Search Clinton County Court Records
The main online access path for Clinton County Court records is statewide rather than county-hosted. The Kentucky Court of Justice Clinton County page identifies the local courthouse, clerk, judges, hours, payment methods, and accessibility details for the county. It is the best starting point for confirming the local court office before searching or requesting a file.
The county court page anchors local access, while the statewide case tools help find public case information before a clerk request.
For public case information, use KYeCourts guest access or CourtNet where access is available. For hearing dates, use the docket search. For official file copies, certified records, older records, or items not visible online, contact the Clinton County Circuit Court Clerk. Kentucky Court of Justice says trial court case records are requested from the clerk of the court that heard the case, and for Circuit, Family, District, and Business Court records that means the Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the case was handled.
- Start with the statewide public case search when a case number, party name, business name, or citation is available.
- Use Clinton as the county filter when the search system offers county selection.
- Use the docket search for hearing dates by county, division, date, courtroom, and subdivision.
- Use ePay only for payable fines, fees, costs, and payment-plan balances.
- Contact the Clinton County Circuit Court Clerk for official copies, certified records, and records not visible to guest users.
Clinton County Court System
Kentucky uses a unified Court of Justice made up of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, and District Court. Clinton County is in the 40th Judicial Circuit and 40th Judicial District with Cumberland and Monroe counties. Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court. District Court is the limited-jurisdiction trial court. The local court page identifies David L. Williams as Vice Chief Regional Circuit Judge for the 40th Judicial Circuit, Scarlett B. Latham as District Judge for Division 1, and James M. Lawson as Chief District Judge for Division 2.
The Kentucky Court of Justice system overview explains the statewide court levels that shape Clinton County Court access.
Because Clinton County uses the state court structure, local searches often move between a statewide portal and the local clerk's office.
| Court / Office | Local role | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Clinton Circuit Court | General-jurisdiction trial court | Felonies, civil cases over $5,000, divorce, title disputes, contested probate, appeals. |
| Clinton District Court | Limited-jurisdiction trial court | Traffic, misdemeanors, violations, small claims, probate, juvenile, mental health, felony preliminaries. |
| Circuit Court Clerk | Local court-records clerk | Circuit and District case files, payments, copies, clerk counter access. |
| Court of Appeals | Intermediate appellate court | Most Circuit Court appeals and Circuit appeals from District judgments. |
| Kentucky Supreme Court | Final state appellate court | Final interpretation of Kentucky law and direct appeals in specified serious cases. |
Clinton County Courthouse and Clerk
The local courthouse is Clinton County Courthouse, 100 S. Cross St., Albany, KY 42602. The Kentucky Court of Justice county page names Jake Staton as Circuit Court Clerk and lists the Office of Circuit Court Clerk phone numbers as 606-387-6424 and 606-387-8181, with fax 606-387-8154. The posted courthouse hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday are closed. Payment options at the courthouse are cash, check, and money order.
Kentucky.gov also lists Clinton County government at 100 South Cross Street in Albany. The Kentucky.gov Clinton County profile places the county in south-central Kentucky between Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow Lake.
The same Albany address is the practical center for local court records, court payments, and public counter questions.
Clinton County Courthouse
100 S. Cross St.
Albany, KY 42602
606-387-6424 or 606-387-8181
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Designated disability parking and elevator available.
County Clerk
Nathan Collins
Clinton County, KY
606-387-5943
Marriage licenses and county records, separate from court case files.
Clinton County Court Record Types
Clinton County Court records vary by division and case type. Circuit Court records can include felony criminal files, larger civil cases, divorce cases, adoption matters, title disputes, contested probate, injunctions, writs, and appeals from District Court. District Court records can include traffic cases, misdemeanors, violations, ordinances, small claims, civil cases of $5,000 or less, probate, juvenile matters, mental health matters, and felony arraignments or probable-cause hearings.
Some records are partly public, some require clerk review, and some are restricted. Traffic cases may be searchable by citation and payable through ePay when eligible. Criminal court records may show charges, pleas, disposition, and sentence. Probate records are District Court matters unless a contested adversary dispute belongs in Circuit Court. Divorce decrees and family case files are court records, while certified marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 forward are available through Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics.
- Civil: complaints, answers, motions, judgments, garnishments, liens, and enforcement records.
- Criminal: charges filed in court, arraignments, bond, pleas, motions, dispositions, and sentencing.
- Traffic: citations, court dates, pleas, fines, costs, and payment-plan entries.
- Family and divorce: petitions, decrees, support, custody, visitation, and restricted family material.
- Probate: wills, estate administration, fiduciary appointments, inventories, settlements, and orders.
- Juvenile and mental health: District Court case types that are not searched like adult public cases.
What Clinton County Court Records Show
A court record can contain the public case identifiers and the documents behind them. Kentucky Court of Justice describes case records as documentation of proceedings, including pleadings, motions, orders, evidence, reports, dockets, video recordings, transcripts, and similar materials. Online public case data is usually a summary. The clerk's case file is the official record when the file is public and available.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case number | The Kentucky case identifier used for Clinton County Court searches and clerk requests. |
| Division | Circuit, District, or appellate court placement. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, Commonwealth, decedent, estate, or business party. |
| Dates | Filing dates, charge dates, event dates, docket dates, and disposition dates. |
| Docket entries | Hearings, motions, orders, continuances, arraignments, trial dates, sentencing, and notices. |
| Financial data | Fines, fees, costs, bonds, restitution, payment plans, or ePay balances where payable. |
| Restrictions | Redactions for Social Security numbers, minors, protected addresses, financial data, sealed cases, and confidential matters. |
Clinton County Court Access Laws
Clinton County Court access is shaped by Kentucky court-record statutes and confidentiality rules. Court records are not just ordinary county administrative files. They are Court of Justice records, held by court custodians under Supreme Court direction. Open-record exemptions still matter when a record is made confidential by law or when law-enforcement, prosecution, juvenile, sealed, or personal-privacy limits apply.
Key Kentucky rules:
KRS 26A.200 says Court of Justice records are Court of Justice property.
KRS 26A.220 requires court-record custodians to follow Supreme Court direction.
KRS 61.878 includes Open Records Act exemptions for confidential and certain law-enforcement records.
KRS 610.340 makes juvenile court records confidential unless disclosure is authorized.
As a result, the practical search route is layered. Public online systems can identify case information. The docket search can help with hearing dates. The Clinton County Circuit Court Clerk verifies official local court records. AOC administrative-record requests are a separate process and do not cover case files, background checks, compiled information, or records held by trial and appellate clerks.
Clinton County Dockets and Payments
The Kentucky docket search can be used for Clinton County hearing information by county, division, date, courtroom, and subdivision. The result page labels docket output as not an official docket and subject to change. That warning is important. A docket helps plan for a hearing, but it should be verified before travel, filing, payment, or reliance on a case status.
The KYeCourts ePay portal is the researched online payment channel for court fees, fines, costs, and payment-plan balances.
Use ePay for payable court balances, but use court records and clerk verification to understand the case itself.
| Access need | Best channel | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Case information | KYeCourts or CourtNet | Public statewide search for case data. |
| Hearing date | Kentucky docket search | Searches county, division, date, courtroom, and subdivision. |
| Payment | KYeCourts ePay or clerk counter | Online card payments and local cash/check/money order options. |
| Certified copy | Clinton County Circuit Court Clerk | Official copies come from the local court clerk. |
Restricted Clinton County Court Records
Restricted court records include juvenile records, sealed and expunged records, adoption cases, termination of parental rights, mental health proceedings, and records with sensitive personal identifiers. Kentucky clerk guidance treats adoption and termination cases as confidential, with limited access except by court order. AOC criminal reports exclude mental health case types. Public pages should not imply that these records can be searched like traffic or adult civil cases.
Expungement and sealing questions should begin with the case type and the court where the case was filed. A person should identify the case number through personal records, available case search, or the clerk, then use official Kentucky Court of Justice or statutory resources for eligibility. If expungement is granted, the public should not expect the case to remain visible in ordinary guest searches.
Criminal Cases and Clinton County Custody
Criminal court records are different from custody records. A criminal case file can show charges filed in court, arraignment, motions, pleas, disposition, and sentencing. Jail or custody data can show whether a person is held, released, moved, or under supervision. Clinton County did not have an official jail roster located in the reviewed sources, so local custody questions begin with the County Jailer or Sheriff's Office.
The county's elected-officials source lists Sheriff Ricky Marcum at 606-387-5111 and County Jailer Tracy Thurman at 606-387-7395. Kentucky DOC tools such as KOOL and VINELink can help with state custody, supervision, and custody-status notifications, but they are not the official Clinton County court case file. KSP releases also describe a statewide KSP app that accepts text, voice, and photo tips by searching KSPOLICE in app stores. No official Clinton Sheriff app-only record lookup was found.
Marriage Divorce and Probate Records
Clinton County's clerk structure is split. The Circuit Court Clerk handles Circuit and District Court case files. The County Clerk handles marriage licenses and county records. Kentucky CHFS says marriage licenses are issued by county clerks, both parties must appear together, and a Kentucky marriage license is valid for 30 days from issue. Certified marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 to present are ordered from Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, while divorce decrees and court files come from the Circuit Court Clerk.
Probate jurisdiction is in District Court unless a contested adversary matter belongs in Circuit Court. Probate records may include petitions to admit a will, appointment of executor or administrator, inventories, bonds, creditor notices, accountings, settlements, and orders. The located probate estate filing fee is $50.00 effective July 1, 2026 under Supreme Court Order 2026-15.
- Executor
- A person named to administer an estate under a will.
- Administrator
- A person appointed when there is no will or no executor serving.
- Fiduciary
- A person managing another person's property under a legal duty.
- Intestate
- A probate case where the person died without a valid will.
Clinton County Court Fees
Local court-copy and certification fees were not located in official Clinton County sources during the research. The safe local instruction is to contact the Circuit Court Clerk before requesting copies or certified records. Several researched statewide or county-related fees are useful for context, but they should not be treated as a substitute for local court-copy fees.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AOC criminal record report | $25.00 | Statewide report through AOC, not the official local case file. |
| Certified marriage or divorce certificate | $6.00 | Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics copy/search fee. |
| Probate estate filing | $50.00 | Effective July 1, 2026 under Kentucky Supreme Court Order 2026-15. |
| Sheriff civil process service | $60.00 | Published sheriff fee, separate from court-copy fees. |
| Sheriff vehicle inspection | $5.00 | Published sheriff fee. |
| Sheriff accident report | $10.00 | On-site reports listed at $10.00 to $20.00. |
History of Clinton County Courts
Clinton County was formed February 20, 1835 from Wayne and Cumberland counties. It was Kentucky's 85th county and was named for Gov. DeWitt Clinton. Albany became the county seat in 1837. The county covers about 205 square miles and sits between Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow Lake. That lake-region geography matters for courthouse visits because many court users come from rural routes, lake communities, nearby counties, or the Tennessee border area rather than from an urban transit network.
The Clinton County local history page notes that the Albany courthouse was burned during a late-1864 guerrilla raid.
The research did not locate an official inventory of which early records were affected, so historical record availability should be verified with the relevant clerk.
Clinton County Circuit Court Records
Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court for Clinton County. It handles felony criminal cases, civil actions over $5,000, divorce, adoption, termination of parental rights, title disputes, contested probate, injunctions, writs, and appeals from District Court. District Court handles many high-volume matters, but felony case files and larger civil matters route to Circuit Court.
The Kentucky Circuit Court jurisdiction page is the source for the statewide role of Circuit Court.
In Clinton County, Circuit Court and District Court records both route through the Circuit Court Clerk for local file access.
Request Clinton County Court Records
When online case information is not enough, a request to the local clerk should include the party names, case number if known, approximate filing year or hearing date, case type, court division, and the document needed. For older records, Kentucky Court of Justice notes that a file may be in the clerk's office, a record facility, or destroyed under retention schedules. If a stored record is public, the clerk can provide locator information needed to retrieve it.
The Kentucky Court of Justice request-court-records page explains the statewide rule that trial court case requests begin with the clerk of the court that heard the case.
That request rule is why the Clinton County Circuit Court Clerk remains central even when a statewide search tool is used first.
Clinton County Court Records FAQ
Where are Clinton County Court records kept?
Clinton County Circuit and District Court case files are handled through the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the Albany courthouse. Statewide portals can help locate public case information, but official copies and certified records come from the clerk when the record is public and available.
Can disposed cases disappear from guest search?
Yes. Official eCourts troubleshooting says guest users cannot access cases that already have a disposition ruling. A missing public search result can also reflect sealing, expungement, confidentiality, search limits, or storage status.
Are dockets official court records?
The Kentucky docket search labels results as not an official docket and subject to change. Use docket results for planning, then verify important dates or case status through the Clinton County Circuit Court Clerk.
Which clerk handles marriage licenses?
The County Clerk handles marriage licenses. The Circuit Court Clerk handles court case files, including divorce court records and decrees. Certified marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 forward are ordered through Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics.