How to Search Fayette County Court Records
Court case records in Fayette County are kept by the Office of Circuit Court Clerk, not the County Clerk and not city hall. The Kentucky Court of Justice is clear on this point. The Administrative Office of the Courts does not store local case files and cannot give you access to them. So the first step is to figure out which court heard the case. Felony and high-value civil cases live in Circuit Court. Divorce, custody, and protective orders go through Family Court. Traffic, misdemeanors, small claims, eviction, probate, and juvenile matters are District Court records.
For online access, the state uses KYeCourts and CourtNet. You can reach the gateway at the KYeCourts login page, but it is not an open, anonymous search. You need a username and password. The public-facing page only shows the login, a registration link, and a maintenance notice. For a Fayette case file, in-person review through the Circuit Court Clerk remains the official route. The Circuit Court Appeals and Records Division at 120 North Limestone, Suite C-33, has public terminals and copiers for that purpose.
- Identify the court that heard the case: Circuit, Family, or District Court.
- Contact the matching clerk division listed on the Fayette county court pages.
- Ask whether the file is at the courthouse, the State Records Center, or the state archives.
- Review the case in person at Suite C-33, or request copies by mail with payment.
- For older files, ask the clerk for the case and file locator numbers first.
The Kentucky Court of Justice posts plain instructions for asking the clerk for case copies. You can read them on the Request Court Records page before you call. A quick look at those steps saves a wasted trip downtown.
The screenshot shows the official record request steps, which always begin with the clerk of the court that handled the matter. Use it as your map for any Fayette County court records search.
KYeCourts and CourtNet Access Fields
CourtNet is the statewide electronic case system. The login page does not reveal the party-name, case-number, or county fields until after you sign in. That means the public cannot freely download every Fayette docket online. The table below lists what the public KYeCourts gate actually shows. Plan on registering, or use the clerk for local files.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Username | Text | Yes | Account type is no longer needed. |
| Password | Password | Yes | Your KYeCourts password. |
| Forgot Username? | Link | No | Account recovery. |
| Forgot Password? | Link | No | Password reset. |
| Register Now! | Link | No | First-time sign-up path. |
Note: CourtNet access may require registration or authorized login, so the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk is still the official route for local case files.
The Fayette County Judicial System
Kentucky runs one unified court system across all 120 counties. The Supreme Court of Kentucky sits at the top. Below it is the Kentucky Court of Appeals, the intermediate appellate court. The trial courts are Circuit Court, Family Court, District Court, and the statewide Business Court program. Fayette County's trial courts make up the 22nd Judicial Circuit and the 22nd Judicial District. Both sit in the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Complex on North Limestone.
Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction. In Fayette it includes five Circuit judges plus four Family Court judges. Circuit Civil handles cases over $5,000, such as malpractice, contracts, foreclosures, and contested probate. Circuit Criminal keeps felony grand jury indictments. District Court is the lower trial court and carries a heavy public caseload: traffic, misdemeanors, small claims under $2,500, eviction, probate, mental health, and juvenile cases.
Case flow: District Court › Circuit Court › Kentucky Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of Kentucky
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | General, civil over $5,000 | Felony, malpractice, foreclosure, contested probate |
| Family Court | Domestic relations | Divorce, custody, support, adoption, protective orders |
| District Court | Limited, civil to $5,000 | Traffic, misdemeanors, small claims, eviction, probate |
The Kentucky Court of Justice Fayette page lists the judges, divisions, addresses, and public hours for both courthouses. It is the most reliable starting point for the local court structure.
That official county page is updated by the courts and shows the current clerk, judges, and hours, which makes it a safer source than any third-party site. More on the trial courts sits on the Fayette County Circuit Court page.
Fayette County Courthouses
The main state-court campus is the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Complex in downtown Lexington. The Kentucky Court of Justice splits the campus into two buildings. The Circuit Courthouse sits at 120 North Limestone. The District Courthouse sits next door at 150 North Limestone. The complex is named for Robert F. Stephens, a former Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court. The Fayette County Clerk, a separate office for deeds and marriage licenses, is a short walk away on East Main Street.
Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse
120 North Limestone
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 246-2147
Robert F. Stephens District Courthouse
150 North Limestone
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 246-2228
Fayette County Clerk
162 East Main Street, Room 132
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 253-3344
The Circuit Court page lists its public suites, and you can see them on the Fayette Circuit Court divisions page.
The image shows where Circuit Criminal, Circuit Civil, Family Court, and Appeals and Records each sit inside the building. Knowing the suite number ahead of time speeds up your visit.
Types of Court Records Available in Fayette County
Fayette County court records cover a wide range of case types. Most are open to the public, but some are sealed by law. The court that hears the case decides where the file lives and who keeps it. The list below sorts the common record types by the division that produces them.
- Circuit criminal records - felony indictments, pleas, sentences, bonds, and probation terms.
- Circuit civil records - lawsuits over $5,000, foreclosures, and contested probate.
- Family Court records - divorce, custody, support, adoption, and protective orders.
- Probate records - wills, estates, and minor guardianships filed in District Court.
- Traffic records - citations, fines, pleas, and disposition in District Court.
District Court produces the highest volume of public-facing files. The Fayette District Court page describes its Criminal/Traffic, Civil, Small Claims, Probate, Mental Health, and Juvenile divisions.
The screenshot lists each District Court division and the records it keeps. It is a good reference when you are not sure which counter handles your case.
What Fayette County Court Records Show
The Kentucky Court of Justice defines a court case record as the official record of a proceeding. It documents what happened, what was argued, and how the court ruled. Common documents include citations, pleadings, motions, orders, dockets, video recordings, and transcripts. The table below breaks down the fields you are most likely to see in a Fayette case file.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court identifier assigned when the case was filed. |
| Filing Date | When the complaint, citation, indictment, or petition was filed. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or Commonwealth and defendant in criminal cases. |
| Charges / Cause | The offense charged or the civil claim raised. |
| Disposition | The outcome: dismissed, guilty, acquitted, or judgment entered. |
| Sentence / Judgment | Fines, jail time, restitution, or the civil award. |
Some fields are redacted. Social Security numbers, account numbers, minor names, and confidential victim data are removed from public copies under court rules.
Public Access Laws for Fayette County Court Records
Kentucky's public-records framework starts with the Kentucky Open Records Act, which runs from KRS 61.870 to 61.884. It was enacted in 1976 and treats government records as open unless a law exempts them. The Act covers state and local agencies, including the County Clerk, Sheriff, and police. Court case records are a bit different. They follow court rules and clerk procedures, so a Fayette case file goes through the Circuit Court Clerk rather than a general open-records request.
Key Statutes:
Kentucky Code § 61.871 - declares that free and open examination of public records is in the public interest, and that exceptions are read narrowly.
Kentucky Code § 61.872 - sets the right to inspect records and the steps for making a written request.
Kentucky Code § 61.878 - lists the records that are exempt from public inspection.
Kentucky Code § 431.078 - allows expungement of many misdemeanor, violation, and traffic infraction records.
The Commonwealth posts a plain overview of the Act on the Kentucky Open Records page. If a record is sealed, juvenile, or otherwise confidential, the clerk may ask for proof of party status, a photo ID, or a court order.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every Fayette court record is open. Some are closed by statute to protect children, patients, and victims. Fayette District Court states that all juvenile cases are confidential. Information is given only in person to a party or an authorized person, never by phone, and a photo ID is required. Mental health cases are also confidential, though orders of appointment and judgments stay public. Adoption, termination of parental rights, and dependency cases in Family Court are usually sealed too.
Expungement removes eligible records from public view. Kentucky requires a certification packet before most conviction expungements. You register, pay the $40 certification fee online, download the packet, and file it with the proper petition at the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk where the charge began. The Kentucky expungement page walks through the process.
Specialty Courts in Fayette County
Fayette County runs several specialty court dockets. These programs aim treatment and supervision at the cause of repeat cases rather than just punishment. The biggest is Fayette Drug Court. On January 29, 2025, the Kentucky Court of Justice announced that four Fayette County Drug Court programs earned certification under statewide best-practice standards. Certification lasts three years. Drug Court serves nonviolent defendants whose cases stem from substance use, and it provides treatment, testing, and case management at no cost.
The Fayette District Court weekly schedule also lists a Mental Health Specialty Court on Wednesdays and an AOT Specialty Court on Thursdays. The Mental Health Division handles guardianship, involuntary treatment, and disability petitions. You can read the program news on the Drug Court certification release.
Fayette County Sheriff and Jail
Custody and security in Fayette County are split among three offices. The Fayette County Sheriff, Kathy H. Witt, provides court security, serves warrants, and runs victim services. The Sheriff does not run the jail. LFUCG Community Corrections operates the Fayette County Detention Center at 600 Old Frankfort Circle. Lexington Police make many of the arrests that route into that jail. The current jail population search is run by Community Corrections, not the Sheriff.
For the full roster details, fees, and visitation rules, see the Fayette County inmate records page. To learn how the Warrants Division works, read the warrant records page. The Fayette County Sheriff site lists the office address and programs.
The Sheriff site shows the warrants, court security, and victim services divisions. It also confirms that warrant information is not released by phone, which matters before you call.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Marriage licenses come from the Fayette County Clerk on East Main Street. Divorce is different. It is a Family Court case, so divorce records run through the Circuit Court Clerk, not the County Clerk. Probate is handled by the Probate Division of District Court. See the marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page for the full process.
- Testator
- A person who makes a will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to settle the estate.
- Conservator
- A person the court names to manage another adult's affairs.
The County Clerk also keeps recorded wills going back to 1794, but those are historical land-and-genealogy records, not active estate cases.
The Clerk site shows marriage license, land record, and vehicle services in one place. It is the right office for deeds and marriage copies, but not for court case files.
Fayette County Court Records Fees
Copy fees depend on which office holds the record. Court case copies come from the Circuit Court Clerk, and mail requests must include payment. The County Clerk, which keeps deeds and marriage licenses, posts its own copy fees. The table below shows the County Clerk schedule. Call the Circuit Court Clerk for current court-case copy and certified-copy charges before you mail a request.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page (County Clerk) | $0.50 |
| Plat copy | $1.00 |
| Certified copy, first three pages | $5.00 |
| Each additional certified page | $0.50 |
| Postage and handling per document | $1.00 |
The County Clerk cannot run a title search or do legal research for you. Those requests are returned. More on copies sits on the County Clerk page.
How to Interpret Fayette County Court Records
Court files use terms that trip up first-time readers. An arrest or a charge is not a conviction. A charge is only an accusation. The disposition field tells you the real outcome. A few common terms help you read a Fayette file the right way.
- Indictment
- A grand jury charging document used for felony cases.
- Disposition
- The case outcome, such as dismissed, guilty, or judgment entered.
- Bench warrant
- A warrant a judge issues, often after a missed court date.
- Forcible detainer
- The Kentucky term for an eviction possession case.
If a code or abbreviation is unclear, the clerk division that holds the file can explain it. The court records page covers case fields in more depth.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online court data can lag behind the paper file. New entries take time to post. Some matters are sealed after the fact. The clerk that heard the case holds the official version. Always confirm a key fact with that office before you act on it.
Note: Verify any name, date, charge, or disposition with the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk before relying on it for legal, work, or housing decisions.
History of Fayette County Courts
Fayette County is one of Kentucky's three original counties, formed in 1780, twelve years before Kentucky became a state. The County Clerk keeps land records that date back before statehood. The office holds the original Commissioner's Certificate book from 1779 to 1780 and recorded wills from 1794 to the present. Henry Clay's will is on file here, and Mary Todd Lincoln's grandfather, Levi Todd, was the first Fayette County Clerk.
The modern court structure traces to the 1976 Judicial Article, which merged Kentucky's courts into one statewide system. That reform still shapes how Fayette records are kept. One elected Circuit Court Clerk holds Circuit and District Court files, instead of a scattered city-and-county patchwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few questions come up again and again about Fayette County court records. Short answers follow, with links to the pages that go deeper.
Where do I search Fayette County court records?
Start with the Fayette Office of Circuit Court Clerk. The state's Administrative Office of the Courts does not keep local case files. Recent records are requested from the clerk division that heard the case. The Appeals and Records office at 120 North Limestone, Suite C-33, has public terminals and copiers. CourtNet exists for electronic access but needs a login.
Is the Fayette County Clerk the same as the court clerk?
No. Fayette has a split structure. The Circuit Court Clerk keeps Circuit, Family, and District Court case files. The County Clerk keeps deeds, marriage licenses, vehicle records, and elections. Use the County Clerk for a deed or marriage copy. Use the Circuit Court Clerk for divorce, criminal, civil, probate, and traffic cases.
Can I search Fayette inmates online?
Yes. LFUCG Community Corrections runs the current jail population portal. You can search by name or inmate ID, or view bookings from the last 48 hours. Confirm bond and charges by calling the jail. Full steps are on the inmate records page.
Does Fayette have an online warrant search?
No public Fayette warrant database was found. The Sheriff does not release warrant information by phone. To check for a warrant on yourself, you must appear in person at the Warrants Division at the District Courthouse. The warrant records page explains the rules.
More answers sit on the Fayette County Court Records FAQ page.