Kentucky County Resources

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 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