Search Metcalfe County Court Records
Metcalfe County court records begin with the Kentucky Court of Justice and the Metcalfe County Office of Circuit Court Clerk. The statewide KYeCourts guest public case access gateway gives free access to public case information across Kentucky after the user checks the guest-access box and continues. It is the broad online starting point for public case information, while official copies and case-file questions still go through the clerk in the county where the case was handled.
The second online route is the Kentucky Trial Court Docket Search. That tool is date driven and is best for hearing schedules, not full case files. The third route is Kentucky ePay, which can locate eligible cases, citations, and party payment records. If an older file is stored away from the courthouse, the Circuit Court Clerk must first identify the facility and provide the case and file locator numbers before a State Records Center request can move forward.
- Start with KYeCourts guest access for public case information that may be available online.
- Use the docket search when the need is a hearing date, court division, courtroom, or subdivision.
- Use ePay for eligible fines, costs, fees, citations, or payment-related party searches.
- Call or visit the Circuit Court Clerk when the online tools do not show the record or when a certified copy is needed.
- For stored files, ask the clerk whether the file is on-site, at the State Records Center, at KDLA, or destroyed under retention rules.
The Kentucky Court of Justice record-request page confirms that Circuit, Family, District, and Business Court records are requested from the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the case was handled.
Metcalfe Court Search Fields
The public docket search is the clearest official search form captured for Metcalfe County court records. It requires the county, court division, and date before it can generate a docket. KCOJ labels the output as not an official docket and subject to change, so a hearing time or case status should be confirmed with the local clerk before relying on it.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| County | Dropdown | Yes | Choose Metcalfe from the Kentucky county list. |
| Division | Dropdown | Yes | Circuit or District. |
| Date | Date | Yes | Search by hearing date. |
| Courtroom | Dropdown | No | Default is ALL. |
| Subdivision | Dropdown | No | Default is ALL. |
Metcalfe County Court Structure
Kentucky has a unified state court system called the Kentucky Court of Justice. Metcalfe County belongs to the 43rd Judicial Circuit and the 43rd Judicial District with Barren County. The local court structure is centralized compared with states that split record custody among many local courts. Circuit Court, Family Court, and District Court records all start with the Circuit Court Clerk even though each division handles a different case load.
The Metcalfe County judicial path usually runs from District Court to Circuit Court for appeals or felony progression, then to the Kentucky Court of Appeals when a trial-court decision is appealed. The county is in the 3rd Supreme Court District and 3rd Appellate District. Federal cases are separate and route to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, not the Metcalfe County Circuit Court.
Typical case flow: District Court first appearance › Circuit Court felony, civil, family, or appeal matter › Kentucky Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of Kentucky when review is available.
| Court | Metcalfe County Role | Common Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | Primary trial court of general jurisdiction | Felonies, civil over $5,000, divorces, adoptions, contested probate, land title, injunctions, District Court appeals |
| Family Court | Division of Circuit Court | Dissolution, child support, visitation, paternity, adoption, domestic violence, dependency, neglect, truancy |
| District Court | Limited-jurisdiction trial court | Misdemeanors, violations, traffic, ordinances, probate of wills, small claims, juvenile, felony arraignments |
| Kentucky Court of Appeals | Intermediate appellate court | Appeals from many trial-court orders and judgments |
Metcalfe County Court Offices
The main court-record office is the Circuit Court Clerk at the Tom Emberton Metcalfe County Courthouse. County records such as deeds, recorded wills, liens, marriage licenses, and clerk open-records requests are handled by the separate County Clerk at 201 North Main Street. That distinction saves time because court case files and county recorded instruments are not held by the same custodian.
The KCOJ Metcalfe County court page names the courthouse, clerk, judges, payment options, hours, remote-court resources, and records-request links. The Metcalfe County Clerk site names the County Clerk's records duties, hours, disability accommodations, KLR access, and open-records channels.
Tom Emberton Metcalfe County Courthouse
201 E. Stockton St.
P.O. Box 27
Edmonton, KY 42129
270-432-3663
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Metcalfe County Clerk
201 North Main Street
P.O. Box 25
Edmonton, KY 42129
270-432-4821
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Metcalfe County Fiscal Court
201 N Main St.
P.O. Box 149
Edmonton, KY 42129
270-432-3181
Metcalfe County Court Record Types
Metcalfe County court records cover civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, juvenile, mental-health, and appellate-related events. The open-access path depends on the type of case. Adult civil and criminal case information may be publicly available through statewide tools or by clerk request, while juvenile, mental-health, domestic violence, adoption, and sealed or expunged matters have narrower access rules.
Civil cases can include complaints, summonses, answers, motions, orders, judgments, garnishments, and appeal notices. Criminal case files can include citations, complaints, warrants, bond orders, indictments, pleas, motions, hearing entries, verdicts, sentencing orders, probation terms, fines, and expungement orders. Probate files and recorded wills may involve both the court clerk and County Clerk because District Court handles probate of wills while the County Clerk records wills as county records.
- Civil records: Circuit Court handles civil cases over $5,000, and District Court handles civil cases of $5,000 or less.
- Criminal records: District Court handles misdemeanors and felony preliminary stages, while Circuit Court handles felonies and capital offenses.
- Family records: Family Court is a Circuit Court division for divorce, support, paternity, adoption, domestic violence, and child-related matters.
- Probate records: District Court handles probate of wills, while contested probate and title disputes can involve Circuit Court.
- Traffic records: District Court handles traffic offenses and violations; the state driver record is kept by KYTC.
What Metcalfe Court Records Show
Metcalfe County court records often show the case number, court division, filing or event dates, parties, attorneys, charges or claims, bond terms, docket entries, financial obligations, and court orders. The exact fields depend on case type. A payment record in ePay is not the same as the complete court case file, and a docket entry is not the same as the signed order or judgment.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court's file number, often needed for clerk and records-center requests. |
| Division / Court | Whether the matter is in Circuit, Family, or District Court. |
| Parties | Names such as plaintiff and defendant, Commonwealth and defendant, or petitioner and respondent. |
| Docket Entries | Arraignment, hearing, motion, continuance, plea, trial, sentencing, show-cause, warrant, or recall events. |
| Financial Fields | Fines, costs, restitution, bond money, fees, payment plans, or ePay eligibility. |
| Disposition | The outcome, such as guilty, dismissed, amended, acquitted, judgment entered, or order granted. |
Metcalfe Court Public Access Laws
Public access starts by identifying the custodian. Trial court case files route to the Circuit Court Clerk and Kentucky Court of Justice procedures. County Clerk records are handled by Shannon Fields and the clerk's office. County administrative records route to the Metcalfe County open-records custodian, Page Edwards. Sheriff and jail records should be requested from the sheriff, jailer, or the agency custodian that holds the record.
Key Statutes:
KRS 61.870-61.884 governs many Kentucky open-records requests, though court case records follow court rules and KCOJ procedures.
KRS 61.878 lists exemptions that may let an agency withhold or redact part of a record.
KRS 431.073 covers eligible felony expungement, including waiting periods and the effect of a granted expungement.
KRS Chapter 24A defines District Court jurisdiction, including traffic, misdemeanors, probate of wills, and small claims.
Restricted Metcalfe Court Records
Not all Metcalfe County court records are public in the same way. Juvenile cases, mental-health proceedings, domestic violence cases, adoption files, termination of parental rights, sealed records, expunged records, and private identifiers may be restricted or redacted. AOC criminal record reports do not include juvenile, mental health, or domestic violence case types, and KCOJ states that completed expungements remove or delete records so agencies answer that no record exists.
Expungement certification requests through AOC cost $40 and may be submitted online, at the AOC drive-through window in Frankfort, or by mail. After certification, the petition is filed with the Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the charge was filed. Felony expungement fees and timing depend on the statute and outcome, so a Metcalfe case should be checked against current KCOJ instructions before filing.
Metcalfe Specialty Court Options
Kentucky Specialty Courts include Drug Court, Veterans Treatment Court, and Mental Health Court. The statewide KCOJ Specialty Courts overview describes programs that combine supervision, treatment access, drug testing, structured case management, and support services. Local eligibility is case specific and court approved.
Kentucky Drug Court began as a pilot program in 1996 and serves all 120 counties, including Metcalfe. Veterans Treatment Court and Mental Health Court are listed statewide, but no Metcalfe-specific docket day, judge assignment, or participant count was located in the official sources reviewed. A March 26, 2026 KCOJ release warned that specialty courts could be affected by Judicial Branch budget underfunding, so availability should be confirmed with the court for any current case.
Metcalfe Sheriff and Jail Records
Metcalfe County official sources list Sheriff Lonnie Hodges at P.O. Box 371, Edmonton, phone 270-432-3041, and Jailer Randall Shive at P.O. Box 149, Edmonton, phone 270-579-1013. No official county-run jail roster, sheriff mobile app, warrant app, visitation calendar, or jail operating manual was located in the research. For current custody questions, start with the sheriff or jailer, then use state systems when the person may be in state custody.
Statewide custody channels include Kentucky Online Offender Lookup for state corrections offenders and Kentucky VINE for custody and criminal-case notifications. VINE can send alerts about release, transfer, escape, or parole-hearing events, but it is not a county jail roster. A court date, bond order, or warrant-related docket issue should be checked with the Circuit Court Clerk.
Metcalfe Marriage Divorce Probate
Marriage licenses and many recorded marriage records are handled by the Metcalfe County Clerk. Both parties must apply in person, present photo identification, be at least 18, pay the $60 marriage license recording fee, and file the license within 30 days of application. Marriage records scanned in the County Clerk system start with Marriage Book C on Oct. 5, 1988, while Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics handles marriage certificates from June 1958 to present.
Divorce files are court records in Circuit Court or Family Court, while divorce certificates from June 1958 to present can be requested from OVS. Probate has a split path: District Court handles probate of wills, Circuit Court can handle contested probate issues, and the County Clerk records wills. See Metcalfe County marriage and divorce records or Metcalfe County probate records for the record-specific path.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person appointed to carry out the terms of a will.
- Intestate
- An estate where the person died without a valid will.
Metcalfe County Record Fees
Known fees in the research are strongest for County Clerk records, AOC criminal reports, expungement certification, and KYTC driver records. Court filing fees are sensitive because KYeCourts posted a July 1, 2026 civil filing fee increase notice under Supreme Court Orders 2026-15 and 2026-18. Use official clerk or court sources for current filing costs before submitting a case.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license recording | $60 through the Metcalfe County Clerk |
| Will recording | $47 through the Metcalfe County Clerk |
| Non-commercial clerk copy outside statutory schedule | $0.50 per copy |
| AOC expungement certification | $40 |
| Three-year KY driver history record | $3 record plus $3 online electronic access fee |
Metcalfe County Source Views
The official KCOJ Metcalfe County court page is the source for the courthouse, Circuit Court Clerk, local judges, court hours, payment options, and court-record request links.
That county page ties Metcalfe court records to the Kentucky Court of Justice instead of a separate county-run case system.
The KCOJ records request instructions explain why a stored Metcalfe file may require clerk-issued locator numbers before a State Records Center request can proceed.
For older records, this record-center step is often more important than a name search.
The Kentucky court structure overview explains how Circuit, Family, and District Court fit into the state court system used in Metcalfe County.
That structure is why a District Court traffic case and a Circuit Court felony both start with the same Circuit Court Clerk for records.
The Metcalfe County government home page is separate from the court system but useful for county-government contacts.
County government records, court case records, and County Clerk recordings have different custodians.
The Metcalfe elected officials page identifies local officials such as the sheriff, jailer, County Clerk, and Circuit Court Clerk.
Those names and numbers help separate custody, warrant, court, and county-record questions.
The Tom Emberton courthouse announcement adds local court history for the courthouse name now used by KCOJ.
Metcalfe court records are tied to a courthouse with a long local legal history.
The KCOJ specialty court funding release is a dated 2026 source for possible statewide changes to specialty court programs.
Program availability can matter in criminal cases, but it should be checked for the current docket.
Metcalfe County Court History
Metcalfe County was created in 1860, and the historic courthouse was built in 1868-69. The National Park Service nomination describes the courthouse as one of the oldest courthouses still standing in south central Kentucky and as an unofficial symbol for Metcalfe County. That history helps explain why downtown Edmonton remains the practical hub for court, clerk, county, sheriff, and jailer contacts.
The modern court facility name honors Tom Emberton, who began practicing law in Edmonton in 1962, became Metcalfe County Attorney, ran for Kentucky governor in 1971, later served on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, and became chief judge before retirement. The county's court history connects local practice to the statewide appellate system.
Metcalfe Court Records FAQ
Where are Metcalfe County court records kept?
Circuit, Family, and District Court case records start with the Metcalfe County Circuit Court Clerk at the Tom Emberton Metcalfe County Courthouse. County Clerk records, such as deeds, recorded wills, marriage license records, liens, and KLR documents, are kept by the separate Metcalfe County Clerk.
Can Metcalfe County court records be searched online?
Public case information may be available through KYeCourts guest access. Dockets can be searched through the Kentucky Trial Court Docket Search, and eligible fines, fees, costs, and citations may appear in ePay. Official copies still come from the clerk.
Does Metcalfe County publish a jail roster?
No official county-run online jail roster was located in the official sources reviewed. Current custody questions should go to the sheriff or jailer, with KOOL and VINE used for state corrections and notification support.
Who handles Metcalfe County warrants?
No official public active-warrant search was located. Local law-enforcement warrant questions start with the sheriff, while bench warrants and case-related warrant status should be checked with the Circuit Court Clerk.
Are Metcalfe County divorce records held by the County Clerk?
Divorce case files are Circuit or Family Court records, so they route through the Circuit Court Clerk. Marriage licenses and local recorded marriage records route through the County Clerk, and OVS holds marriage and divorce certificates from June 1958 to present.
Can the Circuit Court Clerk handle driver licensing?
No. KCOJ states that driver licensing moved from Offices of Circuit Court Clerk to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet effective July 1, 2022. Traffic citation handling and court payments are separate from driver licensing and driver history records.