Laurel County
Located in the southeastern part of Kentucky, Laurel County was formed from parts of Clay, Knox, Whitley, and Rockcastle Counties in 1825 and named after the thickets around the banks of the Laurel River. Its over 62,000 residents live within its 434 square miles of land area. London is its county seat and largest city. Laurel County is notable for hosting the annual World Chicken Festival and is the origin of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. The court system in Laurel County comprises a Circuit Court and a District Court.
The Laurel County Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases but typically hears cases outside the purview of the District Court. It handles all felonies, real estate disputes, civil matters with claims exceeding $5,000, appeals from the District Court and local administrative agencies, and capital crimes. It has a Family Court Division that deals with domestic relations matters, such as divorce, annulment, legal separation, paternity, child custody, visitation rights, adoption, maintenance, equitable distribution of properties in marriage dissolution, cases, and termination of parental rights.
The Laurel County District Court hears civil cases with claims under $5,000, misdemeanors, juvenile matters, small claims, municipal ordinance violations, traffic offenses, domestic violence, and preliminary felony hearings. It also handles probate matters such as the admission of wills, management of estates and trusts, the appointment of guardianships, and the commitment of persons to mental institutions.
In Laurel County, public court records are documents and files on cases from the county courts that are accessible to the public. These records include warrants, writs, depositions, court transcripts, docket listings, court filings, motions, court proceedings, orders, and court judgments. All records from the Circuit and District Courts are maintained by the Laurel County Circuit Clerk in compliance with state and county regulations.
The following types of court records are typically open to the public in Laurel County unless sealed by court orders:
- Probate Case Records
- Traffic Case Records
- Criminal Case Records
- Family Law Case Records
- Civil Case Records
Record seekers can use the CourtNet portal to access nonconfidential court records from Laurel County. Registered users can search for public court records and docket entries from the county on the portal. In addition, anyone can request public court records from the Laurel County Circuit Clerk's Office at:
Laurel County Judicial Center
305 South Main Street
P.O. Box 1798
London, KY 40741
Phone: (606) 330-2079
Phone: (606) 330-2055
Fax: (606) 330-2084
