Fayette County Circuit Court Records

Fayette County Circuit Court Overview

Kentucky operates a unified court system under the Kentucky Court of Justice. There is no split between state and county court structures the way some other states handle it. The Supreme Court of Kentucky sits at the top. Below it, the Kentucky Court of Appeals reviews trial court decisions. Trial courts include Circuit Court, Family Court, District Court, and the statewide Business Court program for complex commercial litigation. In Fayette County, all of these courts share the downtown Lexington courthouse complex named for former Chief Justice Robert F. Stephens.

Circuit Court is the general jurisdiction trial court. It hears the cases that are too large or too serious for District Court. On the civil side, Circuit Court takes cases where the dollar amount in dispute exceeds $5,000. That covers medical malpractice, personal injury lawsuits, contract disputes, property damage claims, mortgage foreclosures, contested probate matters, property rights actions, and administrative board appeals. On the criminal side, Circuit Court is where felony cases go after a grand jury returns an indictment or a prosecutor files a criminal information. There are five Circuit Court judges in the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Four additional judges staff the Family Court division, which handles divorce, custody, child support, paternity, adoption, termination of parental rights, dependency and neglect, domestic violence, and related family matters.

Fayette is the 22nd Judicial Circuit and also the 22nd Judicial District. The same courthouse complex at 120 North Limestone and 150 North Limestone serves both Circuit Court and District Court. The elected Circuit Court Clerk, currently Vincent Riggs, keeps all case records for Circuit, Family, and District Court matters. Court case records are not held by the County Clerk or by city government. Anyone searching for a Fayette County Circuit Court case file should contact the clerk's office, not LFUCG offices.

Fayette County Court Divisions and Contact Information

The Fayette court system uses a division structure rather than numbered courts. Each division handles a specific subject area and has its own clerk counter, phone, and suite location. The Circuit Courthouse at 120 North Limestone handles Circuit Criminal, Circuit Civil, Family Court, Appeals and Records, and Domestic Violence. The District Courthouse at 150 North Limestone handles all District Court functions including Criminal/Traffic, District Civil, Small Claims, Forcible Detainer, Probate, Mental Health, and Juvenile. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except where noted.

The Appeals and Records Division at Suite C-33 is the public records access point for Circuit Court case files. It has public terminals and copiers, and staff can help you determine whether a case file is still at the courthouse or has been sent to the State Records Center in Frankfort. For records between 15 and 35 years old, contact the State Records Center. For records 36 years and older, contact the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

Note: The Domestic Violence Division accepts emergency protective order petitions around the clock. After business hours, go to Room D-157 on the first floor of the District Courthouse at 150 North Limestone.

Circuit Court vs. District Court in Fayette County

Kentucky does not have a separate county court or justice of the peace court in Fayette County the way some states do. The two trial-level courts are Circuit Court and District Court, with Family Court operating as a division of Circuit Court. Understanding which court handled a case is the first step in any Fayette County court records search, because each court's records are filed in a different division of the clerk's office even though one elected clerk manages them all.

One point worth knowing: felony charges begin in District Court. The District Court judge holds a preliminary hearing to determine probable cause. If probable cause is found, the matter moves to a grand jury. When the grand jury returns an indictment, the case transfers to Circuit Court for arraignment, pretrial proceedings, and trial. If a defendant pleads guilty before the grand jury phase is complete, some resolutions still occur at the District Court level depending on the charge and the deal reached.

How a Case Moves Through the Fayette County System

Kentucky's unified court structure means case flow follows a predictable path from lower courts to higher courts. A criminal case begins with an arrest. A civil case begins with a complaint filed at the correct court. The path after that depends on the type of matter and how it is resolved at each stage. The chart below shows where Fayette County cases start and where they can go if appealed all the way to the top.

Case flow, lower court to highest:
District Court (22nd Judicial District) › Circuit Court (22nd Judicial Circuit) › Kentucky Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of Kentucky

Felony criminal flow in Fayette County: Arrest by Lexington Police, Fayette County Sheriff, or state/federal agency › Booking at Fayette County Detention Center › First appearance and bond hearing in District Court › Felony preliminary hearing in District Court › Grand jury review in Circuit Court › Indictment › Circuit Court arraignment › Pretrial motions and discovery › Plea or trial › Sentencing › Appeal to Kentucky Court of Appeals › Discretionary review by Supreme Court of Kentucky.

Circuit Civil case flow: Complaint filed with Circuit Civil Division › Summons served on defendant › Answer filed › Discovery period › Motions and scheduling orders › Mediation or settlement conference › Trial before Circuit Court judge or jury › Judgment › Appeal to Kentucky Court of Appeals.

Family Court case flow: Petition filed (divorce, custody, adoption, domestic violence, etc.) › Temporary orders if needed › Discovery and financial disclosures › Hearings and negotiations › Final hearing or trial › Decree or final order › Appeal to Kentucky Court of Appeals if contested.

District Court cases that are misdemeanors or traffic matters resolve within District Court. Appeals from District Court go to Circuit Court, not directly to the Court of Appeals. That means the Circuit Court Appeals and Records Division at Suite C-33 also handles incoming appeals from District Court decisions, which is why that division maintains both Circuit case records and District case records that come up on appeal.

Fayette County Circuit Criminal Division

The Circuit Criminal Division at Suite C-103, 120 North Limestone, handles felony grand jury indictments and criminal information cases. When a grand jury returns a true bill, the Circuit Criminal clerk processes the indictment and schedules the case for arraignment before a Circuit Court judge. The division also handles practical financial transactions for criminal cases: accepting probation fees, collecting court costs, processing fines and restitution, and handling bail bond processing and refunds.

Five Circuit Court judges preside over the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Criminal cases rotate among them according to case assignment rules. Once a case is assigned to a specific judge and division number, that judge typically handles it through to verdict or guilty plea. The division number appears on all case documents, so knowing it helps when you contact the clerk or look up a hearing date. The Appeals and Records Division at Suite C-33 handles requests for copies of videotaped Circuit Court proceedings in addition to paper records, which is particularly relevant in felony cases where video testimony or recorded hearings were part of the record.

For criminal records and booking information, the arrest record is created at the time of booking, but the court case record begins when the clerk receives the charging document. These are two different files held by two different offices. The arrest record lives with Lexington Police or the arresting agency. The court case record lives with the Circuit Court Clerk.

Fayette County Circuit Civil and Family Court

Circuit Civil handles the full range of higher-value civil litigation in Fayette County. Cases over $5,000 that involve money damages, property rights, or administrative appeals land here. Common types include medical malpractice claims, personal injury lawsuits from accidents, breach of contract disputes, property damage cases, mortgage foreclosures, contested probate matters, real property rights disputes, and appeals from administrative boards. The Circuit Civil Division shares the Suite C-103 clerk counter with Circuit Criminal, but each case type is tracked separately.

Family Court is a division of Circuit Court and operates under the Family Court judges assigned to the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Four Family Court judges handle dissolution of marriage, equitable distribution of marital property, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal maintenance, paternity actions, adoption proceedings, termination of parental rights, dependency and neglect cases, domestic violence petitions, and related family matters. Divorce records are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk in the Family Court division. Adoption records, dependency and neglect cases, and DNA (paternity) cases may be restricted or sealed under Kentucky law, so access depends on whether you are a party, an attorney, or a person specifically authorized by statute.

The Domestic Violence Division at Suite C-452 handles emergency protective orders and interpersonal protective orders. Petitions are accepted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During business hours, use the Division C-452 counter. After hours, go to Room D-157 on the first floor of the District Courthouse. Victim advocates from Amanda's Center are available to help petitioners with the process, assess risk, and identify community resources. For court dockets in pending family or civil matters, contact the clerk for hearing dates or check available online resources.

District Court Divisions in Fayette County

District Court is the lower trial court in Kentucky's unified system and handles far more cases by volume than Circuit Court. For most Fayette County residents, the first courthouse experience is in District Court. Traffic citations, misdemeanor charges, eviction cases, small claims disputes, probate filings, and juvenile matters all flow through the District Courthouse at 150 North Limestone. Five District Court judges preside over these dockets. The Fayette District Court Weekly Schedule shows which judge hears which type of case on which day and in which courtroom, which is useful when you need to attend a specific hearing or verify when a docket runs.

District Civil handles complaints involving $5,000 or less, forcible entry and detainer petitions, garnishments, executions on judgments, administrative board appeals, juvenile permission to marry, cremation petitions, and student hardship driver's license cases. Small Claims is a subset of District Civil for matters of $2,500 or less. Small claims cases are commonly filed by self-represented litigants because the procedures are designed to be simpler. Small Claims information packets and the Small Claims Handbook are available at Suite D-112.

Eviction cases in Fayette County are filed as Forcible Detainer actions in the Forcible Detainer Division at Suite D-112. Under KRS Chapter 383, a landlord must give written notice before filing. Notice periods are 7 days, 14 days, or 30 days depending on the basis for the eviction. After an eviction judgment is entered, the landlord has a window from the 8th to the 30th day after judgment to request a warrant for possession. The Forcible Detainer Division can provide the legal forms for the complaint and walk filers through the required documents.

The following screenshot shows the Kentucky General Assembly's official page for KRS Chapter 383, the landlord and tenant statute that governs eviction notice requirements cited by the Fayette District Court Forcible Detainer Division.

KRS Chapter 383 sets out notice requirements, grounds for eviction, and tenant rights. These rules apply to all forcible detainer cases filed in Fayette County District Court, so both landlords and tenants benefit from reviewing the chapter before a hearing date.

The District Criminal/Traffic Division at the first floor of 150 North Limestone has one unusual feature: it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except December 24 and December 25. During those after-hours windows, the division posts bail bonds, collects fines and court costs for prepayable citations, processes and releases liens on property bonds, and accepts emergency protective order petition requests. This around-the-clock access is rare for a state trial court clerk operation and serves a real need in a county where arrests and EPO filings happen at all hours.

The Probate Division of District Court at Suite D-109/112 processes judicial pleadings and orders validating wills, appointing executors and administrators, and settling estates. It also handles guardianships for minors, trusts, curatorships, settlements for minors, and name changes for adults and children. This is a high-use division for people dealing with a family member's death or a minor ward's affairs. Note that contested probate matters involving significant property rights belong in Circuit Civil, not in Probate Division.

Mental Health and Juvenile Divisions

Two District Court divisions are confidential by statute. Anyone trying to look up a Fayette County mental health case or juvenile case should understand the access limits before contacting the clerk. These divisions handle very sensitive matters and Kentucky law restricts what information can be released and to whom.

The Mental Health Division at Suite D-352 handles petitions for emergency guardianship, permanent guardianship, involuntary commitment, involuntary treatment, involuntary admission of a mentally handicapped person, disability petitions, modifications and termination of guardianship, restoration of rights, and annual financial reports for wards. Mental health cases are confidential by statute. The exception is orders of appointment, judgments, and orders affecting judgments, which are public record. All other mental health case content is not available to the general public through a standard records request.

The Juvenile Division at Suite D-442 handles dependency, neglect, and abuse cases, status offenses like truancy and runaway matters, juvenile criminal offenses, and paternity. All juvenile cases are confidential under Kentucky law. The clerk does not give out juvenile case information by phone. A party to the case or a person specifically authorized by statute must appear in person with valid photo identification to receive any information from the Juvenile Division.

Note: Family Court handles some overlapping subject matter including dependency and neglect actions filed for children when the matter is serious enough to fall under circuit jurisdiction. If you are unsure which division holds a specific matter, call the clerk's main number and ask before making a trip downtown.

Specialty Courts in the 22nd Judicial Circuit

Fayette County operates several specialty court programs within the 22nd Judicial Circuit and 22nd Judicial District. These programs provide structured alternatives to standard prosecution and sentencing for eligible participants. Completion of a specialty court program can result in case dismissal through diversion or a conditional discharge through probation, depending on the program and the charge.

Drug Court was certified in January 2025. The Kentucky Court of Justice announced that four Fayette County Drug Court programs attained certification based on best practice standards. Chief Circuit Judge Kimberly Nell Bunnell, Family Court Judges Traci Brislin and Libby G. Messer, and Vice Chief Regional District Judge Lindsay Hughes Thurston serve as Drug Court judges. The program targets nonviolent offenders whose primary challenges stem from substance use disorder and provides treatment, intensive supervision, drug testing, and case management at no cost. Kentucky Drug Court began as a pilot in 1996 and now covers all 120 counties.

The Fayette District Court Weekly Schedule lists two additional specialty dockets. Mental Health Specialty Court runs on Wednesdays at noon in Division 5. AOT Specialty Court runs on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. in Division 1. The weekly schedule also shows a Drug Court docket on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. For current eligibility requirements or referral procedures for any specialty court program, contact the clerk division that handles the underlying case type, or use the Fayette County Legal Help Center for self-help guidance.

Searching Fayette County Circuit Court Records

The official route for Fayette County Circuit Court case records is the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. The Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts does not maintain local case files and cannot provide access to them. If you want to look up a case that was heard in Fayette Circuit, Family, or District Court, contact the Circuit Court Clerk, not the County Clerk and not LFUCG.

For in-person review, go to the Appeals and Records Division at 120 North Limestone, Suite C-33, Lexington, KY 40507. The phone is 859-246-2147. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The division has public terminals and public copiers. Staff there can tell you whether a file is at the courthouse or has been sent offsite. If the file is at the State Records Center, ask the clerk for the case and file locator numbers before trying to retrieve it, because the State Records Center does not accept name-only searches.

For online access, the statewide system is KYeCourts and CourtNet at the KYeCourts login page. This is not an open anonymous search. You need a registered username and password to reach case search fields. The public-facing page only shows the login form and registration link. Attorneys who are Kentucky Bar Association members use their KBA number and prior password. Members of the public can register. For a deeper look at Fayette County court records, including the step-by-step workflow and information on what a case file contains, see the Court Records page.

1. Identify which court handled the matter: Circuit, Family, or District Court.
2. Contact the correct division using the phone numbers in the table above.
3. Ask whether the file is at the courthouse, the State Records Center in Frankfort, or with KDLA.
4. Visit Suite C-33 to review the file in person, or request copies by mail with payment enclosed.
5. For older offsite files, get the case and file locator numbers from the clerk before proceeding.

For information about court dockets and hearing schedules, the Fayette District Court Weekly Schedule is public and useful for finding when specific docket types run. It shows judge, day, courtroom, and docket category. It does not show case-specific names or numbers, but it can help you plan a courthouse visit around a specific type of hearing.

Federal Courts Serving Fayette County

Federal cases involving Fayette County residents are handled by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, not by the state Circuit Court or District Court. Federal court handles federal crimes, civil rights cases, cases based on federal question jurisdiction, diversity cases between citizens of different states, Social Security appeals, and other matters arising under federal law. Federal and state court systems are separate. A state Circuit Court case does not appear in federal court records and a federal case does not appear in the Kentucky KYeCourts system.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky has its Lexington courthouse at 101 Barr Street, Lexington, KY 40507. The phone is (859) 233-2503. The Eastern District covers the 67 eastern-most Kentucky counties and about 2.2 million people. It has six jury divisions: Lexington, Ashland, Covington, Frankfort, London, and Pikeville. Federal case records are accessed through PACER and the CM/ECF electronic filing system. These require registration and may charge fees unless an exemption applies.

The following screenshot shows the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky Lexington location page, which lists courthouse hours, address, and contact information for the Lexington federal courthouse.

The U.S. District Court serves a different jurisdiction than Fayette County Circuit Court. Federal cases that arise from conduct in Fayette County go to the federal courthouse at 101 Barr Street, not to the state courts at North Limestone.

Bankruptcy cases for Fayette County are handled by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The Lexington office is in the Community Trust Building at 100 East Vine Street, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40507. Bankruptcy cases include Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 repayment plans, Chapter 11 business reorganizations, and related adversary proceedings. Bankruptcy court records are separate from state court records.

The screenshot below shows the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Kentucky Lexington page, which provides location and contact details for filing and case inquiries.

Bankruptcy filings involving Fayette County debtors are indexed in the federal court's CM/ECF system. PACER access is needed to view filed documents, and a fee applies per page unless a fee waiver is granted.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky is headquartered in Lexington at 260 West Vine Street, Suite 300, Lexington, KY 40507-1612. The main phone is (859) 233-2661. The U.S. Attorney prosecutes federal crimes in the Eastern District, which includes Fayette County. Federal prosecutions go to the U.S. District Court, not to state Circuit Court.

The screenshot below shows the U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Kentucky contact page, which lists the Lexington office address, phone numbers, and mailing address.

The U.S. Attorney's Lexington office handles federal criminal cases that originate in Fayette County and the surrounding area, including drug trafficking, public corruption, financial fraud, and civil rights enforcement.

For a broader view of the Eastern District's geography and the types of federal cases handled across its six divisions, the U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Kentucky district overview page describes the district's coverage and mission.

The Eastern District serves about 2.2 million people across 67 counties. Fayette County is in the Lexington division, which is the district's headquarters and handles the largest share of cases.

Federal appellate review of Eastern District decisions goes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, not to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. The full path for a federal case is: U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky › U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit › U.S. Supreme Court (by certiorari). This is entirely separate from the state path: Fayette District Court › Fayette Circuit Court › Kentucky Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of Kentucky.

Clerk of Court and Related Resources

The elected Fayette Circuit Court Clerk is Vincent Riggs. His office maintains all Circuit, Family, and District Court case records for Fayette County. The clerk's staff are present during trials, schedule juries, receive court filings, collect fines and bond money, and manage the storage and access of every court case file. One clerk's office serves the entire Fayette County courthouse complex, which is an unusually integrated setup compared with states where different courts have separate clerk offices.

For detailed information on the clerk's office, certified copy fees, request procedures, and how to get records by mail, see the Circuit Court Clerk page. For probate case records specifically, the Probate Records page covers the Probate Division workflow, what the division handles, and how to request estate and guardianship records. For arrest and criminal case records, the Arrest Records page covers the difference between an arrest record and a court case record, and explains how charges flow from booking through the court system.

The Fayette County Legal Help Center is located inside the courthouse complex and provides free self-help assistance for people without attorneys. Guided interview topics include divorce and separation, expungement of misdemeanor and traffic convictions, petition for probate, and other common civil matters. The center was the first of its kind in Kentucky when it opened in March 2022. For common questions about records access, fees, and what different courts handle, see the Fayette County Court Records FAQ.

Circuit Court Clerk

The elected clerk who manages all Circuit, Family, and District Court case records for Fayette County. Currently Vincent Riggs.

County Clerk

A separate constitutional office that handles land records, marriage licenses, elections, vehicle titles, and fiscal records. Does not hold court case files. Currently Susan Lamb.

Appeals and Records Division

The public-facing records access point at 120 N. Limestone, Suite C-33. Has public terminals, copiers, and staff who can locate offsite case files.

State Records Center

Stores Fayette court records 15 to 35 years old in Frankfort. Requires case and file locator numbers from the clerk before retrieval.

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA)

Stores Fayette court records 36 years and older. Contact kdla-referencedesk@ky.gov or 502-564-1770.

Note: The County Clerk and Circuit Court Clerk are two different offices with two different missions. Callers who dial the County Clerk at (859) 253-3344 looking for a court case record will be redirected. Start with the Circuit Court Clerk for any matter that went through a judge.