Franklin County Public Records /Franklin County Court Records

Franklin County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Franklin County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Franklin County, Kentucky, may access publicly available case information through several official channels. FranklinKYRecords.org provides a directory of resources and publicly available information related to court records maintained by county and state judicial offices. Court records in Franklin County may include documentation from civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic proceedings, though the completeness and availability of any individual record depends on case type, filing date, and applicable access restrictions under Kentucky law.

Records that members of the public may encounter through official sources include:

Criminal case filings, dispositions, and sentencing entries
Civil complaints, answers, motions, and judgments
Family court orders, divorce decrees, and custody rulings
Probate filings, estate inventories, and will records
Traffic citations, violations, and related court orders
Small claims filings and judgments
Appellate court decisions and orders

Court records in Franklin County may be searched through five primary methods:

1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office The Office of Circuit Court Clerk for Franklin County serves as the official custodian of court records for cases filed in the county. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person to request case files, certified copies, or docket information. Providing the full case number, party name, or filing date assists staff in locating records efficiently.

2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals Public access computer terminals are available at the Franklin County courthouse. These terminals allow members of the public to search case information at no charge during regular business hours without submitting a formal written request.

3. Online Court Search The Kentucky Court of Justice operates an online case search portal that allows members of the public to search for case information statewide, including Franklin County cases. Search results may include party names, case numbers, hearing dates, and disposition information, subject to applicable restrictions.

4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools The Kentucky Court of Justice provides statewide judicial search tools through its official website. These tools allow users to search by name, case number, or court division across multiple counties and court levels.

5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the Franklin County Circuit Court Clerk. Written requests should include the case number or party name, the type of record sought, and a return mailing address. Copy fees and postage apply to mailed responses.

Franklin County Circuit Court Clerk 321 W. Main Street, Suite 124 Frankfort, KY 40601 Phone: (502) 564-8380 Franklin – Kentucky Court of Justice

Are Court Records Public In Franklin County

Court records in Franklin County are subject to the public access provisions of Kentucky law. Under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 61.870–61.884, the Kentucky Open Records Act establishes the right of members of the public to inspect and obtain copies of public records maintained by government agencies, including judicial offices. The Kentucky Court of Justice further governs access to court records through its own administrative rules and policies.

Records that are generally available to the public include:

Case dockets and docket entries
Party names (plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent)
Scheduled and past hearing dates
Filed pleadings, motions, and responses
Court orders and final judgments
Sentencing entries and disposition records
Probate filings and estate documents

Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted include:

Juvenile court records, which are protected under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 610.340
Adoption records and related proceedings
Mental health commitment records
Sealed case files ordered restricted by a judge
Expunged criminal records
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth in certain filings

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While members of the public may inspect a broader range of records in person at the clerk's office, online access through the Kentucky Court of Justice portal may reflect only summary case information and may exclude document images, sealed entries, or restricted filings.

What Are Court Records in Franklin County?

Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court or its clerk in connection with a legal proceeding. In practical terms, a court record encompasses everything filed with or generated by the court from the initiation of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal.

A distinction exists between a docket entry and a full case file. A docket entry is a chronological notation of an event in a case, such as the filing of a motion or the scheduling of a hearing. A full case file contains the actual documents associated with those entries, including pleadings, exhibits, orders, and transcripts.

Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, covering matters such as contract claims, property disputes, and personal injury actions. Criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky against an individual charged with a criminal offense, from arraignment through sentencing or acquittal.

Filed pleadings are the formal documents submitted by parties to initiate or respond to a legal action. Final judgments are the court's official rulings that resolve the case or a significant issue within it. Public filings are accessible to members of the public under applicable law, while sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public inspection by court order or statute.

Trial court records are maintained by the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the case was filed. Appellate court records, including decisions of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Kentucky, are maintained by the appellate clerk's office and are accessible through the Kentucky Court of Justice website.

Court records are created when a party files an initial document with the clerk, and they are updated continuously as new filings, orders, and hearing entries are added. Upon final disposition, the record is closed but remains subject to retention and access rules under Kentucky administrative policy.

What's Included in a Franklin County Court Record?

A Franklin County court record may contain a range of documents and data depending on the case type, the court in which it was filed, and applicable public-access rules. The following categories of information may appear within a court record:

Case identification: Case number, court name and division, and filing date
Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and other named parties
Case classification: Case type (civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic) and current case status
Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, and court actions
Hearing information: Scheduled and past hearing dates, continuances, and courtroom assignments
Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, responses, notices, and supporting exhibits where not restricted
Court orders and judgments: Interlocutory orders, final judgments, decrees, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, acquittals, and related dispositions
Administrative and financial data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly reflected in the record

Certain categories of information are excluded or restricted from public court records. Sealed filings are withheld by court order. Expunged records are removed from public access pursuant to applicable Kentucky expungement statutes. Juvenile case files are confidential under § 610.340. Adoption records are sealed by operation of law. Protected personal data, including Social Security numbers and financial account numbers, is redacted from publicly accessible filings. Some exhibits, particularly those containing sensitive personal or proprietary information, may be restricted by court order.

Types of Courts in Franklin County

Franklin County is served by the Kentucky state court system, which is organized into four levels under the Kentucky Constitution and administered by the Kentucky Court of Justice.

District Court is the court of limited jurisdiction in Franklin County. As described by the Kentucky Court of Justice District Court page, District Court handles juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, violations, and traffic offenses. District Court also presides over small claims cases and certain civil matters involving amounts within its jurisdictional limit. The official record for District Court cases is maintained by the Office of Circuit Court Clerk.

Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction in Franklin County and handles felony criminal cases, major civil actions, and appeals from District Court. As noted by the Kentucky Court of Justice Circuit Court page, Family Court is a division of Circuit Court. In Franklin County, Family Court has primary jurisdiction over cases involving families and children, including divorce, custody, adoption, and domestic violence matters. The Circuit Court Clerk maintains the official record for all Circuit Court and Family Court proceedings.

Kentucky Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Kentucky serve as the appellate courts for cases originating in Franklin County. Appellate records are maintained by the appellate clerk's offices in Frankfort.

Franklin County Circuit Court 321 W. Main Street Frankfort, KY 40601 Phone: (502) 564-8380 Franklin County Court Information

What Types of Cases Do Franklin County Courts Hear

District Court in Franklin County handles misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic violations, city and county ordinance violations, juvenile matters, small claims, and civil cases within its jurisdictional monetary limit. Circuit Court handles felony criminal prosecutions, civil cases exceeding the District Court threshold, probate matters, and appeals from District Court decisions. Family Court, as a division of Circuit Court, handles divorce, legal separation, child custody, child support, adoption, domestic violence, and related family law matters. Probate proceedings, including the administration of estates and the probate of wills, are also filed in Circuit Court.

How to Search Franklin County Court Records for Free?

Members of the public may search Franklin County court records at no charge through several methods. In-person inspection at the Franklin County Circuit Court Clerk's office is free of charge. Public access terminals located at the courthouse allow members of the public to search case information without cost during regular business hours.

The Kentucky Court of Justice provides a free online case search tool through its official website, allowing members of the public to search for case information by party name or case number without charge.

The following table summarizes common access methods and associated costs:

Access Method	Cost
In-person inspection at clerk's office	Free
Courthouse public access terminal	Free
Online case search (Kentucky Court of Justice)	Free
Standard paper copies	Per-page fee (varies)
Certified copies	Fee per document
Mailed copies	Copy fee plus postage

The Franklin County Clerk's records page notes that public access terminals are available in the Deed Room and that fees do not include charges for copies; postage is added when copies are mailed. Copy and certification fees are established under Kentucky administrative rules governing clerk fee schedules.

How Long Does Franklin County Keep Court Records?

The retention of court records in Franklin County is governed by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives records retention schedules applicable to judicial offices and the administrative policies of the Kentucky Court of Justice. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.

Criminal case files for felony convictions are retained for extended periods, with many categories of felony records retained permanently or for periods measured in decades following case closure. Misdemeanor and traffic case files are subject to shorter retention schedules. Civil case files, including those involving property, contracts, and judgments, may be retained for periods ranging from several years to permanently, depending on the nature of the judgment and whether it remains enforceable. Probate records, including wills and estate files, are retained permanently in many jurisdictions given their ongoing legal significance.

Docket books, minute records, and judgment books are retained permanently as the official record of court proceedings. Paper case files may be destroyed after imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage, provided that the record content is preserved in an accessible format. Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, county archives, or the Kentucky State Archives.

A distinction exists among destruction, archival retention, sealing, redaction, and expungement. Destruction removes a record from existence after its retention period expires. Archival retention preserves a record in a non-active repository. Sealing restricts public access to a record that continues to exist. Redaction removes specific information from a publicly accessible document. Expungement, available under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 431.073 for eligible offenses, results in the removal of a criminal record from public access and, in some cases, its physical destruction.

How To Find a Court Docket in Franklin County

A court docket is the official chronological log of all filings, hearings, orders, and actions taken in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it records events and entries rather than containing the full text of filed documents. A docket provides a procedural history of a case from initiation through disposition and any post-judgment proceedings.

Members of the public may access Franklin County court dockets through the following methods:

Kentucky Court of Justice online portal: The Kentucky Court of Justice website provides an online case search tool that returns docket-level information for cases statewide, including Franklin County. Users may search by party name or case number to retrieve a list of docket entries, hearing dates, and case status.
Courthouse public access terminals: Terminals located at the Franklin County courthouse allow members of the public to search docket information in person at no charge.
In-person clerk request: Members of the public may request docket information directly from the Franklin County Circuit Court Clerk's office by providing the case number or party name.

To locate a docket through the Kentucky Court of Justice online portal, a user may navigate to the case search function, select the appropriate court level and county, and enter the party name or case number. Results display docket entries in chronological order.

A court docket typically contains hearing dates and times, continuances, motion filings, minute entries, status updates, and references to orders entered by the court. A docket does not include the full text of filed documents, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits that are restricted by court order. Motion calendars and daily hearing rosters may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse.

As stated by the Kentucky Court of Justice, "The Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each county is the starting point for requesting copies of court records from cases in that county." Members of the public seeking docket information for Franklin County cases may direct inquiries to the Franklin County Circuit Court Clerk at the address listed above.