Home

Welcome! 

Notice: Postage rates are increasing effective January 22, 2023.  Please make sure you have the correct postage amounts when filing cases.

The Law Library is temporarily relocated from the 2nd floor of the Justice Center to the 1st floor, past the elevators.  Westlaw is available there.  If you are in need of books from the Law Library please contact Circuit Clerk John Middleton or Judge Summe’s office.

Attention Attorneys: All tort cases are required to be e-filed beginning November 1, 2022. All cases involving consumer goods and services and consumer fraud are required to be e-filed beginning January 1, 2023.  

We are currently experiencing a staff shortage, therefore there could be a delay in processing copy requests, paperwork distribution, serving you at the counter, and answering the phone. We are continuing to do our best to serve you as efficiently as we can and we appreciate your patience and understanding. 

We are hiring! We’re looking for team players and smiling faces! If that’s you, fill out an application. You can submit your completed application and resume using the contact button above (enter employment in subject line). We will be scheduling interviews soon and look forward to meeting you! 

The Kenton County Justice Center is now open normal business hours 8 am to 4 pm, Monday-Friday (except holidays).  Cutoff for posting bonds and making payments over the phone is 3:30 pm.  Bonds are now being posted at our office.  You may continue to file documents through e-filing, mail or documents may be dropped in the drop box in front of the Justice Center (no cash or original wills please).  You may also be eligible to do some payments on-line. 

The Circuit Clerk’s office is no longer issuing Drivers Licenses or ID’s.  The Ky Transportation Cabinet is issuing them through regional offices.  They have taken over both the Covington and  Independence Drivers License offices. For more information visit  the Transportation Cabinet  website here. 

Our goal is to provide the best customer service by providing accurate and useful information in a straight-forward easy format. The Circuit Clerk’s office is informally divided into 4 main divisions.

Circuit Civil/Criminal

  • lawsuits over $5,000
  • foreclosures
  • land dispute title cases
  • contested probate cases
  • felony criminal cases

District Civil/Probate

  • lawsuits up to $5,000
  • small claims under $2,500
  • evictions
  • Probate (estates -death, guardianships, name changes, settlements of minors)
  • Casey’s law (involuntary drug/alcohol treatment), mental health (danger to self or others), disability (appointment to make medical/financial decisions)

District Criminal/Traffic

Family Court

  • divorce
  • paternity, child custody/visitation, child and/or spousal support,
  • juvenile dependency/neglect/abuse,
  • juvenile status offenses (runaways, truancy, beyond control)
  • adoptions
  • emergency protective orders and interpersonal protective orders (domestic violence and dating violence)

Use the links above to visit each area or click on the links to the right for the most frequently asked questions.

John C. Middleton
Kenton Circuit/District Clerk
230 Madison Avenue 3rd Floor
Covington, Kentucky 41011

Phone: (859) 292-6523
Fax: (859) 292-6611

Office Hours: 8 am – 4 pm Monday-Friday (except holidays) bonds refunded until 3:30 pm