Kentucky Background Checks

Kentucky Criminal Records

To access Kentucky criminal records for a Kentucky background check, start with the Kentucky Court of Justice. The Administrative Office of the Courts provides Kentucky Criminal records for a nominal fee. All of the information provided comes from CourtNet, the AOC’s database that collects information from all 120 counties. It contains over 4 million records, with misdemeanors and traffic cases dating back 5 years and felonies going back to 1978.

To obtain Kentucky criminal records on yourself or someone else, you will need to fill out a request form and pay the required fees. You have the option of ordering by mail or in person. In person requests can be made at the drive-thru window at the Administrative Office of the Courts.

For your individual records, you will need to submit a Record Request Form and a $10 fee. For a request on someone else, you must send in a Record Request Form and $10 fee as well. Be advised that the courts will notify the person on whom you are conducting a check. In-person requests can be paid by debit or credit card, cash, check, or money order. The courts cannot accept Visa credit cards at this time. For mail in requests, you must send a check or money order.

To obtain criminal background checks by mail do the following:

Step 1: Fill out the Kentucky Record Check form. Click Here.
Step 2: Include payment. Processing fees are $10 per search.
Step 3: Mail the filled out application and check or money order to the address indicated on the form. Allow 7-10 business days to process.

For more information on accessing Kentucky criminal records, you can contact the office using the information listed below:

Administrative Office of the Courts
100 Millcreek Park
Frankfort, KY 40601
(800) 928-6381

Resource Links
Kentucky Criminal Background Request
Request Form

Kentucky Court Records

If you would like to review Kentucky court records to perform your Kentucky background checks, then the Kentucky Court of Justice can also assist you with gathering information. The Administrative Office of the Courts maintains an online database that allows you to search public court records. Keep in mind that some information may remain confidential due to privacy laws.

Search options include by party, case, and citation. For party searches, you must have the last name of the person involved. You can further narrow your search by selecting the county, division, type of case, type of party, and using personal information about the party. For case searches, you must have a case number, and you can further refine results by county and division. For citation searches, you must have the citation number.

To search for court records online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Kentucky Court Records Online webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Search by Party, Case, or Citation and fill out all required information fields.
Step 3: Click “Search” in order to view all available results.

For more information regarding accessing Kentucky court records, you can contact the office using the information below:

Administrative Office of the Courts
100 Millcreek Park
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 573-2350

Resource Links
Kentucky Court Records Online

Kentucky Jail Records

If you need Kentucky jail records for performing your Kentucky background checks, then you will need to contact the Kentucky Department of Corrections. The Department of Corrections maintains the Kentucky Offender Online Lookup (also known as KOOL). The KOOL system allows the public to access information about offenders. However, there is no guarantee that the information is completely accurate, and updates are made daily as information becomes available. Inmate date that is newer than 120 days may not be finalized and therefore is more likely to be subject to editing and updates.

The KOOL system allows you to search by inmate name. You can also conduct an advanced search using ID number, institution, personal description, and conviction information. For the most accurate results, the Department of Corrections suggests entering as little information as possible that will still generate a match. Leaving all fields blank will allow you to see all of the records of inmates; however, this search can take some time to upload, depending on your computer and processing capabilities.

To search for jail records online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Kentucky Inmate Search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Fill out all required information fields.
Step 3: Click “Search Data” to view all available results.

For more information regarding accessing Kentucky jail records, you can contact the office using the information listed below:

Department of Corrections
Health Services Building
275 East Main Street
P.O. Box 2400
Frankfort, KY 40602
(502) 564-4726

Resource Links
Kentucky Offender Online Lookup

Kentucky Driving Records

To review Kentucky driving records, contact the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The Transportation Cabinet maintains the Kentucky Driver History Records website, which allows you to request Kentucky driving records.

Your Kentucky driving record will include driver status, license expiration, driving restrictions, and traffic violations. It covers three years of history, but will not include personal information, such as address, sex, date of birth, or social security number. The cost to receive your Kentucky driving record is $3. There is an additional fee of $2 per record for electronic access. This second fee helps to cover operating costs of the website.

For more information regarding Kentucky driving records, you can contact the office using the information listed below:

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
200 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40622
(502) 564-4890

Resource Links
Kentucky Driving Record Information

Additional Resources

Kentucky Sexual Offender Registry
Kentucky Attorney General