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Virginia County
Russell County, Virginia
Lebanon and Clinch River valley Appalachian heritage - from Lebanon's role as the governmental and cultural hub of Russell County to the county's deep Clinch River valley coal and agricultural heritage (Russell County sits in the Clinch River valley of southwest Virginia's coalfields region, where generations of mining families and mountain farmers built communities across the hollows and valley floors of one of Appalachia's most culturally distinctive corridors, maintaining old-time music, storytelling, and community traditions that define the region's unique identity).
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Office: Russell County Department of Emergency Management – 94 Russell Street, Lebanon, VA 24266 | Office: (276) 889-8247 | Cell: (276) 701-9775
Notes: Coordinates emergency planning, HazMat operations, sheltering during emergencies, and works with volunteer agencies (Salvation Army, American Red Cross), Fire/EMS, and Law Enforcement countywide; maintains the county’s Emergency Operations Plan.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-19 and SH-71/SH-80 are primary corridors; the Clinch River runs through the heart of the county
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Russell County Building Department – 137 Highland Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266 | (276) 889-8012 | Fax: (276) 889-8009 | Email: [email protected] | Building Official Mickey L. Rhea | Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
Notes: Per Code of Virginia § 54.1-1111, anyone doing work valued over $1,000 on your property must hold a state contractor license and applicable trade certification – property owners acting as their own contractor must sign an affidavit confirming they understand this and are not subject to licensure requirements for the specific project.
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: Russell County Public Library – 248 W Main St, Lebanon, VA 24266 | (276) 889-8044
Services: Free Wi-Fi, standard public library services; the library also periodically hosts federal casework mobile office hours (passport, VA benefits, IRS concerns) through the local congressional representative’s office – a genuinely useful community service worth knowing about if you need federal agency assistance
Notes: Confirm current hours directly, as detailed schedule information was limited in available sources.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Russell County, established in 1786 from Washington County and named for Revolutionary War Colonel William Russell, sits along the Clinch River – one of the most biologically diverse river systems in North America, supporting a genuine regional conservation effort (the Clinch River Valley Initiative); Clinch River State Park, dedicated in 2021 as Virginia’s 41st state park, spans Russell and three neighboring counties and includes the remains of an 18th-century French settlement at Sugar Hill; the Old Russell County Courthouse in Castlewood, built 1799 (some sources cite 1874 for a later structure), is one of the oldest public buildings in the region and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, now home to a self-guided museum; the Dante Coal and Railroad Museum, in the once-booming coal camp of Dante, preserves the region’s coal mining and railroad history, alongside the Dante Coal Miner’s Trail on reclaimed mining land; the Honaker Heritage Museum and St. Paul Railroad Museum cover additional local history; Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve sits at the confluence of the Clinch River and Big Cedar Creek; Cleveland Barrens Natural Area Preserve protects globally rare dolomite barrens habitat; Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area, at 25,477 acres, is the second-largest WMA in Virginia
Notes: Russell County brands itself “The Heart of Southwest Virginia” and is actively transitioning its economy from coal dependence toward outdoor recreation and heritage tourism – a genuine, ongoing regional shift reflected in projects like the Dante Coal Miner’s Trail repurposing former mining land.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Russell County GIS – accessible via russellcountyva.gov
Parcel Search: Russell County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Russell County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Russell County Animal Shelter – 458 Haber Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266 | Adoption inquiries: (276) 415-9163 | Animal Control: (276) 889-8098
Hours: Mon–Tue 10 AM–4 PM, Wed 10 AM–3 PM, Thu–Sun 10 AM–4 PM (hours may shift Wednesdays during dog transfers), closed holidays
Services: A small rural facility with 24 dog runs, covering an intake area spanning the county’s full 477 square miles; typically operates at or near full capacity
Notes: The shelter states directly and honestly that, thanks to rescue partners and adopters, it does NOT normally euthanize dogs to make space for incoming strays – a genuinely positive operational note worth sharing plainly. Out-of-state adoptions must be spayed/neutered before leaving Virginia. All dogs kept in the county must be licensed (available at the Treasurer’s Office, 137 Highland Dr Suite B, with proof of rabies vaccination required). The independent nonprofit Friends of Russell County Animals (frcva.org) is a separate volunteer group focused on keeping pets in their homes through financial and veterinary-care assistance rather than shelter intake – genuinely useful for pet owners facing financial hardship rather than surrender.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact Russell County Administration directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details, as specifics were not independently confirmed for this entry
NOTES
Russell County, “The Heart of Southwest Virginia,” is genuinely transitioning from a coal-dependent economy toward outdoor recreation and heritage tourism, anchored by the biologically remarkable Clinch River and the new Clinch River State Park. The county’s animal shelter operates transparently about its near-capacity conditions while maintaining a genuine no-euthanasia-for-space practice through active rescue partnerships – a positive, honestly stated operational reality worth knowing. All contact information above was sourced from official county and heritage-tourism pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Russell County
Russell County is southwest Virginia’s Clinch River valley and Appalachian cultural heritage county – coal mining and mountain farming shaped the county’s working-class character across generations while Lebanon anchors the governmental and community life of a county working to sustain its communities through the energy economy’s ongoing transitions.
Lebanon (the county seat, population ~3,100) is Russell County’s governmental and commercial hub, a southwest Virginia mountain town providing regional services to the county’s Clinch River valley communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Russell County Assessor at 137 Highland Drive, Lebanon, VA 24266, phone 276-889-8028. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Russell County Circuit Court at 53 E. Main Street, Lebanon, VA 24266, phone 276-889-8023, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
137 Highland Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266
(276) 889-8018
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Russell Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Lebanon (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Russell 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
Russell Circuit Court 53 Main Street, Lebanon, VA 24266 (276) 889-0143
Russell County is in Southwest Virginia, county seat Lebanon. 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 Russell 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 Russell 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
139 Highland Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266
(276) 889-8021
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
137 Highland Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266
(276) 889-8018
ELECTIONS
Russell County Electoral Board, 137 Highland Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266
(276) 889-8018
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, 137 Highland Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266
(276) 889-8000
Department of Social Services
137 Highland Dr, Lebanon, VA 24266
(276) 889-8038
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Cumberland Plateau Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – serves Russell 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: Lebanon
Population: 26,000
Established: 1786
Tier: 3
Public Records
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