Search Clay County Court Records
Clay County does not publish a separate county-built case database in the official sources located. The court record path starts with the Kentucky Court of Justice Clay County page, the Kentucky eCourts guest search, the KCOJ docket search, and the Clay County Circuit Court Clerk. If a record is not visible online, the local clerk is still the public counter for Circuit, Family, and District Court case files in Clay County.
Use the search channel that matches the task. A person who needs a court date can use KCOJ docket tools. A person who needs to pay an eligible fine can use KCOJ ePay. A person who needs a certified copy, an older file, or a record that is not returned by a public search should call or visit Circuit Court Clerk Leslie Phillips at the Clay County Justice Center.
- Identify the court type. Felonies, divorce, higher civil cases, and contested probate usually point to Circuit or Family Court.
- Use KCOJ eCourts with the party name, case number, citation number, or business name available.
- Use the KCOJ docket search when the main goal is a hearing date, division, courtroom, or court schedule.
- Use KCOJ ePay for eligible payable cases, then match the search method to the case, party, business, or citation data.
- Call the Clay County Circuit Court Clerk if the online tools fail, the file is old, or a certified copy is needed.
- For stored older records, ask the clerk whether case and file locator numbers are needed for a State Records Center request.
The official KCOJ Clay County page is shown in the image below.
That state page is the strongest starting point for Clay County court records because it identifies the Justice Center, the clerk, local judges, hours, phone, fax, and payment channels.
Clay County Court System
Kentucky does not use a single county court model for Clay County court records. Circuit Court is the general jurisdiction trial court. District Court handles traffic, misdemeanors, probate, small claims, juvenile matters, and lower-value civil cases. Family Court is a Circuit Court division where assigned, and Clay County has Family Court Judge Clint J. Harris listed by KCOJ.
Clay County is in the 41st Judicial Circuit and the 41st Judicial District. KCOJ lists Chief Circuit Judge Oscar Gayle House, District Judge Allen B. Roberts, Vice-Chief Regional District Judge Henria Bailey-Lewis, and Circuit Court Clerk Leslie Phillips for local court operations. Appeals from Clay trial courts generally move through the Kentucky Court of Appeals and, where the law allows, the Kentucky Supreme Court.
| Court or office | Clay County role | Main record types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | General jurisdiction trial court | Felonies, higher civil cases, divorce, contested probate, appeals from District Court |
| Family Court | Circuit Court family division | Dissolution, custody, support, paternity, adoption, domestic violence, TPR, truancy |
| District Court | Limited jurisdiction trial court | Traffic, misdemeanors, probate, small claims, juvenile, ordinance, mental commitment |
| Circuit Court Clerk | County court records custodian | Circuit, Family, and District Court files, payments, bonds, juries |
| County Clerk | Separate county-record office | Marriage licenses, recorded instruments, elections, motor vehicles, tax bills |
Case path: District Court or Circuit Court filing > local docket and orders > Kentucky Court of Appeals where appealable > Kentucky Supreme Court where further review applies.
Clay County Court Record Types
Clay County court records include more than one kind of file. Civil cases may show complaints, answers, motions, orders, judgments, settlements, liens, garnishments, evictions, small claims, and land disputes. Criminal files may show complaints, citations, warrants, indictments, arraignment entries, bond orders, plea agreements, motions, trial settings, dispositions, sentencing, probation terms, and post-judgment entries.
Family, probate, and traffic records have their own access limits. Divorce decrees are Circuit or Family Court records, while certified marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 forward come from Kentucky Vital Statistics. Probate is District Court jurisdiction for routine estate matters, with contested probate in Circuit Court. Traffic court records are District Court records, but Kentucky driver history records are separate files held through the Transportation Cabinet.
- Civil records: lower civil cases in District Court and higher-value matters in Circuit Court.
- Criminal records: misdemeanor and early felony activity in District Court, with felony prosecution in Circuit Court.
- Family records: divorce, custody, support, paternity, domestic violence, adoption, and related matters.
- Traffic records: citations, prepayable traffic cases, court dates, fines, and failure-to-appear actions.
- Probate records: estates, wills, fiduciary appointments, inventories, guardianship, and conservatorship matters.
Clay County Court Record Fields
A Clay County court record is useful only if the reader knows what each field means. KCOJ and clerk records may show the case number, court, county, filing date, case type, parties, attorneys, judge, hearing schedule, docket entries, charges, bond, financial items, disposition, and document activity. Online access may show a summary, while official copies or certified copies may require a clerk request.
| Field | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Case number | The exact identifier needed for ePay, clerk requests, and docket checks. |
| Court and division | Whether the matter is in Clay Circuit, Family, or District Court. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, petitioner and respondent, Commonwealth and defendant, or estate parties. |
| Docket entries | Filings, hearings, motions, orders, continuances, judgments, and sentencing entries. |
| Disposition | The current or final status, such as pending, dismissed, disposed, paid, sealed, or expunged. |
| Financial fields | Fines, costs, restitution, bond, payment-plan balance, and ePay eligibility. |
Clay County Court Access Laws
Kentucky public access is built from state open-records law and court-specific confidentiality rules. KRS 61.871 states Kentucky's policy of free and open examination of public records and strict construction of exceptions. KRS 61.872 gives Kentucky residents the right to inspect public records, while KRS 61.878 lists exemptions. KRS 61.880 explains agency response, denial, and Attorney General review procedure.
Court files can still be restricted. Juvenile records are confidential under KRS 610.340 unless a statute allows access. Expunged records are removed from public access under Kentucky expungement statutes and KCOJ procedures. Adoption, mental-health, child-identifying, domestic violence, and sealed materials may be withheld or shown only in limited form. Public access means the correct public channel can be used, not that every field is visible to every person.
Key Kentucky sources: KRS 61.871 sets open-records policy, KRS 61.872 addresses inspection rights, KRS 61.878 lists exemptions, and KRS 610.340 protects juvenile court records.
Clay County Search Fields
The statewide tools use different search fields. A case search is not the same as a docket search or an online payment search. If a search fails, try the next channel before assuming the record does not exist. Clay County users often need the county, court division, date, party name, case number, or citation details.
| Tool | Common fields | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| KCOJ eCourts | Party, case, citation, business name, county, active-case filter | General public case lookup where available |
| KCOJ docket search | County, division, date, courtroom, subdivision | Clay County court dates and docket settings |
| KCOJ ePay | Case number, party, business, birth date, citation year, control number, type | Eligible fine and fee payments |
| Clerk request | Name, case type, date range, case number, file locator when needed | Certified copies, old files, and records not shown online |
The official Clay County Fiscal Court page also helps identify local non-court offices. The Clay County Fiscal Court homepage is shown below.
That county site is useful for the sheriff, detention center, county clerk, county attorney, and other local offices that support record searches outside the KCOJ case system.
Clay County Clerk Offices
The clerk split is one of the most important Clay County court record details. Circuit Court Clerk Leslie Phillips handles Circuit, Family, and District Court case records from the Clay County Justice Center. County Clerk Beverly Craft handles marriage licenses, recorded instruments, elections, motor vehicles, property tax bill work, and other county records from the Richmond Road clerk office.
That split prevents many wrong-office calls. Court filings, certified case copies, bond questions, and court payments go to the Circuit Court Clerk. Marriage licenses and many recorded county documents go to the County Clerk. Marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 forward can also be ordered through Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics for a $6 certificate or search fee.
Clay County Circuit Court Clerk
316 Main St., Suite 108
Manchester, KY 40962
606-598-3663
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Clay County Clerk
102 Richmond Road, Suite 101
Manchester, KY 40962
606-598-2544
beverly.craft@ky.gov
Clay County Attorney
102 Walters Street, Suite 2
Manchester, KY 40962
606-598-5110
Criminal complaints, warrants, child support, county legal services
Clay County Inmate And Warrant Records
Clay County Sheriff Patrick Robinson is the law-enforcement contact for sheriff records, arrests, and warrant questions. The official sheriff page lists 102 Richmond Rd #100 in Manchester, 606-598-3471, fax 606-598-5020, and emergency 911. The Clay County Detention Center is run by Jailer Linda Smallwood at 67 Shamrock Road and can confirm current jail custody at 606-598-2133.
The official county jail path uses the Clay County Detention Center current-inmates page, which embeds a JailTracker/Public Safety Cloud roster. The research did not verify a Clay County Sheriff active-warrant search or a Clay-specific sheriff mobile app. Warrant questions should use the sheriff, the Circuit Court Clerk for court-related bench warrants, the County Attorney criminal complaint process, and statewide eSearch Warrant context with care because eSearch Warrant is not a public lookup system.
The Clay County Attorney page is shown in the image below.
The county attorney channel matters because the local criminal complaint and arrest-warrant request process is not an online public search form.
Clay County Court Record Fees
Clay County fees vary by record type and by office. The KCOJ Clay page lists cash, check, money order, and online ePay for court payments. The Kentucky Supreme Court civil fee order provides statewide court fees effective July 1, 2026, and CHFS publishes the statewide $6 certificate or search fee for marriage and divorce certificates. The official Clay County marriage-license fee amount was not located in the captured county clerk sources.
| Item | Amount | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit civil filing | $188 | Statewide fee order effective July 1, 2026 |
| District civil filing | $94 | Statewide fee order effective July 1, 2026 |
| Small claims up to $2,500 | $38 | Statewide fee order effective July 1, 2026 |
| Copy of document | $0.25 per page | Statewide fee order effective July 1, 2026 |
| Certification | $5 | Statewide fee order effective July 1, 2026 |
| Marriage or divorce certificate | $6 per certificate or search | Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics |
Clay County Court History
Clay County became official on April 1, 1807. Local history ties early court activity to the Goose Creek salt works and Manchester's first civic center. Historical materials say the first county court met at Langford Salt Works, early officials first called the new town Greenville, and an 1811 act authorized a new courthouse.
The old Clay County Courthouse has a clear records-access lesson. The Kentucky Historical Society photo record notes that the original courthouse burned in 1936 and was rebuilt in 1939. A Clay County Fiscal Court archive item adds that original courthouse stone later became part of county administration signage. Older records may refer to buildings that differ from today's Justice Center.
The Clay County Attorney child support services page is shown below.
Child support is one example of a local legal-service topic that may touch court records, county attorney work, and Family Court proceedings.
Clay County Court Terms
Common court terms can make a Clay County court record easier to read. The field names are short, but each one points to a specific part of the case. A charge is an accusation. A conviction is a finding or plea that results in guilt. A disposition is the current or final result. A docket is the running schedule and event list for the case.
- Disposition
- The result or current status of a case, charge, motion, or hearing.
- Bench warrant
- A warrant issued by a judge, often for failure to appear or failure to comply with a court order.
- Expungement
- A Kentucky process that removes or deletes eligible records from public court and agency access.
- Fiduciary
- A person appointed to handle estate, guardianship, or conservatorship duties.
- Certified copy
- A clerk-issued copy with certification that is used where an official document is required.
Clay County Court FAQ
Where do Clay County court records start? Circuit, Family, and District Court case records start with the Clay County Circuit Court Clerk at the Justice Center. KCOJ online tools can help with search, docket, and payment tasks, but certified copies and older files may require the clerk.
Is the Clay County Clerk the court clerk? No. Beverly Craft's County Clerk office handles marriage licenses, recording, elections, motor vehicles, and county records. Leslie Phillips, the Circuit Court Clerk, handles local court case records.
Can Clay County warrants be searched online? No official Clay County Sheriff public active-warrant search was verified in the research. Use the sheriff, Circuit Court Clerk, County Attorney criminal complaint process, and court records when the warrant is tied to a case.
Where are Clay County inmates listed? The official custody path is the Clay County Detention Center current-inmates page and its embedded JailTracker/Public Safety Cloud roster, plus jail phone confirmation at 606-598-2133.
What records are restricted? Juvenile, adoption, expunged, sealed, mental-health, victim-sensitive, child-identifying, and some protective-order records may be restricted or partly hidden.
How are traffic payments handled? Eligible court payments can use KCOJ ePay, while cash payments are handled at the Circuit Court Clerk. Court fines are separate from KYTC reinstatement fees.