Kentucky Court Summary

The Kentucky trial court system consists of Circuit Courts and District Courts.

Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction over all types of cases and District Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of cases. Circuit Courts generally only hear cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of District Courts.


First Name	MI	Last Name	State

I entered a partial first name above

Where to find court cases in Kentucky

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in Kentucky.

= Most or all cases.

= Some cases.

Case Type	Court Type
Civil	Circuit Courts	District Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
General Civil - Limited
Small Claims
Civil Equity
Complex Commercial
Foreclosures and Liens
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Landlord / Tenant
Ordinance Violations
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Administrative Agency Appeals
Criminal	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Felony
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Misdemeanors
Ordinance Violations
Juvenile
Traffic and Infractions		$Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the District Courts$
Domestic Relations	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Divorce
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Paternity
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Juvenile	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Adoptions
Juvenile Delinquency
Child Abuse and Neglect
Termination of Parental Rights
Children in Need of Supervision
Mental Health	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Other Mental Health Cases
Probate	Circuit Courts	District Courts
Wills & Estates
Name Changes
Trusts
Guardianships and Conservatorships

Kentucky Courts Summary