Butler County Circuit Court Clerk
In Butler County, the primary clerk for court records is Circuit Court Clerk Melissa Cardwell. The local Butler County page lists the office at 110 North Main Street, P.O. Box 625, Morgantown, KY 42261. The phone number is 270-526-5631, the alternate local number is 270-526-5632, the fax number is 270-526-6763, and the email is melissacardwell@kycourts.net. Listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Kentucky Court of Justice describes circuit court clerks as trial-level elected clerks who keep custody, control, and safe storage of Circuit Court and District Court records. The local Butler County page adds practical functions: receiving lawsuits and papers for the courts, entering judge's orders, being present during trials, receiving fines, scheduling juries, handling bond money, and operating video recording equipment for Circuit and District Court proceedings.
Office of Circuit Court Clerk
Clerk: Melissa Cardwell
110 North Main Street, P.O. Box 625
Morgantown, KY 42261
270-526-5631 or 270-526-5632
melissacardwell@kycourts.net
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Butler County Court Record Custody
The State Court Structure Map for Butler County resolves the primary trial court as Circuit Court and the primary clerk as Circuit Court Clerk. That does not mean the office only keeps Circuit Court files. In Kentucky, the Circuit Court Clerk is the custodian for Circuit, Family, and District Court records in the county. That includes court records for felony proceedings, civil matters, family cases, traffic cases, misdemeanors, probate matters, small claims, juvenile matters where access is allowed, and other District Court case types.
The separate Butler County Clerk page covers county records, marriage licenses, land records, elections, vehicle services, tax bills, liens, notary services, and eCCLIX/CCLIX records. The split matters. A divorce decree, criminal disposition, traffic case, probate court order, civil judgment, or certified court copy should route to the Circuit Court Clerk. A deed, mortgage, marriage license, county-record index, or vehicle title question routes to the County Clerk.
| Record type | Correct Butler County custodian |
|---|---|
| Circuit, Family, and District Court case files | Circuit Court Clerk |
| Certified court dispositions or decrees | Circuit Court Clerk |
| Court dockets and hearing verification | Circuit Court Clerk or KCOJ docket tool, then clerk verification |
| Marriage licenses and certified marriage copies | County Clerk |
| Deeds, mortgages, liens, fiscal court minutes | County Clerk |
Request Butler County Court Records
Kentucky Court of Justice request instructions say copies and review of Circuit, District, Family, and Business Court case records start with the clerk of the court that heard the case. For Butler County, that means calling or visiting the Circuit Court Clerk when a full file, certified copy, or official location answer is needed. Online tools are useful, but they do not replace the clerk's authority to confirm where the file is and whether it is available.
- Identify the court level or case type, such as Circuit, Family, District, traffic, probate, criminal, civil, or divorce.
- Use the Kentucky trial-court docket generator for a public schedule check when a date is known.
- Use KYeCourts/CourtNet if broader online civil or criminal case lookup is available to the user.
- Contact the Butler County Circuit Court Clerk for copy review, certified-copy needs, payment questions, or hearing verification.
- If a file is archived, get case and file locator numbers from the clerk before requesting a State Records Center file.
Certified Butler County Court Copies
Certified court copies are used when a document must prove an official court action. Examples include criminal dispositions, divorce decrees, probate orders, judgments, orders of dismissal, and other orders entered in a Butler County trial-court file. The research did not locate a Butler County-specific certified court-copy fee, so requests should not assume a dollar amount until the clerk confirms the current cost.
A strong request gives the clerk enough information to find the file without relying on a broad name search. KCOJ says archived state-record-center requests cannot be searched by name or Social Security number, which makes case identifiers especially important for older files.
| Request field | Required or useful | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Strongly useful | Needed for case search and archive routing when available. |
| County of origin | Yes | Use Butler County for local court records. |
| Division or case type | Useful | Helps distinguish Circuit, Family, District, traffic, probate, or criminal records. |
| Party names | Useful | Helps the clerk confirm the file when identifiers are incomplete. |
| Document requested | Yes | Examples include decree, order, disposition, judgment, or docket sheet. |
| Certification needed | Yes | Certified copies differ from plain copies. |
Butler County Court Clerk Fees
The research identifies court payment methods but not specific court-copy dollar amounts. The local clerk page lists cash, check, and money order. The Kentucky Court of Justice Butler County page adds credit-card payment in the office and online ePay for eligible payments. Court-copy and certified-copy costs should be confirmed with the Circuit Court Clerk or current state fee schedule.
| Item | Published detail |
|---|---|
| Court payments at local office | Cash, check, money order; KCOJ also lists credit card in office. |
| Online court payments | ePay available through the Kentucky Court of Justice for eligible cases. |
| Court copies | Official Butler County amount not located in research. |
| Certified court copies | Official Butler County amount not located in research. |
| Archived file request | Requires clerk-provided case and file locator numbers when stored at a record facility. |
Butler County Clerk Docket Help
The local clerk page publishes recurring court schedule information. Circuit Motion Days are the second Tuesday of each month. Circuit Civil cases are heard at 9:00 a.m., and Circuit Criminal cases are heard at 10:00 a.m. Family Court is held on the first and third Wednesday of each month, with the non-confidential docket beginning at 1:30 p.m. and the confidential docket at approximately 2:00 p.m. District Court meets on the first and third Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.
The clerk page warns users to check with the clerk's office to verify court date and time. That warning is important because the KCOJ docket generator also says it is not an official docket and is subject to change. Use online dockets to prepare, then verify with the Circuit Court Clerk before appearing, paying, or assuming a hearing moved.
| Local schedule item | Published timing |
|---|---|
| Circuit Motion Days | Second Tuesday of each month. |
| Circuit Civil | 9:00 a.m. |
| Circuit Criminal | 10:00 a.m. |
| Family Court | First and third Wednesday; non-confidential docket at 1:30 p.m. |
| District Court | First and third Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. |
| Juror line | 270-662-6396. |
Butler County Clerk Forms and Archives
Kentucky Court of Justice forms are available through the statewide legal forms index, including probate, small claims, expungement, and other AOC forms. The clerk can accept filings and provide procedural record access, but court staff cannot give legal advice. For expungement, the AOC certification process often comes before a petition is filed with the Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the conviction occurred.
Older Butler County court records may be in the clerk's office, a record facility, the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, or unavailable because of retention rules. KCOJ says if a record is stored at a record facility and available for public access, the clerk supplies case and file locator numbers. The State Records Center request can be emailed to state.records@ky.gov or requested by phone at 502-564-3617 after those locator numbers are known.
Note: Do not send broad archived-record requests by name alone; KCOJ says state-record-center trial files need locator numbers.
Butler County Clerk Staff
The local Circuit Court Clerk page lists staff names for the Butler County office: Fammie Green, Lisa Walker, Mandy House, Leah Evans, and Melissa Phelps. Staff can help route a records request to the right court file, explain whether a public docket check is enough, and identify when a certified copy must be requested from the clerk instead of printed from an online screen.
The office also handles juror scheduling and bond-related work. The listed juror line is 270-662-6396. Court users with jury questions should use that number rather than the County Clerk, because jury scheduling is part of the Circuit Court Clerk's court function. For fines, bonds, court dates, and case-record copies, keep the request with the Circuit Court Clerk unless the office directs another route.
The clerk's payment role is tied to court cases. Fines, bonds, and eligible ePay matters relate to court files and court orders. County Clerk fees, such as marriage-license or notary fees, should not be mixed with court payments.
That same separation applies to public-record laws. Kentucky open-records principles may matter for agency records, but KCOJ says trial-court case copy requests start with the clerk of the court that heard the case. For Butler County Circuit, Family, and District Court files, the practical contact is the Circuit Court Clerk.