Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
Kansas Case Search on kscourts.gov gives public access to district court case information, registers of deeds such as Douglas County offer online search, and vital records are ordered from the Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka by mail, online, phone or walk-in.
Pay Any Required Fees
A Kansas birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate costs $20 per copy; VitalChek adds a $15 expedited fee and the state's online option $5, and Open Records Act fees may not exceed actual cost.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Kansas vital records require a current government-issued photo ID and a stated relationship, since certificates never become public and go only to the registrant, immediate family and others with a direct interest.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in Kansas
On This Page
State Directory
Popular Searches
Straight answers
Kansas County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. The Kansas Open Records Act, K.S.A. 45-215 and following, requires a response within three business days, and county court, deed and appraisal records are open. Kansas vital records are the big exception: birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates are not public records and are issued only to the person named, immediate family and others who show a direct interest, whatever the age of the record. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified Kansas birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate costs $20 per copy from the Office of Vital Statistics, and the fee covers a five-year search that is kept if nothing is found. Online and phone orders through VitalChek add a $15 expedited service fee, and the state's own online option adds $5. Under the Open Records Act agencies may charge reasonable fees that do not exceed the actual cost of copies and staff time.
Can I search county records online?
Kansas Case Search on kscourts.gov gives public access to district court case information as the courts move to a centralized system, and the Kansas Judicial Branch explains other ways to reach older records. Deeds and mortgages are filed with each county's register of deeds, and most offer online searching, Douglas County for example, with county appraisers posting parcel data. Vital records cannot be searched online; order from the Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka by mail, online, phone or walk-in.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. Kansas vital records applications require a current government-issued photo ID, and only the applicant may pick up a certificate in person. You must also state your relationship to the person on the record, since Kansas releases certificates only to the registrant, immediate family and others with a direct interest.
How long does it take to receive records?
Walk-in service at the Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka takes about 15 to 20 minutes when the record is easy to locate; online and phone orders are processed within 3 to 5 business days of receipt, and mailed requests take 7 to 10 business days depending on volume. Kansas Case Search results are immediate, and the state's online criminal history record check returns a Kansas record by name for a fee.