Not a government site. We do not sell records or host personal data. About us

County Records Guide
Menu

Kentucky public records: who holds what

In Kentucky, deeds are recorded by the County Clerk, birth and death certificates come from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics and requests for other government records fall under the Kentucky Open Records Act. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Kentucky
  2. Public records law in Kentucky
  3. Probate records and wills in Kentucky
  4. How Kentucky organizes its records
  5. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  6. Counties in Kentucky
  7. Warnings from official sources
  8. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  9. Official directories
  10. Sources

Who holds what in Kentucky

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty Clerk of each of the 120 counties records deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, wills and marriage records1County clerk paper copies: not more than $0.50 per page (legal size or smaller) unless a statute sets a higher fee2
Property recordsProperty Valuation Administrator (PVA), locally elected in each county, assesses most real property; Office of Property Valuation (Dept. of Revenue) assesses unmined coal, oil & gas, public utilities3—
Court recordsUnified Kentucky Court of Justice: District Court (misdemeanors, civil up to $5,000, probate), Circuit Court (felonies, civil over $5,000, divorce; Family Court division); records kept by the elected Circuit Court Clerk in each county4—
Marriage recordsCounty Clerk files the certificate and keeps the marriage register; Office of Vital Statistics holds statewide records from June 19585—
Divorce recordsCircuit Court Clerk of the county that granted the decree (Circuit/Family Court case file); OVS holds divorce certificates from June 19586$6 at Office of Vital Statistics7
Birth certificatesKentucky Office of Vital Statistics (Cabinet for Health and Family Services), Frankfort; records from 19116$10 search/certified copy (search fee even if no record)7
Death certificatesKentucky Office of Vital Statistics, records from 19116$6 search/certified copy7

Public records law in Kentucky

Kentucky Open Records Act (KRS 61.870 to 61.884) Read the law8

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Residents of the Commonwealth only (since June 29, 2021): individuals residing in KY, KY businesses, foreign entities registered with SOS, people working in KY, KY property owners, their authorized agents, and news-gathering organizations; agency may require a written, signed application stating how requester is a resident9
Response time
Agency must decide and notify in writing within 5 days excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays (i.e., 5 business days)10
Copy fees
Inspection free; noncommercial copies at a reasonable fee not exceeding actual cost of reproduction (no staff cost); AG: 10 cents/page generally reasonable; county clerks may charge up to $0.50/page (KRS 64.019); commercial-purpose requests may be charged a reasonable fee including staff cost11
If a request is refused
Forward the request and denial to the Attorney General, who issues a binding written decision within 20 business days (extendable up to 30 more work days); either party may appeal to Circuit Court within 30 days, otherwise the AG decision has force of law; alternatively sue in Circuit Court under KRS 61.88210
What is exempt
KRS 61.878(1) lists exempt categories (e.g., clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, confidential/proprietary business records, prospective business locations, financial-institution exam records, preliminary drafts/law enforcement records and records made confidential by other law); exempt records open only on court order12
Official guide
Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, 2025 Guide to Kentucky Open Records and Open Meetings Acts; AG decisions (ORD) 1993-present online at ag.ky.gov/…13
More on the Kentucky Open Records Act
Fees Attorney General guidance
Ten cents per page generally deemed reasonable for paper records14
Who can request definition
Resident definition (a)-(g)15
How to ask
Written application hand delivered, mailed, faxed or emailed to the agency's official custodian; agency may not require a particular form but must accept the AG standardized form9
Going to court
30 days to appeal AG decision to Circuit Court10
Appeal how Attorney General
Submit appeal with original request and response in writing to AG Open Records/Open Meetings Decisions, 1024 Capital Center Drive Suite 200, Frankfort, or [email protected]13
Commercial use
Commercial-purpose requesters may be required to certify purpose and sign a contract; reasonable fee may include staff and acquisition cost11

How to write a public records request

Probate records and wills in Kentucky

Which court
District Court has probate jurisdiction (non-adversarial); contested matters go to Circuit Court; files held by Circuit Court Clerk16
Wills recorded
Every will admitted to probate is recorded by the County Clerk17
Original return
Wills recorded on or after Jan 1, 2027: clerk returns the original to the person named in the probate order no earlier than 2 years after recording. Wills recorded after Jan 1, 1978 and before Jan 1, 2027: may be destroyed or returned no earlier than 10 years after recording17
Recording fee
Will recording falls under KRS 64.012(1)(a) item w ($33 up to 5 pages; per-page surcharge does not apply to wills)18
Archives
KDLA has a probate/will record request form19

How this works in other states: probate records and wills by state.

How Kentucky organizes its records

  • Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government / Louisville Metro (consolidated). Statute provisions for urban-county governments in clerk fee handling18
  • Vital records split by date. June 1958 central registration6
  • Court records by age. KDLA holds 36+ year court records20

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Centralized criminal history records (Justice and Public Safety Cabinet / KSP) are not open to public inspection21
KSP name check
KSP name-based Kentucky check: $20 (check/money order to KY State Treasurer), adult record, subject's permission required; mail or walk-in, ~10 business days by mail22
Fingerprint checks
Fingerprint state+FBI checks for statutorily required purposes via IdentoGo22
AOC report
AOC Criminal Record Report: statewide District/Circuit court case data (misdemeanor/traffic at least 5 years, felonies back to 1978); anyone may request; subject is notified of third-party requests; FastCheck online, AOC drive-thru (1001 Vandalay Dr., Frankfort) or mail23
AOC who may
AOC reports are public information23
More about criminal history checks
AOC fee
$25.00 per record by check or money order on form AOC-RU-004 (Rev. 12-22), payable to Kentucky State Treasurer24
Not official
AOC report marked 'Not an Official Court Record'23

Sex offender registry

Official registry
Kentucky State Police Sex Offender Registry: kspsor.state.ky.us (search by name, address, county, ZIP; radius map; email alerts)25
Law
KSP must maintain a public website (KRS 17.580)26
Misuse
Using registry info to harass is a crime (KRS 525.070/525.080)27

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
Kentucky Department of Corrections KOOL (Kentucky Online Offender Lookup): kool.corrections.ky.gov covers incarcerated, probation/parole and other supervised offenders28

Voter records

Access
Registration records may be inspected/copied free at the county clerk; copies up to $0.50/page; SSNs redacted29
Lists
State Board of Elections sells precinct lists to candidates, parties, issue committees and, at its discretion, others; not for commercial use30
Fee
State Board of Elections voter data: alphabetical or street-order paper lists $10.00 per precinct; electronic and paper list orders minimum charge $40.00; purchases over $100.00 or 10 precincts add $1.00 per precinct; labels $30.00 per thousand (minimum $30.00)31
Residency report
SOS website provides SBE report of every address with registered voters (KRS 116.114)32
List eligibility
Qualified candidates, political parties and committees for or against an amendment or public question may request voter data, on form SBE 8433

Business names (DBA)

Companies and LLCs
Corporations/LLCs/LPs at Secretary of State; free Business Entity Search sosbes.sos.ky.gov/…34
Assumed names
Assumed names (DBA): individuals file with the county clerk of principal place of business; entities file with SOS plus a filed copy with the county clerk; valid 5 years35
Assumed term
5-year term, renewable35
Secretary of State assumed fee
SOS: $20.00 for certificate/amended/withdrawal/renewal of assumed name36
County assumed fee
County clerk recording of assumed name: KRS 64.012(1)(a) item p ($33 up to 5 pages)18
More about business names (dba)
Copy fees
SOS copies $5.00 up to five pages + $0.50/page; certified $10.00 up to five pages + $0.50/page; certificate of existence $10.0034

Liens and UCC filings

Who holds it
Secretary of State UCC Division is the central filing office; fixture filings, as-extracted collateral and timber go to the county office that records mortgages (county clerk)37
Search
Standard UCC debtor-name search free; certified search $5.0038
Fees
Electronic financing statements and amendments $5.00; written $10.00 (no more than two pages) or $20.00; certified copies $5.00 per certificate per file number plus $0.50 per page39
Title liens
Vehicle title liens filed with county clerk38
Liens at the county
County clerks record state tax liens, IRS liens, mechanic's liens, lis pendens (KRS 64.012)18

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
Kentucky Geography Network (KyGeoNet), Division of Geographic Information: KyGovMaps Open GIS Data Portal opengisdata.ky.gov, KyFromAbove imagery40

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA), Frankfort: court records 36+ years old, pre-1911 city birth/death records (Louisville, Lexington, Covington, Newport), uncertified death certificates 1911-195741
KDLA fees
KDLA research request: $20.00 non-refundable search and copy fee in state; $25.00 non-refundable research fee out of state; requests over 30 pages add 20 cents per scanned page, 25 cents per photocopy or printed page, plus postage; allow 4-6 weeks19
KHS
Kentucky Historical Society holds 1851-1862 county birth/death registrations and the Martin F. Schmidt Research Library41
Land office
Secretary of State Land Office: repository for all land patents in Kentucky (incl. Virginia patents before 1792), searchable warrant/patent databases; copies via order form, no prepayment42
Archives open
Records in KDLA custody are public; statutory restrictions lapse after 50 years43
More about historical and genealogy records
KDLA fees out of state
$25.00 non-refundable research fee, prepaid, for out-of-state customers19
KDLA copy charges
Additional charges on requests of more than 30 photocopies or scans19

Counties in Kentucky

9 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 120 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.44

Warnings from official sources

  • Consumer alert on vital record vendors (Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics (CHFS))6
  • Business identity theft advisory (Kentucky Secretary of State)45
  • Property fraud alert (Fayette County Clerk)1
  • Court impersonation scam warning (Kentucky Court of Justice)46

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Kentucky office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 49 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Land RecordsFayette County Clerk
  2. KRS 64.019 – Procedures for obtaining copies of records under control of county clerk --Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  3. What Officials are Involved?Kentucky Department of Revenue
  4. Circuit CourtKentucky Court of Justice
  5. KRS 402.230 – Filing of marriage certificate -- Record of marriages.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  6. Office of Vital StatisticsKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
  7. 901 KAR 5:050 Fees for searches, certified copies of certificates and recordsKentucky Legislative Research Commission
  8. Open Records RequestsKentucky State Police
  9. KRS 61.872 – Right of Kentucky residents to inspect public records -- Written applicationKentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  10. KRS 61.880 – Denial of inspection -- Role of Attorney General.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  11. KRS 61.874 – Abstracts, memoranda, copies -- Agency may prescribe fee -- Use ofKentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  12. KRS 61.878 – Certain public records exempted from inspection except on order of court --Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  13. Open Records & Open MeetingsKentucky Office of the Attorney General
  14. Guide to Kentucky Open Records and Open Meetings Acts (2025)Kentucky Office of the Attorney General
  15. KRS 61.870 – Definitions for KRS 61.870 to 61.884.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  16. KRS 24A.120 – Civil and probate jurisdiction.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  17. KRS 394.300 – Recording of wills.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  18. KRS 64.012 – Fees of county clerks -- Use of fees for recording real estate mortgages --Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  19. Requesting Records from the ArchivesKentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
  20. Open Records RequestKentucky Court of Justice
  21. KRS 17.150 – Reports by law enforcement officers and criminal justice agencies --Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  22. Background ChecksKentucky State Police
  23. Background Check Fact Sheet (Criminal Record Reports)Kentucky Court of Justice - Administrative Office of the Courts
  24. Form AOC-RU-004 (Rev. 12-22), criminal record report requestKentucky Administrative Office of the Courts
  25. Kentucky Sex Offender Registry searchKentucky State Police
  26. KRS 17.580 – Duty of Department of Kentucky State Police to maintain and update WebKentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  27. Sex Offender RegistryKentucky State Police
  28. KOOL Kentucky Online Offender LookupKentucky Department of Corrections
  29. KRS 116.095 – Access to registration records -- Redaction of Social Security numbers.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  30. KRS 117.025 – Executive director and assistant director -- Staff -- Powers and duties.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  31. Cost, Description, and Format of Voter Registration DataKentucky State Board of Elections
  32. Voter Registration Records CleanupKentucky Secretary of State
  33. Request Voter Registration DataKentucky State Board of Elections
  34. Business RecordsKentucky Secretary of State
  35. KRS 365.015 – Certificate of assumed name -- Filing with state and county -- Certificate ofKentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  36. Business Filings FeesKentucky Secretary of State
  37. KRS 355.9-501 – Filing office.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  38. UCC FAQsKentucky Secretary of State
  39. UCC FeesKentucky Secretary of State
  40. Kentucky Geography Network (KyGeoNet)Commonwealth Office of Technology - Division of Geographic Information
  41. GenealogyKentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
  42. Land OfficeKentucky Secretary of State
  43. KRS 171.590 – Public nature of records in department's custody.Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
  44. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  45. Business FilingsKentucky Secretary of State
  46. ScamsKentucky Court of Justice
  47. Request Court RecordsKentucky Court of Justice
  48. Kentucky Property Valuation Administrators Directory 2022-2026 (updated 1/26)Kentucky Department of Revenue
  49. Contact Your Local OfficialsKentucky Department of Revenue