Kentucky, county records

Harlan County, Kentucky Public Records

Find the right office in Harlan 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 Harlan County records

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Local record guide

About public records in Harlan County

County profile

Harlan County at a glance

State
Kentucky
County seat
Harlan
Population
26,831
Area
467 sq mi
Founded
1819
Cities and towns
24

Harlan County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Harlan County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Harlan County.

Police Departments. Law enforcement in Harlan County is provided by both Harlan County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Harlan County Sheriff's Office, located at 101 Joe Blanton Way in Harlan, Kentucky 40831, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Harlan County. Arrest records in Harlan County are public records under Kentucky's Open Records Act (KRS 61.870 to 61.884), which establishes the right of citizens to inspect public records with limited exceptions. The Kentucky State Police Post 10 in Harlan County also provides law enforcement services throughout Harlan County and can be contacted through the office’s website.

Criminal Records. For an authoritative source, see Harlan County Arrest, Court, and Public Records .

Arrest Records. They are maintained by the arresting agency, primarily the County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.

210 E. Central St., Suite 202 Harlan, KY 40831 • Phone: (606) 573-1313

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Harlan County

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

From the old mine records

What is on record in Harlan County

Old mine sites
8
Still producing
1
Main minerals
Clay; Iron; Manganese
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
465
Shafts and tunnels
397
What they are
adit, strip mine, open pit mine or quarry, gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated
Maps surveyed
1935 to 1991

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 9 named mine sites inside the county, 8 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 465 holes drawn inside the county, 397 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Clay; Iron; Manganese.

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.

1 mile
Harlan 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. Hover a dot for its name.
Kentucky mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Harlan County (31 shown, 443 unnamed on the map)

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.

Straight answers

Harlan County public-records FAQs

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Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Harlan County, Kentucky?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Harlan County Sheriff or a city police department in Harlan County. Ask that agency for its record. Under KRS 61.8746, no one may use a booking photograph obtained from a public agency for a commercial purpose on a website or in a publication that charges a fee for its removal; a person can sue for an injunction, costs, attorney's fees and daily damages.

How can I get a criminal background check in Harlan County, Kentucky?

The Kentucky criminal history record comes from the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, Records Unit. Name based state court criminal record report online through AOC FastCheck (account or one time request), by mail to Administrative Office of the Courts, Records Unit, 1001 Vandalay Drive, Frankfort, KY 40601, or at the AOC drive thru window. Fee: $25.00 per record request.

How do I look up sex offenders in Harlan County, Kentucky?

Search the Kentucky Sex Offender Registry (Kentucky State Police), 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 Harlan County, Kentucky?

Register with the county clerk or through the Kentucky State Board of Elections. You can also register online with the state online registration. Registration books close on the fourth Tuesday before an election (KRS 116.045(2)); for the 2026 general election the last day to register was Monday, October 5, with online registrations due by 4:00 PM local time.

How do I look up property records in Harlan County, Kentucky?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Harlan County are kept by the Harlan County clerk. Property values are set by the Property Valuation Administrator, and tax bills come from the county sheriff. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Harlan County, Kentucky?

Certified birth and death certificates for Kentucky come from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Vital Statistics. By mail with a check or money order payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer to Office of Vital Statistics, 275 E. Main St., 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621, in person or at the drop box at 275 East Main Street, Frankfort, or online and by phone through VitalChek at (800) 241-8322, the only authorized online and telephone partner. Fee: $10 for each birth certificate (non refundable search fee); $6 for each death, marriage or divorce certificate.

How do I find business license records in Harlan County, Kentucky?

Business entity filings are searched with the Kentucky Secretary of State. Kentucky does not have a statewide business license that applies to all businesses; many cities and counties require a local business license or impose an occupational tax.

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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.