- Arrest Records
- Judgments
- Bankruptcies
- DUIs & DWIs
- Felonies
- Warrants
- Jail Records
- Lien Records
- Sex Offenses
- Misdemeanors
- Criminal Records
- Federal Dockets
What are Kentucky Court Records?
Kentucky covers over 40,00 square miles, making it the 37th largest state per land area. However, its approximately 4.55 million residents make it the 26th most populous state in the United States. The state's court structure features a four-tier system: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Circuit Court, the Family Court, and the District Court.
Kentucky court records are documents, discs, papers, recordings, or other documentation created, received, or maintained by a court, court agency, or court clerk in connection with a particular court case or cases.
Kentucky court records include the following:
Dockets
Dockets are chronological lists of all the activities that have taken place in a court case. This includes court dates, filings, and orders.
Minutes
This is a summary of what transpired during a court proceeding, including decisions made and orders issued.
Case files
These are collections of all documents related to a specific legal case, such as pleadings, motions, evidence, and court orders.
Orders
These are Official directives issued by the court, instructing specific actions or decisions related to a case.
Judgment
This is the court's final decision in a case, outlining the rights and obligations of the parties involved.
Transcript
A transcript is a verbatim record of everything said during a court proceeding, including testimony, arguments, and rulings.
Types of Court Cases
Kentucky has two general classifications of court cases: criminal and civil.
Civil Cases
Civil cases in Kentucky involve disputes between individuals, businesses, or organizations. Unlike criminal cases, which involve alleged violations of law, civil cases seek to resolve private conflicts through legal remedies. These cases are often resolved through monetary compensation, property division, or injunctions.
Common types of civil cases in Kentucky and their examples include:
- Contract disputes: Breach of contract, non-payment, or disagreements over contract terms
- Personal injury: Accidents resulting in physical or emotional harm, often leading to claims for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering
- Property disputes: Property lines, ownership, and possession conflicts
- Family law: Divorce, child custody, child support, and alimony
- Probate: Estate administration and will contests
Criminal Cases
Criminal cases in Kentucky involve alleged violations of state laws. The state, represented by the prosecutor, brings a charge or charges against an individual accused of committing a crime. Unlike civil cases, which typically involve disputes between individuals, criminal cases focus on punishing the accused for their actions. If convicted, a defendant in a criminal case may face penalties such as imprisonment, fines, or probation. The burden of proof in a criminal case rests with the prosecution, which must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Common criminal case types in Kentucky and their examples include:
- Violent crimes: Murder, manslaughter, assault, robbery, and kidnapping
- Property crimes: Burglary, theft, arson, and vandalism
- Drug crimes: Possession, distribution, and manufacturing of illegal substances
- White-collar crimes: Fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion
- Traffic violations: DUI, reckless driving, and hit-and-run
What Are the Different Courts in Kentucky?
Kentucky's unified Court of Justice has four tiers: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, Circuit Court and District Court, with Family Court operating as a division of Circuit Court. The Judicial Branch budget is an estimated ~$500 million per year, roughly 89% of it from the General Fund.
| Court Level | Court Name | Jurisdiction | Key Functions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appellate | Supreme Court | Statewide; seven justices elected to eight-year terms | Court of last resort; hears direct appeals in death penalty and long prison sentence cases and sets rules for all judges and attorneys. |
| Appellate | Court of Appeals | Statewide; 14 judges in seven appellate districts | Reviews most Circuit Court judgments in three-judge panels on the existing trial record. |
| General Jurisdiction | Circuit Court | Felonies, capital offenses, civil cases above $5,000, divorces, adoptions and contested probate | Main trial court; also hears appeals from District Court and administrative agencies. |
| General Jurisdiction | Family Court (division of Circuit Court) | Divorce, child support, custody, paternity, adoption, dependency and neglect | Gives families and children priority, with one judge handling related family matters. |
| Limited Jurisdiction | District Court | Misdemeanors, traffic, ordinance violations, juvenile matters, small claims up to $2,500 and civil cases up to $5,000 | Handles felony preliminary hearings, non-contested probate, mental commitments and domestic violence orders. |
How Many Federal Courts Are in Kentucky?
Kentucky has two federal courts: the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Eastern District of Kentucky covers 67 counties and is headquartered in Lexington, with additional courthouses in Ashland, Covington, Frankfort, London, and Pikeville. The Western District of Kentucky covers 53 counties and is headquartered in Louisville, with additional courthouses in Bowling Green, Owensboro, and Paducah.
Each district court has jurisdiction over both civil and criminal cases. Civil cases might involve disputes over federal laws, constitutional rights, or significant interstate matters. Criminal cases typically involve violations of federal statutes, such as drug trafficking, white-collar crimes, and offenses against federal agencies. The federal courts in Kentucky also handle specialized cases, including bankruptcy filings and immigration issues.
Appeals from the two federal district courts in Kentucky are heard at the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
How Many Court Cases Are Filed Each Year in Kentucky?
Kentucky's courts received 807,998 new cases in 2023, led by district criminal and prepayable traffic matters. Category shares are partly estimated because the state combines small claims, probate and mental health matters with district civil filings, and a statewide clearance rate of about 99% is estimated.
| Case Type | Annual Filings | % of Total | Common Offense/Subtype | Clearance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic | 167,068 | 20.7% | Prepayable traffic citations and minor violations | ~99% |
| Criminal | 344,876 | 42.7% | District misdemeanors, including DUI, and circuit felonies (35,348 circuit criminal) | ~100% |
| Civil | ~159,267 | ~19.7% | District civil, such as debt collection and evictions, and circuit civil above $5,000 | ~97% |
| Small Claims | ~25,000 | ~3.1% | Disputes up to $2,500 filed in District Court | ~99% |
| Domestic Relations | 61,187 | 7.6% | Divorce, custody, child support and paternity | ~98% |
| Juvenile | 30,600 | 3.8% | Status offenses, delinquency, dependency, neglect and abuse | ~99% |
| Other | ~20,000 | ~2.5% | Probate and mental inquest matters | ~99% |
| Total | 807,998 | 100.0% | — | ~99% |
How Do I Look Up Court Cases in Kentucky?
The Kentucky judiciary provides different options for persons seeking court case records who are under 15, 15-35, and 36 years old or older.
To obtain court case records up to 15 years old, you must contact the clerk's office where the record was filed. You may contact the district court or circuit court, depending on where the case was filed. If the case was filed in the Kentucky Court of Appeals, contact the clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals or call the office of the clerk at (502) 573-7920. For the Supreme Court, contact the clerk of the Supreme Court or call at (502) 564-5444.
The Kentucky Records Center maintains court case records 15-35 years old. You will need the case and locator numbers to request a court case record from the Kentucky Records Center. The case and locator numbers for a record can be requested from the office of the circuit clerk in the county where the case was heard. To access a court record 15-35 years old from the State Records Center, call (502) 564-3617 or submit a records request form to state.records@ky.gov.
For court case records 36 years old or older, call the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives at (502) 564-1787 or email the department at kdla.archives@ky.gov.
The Kentucky Public Court Records provides free access to public case information from Kentucky courts. To search public court records, visit the Kentucky CourtNet portal. The portal allows requesters to perform a search by party or business by providing the county where the case was filed and the case number. When searching the portal by party, you must provide the last name and birth date, the last name and first name, the driver's license number, or Social Security Number (not available to all users).
In addition, the western and eastern federal court districts make their records available to requesters via a visit to the clerk's offices or mail requests.
Number of Active Judges — State & Federal
Kentucky's 293 state judges, including 61 Family Court judges, are all elected, while 9 active federal district judges sit in the Eastern and Western Districts. One federal judge is jointly appointed to both districts and is counted once, in the Eastern District.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Active Judges | Selection Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Supreme Court | Statewide appellate | 7 | Nonpartisan election by district, eight-year terms |
| Kentucky Court of Appeals | Statewide appellate | 14 | Nonpartisan election, two per appellate district, eight-year terms |
| Circuit Court (non-family divisions) | General jurisdiction trial court, 57 circuits | 97 | Nonpartisan election, eight-year terms |
| Circuit Court, Family Court division | General jurisdiction family matters | 61 | Nonpartisan election, eight-year terms |
| District Court | Limited jurisdiction trial court, 59 districts | 114 | Nonpartisan election, four-year terms |
| U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky | Federal trial court (includes one judge shared with the Western District) | 5 | Presidential nomination and Senate confirmation, life tenure |
| U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky | Federal trial court | 4 | Presidential nomination and Senate confirmation, life tenure |
| Total Active Judges | — | 302 | — |
What Court Records Are Not Available to the Public in Kentucky?
Although the KRS 61.879-KRS 61.884, also known as the Open Records Act, establishes a right of access to public records, including court documents, Kentucky law requires that certain court records be redacted except in specific limited circumstances. This restriction is in place to protect the privacy of concerned parties. Typically, the following court records are confidential and unavailable to the public:
- Juvenile Records: Records involving juveniles, particularly those related to delinquency, dependency, neglect, or abuse, are typically sealed and not available to the public.
- Adoption Records: Adoption records are confidential and sealed, making them inaccessible to the public. Access to these records is usually only granted through a court order.
- Mental Health Commitment Records: Records related to involuntary mental health commitments are not available to the public to protect the privacy of individuals undergoing mental health treatment.
- Certain Family Court Records: Some family court records, particularly those involving sensitive matters like domestic violence, child custody, and termination of parental rights, may be restricted from public access
- Expunged or Sealed Records: Records of criminal cases expunged or sealed by the court are not available to the public. This includes cases where the defendant was acquitted, charges were dismissed, or an individual has successfully petitioned for expungement.
- Other Confidential Documents: Certain documents within a case, such as medical records, financial statements, or other sensitive information, may be sealed by the court and not available for public viewing.
Average Case Processing Time & Clearance Rates
Processing times in Kentucky vary widely by case type, from days for prepayable traffic citations to well over a year for contested civil cases. The figures below are estimated typical durations and clearance rates.
| Case Type | Court Level | Average Processing Time | Description | Clearance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic & Parking | Limited Jurisdiction | ~30–60 days | Most citations are paid before arraignment; contested cases are resolved at a District Court hearing or bench trial. | ~99% |
| Small Claims | Limited Jurisdiction | ~60–90 days | Informal hearing before a District Court judge without a jury, usually after one service and hearing date. | ~99% |
| Misdemeanor Criminal | Limited Jurisdiction | ~3–6 months | Arraignment, pretrial conferences and then a guilty plea or bench or jury trial. | ~100% |
| Civil Cases | General Jurisdiction | ~12–24 months | Pleadings, discovery and motions in Circuit Court, with most cases settling or being dismissed before trial. | ~95% |
| Domestic Relations | General Jurisdiction | ~6–12 months | Family Court cases need a 60-day waiting period for divorce, with contested custody and support taking longer. | ~98% |
| Felony Criminal | General Jurisdiction | ~9–15 months | District Court preliminary hearing, grand jury indictment, then Circuit Court plea negotiations or trial. | ~100% |