facebook/Twitter, website, mobile app, text, email, and phone call
Outage reporting: text OUT to 63273; VDOT road hazards/downed trees/flooding: (804) 367-ROAD
Notes: A burn permit from the Fire Marshal, (804) 556-5365, is required before outdoor burning, and the Sheriff’s non-emergency line, (804) 556-5348, should also be notified beforehand with the planned location/time – burning is prohibited with accelerants, with materials brought from another property, or when smoke/ash would drift onto a neighbor’s property; fires must never be left unattended.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-64 and US-250 are primary corridors; River Road (SH-6) runs through the county along the James River
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Goochland County Planning & Zoning / Building Inspections – 1800 Sandy Hook Road, P.O. Box 119, Goochland, VA 23063
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM; Building and Trade Permits accepted in person 8:00 AM–4:00 PM only (permits arriving after 4:00 PM will not be accepted that day)
Services: Site plans reviewed by a full community development team (Environmental, Planning, Public Utilities, Building Inspector’s Office, Fire Marshal, and VDOT); a permit fee calculator is available at goochlandva.us/permitcalc
Notes: Effective July 1, 2026, new building permits on a lot subject to a “cash proffer” are subject to adjusted proffer amounts reflecting FY26 inflation – a genuinely unusual detail specific to Goochland’s development approach, worth checking if your lot has an existing proffer obligation. The county has Design Overlay Districts along major corridors (River Road West, River Road, Broad Street Road, Ashland Road) and in the villages of Centerville, Goochland Courthouse, and Oilville, which may add design review requirements. Many lots in the county contain wetlands and/or streams, which can trigger additional environmental permitting (Single Family SWPPP, erosion/sediment control agreements) – factor this into your project timeline.
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: Pamunkey Regional Library – serves Goochland and Hanover counties plus the Town of Ashland, established 1942, 7+ branches, no central library
Goochland Branch: 3075 River Road West, Goochland, VA 23063
Notes: The regional Library Board of Trustees includes 2 members from Goochland County and 4 from Hanover County, reflecting Hanover’s larger share of the service population – a genuinely shared regional system between the two localities
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Confirm current county park facilities and any historic sites directly with Goochland County Parks & Recreation, as detailed information was limited in available sources
Notes: The county’s rural, largely agricultural character along the James River is central to its identity – check goochlandva.us for current recreational programming and facility details
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Goochland County GIS – accessible via goochlandva.us
Parcel Search: Goochland County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Goochland County Fire-Rescue & Emergency Services
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Goochland Animal Shelter and Adoption Center – 1900 Hidden Rock Lane, Goochland, VA 23063 | (804) 556-5302
Services: A 13,941-square-foot facility that opened June 15, 2020, funded through county funds and community contributions via Goochland Pet Lovers, combining a municipal shelter, adoption center, and in-house spay/neuter clinic; adoption fees $90 for dogs, $75 for cats (both include spay/neuter, microchip, and relevant vaccinations/diagnostics)
Notes: Reclaiming your own animal costs a $20 pickup fee, waived of any boarding charge if picked up within 48 hours (after that, $15/day); bring ID (rabies certificate, vet bill, or photo) to verify ownership. Dogs may not run at large April 1–May 31 each year, and must be leashed year-round on county property (parks, schools, recreational facilities). There is currently no limit on the number of animals a Goochland resident may own. Animal Protection does not handle wildlife nuisances (call the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Hotline, 855-571-9003) or dead-animal removal on state right-of-way (call VDOT, 800-FOR-ROAD).
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact Goochland County Public Utilities/Solid Waste directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details, as specifics were not independently confirmed for this entry
NOTES
Goochland County, along the James River northwest of Richmond, has invested notably in its animal welfare infrastructure – the 2020-opened Goochland Animal Shelter and Adoption Center is a modern, purpose-built facility including its own in-house spay/neuter clinic. Building permit applicants should be aware of the county’s cash proffer system tied to certain lots, an inflation-adjusted development fee structure distinct from most other Virginia localities covered in this project. 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 Goochland County
Goochland County is Richmond’s western James River estate and horse country – the rolling countryside of horse farms, vineyards, and colonial plantations defines a county that has maintained a distinctly rural and affluent character while absorbing moderate residential growth from the Richmond metro’s western expansion.
Goochland (the county seat, population ~800) is a small governmental hub along Route 6, with the broader county accessed primarily through Richmond’s western commercial corridors.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Goochland County Assessor at 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland, VA 23063, phone 804-556-5854. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Goochland County Circuit Court at 2938 River Road W, Goochland, VA 23063, phone 804-556-5364, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
1800 Sandy Hook Rd, Goochland, VA 23063
(804) 556-5353
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Goochland Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Goochland (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Goochland 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
Goochland Circuit Court PO Box 196, Goochland, VA 23063 (804) 556-5353
Goochland County is in Central Virginia west of Richmond, county seat Goochland. 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 Goochland 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 Goochland 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
1800 Sandy Hook Rd, Goochland, VA 23063
(804) 556-5314
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
1800 Sandy Hook Rd, Goochland, VA 23063
(804) 556-5803
ELECTIONS
Goochland County Electoral Board, 1800 Sandy Hook Rd, Goochland, VA 23063
(804) 556-5803
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Chickahominy Health District, 1300 Sandy Hook Rd, Goochland, VA 23063
(804) 501-1700
Department of Social Services
1800 Sandy Hook Rd, Goochland, VA 23063
(804) 556-5825
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Chickahominy Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – serves Goochland 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: Goochland
Population: 26,000
Established: 1728
Tier: 3
Public Records
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