Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk

About the Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk

Vincent Riggs serves as the Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk. He is elected to a six-year term under Kentucky's unified court system. Kentucky elects one circuit court clerk per county, and that clerk is the sole official keeper of court case records for all trial courts in the county. The Kentucky Court of Justice Fayette County page identifies Riggs as the Circuit Clerk for the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

The role is broader than most people expect. The Fayette Circuit Court Clerk's office supports every court division at the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Complex: Circuit Criminal, Circuit Civil, Family Court, Appeals and Records, and Domestic Violence at the Circuit Courthouse, plus all District Court divisions at the District Courthouse. That means the clerk's staff handles felony indictments in the morning and small claims paperwork in the afternoon. The statewide Circuit Court Clerks page describes the job this way: clerks receive lawsuits and court documents, are present during trials, schedule juries, receive fines, and handle bond money. They keep Circuit and District Court records. No other office in Fayette County has that authority over court case files.

The Appeals and Records Division at Suite C-33 is the primary public access point for reviewing court case files. It has public terminals to help with research and public copiers. Mail requests must include payment. This is where most people who want to look at a Fayette case file in person should go first. If the file is not at the courthouse, the staff can tell you whether it has moved to the State Records Center or to the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

Fayette Circuit Clerk Division Phone Directory

The Fayette Circuit Court Clerk's office is spread across the Circuit and District Courthouses. Each court division has its own phone line and suite. Call the correct division for the type of record you need. Calling Circuit Criminal about a small claims judgment will send you to the wrong desk.

Note: The District Criminal/Traffic Division is the only 24-hour clerk window. It posts bail bonds, collects fines and court costs for prepayable citations, and processes property-bond liens around the clock on all days except the two Christmas holidays.

What Records the Circuit Clerk Holds

The Fayette Circuit Court Clerk holds the official case files for every court division in the 22nd Judicial Circuit and 22nd Judicial District. That scope covers a wide range of record types. If you are trying to find a Fayette County court case, the clerk's office is the right place to start.

• Circuit Criminal: Felony grand jury indictments, information cases, probation fees, court costs, fines, restitution orders, and bail bond processing and refunds.
• Circuit Civil: Cases over $5,000, including medical malpractice, personal injury, contracts, property damage, foreclosures, contested probate, property rights, and administrative board appeals.
• Family Court: Dissolution of marriage (divorce), spousal support, child custody, child support, paternity, adoption, termination of parental rights, dependency and neglect, domestic violence, and related matters. Note that adoption records, juvenile-related family matters, and some domestic violence materials are restricted by law.
• District Criminal/Traffic: Traffic citations, misdemeanor complaints, felony preliminary hearing records, bench warrants, fine and bond records, and emergency protective order records.
• District Civil: Civil complaints at $5,000 or less, garnishments, executions, eviction judgments, and certain hardship driver's license cases.
• Small Claims: Claims at $2,500 or less, complaints, service returns, default judgments, and payment records.
• Probate: Will validations, executor and administrator appointments, estate settlements, minor guardianships, trusts, curatorships, and name changes.
• Mental Health and Juvenile: These records are confidential by Kentucky statute. Mental health appointment orders, judgments, and orders affecting judgments are public; other mental health records are not. All juvenile records are confidential; in-person access with photo ID is required for authorized parties only.

One common point of confusion is divorce and marriage. Divorce records are Family Court case files held by the Circuit Court Clerk. Marriage license applications and marriage certificates are not court case files; they are documents recorded by the Fayette County Clerk. Those are two different offices in two different buildings. For divorce records, come to the Circuit Courthouse. For a marriage certificate copy, go to the Fayette County Clerk at 162 East Main Street.

How to Request a Certified Copy of a Court Record

A certified copy of a court record carries the clerk's official certification that the document is a true and accurate copy of the original file. Courts, government agencies, immigration authorities, employers, and attorneys often require certified copies rather than plain photocopies for legal proceedings. The Kentucky Court of Justice Request Court Records page explains that all requests for copies of court case records start with the clerk of the court that heard the case.

1. Identify the court and division. Decide whether the case is Circuit Criminal, Circuit Civil, Family Court, District Criminal/Traffic, District Civil, Small Claims, Forcible Detainer, or Probate. Use the division table above to find the right phone number or suite if you are unsure.
2. Locate the case number if you have it. A case number speeds up every request. If you do not have one, the staff at the Appeals and Records Division at Suite C-33 can help you search. Call (859) 246-2147 first to confirm the file is at the courthouse before you make the trip.
3. Choose your request method. In-person requests can be made at the correct division window or at Suite C-33 for general appeals and records. Mail requests can be sent to the clerk's office at 120 North Limestone, Lexington, KY 40507, with payment included.
4. Prepare payment. Court case copy fees are not published on a fixed public fee schedule. Call (859) 246-2147 to ask about the current per-page charge and the current certified-copy charge before you send a mail request. Mail requests without correct payment will not be processed.
5. Submit your request. In person, present your request and payment at the division window. By mail, send a written request with enough case detail to find the file, your return address, and a check or money order made out to the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk.
6. Receive your copies. In-person requests may be filled while you wait or on the same day, depending on file location and volume. Mail requests take additional time. If the file has moved to the State Records Center or the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, turnaround will be longer.

Circuit Court Clerk Copy Fees

Court case copy fees for the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk are not published on a fixed public schedule. The amount varies by document type, page count, and certification. The Kentucky Court of Justice does not post a standard per-page fee for local court file copies the same way the County Clerk posts its land record copy fees. Call (859) 246-2147 before submitting any mail request so you include the correct payment.

The $40 expungement certification fee is charged by the Administrative Office of the Courts for the online eligibility certification packet required before most conviction expungement petitions can be filed. That is a separate step from the actual copy request. For expungements filed under KRS 431.076 (felony charge not indicted), no filing fee is charged for the petition, but you still need the certification packet. For misdemeanor and traffic infraction expungements under KRS 431.078, the Fayette Legal Help Center offers a guided interview to help prepare the petition.

What to Include in a Fayette Court Records Request

Whether you request records in person or by mail, providing complete information helps the staff find the file quickly. Missing details slow the search and may result in the request being returned. The Kentucky Court of Justice says to contact the clerk of the court that heard the case, so tailor your request to the specific division.

Older Fayette County Court Records

Not every Fayette court case file lives at 120 or 150 North Limestone. Records move off-site over time. The Kentucky Court of Justice Fayette Circuit page states that court records 15 to 35 years old are typically stored at the State Records Center in Frankfort. Records 36 years and older are held by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

There is a key limitation to know before you start. The State Records Center cannot search its holdings by name or Social Security number. You need the case and file locator numbers that the clerk supplies. The process works like this: contact the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk first, ask whether the file has been transferred, and if so, get the case and file locator numbers. Then contact the State Records Center using those numbers. For KDLA materials, the same principle applies. The contact for the State Records Center is cathrine.giles@ky.gov or (502) 564-1702. For KDLA, reach the reference desk at kdla-referencedesk@ky.gov or (502) 564-1770.

Genealogists should note a separate records path. The Fayette County Clerk holds recorded wills and other historical documents dating back to 1794 and has county records going back to around the time of Kentucky statehood. Those are County Clerk records (deeds, recorded wills for estates that were never probated in court, and genealogical materials), not Circuit Court case files. Court-probated estates are District Court Probate Division records held by the Circuit Court Clerk.

KYeCourts and CourtNet Access in Fayette County

Kentucky's statewide electronic case access system is KYeCourts/CourtNet. The purpose of the system, as stated on the login page, is to allow easy and expeditious access to criminal and civil cases filed with the Kentucky Court System. However, it is not an open anonymous search. The public-facing page shows only a login form with username and password fields, plus a registration link and a forgot-credentials option.

The practical result for most members of the public is that in-person review at the Appeals and Records Division at Suite C-33 is the most direct path to a Fayette case file. Attorneys and registered users who have a KYeCourts account can access case information online after authentication. If you have previously used KYeCourts, use your prior username and password. If you are a Kentucky Bar Association member who has not used KYeCourts, the login page links KBA-specific registration instructions. New users can register through the "First time here? Register Now!" link on the login page.

Note: KYeCourts is login-gated; full case docket and document access requires an account. In-person review through the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk remains the official route for members of the public who do not have a CourtNet account.

Circuit Court Clerk vs. County Clerk: Which Office Do You Need?

This is the most common mistake people make in Fayette County. The Circuit Court Clerk and the County Clerk are two completely different offices with different addresses, different staff, and different records. Calling the wrong office wastes time for you and for the staff. The split is defined by Kentucky law and applies in all 120 Kentucky counties.

If you need a marriage certificate copy, a deed copy, or anything from the land records, visit the Fayette County Clerk at 162 East Main Street, Room 132, phone (859) 253-3344. That office is about a three-minute walk from the Circuit Courthouse. The County Clerk is led by Susan Lamb and handles all records that are not court case files. The Circuit Court Clerk and the County Clerk share nothing in terms of records systems or staff.

Restricted and Confidential Court Records

Not every Fayette court record is open to the public. Several categories of records are restricted by Kentucky statute, and the Circuit Court Clerk must follow those restrictions regardless of who is asking. Knowing this in advance prevents a wasted trip or a confusing denial at the window.

• Juvenile cases: All juvenile records are confidential under Kentucky statute. The Fayette Juvenile Division gives information only in person to a party or authorized person. No phone information is provided. Photo ID is required.
• Mental health cases: Mental Health Division records are confidential by statute, except orders of appointment, judgments, and orders affecting judgments, which are public record.
• Sealed and expunged records: Records expunged under KRS 431.073 (Class D felony), KRS 431.076, or KRS 431.078 (misdemeanor/traffic) are removed from public access. The clerk may retain an internal record of the expungement order for eligibility certification purposes, but that record is not part of the public case file.
• Adoption, termination, and DNA: Family Court matters involving adoption, termination of parental rights, and dependency/neglect/abuse proceedings are typically sealed or restricted. Access usually requires party or attorney status or a court order.
• Domestic violence records: Public access to domestic violence and protective order records can be limited to protect victim safety.
• Personal identifiers: Court records commonly redact Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, minor names, protected addresses, and confidential victim information before release.

If the clerk denies access to a record, the denial will cite the specific statute that applies. For most public records denied under the Kentucky Open Records Act, KRS 61.878, a requester can seek review through the statutory process. Court records follow a different path: the Kentucky Court of Justice directs people to the court clerk, and access to restricted case records typically requires showing party status, attorney status, or a court order to the clerk.

Related Fayette County Court Resources

The Circuit Court Clerk is the starting point, but several other offices and resources connect to the records system. Use these links to reach the right page for your specific need.

• Fayette County Court Records: full overview of record types, the CourtNet system, and how to search.
• Fayette Circuit Court: the trial court whose files the clerk keeps, covering numbered courts, civil, criminal, and Family Court divisions.
• Court Dockets: weekly District Court schedule by judge and division, docket types, and how to find a hearing date.
• Fayette County Clerk: the separate county office for deeds, marriage licenses, vehicle records, and elections. Use this page if you are looking for any of those record types.
• Fayette County Court Records FAQ: answers to common questions about fees, access, and record types.
• Fayette County Legal Help Center: self-help forms and guided interviews for expungement, small claims, family matters, and other cases where you may not have an attorney.