Court records for Kenton County, Kentucky, are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk's office and are accessible through online tools, official court portals, and directly at the clerk's office. KentonCourt.us helps quickly navigate publicly available information about court cases. Additional access points include the Kenton County page on the Kentucky Court of Justice portal, the court records request page, and an in-person visit to the clerk's office in Covington.
Kenton Court System Overview
Kenton County is part of the 16th Judicial Circuit and the 16th Judicial District of Kentucky. Within this circuit, the Circuit Court and District Court serve exclusively Kenton County. The Circuit Court handles serious criminal cases, large civil claims, and appeals from the District Court. The District Court is a court of limited jurisdiction: misdemeanors, traffic violations, small claims, juvenile cases, and preliminary hearings in felony cases. Kenton County also has a Family Court as a division of the Circuit Court. The main judicial complex is located in Covington.
Kenton County Justice Center
Courts Serving Kenton
Residents of the county are served by several courts of different levels of jurisdiction.
Kenton Circuit Court
Kenton District Court
Kenton Family Court (a division of the Circuit Court)
U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Kentucky, Covington Division
The federal court in Covington hears civil and criminal cases under federal jurisdiction, as well as bankruptcy cases through the Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Kentucky.
What Types of Cases Kenton Courts Hear
The county courts cover a wide range of cases. Below is a summarized list:
- Felonies and misdemeanors
- Traffic violations and DUI
- Civil claims of any size, including small claims
- Family law: divorce, custody, support, paternity
- Probate and estate matters, guardianship, conservatorship
- Juvenile cases: offenses, child protection, adoption
- Protective orders
- Appeals from District Court to Circuit Court
District Court Cases in Kenton
Despite its name, in the Kentucky system, the Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction, while the District Court has limited jurisdiction. The District Court in Kenton County hears:
- Misdemeanors and minor violations
- Preliminary hearings in felony cases — if the judge finds sufficient grounds, the case is transferred to the Circuit Court
- Civil claims up to $5,000
- Small claims up to $2,500
- Traffic violations and DUI
- Juvenile cases
- Violations of city and county ordinances
Cases reach the District Court through the filing of a complaint, citation, or arrest warrant. A District Court judge presides over hearings, and if a felony defendant has sufficient grounds for further prosecution, the case is bound over to the Circuit Court.
Magistrate Court Cases in Kenton
In Kentucky, magistrate judges do not form a separate court — they work as part of the District Court. Magistrates in Kenton County are authorized to:
- Issue arrest and search warrants
- Conduct preliminary hearings
- Hear small civil cases up to $2,500 (small claims)
- Set bail
Small claims are limited to $2,500 according to Kentucky law (KRS 24A.230). The District Court's civil jurisdiction generally extends to claims up to $5,000. In a large county like Kenton, magistrates often specialize in specific categories — for example, preliminary hearings or small civil cases, to distribute the workload.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Kenton
Family law. Kenton County has a separate Family Court as a division of the Circuit Court. It handles divorces, custody and visitation determinations, support, paternity, protective orders (domestic violence orders), and termination of parental rights. Divorce certificates from June 1958 can be ordered through the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics; for records prior to this date, contact the Circuit Court Clerk.
Probate and guardianship. The Circuit Court also handles probate matters, the appointment of guardians and conservators, and trust disputes.
Juvenile matters. The District Court hears cases under the Juvenile Code (KRS Chapter 610–645): juvenile offenses, child protection and neglect cases, status offenses. Juvenile case records are confidential under Kentucky law and are not subject to public access.
How Cases Move Through the Kenton Court System
- Case initiation. A criminal case begins with the filing of an indictment, complaint, or citation. A civil case starts with a complaint or petition.
- Judge assignment. The case is assigned to judges in the Circuit or District Court depending on jurisdiction and internal procedures.
- Initial hearing. In criminal cases — arraignment, where the defendant is read the charges and enters a plea. In civil cases — scheduling conference.
- Pre-trial phase. Parties exchange evidence (discovery), file motions. In criminal cases, plea negotiations may occur.
- Trial or settlement. The case concludes with a jury verdict, judge's decision, settlement, or plea agreement.
- Post-judgment. Sentencing, filing an appeal (to the Court of Appeals, then to the Supreme Court of Kentucky), enforcement of the judgment.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Kenton
The county courts are administered by the chief judge of the 16th Judicial Circuit and the court administrator. Local rules of procedure for Kenton County can be found on the official Kenton County page on the Kentucky Court of Justice portal.
According to the Kentucky Open Records Act (KRS 61.870–61.884), most court records are public. Exceptions include juvenile cases, sealed and expunged records, and certain family cases with protective orders. To obtain copies, contact the Kenton County Circuit Court Clerk's office — fees apply for copies.
Hearings are open to the public unless a judge orders otherwise. Some hearings may be conducted remotely via video — check with the court office before the scheduled date.
Circuit Court Clerk's Office
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Kenton
- Online case search. The Kentucky Court of Justice portal provides access to the eFiling system and searches for civil and criminal cases. KentonCourt.us is a convenient starting point for navigating the county's public records.
- Requesting copies of court records. Submit a request through the Request Court Records page or contact via email at records@ky.gov or by phone at 502-564-3617.
- Legal forms and self-help. The Kentucky Court of Justice portal includes a section with legal forms and a Self-Help Portal for self-represented individuals.
- Inmate search. The Kentucky Offender Online Lookup (KOOL) allows searching for offenders by name, county, or facility, including the Kenton County Detention Center.
- Sex offender registry. The Kentucky State Police Sex Offender Registry is available online on the state police website.
- Vital statistics. Marriage and divorce certificates are available through the Office of Vital Statistics. Death certificates are available through the appropriate page of the same office.
- Crime information. The Covington Police publish crime information on the city website. To file a report, you can call Kenton County Communications at 859-356-3191.
- City of Covington public records. The Covington City Clerk handles Open Records Requests and collaborates with the Kenton County Library for archival storage.
- Property taxes. Property valuation information is provided by the Kenton County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA). Details for Covington residents are on the finance department page, for Erlanger on the Erlanger city page.