Boyle County Court Records Search
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Boyle County, Kentucky, is served by a two-tiered trial court system housed primarily at the historic Boyle County Courthouse in Danville. The Circuit Court Clerk’s Office — the central hub for court record requests — maintains files for the Circuit Court, Family Court division, District Court, and related proceedings. Whether a person needs to review a criminal conviction, locate a civil judgment, or obtain documents from a family law or probate matter, the process begins at that courthouse or through the state’s online resources.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Boyle County?
Court case information for Boyle County can be accessed through official clerk offices, public terminals at the courthouse, and several online tools. KentuckyCourts.us provides a directory of Kentucky’s court system and can help users identify the right office for a given record type. For direct case lookups, the Kentucky Court of Justice operates the Kentucky Court of Justice Online Public Case Search Portal, which allows free searches by case number, party name, or citation number. Attorneys and high-volume users can subscribe to CourtNet 2.0 for near real-time access to civil and criminal cases statewide; subscriptions start at $5 per month, with a flat $0.35 fee to view or download individual document images. For in-person requests, the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office at the Boyle County Courthouse is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Are Court Records Public in Boyle County?
Kentucky’s Open Records Act, codified at KRS Chapter 61, establishes the general right of the public to inspect and copy government records, including most court records. Under this framework, Boyle County court records are presumptively open to any person making a written or in-person request unless a specific statutory exemption applies.
The following categories of records are restricted or withheld from general public access:
- Juvenile records — All matters involving minors in the juvenile justice system are confidential under Kentucky law.
- Adoption records — Adoption files are sealed and require a court order to access.
- Mental health proceedings — Involuntary commitment and mental health case files are not public records.
- Grand jury materials — Grand jury proceedings and related documents remain confidential.
- Sealed and expunged criminal records — Court orders sealing or expunging a record remove it from public access.
- Domestic violence and abuse records — Protective order proceedings and related abuse case files carry access restrictions to protect victims.
- Sensitive personal information — Social Security numbers, financial account details, and similar identifiers are redacted from publicly released documents.
Members of the public who believe a record has been improperly withheld may appeal the denial under KRS 61.880.
Boyle County Criminal Court Records
Felony criminal cases in Boyle County are prosecuted in the Circuit Court, which has general jurisdiction over capital offenses, all felonies, and related post-conviction proceedings. Misdemeanor offenses, traffic violations, and infractions are handled by the District Court. Both courts are located in the same courthouse in Danville and share the same Circuit Court Clerk.
Boyle County Courthouse — Circuit Court Clerk
| Court | Phone | Fax |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court (felonies) | (859) 239-7442 | (859) 239-7000 |
| District Court (misdemeanors/traffic) | (859) 239-7362 | (859) 239-7807 |
Address:
Boyle County Courthouse
321 West Main Street
Danville, KY 40422
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Circuit Court Clerk: Cortney Shewmaker
Criminal case records held by the Circuit Court Clerk include indictments, arraignment orders, motions, plea agreements, jury trial records, sentencing orders, and post-conviction filings. To search these records, requesters may:
- Use the free Kentucky Court of Justice Online Public Case Search Portal and search by the defendant’s name, case number, or citation number.
- Visit the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in person with a valid photo ID and known case-identifying information.
- Submit an Open Records Request Form addressed to Julie R. Wagner, County Administrator, at Room 111, 321 West Main Street, Danville, KY 40422, or email Julie.wagner@boylecountyky.gov.
- Contact the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office directly via email at cortneyshewmaker@kycourts.net for clerk-maintained court records.
For individuals currently held in the county jail, inmate information including bond amounts, charges, and photographs is available through the Boyle County Detention Center. Bond payments made Monday through Friday during business hours must be processed through the Boyle Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
Payment for copies and fees at the clerk’s office is accepted by cash, cashier’s check, money order, or credit and debit card (with a processing fee). Cash is required for bond, probation, and parole payments. Online payments can be submitted through the court’s ePay portal.
Boyle County Civil Court Records
Civil litigation in Boyle County is split by claim amount between the two trial courts. The Circuit Court has jurisdiction over civil disputes involving amounts exceeding $5,000, while the District Court handles civil cases at or below $5,000, including small claims matters. The Circuit Court also holds exclusive jurisdiction over property cases, probate matters, and civil appeals originating in District Court.
Civil court records encompass complaints, summonses, answers, motions, orders, and final judgments. These files are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk for both Circuit and District Court civil matters. Requesters may access civil records through the same channels used for criminal records — online via the public case search portal, in person at the clerk’s office, or by submitting an Open Records request.
For property-related records such as deeds, mortgages, and liens, the appropriate office is the Boyle County Clerk’s Office, which is separate from the Circuit Court Clerk. The County Clerk maintains land records and offers a searchable records database at its website, limited to five searches per day for non-commercial personal use. The Records Room can be reached at (859) 238-1112.
Boyle County Clerk’s Office
Address: 321 West Main Street, Danville, KY 40422
Phone: (859) 238-1100, Ext. 131
Fax: (859) 238-1114
Email: casey.mccoy@ky.gov
Hours: Monday 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Tuesday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Boyle County Family Court Records
Boyle County has a dedicated Family Court division within the Circuit Court, operating under Kentucky’s “One Family, One Judge, One Court” model. Under this approach, a single judge handles all legal matters involving a particular family, reducing the need for parties to navigate multiple courtrooms. Family Court jurisdiction is defined by KRS 23A.100 and 23A.110 and covers the following matters:
- Dissolution of marriage (divorce)
- Spousal support and equitable distribution of marital property
- Child custody, visitation, and support
- Paternity establishment
- Adoption proceedings
- Domestic violence petitions and protective orders
- Dependency, neglect, and abuse cases
- Termination of parental rights
- Status offenses (truancy, runaway, beyond parental control)
Family Court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk and are generally accessible in the same manner as other circuit court records, with the exception of sealed matters such as adoptions and certain juvenile proceedings.
Divorce Records
Divorce decrees and related dissolution records are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk. Copies can be requested in person at the courthouse. Individuals may also order divorce verification certificates through the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Office of Vital Statistics Certificate Purchase page, which processes orders online, by phone, or by fax. Public access to divorce records is restricted as to information involving minors, protective orders, financial account numbers, and Social Security numbers.
Marriage Records
The Boyle County Clerk’s Office is the custodian of marriage records and issues marriage licenses. Certified copies of marriage certificates are available to the spouses and authorized individuals. Requesters must appear in person with the full names of both parties, the date of marriage, and a valid photo ID, along with applicable copy fees. For historical marriage records, contact the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives at 300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: (502) 564-8300, Fax: (502) 564-5773 (Mailing: P.O. Box 537, Frankfort, KY 40602).
Birth and Death Records
Birth and death certificates for Boyle County are issued by the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, located at 275 East Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40621, Phone: (502) 564-4212 Birth records are confidential and restricted to the record subject (if 18 or older), immediate family members, legal guardians, and authorized representatives. Death records are generally public but may be redacted for certain sensitive information.
Mail-in requests for vital records:
- Birth certificates: Complete the Application for a Certified Copy of Birth Certificate (Form VS37), enclose $10.00 per copy (check or money order), and mail to: Office of Vital Statistics, 275 East Main Street, 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621.
- Death certificates: Complete the Application for a Certified Copy of Death Certificate (Form VS31), enclose $6.00 per copy, and mail to the same address above.
- Online and phone orders for both certificate types are processed through VitalChek via the Certificate Purchase Options page.
Boyle County Probate Court Records
Probate jurisdiction in Kentucky belongs to the Circuit Court, making the Boyle County Circuit Court — and by extension the Circuit Court Clerk — the appropriate office for estate and probate matters. The Circuit Court handles the probate of wills, administration of intestate estates, guardianship and conservatorship appointments, and trust administration proceedings.
Common probate record types held by the Circuit Court Clerk include:
- Petitions to open an estate and letters of administration or letters testamentary
- Original wills filed for probate
- Inventories and accountings of estate assets
- Guardianship appointment orders and annual reports
- Conservatorship proceedings for incapacitated adults
- Termination and final settlement orders for estates
Probate records can be searched online through the Kentucky Court of Justice Online Public Case Search Portal using the decedent’s name or case number. Physical case files are accessible at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office during regular business hours. Because probate files often contain financial records, Social Security numbers, and other sensitive personal information, certain documents within a case file may be partially redacted before release to the public.
Depending on the age of the probate case, records may be stored at an off-site record facility rather than at the courthouse. When a clerk identifies that a case is stored off-site, they will provide the requester with the record facility location and the necessary case and file locator numbers to facilitate access and copying. Requesters should contact the Circuit Court Clerk at (859) 239-7442 before visiting to confirm file availability for older matters.