Kentucky County Resources

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This entry was originally written by Wendy Bebout Elliott, Ph.D., FUGA, for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of
Kentucky sil.png
the Kentucky Family History Research series.
History of Kentucky
Kentucky Vital Records
Census Records for Kentucky
Background Sources for Kentucky
Kentucky Maps
Kentucky Land Records
Kentucky Probate Records
Kentucky Court Records
Kentucky Tax Records
Kentucky Cemetery Records
Kentucky Church Records
Kentucky Military Records
Kentucky Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections
Kentucky Archives, Libraries, and Societies
African Americans of Kentucky
Kentucky County Resources
Map of Kentucky
County Map of Kentucky

Early Kentucky vital records, beginning from the dates indicated and until 1911, are held by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (see Kentucky Vital Records). Land and probate records may be available at the office of the county clerk or at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

Legal enactment dates for counties often vary from effec-tive date of organization and beginning of record maintenance. The latter date is the one reflected in the following chart. Inventory sheets from the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and the Kentucky Historical Society were used for beginning dates of some records. Land records may pre-date county organization because records were transferred from the parent county.

Dates given for court records may apply to one of many court records located in the county seat (see Kentucky Court Records). Not all records are extant from the first date given.

For all records, it is advisable to direct correspondence to the county official at the county courthouse address listed in the following chart to determine present location and availability of records. In many cases, the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives will hold either the original or microfilm records.

The Historical Records Survey, Guide to Public Vital Records in Kentucky (Louisville: Historical Records Survey, 1942) was used to extract some information found in the following county listing. County formation information comes from Wendell Holmes Rone, Sr., An Historical Atlas of Kentucky and Her Counties (Mayfield, Ky.: Mayfield Printing Co., 1965). It contains photographs, chronologically arranged maps, and historical data from 1772 through 1856. Campbell and Kenton counties have two county courthouses.

Additional sources used to provide the most up-to-date information for courthouse addresses and to verify county formation data include www.naco.org, and www.uky.edu/KentuckyAtlas/kentucky-counties.html.

Additionally, some telephone calls to courthouses helped determine dates and addresses when sources showed conflicting information.

Microfilmed county records in the Family History Library collection were used to confirm dates of extant records for each Kentucky county. Although in some cases one or more published works cover a broader period, dates shown reflect those of original documents microfilmed in the county repository. In a few cases, the earliest date may be for an order book or survey rather than more substantial court minutes or deeds.


Map County County Address Date Formed Parent County(ies) Birth Marriage Death Land Probate Court
E7 Adair 424 Public Sq., Columbia 42728-1451 1802 Green 1852 1802 1852 1801 1804 1802
D8 Allen 201 W. Main St./P.O. Box 336, Scottsville 42164-0336 1815 Barren/Warren 1852 1815 1852 1816 1815 1826
F5 Anderson 151 S. Main St., Lawrenceburg 40342-1192 1827 Franklin/Mercer/Washington 1852 1827 1852 1827 1827 1827
A2 Ballard 424 Court St./P.O. Box 145, Wickliffe 42087-0145 1842 Hickman/McCracken 1853 1853 1853 1842 1842 1842
D7 Barren 117-1A N. Public Sq., Glasgow 42141 1799 Green/Warren 1852 1799 1852 1798 1798 1798
H5 Bath Main Street/P.O. Box 609, Owingsville 40360-0609 1811 Montgomery 1852 1811 1852 1811 1811 1811
H8 Bell P.O. Box 157, Pineville 40977-0157 1867 Knox/Harlan 1874 1867 1874 1867 1869 1867
F3 Boone 2950 E. Wash. Sq./P.O. Box 874, Burlington 41005-0874 1799 Campbell 1852 1799 1852 1799 1800 1799
G5 Bourbon 310 Main St./P.O. Box 312, Paris 40361-0312 1786 Fayette 1852 1786 1852 1786 1786 (wills) 1780
K4 Boyd 2800 Louisa St./P.O. Box 523, Catlettsburg 41129-0523 1860 Carter/Lawrence/Greenup 1859 1860 1859 1860 1860 (wills) 1860
F6 Boyle 321 W. Main St., Danville 40422-1848 1842 Mercer/Lincoln 1852 1852 1852 1842 1842 1800
G3 Bracken 116 W. Miami St./P.O. Box 147, Brooksville 41104-0147 1797 Campbell/Mason 1852 1797 1852 1797 1797 1797
J6 Breathitt 1137 Main St., Jackson 41339-1194 1839 Clay/Estill/Perry 1852 1852 1852 1873 1873 1838
C6 Breckinridge P.O. Box 538, Hardinsburg 40143-0538 1800 Hardin 1852 1860 1852 1800 1800 (wills) 1803
D5 Bullitt 149 N. Walnut St./P.O. Box 6, Shepherdsville 40165-0006 1797 Jefferson/Nelson 1854 1797 1854 1797 1797 1797
C7 Butler 110 N. Main St./P.O. Box 449, Morgantown 42261-0449 1810 Logan/Ohio 1853 1810 1853 1810 1810 1811
C2 Caldwell 100 E. Market St., Princeton 42445-1696 1809 Livingston 1852 1808 1852 1809 1809 1809
B4 Calloway 101 S. Fifth St., Murray 42071-2569 1821 Hickman 1852 1823 1852 1822 1836 1856
G3 Campbell 340 York St., Newport 41071-1682 1795 Harrison/Mason/Scott 1852 1795 1852 1795 1795 1791
A3 Carlisle P.O. Box 176, Bardwell 42023-0176 1886 Ballard 1911 1886 1904 1886 1886 1886
E3 Carroll 440 Main St., Carrollton 41008-1064 1838 Gallatin/Henry/Trimble 1852 1836 1852 1795 1838 1838
J4 Carter 300 W. Main St., Grayson 41143-1298 1838 Greenup/Lawrence 1852 1838 1852 1838 1835 1838
F6 Casey P.O. Box 310, Liberty 42539-0310 1807 Lincoln 1852 1807 1852 1807 1806 1807
A8 Christian 511 S. Main St., Hopkinsville 42240-2300 1797 Logan 1852 1797 1852 1797 1797 1797
G5 Clark 34 S. Main St./P.O. Box 4060, Winchester 40392-4060 1793 Bourbon/Fayette 1852 1793 1852 1793 1793 1793
H7 Clay 316 Main St., Manchester 40962-1265 1807 Madison/Floyd/Knox 1852 1807 1852 1799 1830 1809
E8 Clinton 212 Washington St., Albany 42602-1263 1836 Wayne/Cumberland 1852 1852 1852 1848 1863 1864
B2 Crittenden 107 S. Main St., Marion 42064-1563 1842 Livingston 1852 1842 1852 1842 1833 1842
E8 Cumberland P.O. Box 275, Burkesville 42717-0275 1799 Green 1852 1799 1852 1799 1815 1820
B6 Daviess P.O. Box 609, Owensboro 42302-0609 1815 Ohio 1853 1815 1853 1815 1812 1822
C7 Edmonson P.O. Box 830, Brownsville 42210-0830 1825 Grayson/Hart/Warren 1852 1843 1852 1825 1824 1824
J5 Elliott P.O. Box 225, Sandy Hook 41171-0225 1869 Carter/Lawrence/Morgan 1874 1874 1874 1869 1966 1958
H6 Estill P.O. Box 59, Irvine 40336-0059 1808 Clark/Madison 1852 1808 1852 1808 1808 1808
G5 Fayette 162 E. Main St., Lexington 40507-1334 1780 Kentucky (Va.) 1852 1803 1852 1787 1789 1787
H4 Fleming Court Sq./P.O. Box 324, Flemingsburg 41041-0324 1798 Mason 1852 1798 1852 1798 1798 1798
K6 Floyd P.O. Box 1089, Prestonsburg 41653-1089 1800 Fleming/Mason/Montgomery 1852 1803 1854 1806 1812 1808
F5 Franklin P.O. Box 338, Frankfort 40602-0338 1795 Woodford/Mercer/Shelby 1852 1795 1852 1795 1795 1795
A4 Fulton P.O. Box 126, Hickman 42050-0126 1845 Hickman 1852 1845 1852 1845 1845 1845
F3 Gallatin P.O. Box 1309, Warsaw 41095-0616 1799 Franklin/Shelby 1852 1799 1852 1799 1799 1799
F6 Garrard 15 Public Sq., Lancaster 40444-1057 1797 Madison/Lincoln/Mercer 1789 1797 1852 1797 1797 1797
F4 Grant 101 N. Main St., Williamstown 41097-1107 1820 Pendleton 1852 1820 1852 1820 1820 1820
A3 Graves 101 E. South St., Mayfield 42066-2324 1824 Hickman 1852 1887 1852 1887 1882 1858
C6 Grayson 10 Public Sq., Leitchfield 42754-1199 1810 Hardin/Ohio 1852 1852 1852 1896 1856 (wills) 1906
E7 Green 203 W. Court St., Greensburg 42743-1552 1793 Lincoln/Nelson 1852 1793 1852 1793 1793 1794
J4 Greenup P.O. Box 686, Greenup 41144-0686 1804 Mason 1852 1803 1852 1811 1822 1807
B5 Hancock P.O. Box 146, Hawesville 42348-0146 1829 Daviess/Ohio/Breckinridge 1852 1829 1852 1829 1820 (wills) 1834
D6 Hardin P.O. Box 1030, Elizabethtown 42702-1030 1793 Nelson 1852 1793 1852 1793 1793 1793
J8 Harlan P.O. Box 670, Harlan 40831-0670 1819 Knox 1852 1820 1852 1820 1829 1821
G4 Harrison 190 W. Pike St., Cynthiana 41031-1242 1794 Bourbon/Scott 1852 1794 1852 1794 1794 1794
D7 Hart P.O. Box 277, Munfordville 42765-0277 1819 Hardin/Barren 1852 1852 1852 1783 1819
A6 Henderson P.O. Box 374, Henderson 42419-0374 1799 Christian 1852 1806 1852 1797 1799 (wills) 1816
E4 Henry P.O. Box 615, New Castle 40050-0615 1799 Shelby 1852 1800 1852 1799 1765 1803
A4 Hickman 110 E. Clay St.,Clinton 42031-1296 1821 (1822) Caldwell/Livingston 1852 1822 1852 1822 1822 1822
Although Hickman was created in 1821, county administration didn't become effective until 1822.
A7 Hopkins 10 S. Main St./P.O. Drawer 737, Madisonville 42431-2588 1807 Henderson 1852 1806 1852 1807 1800 (wills) 1808
G6 Jackson P.O. Box 700, McKee 40447-0399 1858 Rockcastle/Owsley/Madison/Clay/Estill/Laurel 1858 1858 1858 1858 1859 1858
D5 Jefferson 527 W. Jefferson St./, P.O. Box 33033, Louisville 40202-2850 1780 Kentucky (Va.) 1852 1781 1852 1783 1784 1780
F5 Jessamine 101 N. Main St./, P.O. Box 33033 1799 Fayette 1852 1799 1852 1799 1799 1799
K5 Johnson 124 Court St., Paintsville 41240-1607 1843 Floyd/Morgan/Lawrence 1852 1843 1852 1843 1843 1843
F3 Kenton P.O. Box 1109, Covington 41012-1109 and Independence 4105 1840 Campbell 1852 1840 1852 1840 1840 1840
J7 Knott P.O. Box 446, Hindman 41822-0446 1884 Perry/Breathitt/Floyd/Letcher 1911 1884 1911 1883 1891 1888
H8 Knox 401 Court Sq., Barbourville 40906-1463 1800 Lincoln 1852 1800 1852 1800 1803 1800
D6 Larue 209 W. High St., Hodgenville 42748-1563 1843 Hardin 1852 1843 1852 1843 1843 1843
G7 Larue 101 S. Main St., London 40741-2308 1826 Whitley/Clay/Knox/Rockcastle 1852 1826 1852 1826 1817 1826
K5 Lawrence 122 S. Main Cross St., Louisa 41230-1393 1822 Floyd/Greenup 1852 1822 1852 1822 1821 1822
H6 Lee P.O. Box 551, Beattyville 41311-0551 1870 Owsley/Breathitt/Wolfe/Estill 1874 1870 1874 1870 1870 1870
J7 Leslie P.O. Box 916, Hyden 41749-0916 1878 Clay/Harlan/Perry 1878 1878 1878 1879 1873 1866
K7 Letcher 156 Main St./P.O. Box 58, Whitesburg 41858-7286 1842 Perry/Harlan 1852 1842 1852 1842 1866 1866
H4 Lewis P.O. Box 129, Vanceburg 41179-0129 1807 Mason 1852 1807 1852 1807 1807 1807
F6 Lincoln 102 E. Main St., Stanford 40484-1279 1780 Kentucky (Va.) 1852 1781 1852 1780 1781 1780
K5 Livingston P.O. Box 400, Smithland 42081-0400 1798/1799 Christian 1852 1799 1852 1800 1799 1798
Although Livingston was created 13 Dec 1798, county administration didn't become effective until 21 May 1799.
B8 Logan 229 W. 3rd St./P.O. Box 358,Russellville 42276-0358 1792 Lincoln 1852 1790 1853 1792 1795 1793
B3 Lyon P.O. Box 310, Eddyville 42038-0310 1854 Caldwell 1853 1854 1853 1854 1847 1854
G6 Madison 101 W. Main St., Richmond 40475-1415 1786 Lincoln 1852 1786 1852 1787 1787 1786
J6 Magoffin P.O. Box 530, Salyersville 41465-0530 1860 Floyd/Johnson/Morgan 1860 1860 1860 1860 1860 1860
E6 Marion 120 W. Main St., Lebanon 40033-1245 1834 Washington 1852 1852 1852 1863 1863 1863
B3 Marshall 1101 Main St., Benton 42025-1498 1842 Calloway 1852 1848 1852 1848 1848 1848
K5 Martin P.O. Box 460, Inez 41224-0460 1870 Lawrence/Floyd/Pike/Johnson 1903 1871 1905 1870 1861 1870
H4 Mason P.O. Box 234, Maysville 41056-0234 1789 Bourbon 1852 1789 1852 1789 1791 1789
A2 McCracken P.O. Box 609, Paducah 42002-0609 1825 Hickman 1852 1825 1852 1825 1825 1825
G8 McCreary P.O. Box 699, Whitley City 42653-0699 1912 Wayne/Pulaski/Whitley 1912 1912 1912 1915 1912 1912
B6 McLean P.O. Box 57, Calhoun 42327-0057 1854 Muhlenberg/Daviess/Ohio 1854 1854 1854 1854 1847 1854
D5 Meade P.O. Box 614, Brandenburg 40108-0614 1824 Hardin/Breckinridge 1852 1824 1852 1824 1824 1824
H5 Menifee P.O. Box 123, Frenchburg 40322-0123 1869 Powell/Wolfe/Bath/Morgan/Montgomery 1874 1869 1874 1869 1870 1869
F6 Mercer P.O. Box 426, Harrodsburg 40330-0426 1786 Lincoln 1852 1774 1852 1779 1779 1786
E7 Metcalfe P.O. Box 25, Edmonton 42129-0025 1860 Monroe/Adair/Barren/Cumberland/Green 1860 1867 1861 1868 1865 1868
D8 Monroe P.O. Box 188, Tompkinsville 42167-0188 1820 Barren/Cumberland 1852 1863 1852 1863 1861 1862
H5 Montgomery P.O. Box 414, Mount Sterling 40353-0414 1797 Clark 1852 1852 1852 1797 1797 1841
J5 Morgan P.O. Box 26, West Liberty 41472-0026 1823 Floyd/Bath 1852 1823 1852 1823 1823 1823
B7 Muhlenberg P.O. Box 525, Greenville 42345-0525 1799 Christian/Logan 1852 1802 1852 1798 1801 1799
E5 Nelson P.O. Box 312, Bardstown 40004-0312 1785 Jefferson 1852 1785 1852 1784 1785 1785
G4 Nicholas P.O. Box 227, Carlisle 40311-0227 1800 Bourbon/Mason 1852 1800 1852 1800 1800 1796
B6 Ohio P.O. Box 85, Hartford 42347-0085 1799 Hardin 1852 1799 1852 1798 1799 1799
E4 Oldham 100 W. Jefferson St., La Grange 40031-1189 1824 Henry/Shelby/Jefferson 1852 1824 1852 1824 1824 1823
F4 Owen 135 W. Bryan St./P.O. Box 338, Owenton 40359-1440 1819 Scott/Franklin/Gallatin/Pendleton 1852 1819 1852 1819 1819 1819
H6 Owsley P.O. Box 500, Booneville 41314-0500 1843 Clay/Estill/Breathitt 1843 1852 1852 1844 1930 1923*
*This is the date of the earliest existing record. Records are not on microfilm.
G3 Pendleton P.O. Box 112, Falmouth 41040-0112 1799 Bracken/Campbell 1852 1799 1852 1798 1799 1799
J7 Perry P.O. Box 150, Hazard 41702-0150 1821 Clay/Floyd 1852 1821 1852 1821 1901 1831
K6 Pike P.O. Box 631, Pikeville 41502-0631 1822 Floyd 1852 1822 1852 1788 1839 1822
H5 Powell P.O. Box 548, Stanton 40380-0548 1852 Clark/Estill/Montgomery 1852 1852 1852 1864 1864 1864
F7 Pulaski P.O. Box 724, Somerset 42501-0724 1799 Green/Lincoln 1852 1799 1852 1799 1801 1799
G4 Robertson P.O. Box 75, Mount Olivet 41064-0075 1867 Bracken/Nicholas/Harrison/Mason 1874 1867 1874 1868 1864 1867
G6 Rockcastle 205 E. Main St., #6 , P.O. Box 365, Mount Vernon 40456-2211 1810 Pulaski/Lincoln/Knox/Madison 1852 1852 1852 1865 1855 1873
J5 Rowan 627 E. Main St., Morehead 40351-1390 1856 Fleming/Morgan 1856 1880 1856 1866 1853 1880
F7 Russell P.O. Box 579, Jamestown 42629-0579 1826 Cumberland/Adair/Wayne 1852 1826 1852 1825 1826 1826
F4 Scott 101 E. Main St., Georgetown 40324-1794 1792 Woodford 1852 1837 1852 1793 1796 1792
E5 Shelby P.O. Box 819, Shelbyville 40066-0819 1792 Jefferson 1852 1792 1852 1792 1794 1804
C8 Simpson P.O. Box 268, Franklin 42134-0268 1819 Allen/Logan/Warren 1852 1852 1852 1819 1882 1816
E5 Spencer 2 W. Main St./P.O. Box 544, Taylorsville 40071-0544 1824 Shelby/Bullitt/Nelson 1852 1824 1852 1824 1824 1824
E6 Taylor 203 N. Court St., Campbellsville 42718-2298 1848 Green 1852 1848 1852 1848 1848 1848
B8 Todd P.O. Box 307, Elkton 42220-0307 1820 Christian/Logan 1852 1820 1852 1820 1820 1820
C3 Trigg P.O. Box 1310, Cadiz 42211-1310 1820 Christian/Caldwell 1852 1820 1852 1820 1820 1820
E4 Trimble P.O. Box 262, Bedford 40006-0262 1837 Henry/Oldham/Gallatin 1852 1837 1852 1837 1837 1837
C1 Union P.O. Box 119, Morganfield 42437-0119 1811 Henderson 1852 1811 1852 1811 1811 1823
C7 Warren 429 E. 10th St./P.O. Box 478, Bowling Green 42101-0478 1797 Logan 1852 1797 1852 1797 1796 1796
E5 Washington P.O. Box 446, Springfield 40069-0446 1792 Nelson 1852 1792 1852 1792 1792 1792
F8 Wayne P.O. Box 565, Monticello 42633-0565 1801 Pulaski/Cumberland 1852 1801 1852 1800 1801 1802
A6 Webster P.O. Box 19, Dixon 42409-0019 1860 Hopkins/Union/Henderson 1874 1860 1874 1860 1860 1860
G8 Whitley Main Street/P.O. Box 8, Williamsburg 40769-0008 1818 Knox 1852 1818 1852 1818 1818 1818
H6 Wolfe P.O. Box 400, Campton 41301-0400 1860 Owsley/Breathitt/Powell/Morgan 1861 1861 1861 1860 1885 1818
F5 Woodford 103 S. Main St., Versailles 40383-1298 1789 Fayette 1852 1789 1852 1789 1789 1789