How to search Kentucky court records

Kentucky runs a single statewide case-lookup system, so one search — with the name spelled correctly — reaches courts across the entire state. There's no charge and no account required — results are visible to anyone who searches.

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Open the official Kentucky portal →

What's actually there

Public Court Records (KYeCourts guest search) gives free statewide public case information. The AOC sells separate criminal record reports.

Other official lookups for Kentucky

KY DOC offender lookup

How Kentucky's courts are organized

Kentucky has two trial courts in every county. District Court is the limited-jurisdiction court: it handles misdemeanors, violations, traffic, city and county ordinances, juvenile matters, probate of wills, arraignments and felony probable cause hearings, small claims of $2,500 or less, civil cases of $5,000 or less, mental health commitments, and domestic violence cases. Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction court for felonies, civil cases over $5,000, divorces, adoptions, real property title disputes and contested probate, and it hears appeals from District Court. In counties that have one, Family Court is a division of Circuit Court for divorce, custody, support, paternity, adoption, dependency and similar family cases.

Above them are the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the Kentucky Supreme Court. One circuit court clerk is elected in each of the 120 counties and keeps both the Circuit and District Court records for that county.

The Court of Justice's free Public Court Records search, reached through the KYeCourts guest login, covers public case information throughout the state.

Searching Kentucky court records online

Public Court Records is free. On the KYeCourts guest page you check the box to accept the terms and click Continue to search as a guest; no account is needed. A separate KYeCourts login exists for attorneys and e-filers. The Court of Justice's terms of use govern the site, and its information is not an official court record.

Kentucky also sells a separate statewide criminal record report through the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Records Unit. You can order it online through FastCheck (for registered users) or as a one-time request mailed to you, or in person at the AOC drive-thru window at 1001 Vandalay Drive in Frankfort. The AOC's request form lists a $25 fee. The report covers District and Circuit Court cases in all 120 counties: all misdemeanor and traffic cases for at least the last five years and felonies back to 1978. It is marked Not an Official Court Record.

Not in the criminal record report: juvenile, mental health and domestic violence cases, and cases that have been expunged or purged by the county.
If you order a report on someone else and a record is found, the AOC notifies that person and sends them a copy.
Card payments carry a fee of 2.25% or $2.50, whichever is greater; the AOC no longer takes cash in person.

Getting copies and certified copies

The official court record is kept by the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the case was filed. That clerk handles copies and certified copies of both Circuit and District Court files. The Court of Justice publishes a clerk contact list you can search by county. The pages read for this guide do not list copy or certification fees, so ask the clerk.

Expunged records

Kentucky automatically expunges cases that were dismissed with prejudice or ended in acquittal on or after July 15, 2020, after 30 days, except traffic cases. No action is needed unless someone objects in writing within 30 days. Under KRS 431.076, felony charges filed in District Court that never led to a grand jury indictment can be expunged by petition (form AOC-497.2) no sooner than six months after the case was held to the grand jury, with no filing fee.

Under KRS 431.073, most Class D felony convictions, and convictions covered by a full pardon, can be vacated and expunged. The wait is five years after the sentence, probation or parole ends, whichever is later. You first get a $40 expungement certification from the AOC and then file it with the application in the county of conviction. The total felony expungement fee is $300: $50 at filing and $250 if granted, which can be paid in installments. The AOC and circuit clerks cannot give legal advice on expungement, so talk to a lawyer or a legal aid program.

Tip: one clerk, two courts

In Kentucky, a misdemeanor or traffic case and a felony from the same county sit in different courts, District and Circuit, but the same circuit court clerk keeps both. If you are chasing a felony, check both courts: it may have started in District Court with a probable cause hearing and then moved to Circuit Court after indictment, or it may never have been indicted and stayed in District Court.

Sources

Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Court rules and fees change; the court's own site is the final word. This is general information, not legal advice.

Federal cases filed in Kentucky

State portals don't cover federal court. If the case you're looking for might be a federal criminal prosecution, civil suit, or bankruptcy, use CourtRecordsFree's live federal search — it queries CourtListener/RECAP directly and isn't limited to any one state.

Search tips

Try both "Last, First" and "First Last" — courts index names inconsistently.
Middle initials and suffixes (Jr., III) often matter for common names.
A date of birth or case number is the only reliable way to confirm you found the right person.
An arrest or charge shown in a docket is not a conviction — read the disposition.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to search Kentucky court records online?

Yes. Kentucky's statewide search is free to use, with no account or subscription required.

Does this include criminal records?

Yes. Kentucky's portal includes criminal case records alongside civil cases, though sealed and expunged cases are not shown.

Does one search cover the whole state?

Kentucky runs one statewide system, so a single search covers the whole state.

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