Search Fayette County Arrest and Criminal Records

Fayette County Arrest Records and the Booking Process

An arrest record in Fayette County begins the moment a person is booked into the Fayette County Detention Center (FCDC). FCDC is operated by the LFUCG Division of Community Corrections at 600 Old Frankfort Circle, Lexington, KY 40510, phone (859) 425-2700. Lexington Police make many of the arrests that feed into FCDC; the Fayette County Sheriff, Kentucky State Police, and other agencies also book detainees there. A booking entry captures the person's name and identifiers, the charged offense at the time of booking, and the custody status. Recent news from Lexington Police confirms the pattern: suspects arrested on charges ranging from wanton endangerment and firearm violations to narcotics offenses are routinely transported to and held at the Fayette County Detention Center before court processing.

The LFUCG Community Corrections portal at jail.lexingtonky.gov is the public-facing way to check current custody. It shows the current jail population and also lets you pull up everyone booked in the last 48 hours. LFUCG is clear that the charge data reflects what was documented at booking and may change as the case moves through District or Circuit Court. The disclaimer on that page states a person is innocent until proven guilty and that the information should be verified with local courts. This is the most direct tool for a recent Fayette County arrest records search.

Note: For bond amounts and current charges while someone is in custody, call (859) 425-2700 directly. The online portal may not always display full charge detail depending on where the case is in processing.

How to Find a Recent Fayette County Arrest

Finding a recent arrest in Fayette County takes just a few steps. The jail roster portal is the fastest starting point for anyone booked within the last day or two. For older bookings or full case history, the path shifts to the court system.

1. Go to jail.lexingtonky.gov. Enter the last name, first name, and middle name if known, or the inmate ID. Click Search. If the person is in current custody, a result will appear.
2. Use the "Booked in the Last 48 Hours" list. Click "view inmates" under that section to see everyone processed through FCDC in the past two days without knowing a specific name.
3. Call (859) 425-2700 for charges and bond. The portal may not display the full charge list on screen. Community Corrections staff can confirm bond type, amount, and current charges by phone during business hours.
4. Check the Lexington Police Central Records Unit for an arrest report. Lexington Police maintains the Central Records Unit at 150 E. Main Street for collision and arrest reports and open records requests. Note that Lexington Police Central Records does not process background checks; it refers those requests to the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts.
5. For court case status, contact the Fayette District Criminal/Traffic Division at 150 N. Limestone, First Floor, (859) 246-2228. That office is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and posts bail bonds, collects fines for prepayable citations, and handles emergency court access around the clock. Full case history belongs in the court records system, not the jail roster.

Fayette County Jail Search Fields

The LFUCG jail portal at jail.lexingtonky.gov uses a simple form. All fields are optional; enter as much as you know. Using last name alone often returns a manageable list for common surnames. Inmate ID is useful if you already have the booking number from a prior search or from calling the facility.

Results show current custody status. If a person no longer appears in the current population, they may have been released, transferred, or had their record corrected by the courts. Call (859) 425-2700 to confirm if you are not sure. The portal includes an accuracy disclaimer that arrest data reflects charged offenses at booking and should be verified with Fayette District and Circuit Courts.

Arrest Records vs. Criminal Court Records in Fayette County

An arrest record and a criminal court record are not the same thing. The arrest record is created by law enforcement at the time of booking. The criminal court record starts when a charge is formally filed with the court. For misdemeanors and traffic offenses, that means the District Criminal/Traffic Division. For felony cases, the matter begins in District Court with a preliminary hearing and moves to Circuit Court if the grand jury returns an indictment. The two records come from different offices, contain different documents, and answer different questions.

For full criminal case history including pleas, trial outcomes, sentences, and probation conditions, use the court records system through the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk, not the jail portal. The Circuit Court Appeals and Records Division at 120 N. Limestone, Suite C-33, (859) 246-2147, has public terminals and copiers for in-person review.

Charges vs. Convictions in Fayette County

A charge is an accusation. It is what law enforcement believed was supported by probable cause at the time of arrest. A conviction is what a court finds after a plea or trial under the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard. LFUCG's own jail portal states exactly this: a person is innocent until proven guilty, and arrest information reflects charged offenses at the time of booking. Charges are often amended, reduced, or dismissed entirely before a case resolves. Seeing a charge in an arrest record does not mean the person was convicted of that charge.

People who want to know the final outcome of a Fayette County criminal case need the court record, not the booking entry. Contact the Fayette District Criminal/Traffic Division at (859) 246-2228 for misdemeanor and traffic case dispositions, or the Circuit Criminal Division at (859) 246-2224 for felony case outcomes. The court record will show whether the charge resulted in a plea, dismissal, acquittal, or conviction.

Mugshots and Booking Photos in Fayette County

Booking photos, commonly called mugshots, are taken at the time a person is processed into FCDC. Kentucky does not have a blanket state law making all booking photos immediately public, and the LFUCG jail portal's text-accessible content did not confirm that mugshots are displayed in search results without executing additional portal code. The safer practice is to treat mugshots as potentially public but not guaranteed to appear in a basic name search. If you need to confirm whether a booking photo is on file or available under a specific case, contact Community Corrections at (859) 425-2700 or submit a written open records request.

Lexington Police open records requests can include arrest-related materials through the Lexington Police Open Records page. Requests must be written and include the requester's name, address, daytime phone, email, and specific records description. Requests can be sent to ORR@lexingtonky.gov, submitted in person at 150 E. Main Street, or faxed to (859) 425-2270. The requester must state how they are a Kentucky resident per Kentucky Open Records Act requirements. LFUCG Community Corrections has its own open records form for jail-related materials.

Note: Third-party mugshot aggregator sites are not official sources. Always verify booking and criminal record information through official Fayette County and Kentucky government channels.

Statewide Criminal Records in Kentucky

For a broader criminal history that goes beyond a single Fayette County booking, the starting point is the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts. Lexington Police Central Records Unit explicitly says it does not process background checks and refers those requests to the Kentucky AOC. The AOC maintains court-based criminal history data across Kentucky's 120 counties through the state court system. This is the source used by many employers, landlords, and licensing agencies when they want a Kentucky-wide criminal records check that includes case dispositions, not just bookings.

The state court electronic access gateway is KYeCourts / CourtNet. This system allows access to criminal and civil cases filed in the Kentucky court system, but it requires a username and password. It is not an open anonymous search. Members of the Kentucky Bar Association follow a registration process tied to their bar number. Other users can register through the "First time here? Register Now" link on the login page. For Fayette-specific case access without an account, in-person review at the Circuit Court Appeals and Records Division, 120 N. Limestone, Suite C-33, remains the official path.

Kentucky State Police also play a role in criminal records. KSP provides eligibility certification for expungement petitions, as required by KRS 431.079, and maintains the sex offender registry under KRS 17.580. Those are separate functions from the AOC court-record system.

Sealed vs. Expunged Records in Kentucky

Two terms come up often when someone wants an old Fayette County criminal record removed from public access: sealed and expunged. They are not the same thing, and Kentucky's statutes treat them differently. Sealing restricts public access to a record but may leave it visible to law enforcement and some other agencies. Expungement under Kentucky law goes further. When an eligible conviction is vacated and expunged, records in the custody of other agencies, including law enforcement, are also expunged. The Kentucky Court of Justice notes that AOC retains expungement order information for eligibility certification purposes, and prosecutors may retain nonpublic law-enforcement records.

Kentucky requires an expungement certification packet before filing most conviction expungement petitions. The online certification process through the Kentucky Court of Justice costs $40, paid by credit or debit card. After paying, you download the packet and file the certification documents with the proper petition at the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk. The Fayette Legal Help Center at the Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse, Room CB02A, offers a guided interview on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for misdemeanor, violation, and traffic infraction expungements. The Legal Help Center is at 120 N. Limestone, Room CB02A.

Fayette County Expungement Statutes and Process

Kentucky has four main expungement statutes that apply to Fayette County cases. Each covers a different category of record and has its own eligibility rules and waiting period. Knowing which one applies to a specific case determines where to start and what forms to file.

KRS 431.073: Class D Felony Conviction Expungement

Covers most Class D felony convictions, with exceptions for some offense categories. The petition generally cannot be filed sooner than five years after completion of sentence, probation, or parole, whichever is later. Certification from Kentucky State Police and AOC is required under KRS 431.079.

KRS 431.076: Felony Charges Not Resulting in Indictment

Applies when a felony charge was filed in District Court but the grand jury did not indict. Petition may be filed no sooner than six months after the District Court decision to hold the matter to the grand jury. No filing fee for this petition.

KRS 431.078: Misdemeanor, Violation, and Traffic Infraction Expungement

Used for the most common criminal and traffic records. Fayette Legal Help Center includes a guided interview for these petitions. The certification step under KRS 431.079 applies here as well.

KRS 431.079: Expungement Certification Requirement

Requires that a certification packet be obtained from Kentucky State Police and AOC before filing most expungement petitions. The online certification request costs $40 and is submitted through the Kentucky Court of Justice expungement system. After paying, you receive an email and download the packet to include with the petition.

For Fayette County cases, file the petition with the Fayette Office of Circuit Court Clerk in the same county where the original charge was filed. Common denial reasons include an ineligible offense, an outstanding waiting period, pending charges, a missing certification packet, or filing in the wrong county. The Kentucky Court of Justice expungement page has current instructions and the online certification link.

The screenshot below comes from the Kentucky legislature's official statutes site, where KRS 431.078 governs misdemeanor and traffic infraction expungements for cases like those handled daily in Fayette District Court.

KRS 431.078 is the statute most Fayette County residents use when seeking to expunge a misdemeanor conviction or traffic infraction from their criminal record. The Fayette Legal Help Center's guided interview covers this same statute.

Kentucky Sex Offender Registry and Fayette County

The Kentucky State Police maintain the state's sex offender registry under KRS 17.580. KSP states the registry information is provided to promote public safety and awareness, not to punish or embarrass registrants. The public search portal is at kspsor.state.ky.us and allows searches by name, city, county, or ZIP code. Searching by Fayette County will return registrants whose registered address falls within Fayette County. The Fayette County Sheriff's office also handles sex offender compliance as part of its programs.

Registry profiles include identifying information and, where available, a photo. The registry is a public safety tool, not a criminal history database. Registration status does not indicate current custody; for custody status use the FCDC jail portal or KOOL. The Kentucky Online Offender Lookup at kool.corrections.ky.gov covers state Department of Corrections inmates, probationers, and parolees and can be cross-referenced with registry results when needed.

The screenshot below is from the Kentucky State Police sex offender registry information page, which explains the legal basis and search options under KRS 17.580.

The Kentucky State Police registry is the official source for sex offender registration data in Fayette County. The page also explains how the public can use the registry and what KRS 17.580 requires of registrants.

Restricted and Confidential Criminal Records in Fayette County

Not all arrest and criminal records in Fayette County are public. Several categories are confidential by Kentucky statute or court rule, and the Fayette courts apply these restrictions strictly. Knowing which records are off-limits saves time and avoids requests that will simply be denied.

• Juvenile records: Fayette District Court states all juvenile cases are confidential by Kentucky statute. Information is given only in person to a party or a person authorized by statute. No information is given by phone. Photo ID is required at the counter.
• Mental health records: Fayette District Court's Mental Health Division states that cases are confidential by statute, with one exception: orders of appointment, judgments, and orders affecting judgments are public record.
• Expunged records: Once a Fayette County case is properly expunged under one of the KRS 431 statutes, it is no longer accessible to the public. Law enforcement agency records for qualifying expunged convictions are also expunged. The AOC keeps only the expungement order for eligibility certification purposes.
• Sealed records: Adoption, termination of parental rights, and dependency/neglect/abuse materials handled in Family Court are often sealed or restricted under Kentucky law. Access requires party or attorney status, or a court order.
• Grand jury materials: Felony grand jury proceedings and records are confidential until indictment is filed or otherwise made public.
• Law enforcement investigative records: Active investigative files can be withheld under the exemptions in KRS 61.878. Not every police report is available on request; some materials tied to an ongoing investigation may be denied.

If a records request is denied, the agency must provide a written response citing the specific statutory exemption under the Kentucky Open Records Act. Requests for Lexington Police records go through the Lexington Police Open Records process; requests for court records go through the Fayette Circuit Court Clerk.

DUI, Criminal Traffic, and Overlapping Records

DUI arrests in Fayette County are criminal matters, not simple traffic infractions. A DUI stop results in an arrest, a booking into FCDC, and a criminal charge in Fayette District Court. The same is true for charges like reckless driving, driving on a DUI-suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident, or fleeing and evading. These offenses produce both an arrest record through the jail and a criminal court record through the District Criminal/Traffic Division. For CDL holders, commercial driving consequences are often stricter, and a misdemeanor traffic conviction can have federal licensing implications.

Traffic citations that are not criminal, such as speeding or running a red light, are handled administratively and do not typically result in FCDC bookings. Those records live in the District Criminal/Traffic Division but do not create an arrest record. The court traffic record and the state driver record maintained by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are separate documents. For more detail on the difference between court traffic records and state driver records, as well as citation payment options, see traffic court records.

Background Checks and the Kentucky AOC

Employers, landlords, licensing boards, and others who need a formal criminal background check for Fayette County are directed to the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, not to the jail portal or police records. Lexington Police Central Records Unit's own page states it does not process background checks and links users to the Kentucky AOC for criminal records and background checks. The AOC's court-based system spans all 120 Kentucky counties and produces a record that reflects court dispositions, including dismissed charges, convictions, and sentences, drawn from the state court database.

For fingerprint-based background checks outside the state court system, Lexington Police offers fingerprinting for non-state-agency purposes at Lexington Police Headquarters, 150 E. Main Street, Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee is $10 per card; cash and check only, no credit or debit cards.

The Fayette County Sheriff and Warrant Arrests

The Fayette County Sheriff, currently Kathy H. Witt, operates the Warrants Division out of the District Courthouse at 150 N. Limestone, Fourth Floor, Lexington, KY 40507, phone (859) 252-1771. The Warrants Division apprehends people with outstanding warrants for crimes in Lexington-Fayette County and pursues fugitives from other jurisdictions. It has assisted in fugitive returns from all 50 states. Warrant arrests by the Sheriff's office route into FCDC the same way other arrests do: the person is booked, and a booking entry is created.

Fayette County does not publish a public active warrant database. The Sheriff states warrant information is not released over the telephone. If you want to check whether there is a warrant outstanding on yourself, you must go in person to the Warrants Division at the address above with identification. For more detail on the warrant search process and bench warrants, see warrant records.

Key Contacts for Fayette County Arrest Records

The offices below handle different parts of the arrest and criminal records process. Use the right office to save time.

For full criminal case history, contact the Circuit Criminal Division at (859) 246-2224 or the Circuit Court Appeals and Records Division at (859) 246-2147, both at 120 N. Limestone, Lexington. More on the full case-file process is at court records. For current inmates and jail roster detail, see inmate records.