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Virginia County
New Kent County, Virginia
Colonial plantation heritage and Richmond-Williamsburg corridor - from New Kent County's rich colonial history (the county was established in 1654 and contains Criss Cross, one of Virginia's oldest surviving plantation houses, while the historic New Kent Courthouse area preserves one of the colonial Virginia's most intact rural courthouse landscapes) to the county's growing appeal as a Richmond-Williamsburg corridor community (situated midway between Virginia's two most historic cities along I-64, New Kent County has attracted residential development from commuters serving both the Richmond metro and the Hampton Roads region while maintaining its predominantly rural agricultural character).
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Office: New Kent County Emergency Management – Deputy Coordinator Kate Hale, (804) 966-8780
Alert System: New Kent ALERT – register directly via the county homepage for email, phone, and/or text notifications
Notes: The county identifies its most common hazards as severe summer weather (thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding), severe winter weather (cold, wind, snow, ice), and tropical storms/hurricanes. The county’s own emergency page notes residents have “a reputation for being independent and self-reliant” alongside “a reputation as a community that works together” – worth building an emergency kit and plan given this rural character.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-64 runs through the county, situating it directly between Richmond and Williamsburg
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: New Kent County Department of Building Development – 12007 Courthouse Circle, P.O. Box 150, New Kent, VA 23124 | Inspection requests: (804) 966-8572
Health Department (well/septic): (804) 966-9640 | Environmental Division (land disturbance): (804) 966-8580 | Planning/setbacks: (804) 966-9690
Services: Permits required for all structures except non-residential farm buildings as defined by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code; the 2021 Virginia Residential Code became effective January 17, 2025; all permits are valid for 6 months from issuance
Notes: If your dwelling uses private well/septic, you must get Health Department approval BEFORE applying for land disturbance and building permits. A land disturbance permit is required for disturbing more than 2,500 sq ft, and can be submitted alongside your building permit. Properties in the Brickshire, Patriots Landing, and The Colonies subdivisions require Architectural Review Board (ARB) stamped plans – the county will not accept unstamped plans for these communities; Viniterra similarly requires its own developer stamp. A $55 missed-inspection fee applies if a scheduled inspection isn’t called in; failed inspections twice, or one that’s called in but not ready when the inspector arrives, incur a $75 fee, with a $125 second-offense re-inspection fee.
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: Heritage Public Library – 7791 Invicta Lane, New Kent, VA 23124 | (804) 966-2480 | Fax: (804) 966-5982
Services: Over 53,000 items including books, audiobooks, DVDs, videos, music CDs, newspapers, and magazines; computers with internet access for cardholders
Notes: Heritage Public Library is organized as a private not-for-profit corporation and jointly serves both New Kent and neighboring Charles City County residents – a shared regional arrangement between the two counties rather than a standard single-county public system. A separate Charles City branch operates at 10790 Courthouse Road with its own distinct hours.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: New Kent County, established in 1654 from York County, is the birthplace of two U.S. presidents’ wives – Martha Washington and Letitia Christian Tyler; St. Peter’s Parish Church, where George and Martha Washington are believed to have married, still stands in the county; Colonial Downs, Virginia’s only pari-mutuel Thoroughbred racetrack, sits directly off I-64 between Richmond and Williamsburg – its Secretariat Turf Course, at 180 feet wide, is the widest grass racing surface in North America, and its 1¼-mile dirt track is the second-largest in the country after Belmont Park; the track’s showcase event is the Grade 3 Virginia Derby; Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, featuring Historical Horse Racing (HHR) electronic gaming and simulcast wagering, operates year-round on-site even outside the live summer racing meet, having reopened Colonial Downs to wagering in April 2019 after a multi-year closure; New Kent Winery and other local wineries round out the county’s agritourism offerings
Notes: Colonial Downs’ return has genuinely reshaped the county’s economy and identity over the past several decades – from a quiet rural community to a regional entertainment draw – worth understanding as context if discussing county growth or traffic patterns during race season
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: New Kent County GIS (“Vision” viewer) – accessible via newkent-va.us, includes a Land Development Viewer for tracking nearby proposed development
Parcel Search: New Kent County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through New Kent County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Office: New Kent County Sheriff’s Office Animal Protection Unit – J. Joseph McLaughlin Jr. Animal Shelter, 7087 Airport Rd, Quinton, VA 23141 | (804) 966-9500 | [email protected]
Hours: Shelter/adoption hours Tuesday–Saturday 10 AM–4 PM; Animal Control calls-for-service Monday–Saturday 7 AM–6 PM (after-hours for emergencies only, via Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line, or 911 for a true emergency)
Services: Sworn law enforcement officers staff the unit, with continual specialized training in animal protection; handles domesticated animal issues, primarily strays and nuisance complaints; wildlife situations are referred to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources UNLESS there’s potential rabies exposure, in which case the unit responds directly; annual Rabies Clinic held the last Saturday of April, $10 per vaccine, most recently at New Kent Middle School, 7501 Egypt Rd
Notes: County ordinance prohibits dogs running at large in residential subdivisions or mobile home parks – dogs must be leashed or under direct owner control; a captured at-large dog is impounded per Code of Virginia § 3.2-6546. Report a found or lost pet online or by calling the shelter’s intake team directly.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: New Kent County Refuse Center, located on Olivet Church Road (State Route 6) alongside the Animal Shelter
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact county administration directly for current refuse center hours and accepted materials
NOTES
New Kent County carries a genuinely notable dual heritage – birthplace of two U.S. presidents’ wives (Martha Washington and Letitia Christian Tyler) alongside its modern identity as home to Colonial Downs, Virginia’s only Thoroughbred racetrack, which has meaningfully reshaped the county from a quiet rural community into a regional entertainment destination since its 2019 reopening. The county’s library is shared jointly with neighboring Charles City County, a genuinely collaborative regional arrangement. All contact information above was sourced from official county and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About New Kent County
New Kent County is central Virginia’s colonial plantation corridor county – one of Virginia’s oldest counties, New Kent’s colonial landmarks and rural character have been preserved along the I-64 corridor between Richmond and Williamsburg while steady residential growth reflects the county’s desirable position between two major Virginia metro areas.
New Kent (the county seat, population ~200) is one of Virginia’s smallest county seats, with the broader county population distributed across rural residential communities along Route 60 and I-64.
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New Kent County Assessor at 12007 Courthouse Circle, New Kent, VA 23124, phone 804-966-9660. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
New Kent County Circuit Court at 12001 Courthouse Circle, New Kent, VA 23124, phone 804-966-9520, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
12001 Courthouse Cir, New Kent, VA 23124
(804) 966-9520
Genealogy
County-level record sources
New Kent Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, New Kent (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). New Kent County (founded 1654) holds deep colonial-era documentary history; several National Register-listed properties (including Foster’s Castle and Hampstead) are in the county.
Local societies
No dedicated New Kent 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
New Kent Circuit Court 12001 Courthouse Circle, New Kent, VA 23124 (804) 966-9528
New Kent County was founded in 1654, named for Kent, England, east of the Greater Richmond Region, county seat New Kent. 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 New Kent 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 New Kent 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
7708 Pocahontas Trail, New Kent, VA 23124
(804) 966-9500
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
12007 Courthouse Cir, New Kent, VA 23124
(804) 966-9660
ELECTIONS
New Kent County Electoral Board, 12007 Courthouse Cir, New Kent, VA 23124
(804) 966-9660
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Chickahominy Health District, 8200 St Peters Ln, New Kent, VA 23124
(804) 966-9640
Department of Social Services
8200 St Peters Ln, New Kent, VA 23124
(804) 966-9656
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Chickahominy Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – (804) 966-9640, serves New Kent County
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records; also processes well/septic permits as part of the building permit sequence
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: New Kent
Population: 24,000
Established: 1654
Tier: 3
Public Records
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