Simpson County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Simpson County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Simpson County may access publicly available case information through several official channels. SimpsonRecords.org provides data and publicly available information related to court records that may assist individuals in locating case details. Court records maintained by Simpson County's judicial offices may include information such as:
- Criminal case filings, charges, and dispositions
- Civil complaints, judgments, and orders
- Family court matters, including divorce decrees and custody orders
- Probate filings and estate records
- Traffic citations and minor offense records
- Small claims filings and outcomes
Court records in Simpson County may be searched through five primary methods. Each method carries distinct access conditions, and the availability of specific records depends on case type, filing date, and applicable confidentiality rules.
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office The Office of Circuit Court Clerk serves as the official custodian of court records in Simpson County. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person to request case files, certified copies, or docket information. Requesters should provide the full name of a party, a case number, or a filing date range to assist staff in locating records.
Simpson County Circuit Court Clerk
103 West Cedar Street
Franklin, KY 42134
Phone: (270) 586-4271
Simpson - Kentucky Court of Justice
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals Public access computer terminals are available at the Simpson County courthouse. These terminals allow members of the public to search case index information and docket entries without charge during regular business hours. Terminal access does not extend to sealed, expunged, or restricted case files.
3. Online Court Search The Kentucky Court of Justice maintains an online case search portal that provides access to publicly available case information statewide, including records from Simpson County. Users may search by party name, case number, or attorney of record. Online access reflects docket-level information and may not include full document images for all case types.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools Kentucky's statewide eCourts system provides centralized access to court records across all counties. The Kentucky Court of Justice portal allows searches of circuit, district, and family court records where public access is permitted under current law.
5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public may submit written requests to the Circuit Court Clerk's office for copies of specific records. Requests should identify the case by name, number, or approximate filing date. Fees apply for copies and certified documents, and processing times vary based on request volume and record availability.
Are Court Records Public In Simpson County
Court records in Simpson County are subject to public access under Kentucky's Open Records Act, codified at KRS § 61.870 et seq., which establishes the right of members of the public to inspect and copy public records maintained by government agencies, including judicial offices. The Kentucky Court of Justice affirms that court records are presumptively open to public inspection unless a specific statutory or court-ordered exception applies.
Records that are generally public include:
- Case dockets and index entries
- Party names and attorney information
- Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduling orders
- Filed motions, complaints, petitions, and answers
- Final judgments, orders, and decrees
- Sentencing entries and conviction records in criminal cases
- Probate inventories and estate orders
Records that may be confidential, sealed, or restricted include:
- Juvenile court records, which are protected under KRS § 610.340
- Adoption records and related proceedings
- Mental health commitment records
- Records sealed by court order
- Expunged criminal records
- 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 docket-level information is available through the Kentucky Court of Justice's online portal, full document images are not uniformly available for all case types or filing periods. Older records and certain sensitive filings may require an in-person visit to the clerk's office for inspection.
What Are Court Records in Simpson County?
Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court or its clerk in connection with judicial proceedings. In practical terms, a court record encompasses everything filed with or generated by the court from the initiation of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal.
A docket entry is a chronological log notation recording an event in a case, such as a filing, hearing, or order. A full case file contains the actual documents underlying those entries, including pleadings, motions, exhibits, and orders. 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 represent the initial and responsive documents submitted by parties, whereas final judgments are the court's conclusive rulings resolving the matter.
Public filings are those submitted without restriction and available for inspection under applicable law. Sealed or restricted filings have been withheld from public access 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 Supreme Court of Kentucky.
The Circuit Court and District Court clerks create and update records as cases progress. A record is initiated upon the filing of a complaint, indictment, petition, or citation. Subsequent filings, hearing minutes, and orders are added to the file as the case proceeds. Upon final disposition, the record is closed and transferred to archival storage according to the applicable retention schedule.
What's Included in a Simpson County Court Record?
A court record in Simpson County may contain a range of documents and data entries depending on the case type, the court in which it was filed, and applicable public-access rules. The following categories of information may appear within a court record:
- Case identification: Case number, court name and division, and filing date
- Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and their attorneys of record
- Case classification: Case type (civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic) and current status
- Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, rulings, and administrative actions
- Hearing information: Scheduled and completed hearing dates, continuances, and minute entries
- Filed documents: Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, responses, notices, affidavits, and supporting exhibits where not restricted
- Court orders and judgments: Interlocutory orders, final judgments, decrees, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
- Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, acquittals, and post-judgment entries
- Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly reflected in the record
Certain categories of information are excluded or restricted from public access within court records. Sealed filings, expunged criminal records, juvenile case files, adoption proceedings, and records subject to protective orders are not available for public inspection. Protected personal identifiers, including Social Security numbers and financial account numbers, are redacted from publicly accessible documents pursuant to court rules. Some exhibits, particularly those containing sensitive personal or medical information, may be withheld from the public portion of the record.
Types of Courts in Simpson County
Simpson County is served by two primary trial courts within the Kentucky Court of Justice system: the Circuit Court and the District Court. Both courts operate under the unified judicial system established by the Kentucky Constitution and administered by the Kentucky Court of Justice.
The Simpson County Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction. It handles felony criminal cases, civil matters involving amounts in controversy exceeding the district court's jurisdictional limit, family court matters including divorce, child custody, and adoption, and appeals from the District Court. The Circuit Court Clerk maintains the official record for all circuit-level proceedings.
The Simpson County District Court is a court of limited jurisdiction. As described by the Kentucky Court of Justice, the District Court handles "county ordinances, misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses, probate of wills, and small claims." The District Court also conducts preliminary hearings in felony cases before transfer to Circuit Court. The Circuit Court Clerk also serves as the clerk of record for District Court proceedings in Simpson County.
What Types of Cases Do Simpson County Courts Hear
- Circuit Court: Felony criminal prosecutions, civil cases above the jurisdictional threshold, dissolution of marriage, child custody and support, adoptions, and appeals from District Court
- District Court: Misdemeanor and violation offenses, traffic citations, small claims (at present, up to $2,500), probate matters, county ordinance violations, and preliminary felony hearings
- Family Court matters within the Circuit Court division address domestic relations, juvenile dependency, and related proceedings
How to Search Simpson County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may inspect court records in Simpson County at no charge through in-person review at the courthouse or through free online tools. The following table summarizes available methods and associated costs:
| Method | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In-person inspection at clerk's office | Free | No charge to view records |
| Courthouse public access terminals | Free | Available during business hours |
| Kentucky Court of Justice online portal | Free | Docket-level information |
| Paper copies (per page) | $0.25–$0.50 per page | Fees set by clerk fee schedule |
| Certified copies | Varies by document | Set by KRS § 142.010 and clerk fee schedules |
| Research by clerk staff | May incur fees | Depends on scope of request |
In-person inspection of publicly available court records at the Simpson County courthouse is free of charge. The Kentucky Court of Justice's online case search tool provides free access to docket-level information for cases across all Kentucky counties, including Simpson County. Copies of documents, whether standard or certified, are subject to fees established under applicable Kentucky statutes and the clerk's fee schedule. Certified copies carry a per-page or per-document fee and require a formal request to the clerk's office.
How Long Does Simpson County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Simpson County is governed by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives records retention schedules applicable to judicial offices. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
Under current retention authority, the following periods apply to major record categories:
- Felony criminal case files: Retained permanently or for extended periods following final disposition
- Civil judgment records and docket books: Retained permanently as part of the official court record
- Misdemeanor and traffic case files: Retained for periods ranging from three to ten years depending on offense classification
- Probate records: Retained permanently due to their ongoing legal significance
- Family court records: Retention varies; records involving minor children may be retained until the child reaches majority plus an additional period
Paper case files may be transferred to microfilm or digital imaging after a defined period, after which the original paper documents may be destroyed in accordance with the applicable retention schedule. Archival retention differs from destruction in that archived records remain accessible, while destroyed records are no longer available. Sealing and expungement are distinct processes: sealed records remain in existence but are restricted from public access, while expunged records are ordered removed from public availability pursuant to court order and applicable statute.
Older records, particularly those predating electronic filing systems, may exist only in paper form, on microfilm, or in county or state archives. 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.
How To Find a Court Docket in Simpson County
A court docket is the official chronological index of all proceedings, filings, and actions taken in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it records events and entries rather than containing the actual documents filed. A docket entry notes that a motion was filed, for example, while the case file contains the motion itself.
Dockets for Simpson County cases are accessible through several channels. The Kentucky Court of Justice's online portal provides docket-level search functionality for publicly accessible cases. Users may search by party name or case number to retrieve a list of docket entries, hearing dates, and case status information. This tool reflects current and recent case activity and is updated as new entries are made by the clerk's office.
To locate a docket through the online portal, a user should navigate to the Kentucky Court of Justice case search system, select the appropriate court (Circuit or District), enter the county as Simpson, and input the party name or case number. The system returns a list of matching cases with associated docket entries. Entries reflect hearing dates, continuances, filed motions, orders entered, and final disposition information.
For cases not available through the online portal, or for older cases predating electronic records, docket information may be obtained through the courthouse public access terminals or by submitting a request to the Circuit Court Clerk's office. The clerk maintains docket books as part of the permanent official record.
A docket does not include full document images for all entries, sealed or restricted entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits withheld from public access. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse. As noted by the Kentucky Court of Justice, "The Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each county is the starting point for requesting copies of court records from cases in that county."
Simpson County Circuit Court Clerk
103 West Cedar Street
Franklin, KY 42134
Phone: (270) 586-4271
Simpson County Court Information