Bourbon County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Bourbon County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Bourbon County may access publicly available case information through official clerk offices, courthouse terminals, and state judicial search tools. BourbonRecords.us provides a directory of publicly available information related to court records, property filings, and related public documents maintained by government agencies serving Bourbon County, Kentucky. The information available through such resources may include, depending on case type and applicable access rules:
- Criminal case filings, charges, and dispositions
- Civil complaints, judgments, and orders
- Family court matters, including divorce and custody proceedings
- Probate filings and estate records
- Traffic citations and infractions
- Small claims filings and outcomes
- Appellate case information
Court records in Bourbon County may be searched through five primary methods:
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office. The Office of Circuit Court Clerk for Bourbon County serves as the official custodian of trial court records. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person to request case files, certified copies, or docket information. Providing a full party name, case number, or approximate filing date assists staff in locating records efficiently.
Bourbon County Circuit Court Clerk
301 Main Street, Suite 201
Paris, KY 40361
Phone: (859) 987-2624
Bourbon – Kentucky Court of Justice
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals. Public access computer terminals are available at the Bourbon County courthouse. These terminals allow members of the public to search case dockets and view certain filed documents without charge during regular business hours.
3. Online Court Search. The Kentucky Court of Justice maintains statewide online resources through which members of the public may search for case information. The CourtNet system and related judicial portals provide access to docket entries and case status for many case types.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools. The Kentucky Court of Justice offers centralized tools for locating cases across all counties. The Request Court Records portal allows requesters to identify the appropriate court and submit formal records requests. Case and file locator numbers must be submitted with the records request form when available.
5. Written or Mail Requests. Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the Circuit Court Clerk's office. Requests should include the full name of the parties, the approximate filing date, the case type, and any known case number. Fees for copies apply and must be remitted with the request.
Are Court Records Public in Bourbon County
Court records in Bourbon County are subject to public access under current Kentucky law. Kentucky Revised Statutes § 61.870–61.884, known as 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 court-related offices. Additionally, the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure and the Kentucky Court of Justice's administrative policies govern access to judicial records specifically.
Under current law, the following categories of court records are accessible to the public:
- Case dockets and docket entries
- Party names and case captions
- Hearing dates and court calendars
- Filed pleadings, motions, and responses
- Court orders and final judgments
- Sentencing entries and disposition records
- Probate inventories and estate orders
Certain records are confidential, sealed, or restricted from public inspection under applicable statutes and court rules:
- Juvenile court records, which are protected under KRS § 610.340
- Adoption records and related proceedings
- Mental health commitment records
- Expunged criminal records
- Sealed filings ordered by a court
- 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 many records are available for in-person inspection at the clerk's office, not all documents are available through online portals. Sealed, expunged, or restricted records are excluded from both in-person and electronic access.
What Are Court Records in Bourbon County?
Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court or its clerk in connection with judicial proceedings. 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 docket entry is a chronological log of actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents filed by parties and issued by the court. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky against an individual charged with a criminal offense. Filed pleadings are the initial and responsive documents submitted by parties, whereas final judgments represent the court's conclusive resolution of the matter.
Public filings are those accessible to any member 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 at the county level by the Circuit Court Clerk, while appellate records are maintained by the Kentucky Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court of Kentucky.
The Kentucky Court of Justice administers the statewide court system, and each county's Circuit Court Clerk maintains the official record for cases heard in that county. Records are created at the time of filing, updated as proceedings advance, and finalized upon disposition. Post-disposition activity, including appeals, modifications, and expungements, generates additional entries within the same case record.
What's Included in a Bourbon County Court Record?
A court record in Bourbon County may contain a range of documents and data depending on the case type, the stage of proceedings, 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, such as civil, criminal, family, probate, or traffic, and current case status
- Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, orders, and actions taken in the case
- Hearing information: Scheduled and completed hearing dates, continuances, and minute entries
- Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, responses, notices, affidavits, and supporting exhibits that are part of the public record
- 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 disposition entries
- Administrative and financial data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly reflected in the record
Certain materials are excluded or restricted from the public record. Sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, and protected personal data are not available for public inspection. Some exhibits, particularly those containing sensitive personal information or subject to protective orders, may also be withheld.
Types of Courts in Bourbon County
Bourbon County is served by the Kentucky state court system, which operates under a unified structure administered by the Kentucky Court of Justice. The court structure serving Bourbon County at present includes the following:
District Court handles limited-jurisdiction matters, including misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, small claims disputes up to $2,500, juvenile matters, and preliminary hearings in felony cases. The District Court Clerk maintains official records for these proceedings.
Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction for Bourbon County and handles felony criminal cases, civil matters exceeding the District Court's jurisdictional threshold, family court matters including divorce, custody, and adoption, and probate proceedings. The Circuit Court Clerk serves as the official custodian of Circuit Court records.
Family Court operates as a division of the Circuit Court in Bourbon County and handles domestic relations matters, including dissolution of marriage, child custody, child support, domestic violence proceedings, and related family law matters.
Kentucky Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Kentucky serve as the appellate courts for cases originating in Bourbon County. Appellate records are maintained by the respective appellate clerks in Frankfort.
As the Bourbon – Kentucky Court of Justice page notes, "The Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each county is the starting point for requesting copies of court records from cases in that county."
Bourbon County Circuit and District Court
301 Main Street
Paris, KY 40361
Phone: (859) 987-2624
Bourbon – Kentucky Court of Justice
How to Search Bourbon County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may inspect court records at no charge through in-person review at the Circuit Court Clerk's office or through courthouse public access terminals during regular business hours. The following table summarizes current access methods and associated costs:
| Access Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-person inspection at clerk's office | No charge |
| Courthouse public access terminal | No charge |
| Online case search via state judicial portal | No charge |
| Paper copies (per page) | $0.25–$0.50 per page (standard) |
| Certified copies | $5.00 per document (standard clerk fee) |
| Research fee (extended staff assistance) | Variable |
Under KRS § 64.012, the Kentucky General Assembly establishes the fee schedule applicable to clerk services, including court record copies. Members of the public who wish to inspect records without obtaining copies may do so at no charge during regular business hours.
The Bourbon County Clerk's online records portal provides electronic access to certain county records through the eCCLIX system, which is available to registered users and supports remote searching of participating county clerk records.
Free online case search tools available through the Kentucky Court of Justice allow members of the public to search docket information and case status without charge. Downloading or printing document images may require payment of applicable fees.
How Long Does Bourbon County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Bourbon County is governed by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives records retention schedules applicable to judicial and clerk offices. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
Under current retention policy, the following retention periods apply to common record categories:
- Felony criminal case files: Retained permanently or for a minimum of 25 years following final disposition
- Misdemeanor and traffic case files: Retained for a minimum of 5 to 10 years, depending on case classification
- Civil case files: Retained for a minimum of 10 years following final judgment
- Probate records: Retained permanently in many instances due to their legal significance to property and estate matters
- Docket books and minute records: Retained permanently as official court records
- Judgment records: Retained permanently
Paper files may be transferred to microfilm or digital imaging after the active retention period, after which original paper documents may be destroyed in accordance with the applicable schedule. Archival retention differs from destruction in that archived records remain accessible through the clerk's office or state archives, while destroyed records are no longer available.
Sealing, redaction, and expungement are distinct from destruction. A sealed record remains in existence but is withheld from public access. A redacted record has specific information removed before disclosure. An expunged record, under KRS § 431.073, is treated as if it never occurred for most purposes, though the physical record may be retained in a restricted form by the court. Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, county archives, or the Kentucky State Archives in Frankfort.
How To Find a Court Docket in Bourbon County
A court docket is the official chronological log of all actions, filings, and proceedings in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it records what occurred and when, rather than containing the actual text of filed documents. A docket entry may note that a motion was filed without reproducing the motion itself.
Members of the public may locate court dockets in Bourbon County through the following methods:
- Clerk's office in person: The Circuit Court Clerk maintains docket books and can provide docket information for specific cases upon request. Providing the case number or full party name expedites the search.
- Courthouse public access terminals: Terminals located at the Bourbon County courthouse allow members of the public to search docket entries by case number or party name at no charge.
- Kentucky Court of Justice online portal: The Kentucky Court of Justice provides online access to case docket information for many case types through its statewide judicial search tools.
- Written request: Members of the public may submit a written request to the Circuit Court Clerk for docket information in a specific case, as described on the Request Court Records page.
A court docket entry may contain hearing dates, continuances, motion filings, minute entries, order entries, and case status updates. A docket does not include the full text of sealed entries, confidential attachments, exhibits subject to protective orders, or expunged matter. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse.
The legal forms page maintained by the Kentucky Court of Justice provides standardized forms for criminal record requests, expungement certification requests, and related matters, which members of the public may use when submitting formal records requests to the clerk's office.