Carter County Health Department phone, WIC, vaccines, septic and family services
If you live in Grayson, Olive Hill or elsewhere in Carter County, the county health department is the local starting point for WIC, childhood and adult immunizations, HANDS home visiting, STI and communicable-disease services, septic permits, restaurant inspections and other preventive-health programs.
The Grayson office handles both clinic and environmental-health work, but each service has its own staff contact and paperwork. Calling the right extension first can save a return trip—especially for WIC, vaccines, septic applications and HANDS enrollment.
What does Carter County Health Department in Kentucky do?
Carter County Health Department is Carter County’s local public-health agency. Its main divisions include Preventive Health, Epidemiology and Chronic Disease, Environmental Health, WIC and HANDS, with additional work involving communicable disease, immunizations, STI testing, tuberculosis control, septic systems, food safety and community health education.
WIC, breastfeeding support, childhood vaccines and HANDS home-visiting services help pregnant families, infants and young children navigate nutrition, development and preventive care.
Immunizations, STI services, TB prevention and communicable-disease work are available through the department’s nursing and preventive-health programs.
Environmental Health handles onsite sewage/septic systems, food establishments, public pools, hotels, mobile-home parks, tattoo/body-piercing facilities and animal-bite/rabies control.
Carter County Health Department phone numbers and extensions
The department publishes both 606-474-5109 and 606-474-6685. Program pages use different extensions, so tell staff which service you need when you call.
| Service | Phone / extension | Use this route for |
|---|---|---|
| Main office | 606-474-5109 | General health-department routing and appointments. |
| Secondary published number | 606-474-6685 | Department and clinical routing where a program page uses this number. |
| WIC scheduling | 606-474-5109 ext. 105 | WIC appointments, certification and benefit scheduling. |
| WIC questions | 606-474-5109 ext. 107 | Nutrition, eligibility and WIC program questions. |
| Immunization scheduling | 606-474-5109 ext. 103 | Child and adult vaccine appointments. |
| Immunization questions | 606-474-5109 ext. 107 | Vaccine availability and eligibility questions. |
| HANDS | 606-474-5109 ext. 119 | Pregnancy and new-parent home-visiting support. |
| STI / communicable disease | 606-474-6685 ext. 108 | STI testing, communicable-disease and TB questions. |
| Environmental Health | 606-474-5109 ext. 129 | Septic, food permits, inspections and environmental-health questions. |
| Animal bite | 606-474-6685 ext. 034 | Animal-bite reporting and rabies-control routing. |
Carter County WIC eligibility, appointments and local grocery use
WIC is a free supplemental nutrition program for qualifying pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding participants, infants and children through age four. The program provides nutrition education, breastfeeding education, approved foods and referrals to healthcare and community resources.
The Carter County page says applicants must be Kentucky residents, meet nutritional-risk criteria and qualify under current income rules. Medicaid eligibility also satisfies the WIC income test.
Call 606-474-5109 ext. 105 for scheduling. Program questions can be directed to ext. 107.
The department FAQ lists Ralph’s Food Fair and Save-A-Lot in Grayson and Save-A-Lot in Olive Hill as local examples of stores accepting Kentucky WIC benefits.
Childhood and adult vaccines at Carter County Health Department
Carter County provides childhood immunizations through the Vaccines for Children program and offers selected adult vaccines. Call before visiting because vaccine stock, insurance billing and eligibility can differ by vaccine.
Qualifying uninsured or underinsured children through age 18 can receive recommended vaccines through VFC. The department says there are no income guidelines for the program.
Vaccines supplied through VFC are provided without vaccine cost to qualifying children, although a nominal administration fee may apply. The department says inability to pay that fee does not automatically prevent service.
The current local page lists Tdap, pneumococcal, shingles and seasonal influenza among adult vaccines offered. Some insured adults may also be served depending on accepted coverage.
HANDS home visiting for expecting and new Carter County parents
HANDS—Health Access Nurturing Development Services—is Kentucky’s early family-support and home-visiting program. Carter County’s program supports parents through pregnancy and the first years of a baby’s life with practical information, developmental guidance, safety education and connections to community resources.
The current program page says any parent expecting a new baby and living in Kentucky may be eligible. Enrollment must begin during pregnancy or before the baby reaches 90 days old.
The department’s FAQ states that HANDS is not limited by income for otherwise eligible families.
Families can receive pregnancy and parenting support, child-development information, home-safety education, activities that support early learning and referrals to community resources.
STI testing, free condoms and tuberculosis services
Carter County Health Department provides STI and communicable-disease services and participates in Kentucky’s tuberculosis prevention and control work. The department says testing is available to people under age 18 as well as adults.
Local information covers infections such as syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, hepatitis and HPV. Call the nursing team if you think you were exposed or need testing.
The department states that free condoms and ECP, commonly called the morning-after pill, are available through its STI services.
TB skin testing is used for qualifying at-risk groups, while active TB cases can involve Directly Observed Therapy and public-health nursing follow-up.
Restaurant inspections, pools, hotels, rabies and environmental complaints
Carter County Environmental Health enforces local and state public-health requirements for regulated facilities and private sewage systems. Call 606-474-5109 ext. 129 before opening a food business, installing septic or assuming a property inspection can be completed the same day.
The department inspects restaurants and other regulated food-service operations and investigates food-safety complaints.
Environmental Health lists school sanitation and hotel/motel inspections among its responsibilities.
Public swimming pools and spas are inspected. Private residential pools are excluded from this public-facility program.
Tattoo studios, body-piercing studios and ear-piercing establishments appear on the department’s regulated-facility list.
Mobile-home and recreational-vehicle parks are also part of the local Environmental Health inspection program.
The department investigates animal bites and rabies risk. Report qualifying bites promptly using the published Environmental Health route.
Septic site evaluations, permits, inspections and 2026 published fees
Private and commercial onsite sewage systems remain an Environmental Health responsibility in Carter County. The department regulates system sizing, installation, maintenance and repairs and requires an application for a site evaluation before a new septic system can proceed.
| Environmental service | Published fee | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Site Evaluation Application / Perk Test | $200 | Initial site evaluation before a qualifying onsite sewage project. |
| Permit to Install Septic System | $200 | Permit for qualifying new system installation. |
| Existing Septic System Inspection | $200 | Inspection of an existing onsite sewage system. |
| Septic System Repair Permit | $200 | Permit required for qualifying repair work. |
| Septic System Dye Test | $200 | Dye testing of qualifying systems. |
Applications are available through the Health Department Environmental Office.
Have the property address, proposed construction information and any known existing-system details ready.
Environmental staff determine whether the proposed onsite sewage system meets applicable local and state requirements.
New installation and qualifying repair work require the applicable permit rather than informal approval.
Temporary food permits and restaurant requirements
If you plan to sell or give food to the public at a festival, fair or temporary event, Carter County Health Department says a temporary food permit is required before opening.
| Temporary operation | Published permit fee | Maximum period at one location |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 days | $60 | Up to the approved event duration. |
| 4–7 days | $90 | Up to the approved event duration. |
| 8–14 days | $125 | Temporary permit cannot exceed 14 days at one location. |
The department requires the temporary food vendor to have the permit before beginning operation, not after an inspector arrives.
Temporary-event food types and preparation methods may be restricted for food-safety reasons. Contact Environmental Health before finalizing the menu.
The local page states commercial food establishments must have a Certified Food Manager on site when food is being prepared under the applicable Kentucky food-code requirements.
Birth certificates and Kentucky Vital Statistics help
Carter County Health Department provides local vital-record application guidance, while Kentucky’s Office of Vital Statistics handles the state’s certified birth, death, marriage and divorce records. The local department says residents can obtain application forms through the health department or use Kentucky’s official Vital Statistics ordering routes.
The department’s current Vital Statistics information lists a $10 non-refundable search fee per birth certificate.
The same local information lists a $6 non-refundable search fee for stillbirth, death, marriage and divorce certificates.
Kentucky uses VitalChek for official online and phone ordering. VitalChek charges additional processing and delivery fees.
Harm-reduction help and safer-service routing
Carter County Health Department lists Harm Reduction among its current core service links. Because the publicly indexed official page does not expose enough current program detail to safely publish a 2026 schedule or eligibility rules here, call the Health Department directly and ask for the current Harm Reduction program.
What to have ready before going to the Grayson office
Most programs operate from the same Robert & Mary Avenue location, but the documents and staff contact differ. A quick call before you leave home is especially useful for WIC, immunizations, septic work and HANDS.
How to reach the right Carter County Health Department service
Decide whether you need WIC, immunizations, HANDS, STI/TB help, Environmental Health, septic service, a food permit or vital-record guidance.
Use the main number and ask for the service by name or use the program extension listed in this guide.
General clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but a specific environmentalist, nurse or program worker may not be available every hour.
Ask about current identification, insurance, income, property documents and accepted payment methods before visiting.
Submit health, WIC, septic and vital-record information only through Carter County Health Department or the appropriate Kentucky government service.
Official Carter County and Kentucky public-health links
Vaccine inventory, WIC income limits, septic fees, food-permit fees and program contacts can change. Use the official pages below before submitting paperwork or relying on an old fee sheet.
Carter County Health Department FAQs
What is the Carter County Health Department phone number?
The main Carter County Health Department phone number in Grayson, Kentucky is 606-474-5109. The department also publishes 606-474-6685 for several services.
Where is Carter County Health Department located?
The department is located at 105 Robert & Mary Ave., Grayson, KY 41143.
What are the Carter County Health Department hours?
Published clinic hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office is closed Saturday and Sunday.
Does Carter County Health Department offer WIC?
Yes. WIC is available for qualifying Kentucky residents who meet participant, nutritional-risk and income or Medicaid eligibility requirements. Call 606-474-5109 ext. 105 for scheduling.
Can children get vaccines at Carter County Health Department?
Yes. The department participates in the Vaccines for Children program for qualifying uninsured and underinsured children through age 18. Call ext. 103 for scheduling and ext. 107 for vaccine questions.
What is the Carter County HANDS program?
HANDS is Kentucky’s pregnancy and early-childhood home-visiting program. Families can enroll during pregnancy or before the baby reaches 90 days old and may receive parenting, child-development, home-safety and community-resource support.
Who handles septic permits in Carter County Kentucky?
Carter County Health Department Environmental Services handles onsite sewage and septic systems. Call 606-474-5109 ext. 129 before applying for a site evaluation, installation permit or repair permit.
How much is a septic permit in Carter County?
The department’s currently published Environmental Services fee list shows $200 for a site evaluation, septic installation permit, existing-system inspection, repair permit and septic dye test. Verify the current fee before paying.
Do I need a permit for a temporary food booth in Carter County?
Yes. Carter County says temporary food vendors need a permit before operating. The currently published fees are $60 for 1–3 days, $90 for 4–7 days and $125 for 8–14 days.
Can I get a birth certificate through Carter County Health Department?
The local department provides vital-record application guidance and forms, while Kentucky’s Office of Vital Statistics maintains the state’s certified birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Use the official local or state route rather than an unofficial certificate website.