Fayette County, Kentucky Court Records
Fayette County court records are official documents and case details associated with proceedings in the local circuit and district courts. These records provide access to filings such as motions, warrants, indictments, and complaints, as well as case details such as party names, case numbers, filing dates, and presiding courts.
People seek court records to see how far a case has gone, obtain documents for other activities (such as probate proceedings and tax filings), run criminal background checks, and conduct genealogical research. Lawyers and judges also use court records for precedent research when preparing case arguments and judicial opinions.
The Circuit Court Clerk is the sole custodian for records created and filed during circuit, district, and family court trial and pretrial proceedings. The office provides various search resources and may charge a fee, depending on the search objective.
Are Fayette County Court Records Public?
Yes. Most court records are designated public records in the Supreme Court's Court of Justice Retention Schedule. Common law and court rules also permit public access unless explicitly prohibited by statute or court order.
In certain instances, state and federal statutes or judicial rules mandate the restriction of specific case files from public view. These typically include family court proceedings involving minors-such as custody, parental rights termination, and support matters-as well as juvenile justice records and cases concerning domestic or sexual violence.
Sensitive information, such as a person's social security number, mental health records, and banking details, is also restricted from public access.
What Information is Available in Fayette County Court Records?
The following details can be found in Fayette County court records:
- Case details (party names, case numbers, case titles, filing dates, etc.)
- Case filings, including petitions, complaints, affidavits, settlement agreements, indictments, warrants, financial disclosures, witness lists, wills, etc.
- Court orders, verdicts, judicial opinions, decrees
Fayette County Court Records Search
The Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk manages the county's court records through its various divisions. It provides online, mail-in, telephone, and in-person options for viewing case records.
However, one must first identify the correct division to contact by confirming which court produced the record they intend to view or copy.
- The county's local circuit court handles felonies, family law matters, real property title disputes, contested probate matters, and civil matters involving amounts above $5,000. It also presides over appeals from the District Court.
- The District Court is in charge of juvenile proceedings, county and city ordinance violations and disputes, misdemeanors, traffic offenses, arraignments, and probable cause hearings for felonies, and small claims ($2,500 or less). Civil cases worth up to $5,000 and the probate of wills also fall under the District Court's jurisdiction.
The Kentucky Court system provides a dedicated free search tool for finding Circuit and District Court cases. The web program, which allows site visitors to search by party name and case identifiers (case and citation numbers), provides only basic case details, including case titles, case numbers, and party names.
Alternatively, people can visit the relevant clerk's division to view and request copies of Fayette County circuit or district court case files.
However, obtaining 15 to 35-year-old court records requires approaching the State Records Center. The request process involves filling out the required form, in which individuals must provide the case and locator numbers. Interested parties can obtain those numbers from the Office of the Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk.
People seeking records older than 35 years must contact the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.
Fees for Court Records in Fayette County
According to the Kentucky Circuit Clerks' Accounting Manual, which contains details of the fees charged by clerks statewide, individuals are expected to pay the following when obtaining copies of court records:
- Noncertified paper or electronic copies: 25 cents per page
- Audio recording: $15
- Digital or video recording: $25
Kentucky court rules, such as Kentucky Rule of Civil Procedure CR 3.03(3), set the cost of certification at $5 per document.
Fayette County Courthouse Locations
The following are court locations and contact numbers in Fayette County:
Circuit Court
Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse
120 North Limestone
Lexington, KY 40507
Phone: (859) 246-2224 (criminal), (859) 246-2141 (civil), (859) 246-2248 (domestic violence)
District Court
Robert F. Stephens District Courthouse
150 North Limestone
Lexington, KY 40507
Phone: (859) 246-2228 (criminal/traffic), (859) 246-2240 (civil), (859) 246-2242 (probate)
Criminal Records Access in Fayette County
Criminal records, created during criminal justice activities, encompass official documents and information created and collected by law enforcement, courts, and detention facilities. Most of these records are open to the public, but some, such as juvenile proceedings, sealed or expunged cases, and matters connected to ongoing investigations, are considered protected records.
Obtaining criminal records involves approaching the right division of the circuit clerk's office. The Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts provides a criminal records request service that allows individuals to obtain case-related criminal records for themselves or others. The process involves filling out the Criminal Records Request Form with the subject's personal details, including Social Security Number, name, date of birth, address, and DLN (Driver's License Number). Each request costs $25.
Records created during law enforcement actions, such as arrests and detention, that may not have been included in court records can be obtained through the agency of record.
The Kentucky State Police also provides Criminal Background Check services, which dispense court, law enforcement, conviction, and post-conviction records. The name-based check, which is available to the general public, allows one to request adult criminal histories on other persons with their permission. The fingerprint-based check is only open to agencies and organizations with statutory requirements to check the criminal backgrounds of applicants, employees, and other covered individuals.
Fayette County Probate Records
Local and district courts create probate records in Fayette County. The District Court's Probate Division is responsible for handling the probate of wills, appointment of executors and administrators, estate settlement, guardianships for minors, trusts, and name changes. However, the Circuit Court hears and produces records for contested probate and property rights matters.
While the Circuit Court Clerk manages and dispenses the county's court records, interested record searchers are advised to approach the right division to obtain records.
As mentioned, people seeking older records (15 to 35 years old) can contact the State Records Office. Archived records (36+ years) are available through the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, as established.
Fayette County Family Court Records
The Fayette County Family Court, a division of the Circuit Clerk, receives and creates documents that make up the county's family court records. These records contain details of proceedings, such as child welfare (custody, support, and visitation), paternity, adoption, domestic violence, and parental rights. Dissolution of marriage, spousal support, and status offense proceedings are also under the court's jurisdiction.
One can use the search methods provided by the clerk's family division to find publicly available documents and case details.
Federal Court Records in Fayette County
Federal court records created in Fayette County are products of cases heard by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, which also serves 66 other Kentucky Counties. The covered cases include criminal matters prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the same district, interstate disputes under federal law, civil litigations involving the U.S. government, immigration matters, and federal bankruptcy proceedings (heard in the bankruptcy court).
To find these case records, one can use the federal court's case search system, PACER, or contact the court's clerk, which, like Fayette County's Circuit Clerk, also provides in-person and mail-in records search and request options.
