Kansas, county records

Clay County, Kansas Public Records

Find the right office in Clay County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Clay County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Official

State records

Kansas Fictitious Business Names Filings

The Kansas Secretary of State's business services search corporations, LLCs and other registered entities and check whether a name is available. Kansas keeps no statewide filing for sole proprietor trade names.

kansas.gov
Open official site Kansas Fictitious Business Names Filings

Local record guide

About public records in Clay County

County profile

Clay County at a glance

State
Kansas
County seat
Clay Center
Population
8,117
Area
656 sq mi
Founded
1857
Cities and towns
5

Clay County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Clay County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in the unincorporated areas of Clay County.

Police Departments. Clay County is served by Clay County Sheriff's Office and several municipal police departments, including the Clay Center Police Department and the Wakefield Police Department.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Clay County Sheriff's Office, located at 712 5th Street in Clay Center, Kansas 67432, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Clay County. Inmate information and jail rosters can be obtained by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly during business hours, as Clay County does not currently maintain a publicly accessible online inmate lookup system.

Criminal Records. Residents can request criminal records through the Sheriff's Office or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which offers an online portal for background checks.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Clay County are maintained by Clay County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly, following the guidelines set by the Kansas Open Records Act.

Jail & Inmate Records. Inmate lookup services are available through the Sheriff's Office, allowing the public to find information about current detainees.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Clay County are taken and retained by Clay County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These photos are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office or online databases. Individuals seeking mugshots can inquire directly with the Sheriff's Office or use third-party services that aggregate public records.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Clay County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Clay County

Old mine sites
1
Past producers, now closed
1
Main minerals
Clay
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
15
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
quarry, sand pit, gravel pit
Maps surveyed
1963 to 1982

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 1 mine site inside the county: 1 past producer, now closed; the old survey maps add 15 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is Clay.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. Underground coal mining in Kansas was concentrated in Cherokee and Crawford Counties.

Riley County Clay Center Wakefield Morganville Idana Green Longford Oak Hill N 10 miles
Clay County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. The small open circles with a name are the towns and the pale shapes around the edge are the neighbouring counties, both from the Census Bureau. Hover a dot for its name.
Kansas mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Clay County (1 shown, 15 unnamed on the map)

Kansas abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Labor Department file

Wage and hour cases in Clay County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 10 investigations in Clay County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $72,033 in back wages agreed for 27 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.

Investigations closed
10
Back wages agreed
$72,033
Workers due back wages
27
Civil money penalties
$289,525
Employers on the record
7
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
Leiszler Oil Co., Inc.Clay Center1$23,07112
Rothfuss Motels, IncClay Center1$11,1773
TSI Kansas, Inc.Clay Center1$281
Clay Center Livestock Sales, Inc.Clay Center1$00
Sunset Equities, IncClay Center1$00
Emerald City Grill & BBQ LLCClay Center1$00
Dieck's IncClay Center1$00

Every employer on the Clay County record, by back wages agreed; 5 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record in this row. The Kansas wage theft records page ranks the whole state.

Straight answers

Clay County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Clay County, Kansas?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Clay County Sheriff's Office or a city police department in Clay County. Ask that agency for its record.

How do I get a criminal background check in Clay County, Kansas?

The Kansas criminal history record comes from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Central Repository. Name based search online at www.kansas.gov/kbi/criminalhistory (no longer by mail or walk in), or a certified or fingerprint based request to the KBI. Fee: $20.00 for a name based online search; $30 for a certified name based check; $35 for a fingerprint based Kansas check.

How can I look up sex offenders in Clay County, Kansas?

Search the Kansas Offender Registry (KBI), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Clay County, Kansas?

Register with the county election officer (the county clerk, or the appointed election commissioner in Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties) or through the Kansas Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. Registration books close 21 days before an election.

How do I look up property records in Clay County, Kansas?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Clay County are kept by the Clay County Register of Deeds. Property values are set by the county appraiser, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Clay County, Kansas?

Certified birth and death certificates for Kansas come from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of Vital Statistics. Walk in at 1000 SW Jackson Suite 120, Topeka, KS 66612-2221 (Curtis State Office Building), by regular or priority mail, by telephone, or online through VitalChek, all listed by the Office. Fee: $20 for each certified copy (the first $20 is a five year record search fee that includes one copy if the record is found).

How do I find business license records in Clay County, Kansas?

Business entity filings are searched with the Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services. Businesses should check with the county and city where they operate for local permits and licenses; many trades need state agency licenses.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.