Shelby County
Shelby County was formed in 1792 from parts of Jefferson County and named to honor Kentucky's First Governor, Isaac Shelby. The county is home to 48,105 residents, and its land area is approximately 380 square miles. Its county seat, Shelbyville, is also the most populated city in Shelby County.
Shelby County's judiciary comprises the Circuit and District Courts. The Circuit Court, which is Shelby County's general jurisdiction court, can hear all legal proceedings in the county. It typically exercises exclusive jurisdiction over felony-related trials, real estate disputes, and probate cases. All civil lawsuits where the amount in controversy exceeds $5,000 are heard at the apex court. The Circuit Court judge can also issue injunctions, writs of prohibition, and writs of mandamus. Parties not satisfied with District Court judgments can appeal to the Shelby County Circuit Court. The Family Division of the Circuit Court is tasked with resolving adoptions, child custody cases, divorces, and other domestic relations cases. Meanwhile, the Shelby County District Court presides over misdemeanors, felony preliminary hearings, traffic crimes, and municipal ordinance violations. It also hears civil actions for $5,000 or less, juvenile matters, domestic violence cases, eviction disputes, and small claims for up to $2,500.
Shelby County public court records are documents created and maintained by the Circuit Clerk during legal proceedings in the trial courts. These records show the names of involved parties, complaints, petitions, case filings, motions, orders, and judgments. Per the Kentucky Open Records Act, public access to court records in Shelby County often promotes transparency and accountability in the county's justice system. Examples of public court records include the following:
- Criminal records
- Civil records
- Small claims court records
- traffic records
- Land records
- Probate records
Record searchers can get paper copies of court records by contacting the Shelby County Circuit Clerk in person or by phone at:
Shelby County Judicial Center
401 Main Street, Suite 101
Shelbyville, KY 40065
Phone (502) 633-1287
The Circuit Clerk usually charges $0.50 per page for court record copies. Shelby County court records are also accessible online through Kentucky's CourtNet 2.0. Users can search the state's portal by providing case numbers or names of litigants/offenders.
