Kentucky Criminal Records at a Glance
Kentucky criminal records are maintained by the Kentucky State Police (KSP). KSP provides criminal background checks and maintains the state central repository. The KSP Sex Offender Registry provides public access to registered offender information. Kentucky court records are accessible through the Kentucky courts online system.
1Kentucky Statewide Criminal Search Resources
- KSP, Background Checkskentuckystatepolice.ky.govKentucky State Police offers criminal background checks to the general public and qualified organizations.
- Kentucky Courts, Background Checks (AOC)kycourts.govAdministrative Office of the Courts offers criminal record reports to individuals and businesses.
- CourtNet 2.0, Kentucky Court Case Searchkcoj.kycourts.netSearch Kentucky court records. Contains 4M+ records covering misdemeanors, traffic, and felonies since 1978.
- Kentucky Sex Offender Registrykspsor.state.ky.usSearch registered sex offenders in Kentucky.
- Kentucky DOC, Offender Search (KOOL)kool.corrections.ky.govSearch offenders with photos. Search by last name, first name.
- Kentucky State Police Homewww.kentuckystatepolice.orgKSP portal. Open records, concealed weapons, sex offender registry, driver testing.
- Kentucky VINELink, Victim Notificationvinelink.vineapps.comSearch offenders in Kentucky custody and register for victim notification.
2Kentucky County Sheriff Reports & Criminal Records
Kentucky’s CourtNet 2.0 system is one of the more comprehensive state court record databases in the country. It contains over 4 million records covering all misdemeanor and traffic cases for the last five years and felonies dating back to 1978.
- Adair County Sheriffs Officeadaircounty.ky.govFind the latest criminal news in Adair county.
- Allen County Sheriffs Officewww.allencountykentucky.comFind sex offender registry, amber alerts and sheriffs news and reports.
- Anderson County Sheriffs Officewww.andersoncountysheriff.comFind contact information for Anderson county sheriffs office.
- Ballard County Sheriffs Officewww.discoverballardcounty.comFind crime statistics, sex offender information and sheriffs news.
- Barren County Sheriffs Officewww.barrencountysheriff.comActive warrants, most wanted criminals, sheriffs report and news.
- Boone County Sheriffs Officeboonecountykysheriff.comLocate sex offenders, view sheriffs press releases, sign up for community alerts.
- Bourbon County Sheriffs Officebourbonsheriff.orgFind links to sex offender register and, criminal background checks.
- Boyd County Sheriffs Officeboydcountyky.govIncrease public awareness of local crime and provide convenient access to public records.
- Boyle County Sheriffs Officewww.boylecountyky.govContact the sheriffs office for information on criminal activity in the county.
- Bracken County Sheriffs Officewww.brackencountysheriff.comThe sheriffs office has information on crime news in the area.
- Breathitt County Sheriffs Officewww.breathittcountysheriff.comFind contact information for the Breathitt county sheriff.
- Breckinridge County Sheriffs Officewww.breckinridgecountysheriff.netFind sheriffs news and link to sex offender registry.
- Bullitt County Sheriffs Officebullitt.kysheriff.orgView most wanted criminals, missing persons information, crime prevention tips.
- Butler County Sheriffs Officebutlercounty.ky.govFind location, phone and email for the Butler county sheriffs office.
- Caldwell County Sheriffs Officecaldwellcountysheriff.ky.govFind information on crime prevention and sheriffs news and reports.
- Calloway County Sheriffs Officecallkyso.comFind criminal division, active warrants and sex offender search.
- Campbell County Sheriffs Officecampbellcountysheriffky.orgFind information on the criminal process in Campbell county.
- Carroll County Sheriffs Officewww.carrollcountygov.usFind contact information for the Carroll county sheriffs office.
- Carter County Sheriffs Officecartercounty.ky.govContact the Carter county sheriff for news of criminal activity in the area.
- Christian County Sheriffs Officewww.christiancountyso.comFind location, phone and fax for Christian county sheriffs office.
- Clark County Sheriffclark.kysheriff.orgObtain accident or offense reports, request copies of public records.
- Cumberland County Sheriffs Officecumberlandcounty.ky.govLookup jail inmates online, find crime victims assistance and sex offender information.
- Daviess County Sheriffs Officewww.dcsoky.govFind criminal investigations division, obtain crash reports, view most wanted fugitives.
- Edmonson County Sheriffs Officewww.edmonsoncounty.orgInformation on criminal activity in the county.
- Elliott County Sheriffs Officeelliottcounty.ky.govFind crime news at the Elliott county sheriffs office.
- Fayette County Sheriffs Officewww.fayettesheriff.comFind crime victims services, outstanding warrants, sex offender watch and sheriffs news.
- Franklin County Sheriffs Officewww.franklincountysheriffsoffice.netContact information for Franklin county sheriffs office.
- Fulton County Sheriffs Officewww.fultoncountysheriff.netContact the Fulton county sheriff for news of criminal activity in the area.
- Garrard County Sheriffs Officegarrard.kysheriff.orgLearn about crime prevention, view most wanted criminals, find sex offender information.
- Grant County Sheriffgrantcountysheriff.netFind most wanted fugitives, sex offender search and sheriffs news.
- Grayson County Sheriffs Officewww.gcsheriff.netView most wanted criminals, lookup sex offenders, find missing children information.
- Hardin County Sheriffs Officewww.hckysheriff.comFind sex offender database, view most wanted criminals list and sheriffs news and reports.
- Harlan County Sheriffs Officewww.harlansheriff.comObtain accident reports online and find criminal information for Harlan county.
- Harrison County Sheriffs Officewww.hcsoky.comContact the sheriffs office for criminal news for the county.
- Hart County Sheriffs Officewww.hartcountysheriffky.comThe sheriffs office has information on criminal activity in the area.
- Henderson County Sheriffs Officewww.hendersoncountyky.govInformation on criminal investigations in Henderson county.
- Hickman County Sheriffs Officewww.explorehickmancounty.comFind information about the Hickman county sheriffs office.
- Hopkins County Sheriffs Officewww.hopkinscountysheriff.comFind inmates online, view crime maps, receive text message alerts.
- Jackson County Sheriffs Officejacksoncounty.ky.govFind crime prevention tips and news of criminal activity in Jackson county.
- Jefferson County Sheriffs Officewww.jcsoky.orgFind criminal division news, search for sex offenders in Jefferson county.
- Jessamine County Sheriffs Officewww.jessaminesheriff.orgView most wanted criminal list, find crime victims assistance, report a crime in your area.
- Kenton County Sheriffs Officewww.kentoncountysheriff.orgFind crime statistics, sex offender information and sheriffs news.
- Knox County Sheriffs Officewww.knoxcosheriff.orgContact the Knox county sheriff for area criminal news.
- Lawrence County Sheriffwww.lawrencecokysheriff.orgFind outstanding warrant list, most wanted criminals and missing persons information.
- Leslie County Sherifflesliecounty.ky.govInformation on local sex offenders and sheriffs news and reports.
- Letcher County Sheriffs Officewww.letcherso.comCrime stoppers, crime victim advocate, most wanted criminal list, inmate search and jail information.
- Lewis County Sheriffs Officelewiscountysheriff.orgFind contact information for the Lewis county sheriff.
- Madison County Sheriffs Officemadisoncountyky.usContact the Madison county sheriffs department for local crime news and records.
- Magoffin County Sheriffs Officemagoffincounty.ky.govFind location, hours and phone information for Magoffin county sheriffs office.
- Marion County Sheriffs Officewww.sheriffofmarionco.comInformation on most wanted criminals, crime prevention and sex offender registry.
- Mason County Sheriffs Officewww.masoncountysheriffky.comFind contact information for the Mason county sheriffs office.
- McCracken County Sheriffs Officewww.mccrackencountysheriff.comFind most wanted list, jail and inmate information, missing persons and sheriffs news.
- McCreary County Sheriffs Officewww.mccrearysheriff.comInformation on criminal cases, arrest reports, wanted persons and inmate releases.
- Meade County Sheriffs Officewww.meadecountyso.comContact Meade county sheriffs office for news on crime in the area.
- Mercer County Sheriffs Officewww.mercercosheriff.comContact information for Mercer county sheriffs office.
- Nelson County Sheriffs Officewww.nelsonsheriff.comFind most wanted fugitives list, criminal investigations division and sheriffs news.
- Ohio County Sheriffs Officeohiocountysheriff.comView sheriffs services and contact and phone information.
- Oldham County Sheriffs Officeoldhamcountysheriff.comInformation on domestic abuse, crime reporting tip line and sheriffs news releases.
- Owen County Sheriffs Officewww.owencountyky.usContact the sheriffs office for information on local criminal activity.
- Pendleton County Sheriffs Officesheriff.pendletoncounty.ky.govInformation on prisoners, sex offenders and other sheriffs news.
- Perry County Sheriffs Officewww.perrysheriff.orgFind most wanted criminal list, drug activity reporting and sheriffs contact information.
- Powell County Sheriffs Officewww.powellcountyky.usFind address, phone, fax and hours for the Powell county sheriffs office.
- Pulaski County Sheriffs Officewww.pulaskisheriff.comFind unsolved cases, most wanted criminal list, missing persons information and sheriffs news.
- Rockcastle County Sheriffs Officesheriff.rockcastlecounty.ky.govContact the Rockcastle sheriff for crime news and information.
- Scott County Sheriffs Officescottsheriffky.comInformation on criminal investigations, warrants, sheriffs news and services.
- Shelby County Sheriffs Officewww.sckyso.comObtain criminal background checks, sex offender search, amber alerts and crime victim assistance.
- Simpson County Sheriffs Officesimpsoncountyky.govContact Simpson county sheriffs office for news of criminal activity in the area.
- Spencer County Sheriffs Officespencer.kysheriff.orgFind crime news at the Spencer county sheriffs office.
- Taylor County Sheriffs Officetaylorcountyky.govFind law enforcement and crime news for Taylor county.
- Todd County Sheriffs Officesheriff-toddcounty.ky.govFind news of criminal activity in Todd county.
- Trimble County Sheriffs Officetrimblesheriff.orgContact the Trimble county sheriff for crime news and reports.
- Union County Sheriffs Officewww.unioncountyky.orgThe sheriffs office has information on criminal activity in Union county.
- Warren County Sheriffs Officewarrencountykysheriff.comInformation on criminal investigations, felony warrants, most wanted fugitives and sheriffs records.
- Washington County Sheriffs Officewww.wcsoky.comFind law enforcement and crime prevention services.
- Wayne County Sheriffwww.waynesheriff.comContact the sheriffs office for crime news and information in Wayne county.
- Whitley County Sheriffs Officewww.whitleycountyfiscalcourt.comContact information for Whitley county sheriffs office.
- Woodford County Sheriffs Officewww.woodfordcountysheriff.orgFind most wanted fugitives list, sex offender search, sheriffs news and crime stoppers information.
3Federal & National Authoritative Sources
These federal and national sources complement Kentucky's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when Kentucky state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
NSOPW, National Sex Offender Public Website
The Department of Justice's single national search across every state, territory, and tribal registry. Authoritative for offender status but does not include every historical conviction.
https://www.nsopw.gov/ (nsopw.gov)
The Department of Justice's single national search across every state, territory, and tribal registry. Authoritative for offender status but does not include every historical conviction.
https://www.nsopw.gov/ (nsopw.gov)
FBI, Identity History Summary Check
How to request your own FBI rap sheet (CJIS Identity History Summary) under Title 28 CFR § 16.30, 16.34. $18 fee, fingerprint submission required.
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/need-an-fbi-service-or-more-information/identity-history-summary-checks (fbi.gov)
How to request your own FBI rap sheet (CJIS Identity History Summary) under Title 28 CFR § 16.30, 16.34. $18 fee, fingerprint submission required.
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/need-an-fbi-service-or-more-information/identity-history-summary-checks (fbi.gov)
FBI UCR, Uniform Crime Reporting
The FBI's aggregate crime statistics program. Useful for context on offense frequency but not a record of individual persons.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/ (ucr.fbi.gov)
The FBI's aggregate crime statistics program. Useful for context on offense frequency but not a record of individual persons.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/ (ucr.fbi.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
Kentucky Criminal Records, FAQ
Is there a single nationwide criminal record search?
No public one. The FBI's Interstate Identification Index (III) is nationwide but is only accessible to law enforcement agencies and approved employers under Public Law 92-544. Individuals can order their own rap sheet through the CJIS Identity History Summary service.
What is the difference between state and FBI record checks?
A state check searches one state's conviction database. The FBI III check searches every state that participates in III. Both are fingerprint-based.
Can arrests without conviction appear on a background check?
Yes, on some. State BCI responses vary, a few states return arrests without disposition for up to seven years, others redact non-conviction arrests. The FCRA (15 U.S.C. § 1681c) caps non-conviction arrests on consumer reports at 7 years.
How long does an expungement take?
It is a court process governed by state statute, typically 60 - 180 days from petition to order, plus another 60 - 90 days for agency updates.