Pulaski County Public Records /Pulaski County Court Records

Pulaski County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Pulaski County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Pulaski County may access publicly available case information through several official channels. PulaskiCountyRecords.org provides a directory of resources and publicly available information related to court records maintained by government agencies serving Pulaski County, Kentucky. Depending on the case type and the applicable public-access rules, users may find information such as:

Civil case filings and judgments
Criminal case dockets and dispositions
Family court orders and decrees
Probate filings and estate records
Traffic and misdemeanor case entries
Small claims court outcomes

Court records in Pulaski County may be searched through five primary methods. Each method carries its own access conditions, limitations, and potential costs.

1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office The Office of the Circuit Court Clerk is the primary custodian of court records in Pulaski County. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person to request case files, certified copies, or docket information. Providing the full case number, party name, or approximate filing date assists staff in locating records efficiently.

2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals Public access computer terminals are available at the Pulaski County courthouse. These terminals allow members of the public to search case information at no charge during regular business hours without requiring a formal written request.

3. Online Court Search The Kentucky Court of Justice maintains online tools that allow members of the public to search for case information remotely. Access to full document images may be limited depending on case type and filing status.

4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools The Kentucky Court of Justice provides statewide case search functionality through its official web portal. Users may search by party name, case number, or court division across multiple counties and court levels.

5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the Circuit Court Clerk's office. Written requests should include the case number or party name, the type of record sought, and a return mailing address. Fees for copies apply and must be submitted with the request.

Are Court Records Public in Pulaski County

Court records in Pulaski County are subject to public access under Kentucky's open-records framework. Kentucky Revised Statutes § 61.870–61.884, known as the Kentucky Open Records Act, establishes the general right of the public to inspect and copy public agency records, including records maintained by court clerks in their administrative capacity. Additionally, the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure and the Kentucky Court of Justice's own access policies govern inspection of judicial case files.

Records that are generally public include:

Case docket entries and hearing schedules
Party names and case numbers
Filed pleadings, motions, and responses
Court orders and final judgments
Sentencing entries and disposition records
Probate filings and estate inventories

Records that may be confidential, sealed, or restricted include:

Juvenile court records, which are protected under KRS § 610.340
Adoption records, which are sealed by statute
Mental health commitment proceedings
Expunged criminal records
Records sealed by court order
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth in certain filings

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While many records are available for in-person inspection at the clerk's office, not all case documents are available through online search tools. Sealed filings, restricted case types, and older paper records may require an in-person visit or a formal written request to access.

What Are Court Records in Pulaski County?

Court records are the official documents and data generated by the judicial process, from the initial filing of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal. In practical terms, a court record encompasses every document, entry, order, and exhibit that becomes part of the official case file maintained by the clerk of court.

A docket entry is a chronological log of actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents filed by parties and issued by the court. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the state against an individual charged with a criminal offense. Filed pleadings are the initial documents that open a case, whereas final judgments represent the court's conclusive resolution of the matter.

Public filings are accessible to any member of the public under applicable law, while sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public inspection by court order or statute. Trial court records are maintained at the county level by the Circuit Court Clerk, while appellate records are maintained by the Kentucky Court of Appeals or the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Court records are created when a party files an initial document with the clerk's office. The clerk assigns a case number, opens a file, and records each subsequent filing, hearing, and order as a docket entry. Records are updated continuously as the case progresses and are finalized upon entry of a judgment, dismissal, or other disposition. Appeals generate a separate appellate record transmitted to the appropriate appellate court.

The Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk maintains the official record for cases filed in the Circuit and District Courts of Pulaski County.

Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk
100 N. Main Street
Somerset, KY 42501
Phone: (606) 678-4761
Pulaski County – Kentucky Court of Justice

What's Included in a Pulaski County Court Record?

A court record in Pulaski County may include a range of documents and data depending on the case type and the applicable public-access rules. The following categories of information are commonly found within a court record:

Case identification: Case number, court name and division, and filing date
Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and other named parties
Case classification: Case type (civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic) and current case status
Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, and court actions
Hearing information: Scheduled and completed hearing dates, continuances, and minute entries
Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, responses, notices, affidavits, and supporting exhibits where publicly accessible
Court orders and judgments: Temporary orders, final judgments, decrees, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Outcome information: Dismissals, pleas, convictions, acquittals, and case dispositions
Administrative and financial data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly shown

Certain categories of information are excluded or restricted from public court records. Sealed filings are withheld by court order. Expunged records are removed from public access pursuant to KRS § 431.073 and related statutes. Juvenile case files are confidential under state law. Adoption records are sealed. Protected personal identifiers, including Social Security numbers and financial account numbers, are redacted from publicly accessible filings. Some exhibits, particularly those containing sensitive personal or medical information, may be filed under seal even when the broader case file remains public.

Types of Courts in Pulaski County

Pulaski County is served by two primary trial court levels under the Kentucky Court of Justice: the Circuit Court and the District Court. Both courts operate within the 28th Judicial Circuit of Kentucky.

The Kentucky Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction in Kentucky. It handles felony criminal cases, civil matters involving amounts over $5,000, family law matters, and appeals from District Court. Family Court operates as a division of Circuit Court in Pulaski County and has primary jurisdiction over cases involving families and children, including divorce, custody, adoption, and domestic violence proceedings.

The Kentucky District Court is the court of limited jurisdiction. It handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic offenses, city and county ordinance violations, small claims matters (up to $2,500), juvenile matters, and probate of small estates. As the Kentucky Court of Justice states, "District Court is the court of limited jurisdiction and handles juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses."

The Circuit Court Clerk's office maintains the official records for both Circuit Court and District Court cases filed in Pulaski County. Appellate records from Pulaski County cases are maintained by the Kentucky Court of Appeals and, where applicable, the Kentucky Supreme Court.

What Types of Cases Do Pulaski County Courts Hear

Circuit Court: Felony criminal cases, civil disputes over $5,000, family law (divorce, custody, adoption), appeals from District Court
Family Court Division: Domestic violence, child support, paternity, termination of parental rights
District Court: Misdemeanors, traffic violations, ordinance violations, small claims, juvenile matters, probate of small estates
Appellate review: Cases from Pulaski County may be appealed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals and then to the Kentucky Supreme Court

How to Search Pulaski County Court Records for Free?

Several methods for searching Pulaski County court records are available at no cost. In-person inspection of public court records at the Circuit Court Clerk's office is free of charge. Members of the public may review case files and docket entries without paying a fee, provided the records are not sealed or restricted.

Public access terminals located at the Pulaski County courthouse allow free electronic case searches during regular business hours. The Kentucky Court of Justice also provides a free online case search tool through its official web portal, which allows users to search docket information by party name or case number at no charge.

Fees apply when copies of records are requested. Under the Kentucky Court of Justice fee schedule, standard paper copies are assessed at $0.25 per page. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee. The current fee schedule is maintained by the Kentucky Court of Justice and is subject to revision by court rule.

Access Method	Cost
In-person inspection	Free
Courthouse public terminal	Free
Online case search (docket only)	Free
Standard paper copies	$0.25 per page
Certified copies	Additional certification fee applies
Research by clerk staff	May incur fees for extensive requests

How Long Does Pulaski County Keep Court Records?

Retention periods for court records in Pulaski County are governed by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives records retention schedules applicable to judicial branch records. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.

Permanent retention applies to judgment docket books, minute books, order books, and final judgment records. These records are considered part of the permanent historical record of the court and are not subject to destruction. Felony criminal case files are retained for extended periods, reflecting the ongoing legal significance of serious criminal convictions.

Civil case files, misdemeanor records, traffic case files, and small claims records are subject to shorter retention schedules, after which paper files may be destroyed following imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage. The destruction of a paper file does not necessarily mean the record is unavailable; imaged or microfilmed versions may remain accessible through the clerk's office or state archives.

Older records, particularly those predating electronic filing systems, may exist only in paper form, on microfilm, or in county or state archival collections. Members of the public seeking historical records should contact the Circuit Court Clerk's office directly to determine the format and location of older case files.

It is important to distinguish between destruction, archival retention, sealing, redaction, and expungement. Destruction removes a record entirely after its retention period expires. Archival retention preserves a record in a non-active storage format. Sealing restricts public access while preserving the record. Redaction removes specific information from an otherwise public document. Expungement, authorized under KRS § 431.073 and related statutes, removes a record from public access and, in some cases, from the official record entirely.

How To Find a Court Docket in Pulaski County

A court docket is a chronological index of all actions taken in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it records what happened and when, rather than containing the actual text of filed documents. A docket entry might note that a motion was filed on a particular date, while the full case file would contain the motion itself.

Dockets for Pulaski County cases may be accessed through the following methods:

Online: The Kentucky Court of Justice provides an online case search tool that returns docket information for cases filed in Kentucky courts. Users may search by party name, case number, or attorney name. The tool returns docket entries, hearing dates, and case status information.
Courthouse terminals: Public access terminals at the Pulaski County courthouse provide docket search functionality at no charge during regular business hours.
In-person clerk request: Members of the public may request docket information directly from the Circuit Court Clerk's office by providing the case number or party name.

A court docket typically contains hearing dates and times, continuances, motion filings and rulings, minute entries from hearings, case status updates, and disposition entries. A docket does not contain the full text of filed documents, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits filed under restriction.

Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse. As the Kentucky Court of Justice notes, "The Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each county is the starting point for requesting copies of court records from cases in that county."