Montgomery County Circuit Court Overview
Montgomery County is part of Kentucky's 21st Judicial Circuit. Circuit Court is the primary trial court of general jurisdiction. It handles civil matters involving more than $5,000, capital offenses and felonies, divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights, real property title disputes, contested probate matters, injunctions, writs, and appeals from District Court and administrative agencies. Family Court is a division of Circuit Court in Kentucky counties that have one.
The local court location is the Montgomery County Courthouse in downtown Mount Sterling. The Office of Circuit Court Clerk, led by Tanya P. Terry, is the public access point for Circuit Court and District Court case records in Montgomery County. The clerk can help identify the right file, explain copy procedures, and provide record-facility and file-locator information for older records not kept in the office.
Montgomery County Circuit Court Divisions
The Kentucky Court of Justice lists two Circuit Court divisions for Montgomery County within the 21st Judicial Circuit. Both use the same courthouse address and Circuit Court Clerk phone numbers for public contact. Division assignment matters for motion days, judge identification, certificates of service, and docket checks.
| Court | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21st Judicial Circuit Division 1, Judge Elizabeth Davis | Circuit Court | One Court St., Mt. Sterling, KY 40353 | 859-498-5966 / 859-498-5991 |
| 21st Judicial Circuit Division 2, Chief Circuit Judge David Barber | Circuit Court | One Court St., Mt. Sterling, KY 40353 | 859-498-5966 / 859-498-5991 |
| Office of Circuit Court Clerk, Tanya P. Terry | Records office | One Court St., P.O. Box 327, Mt. Sterling, KY 40353 | 859-498-5966 / 859-498-5991 |
Search Montgomery County Circuit Records
Start a Circuit Court records search with the KYeCourts Public Court Records guest search when public case information is enough. The guest page says public court records provide free access to public case information throughout Kentucky, but the entry requires CAPTCHA and the later record screens were not inspected during research. Treat online results as leads until the clerk confirms the official file.
Use the Kentucky docket search for hearing dates. Select Montgomery County, choose Circuit as the division, enter the date, and narrow by courtroom or subdivision if those fields apply. The docket screen states that results are not the official docket and are subject to change. For payable fines, fees, or costs connected to eligible cases, KYeCourts ePay offers a case, name, or driver-license and date-of-birth search path.
- Search KYeCourts when a party name or case number is available.
- Use docket search to confirm the hearing date, court division, and courtroom if published.
- Call the Circuit Court Clerk when a certified copy, older file, or official disposition is needed.
- Ask whether the file is in the local office or stored at a records facility.
- Use ePay only when the case has an eligible court financial obligation.
Note: A public docket can change after posting, so hearing details should be verified before travel.
Montgomery County Circuit Dockets
Local schedules are especially important for Circuit Court records because hearing dates and motion practice differ by division. Division 1 domestic motion day is the first Friday at 9 a.m. Civil motion day is the fourth Friday at 9 a.m. Criminal motion day is the fourth Friday at 10:30 a.m., and grand jury is listed at 2 p.m. on that criminal motion day.
Division 2 uses a different pattern. Domestic motion day is the third Friday at 1 p.m. Civil motion day is the third Friday at 9 a.m. Criminal motion day is the second Friday at 9 a.m. Motions must be filed one week before motion day and must include the defendant and judge on the certificate of service. Motions to dismiss and summary-judgment motions are not noticed for a date certain; a reply is due within 20 days from the certificate date, then the matter is submitted to the judge.
| Division | Domestic | Civil | Criminal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division 1 | First Friday, 9 a.m. | Fourth Friday, 9 a.m. | Fourth Friday, 10:30 a.m.; grand jury 2 p.m. |
| Division 2 | Third Friday, 1 p.m. | Third Friday, 9 a.m. | Second Friday, 9 a.m. |
Circuit Court vs District Court
Circuit Court and District Court are both state trial courts, but they do not serve the same role. In Montgomery County, a felony may begin with a District Court arraignment or probable-cause hearing before moving to Circuit Court after indictment or transfer. A civil claim may remain in District Court if it falls within the lower court amount range, while larger civil disputes go to Circuit Court. Probate petitions usually start in District Court, but contested probate can move into Circuit Court jurisdiction.
| Issue | Circuit Court | District Court |
|---|---|---|
| Civil cases | More than $5,000 | $5,000 or less; small claims $2,500 or less |
| Criminal cases | Capital offenses and felonies after indictment or transfer | Misdemeanors, violations, arraignments, and felony probable-cause hearings |
| Family matters | Divorce, adoption, termination, and related family cases where assigned | Domestic violence and abuse matters listed in District Court jurisdiction |
| Probate | Contested probate and related title disputes | Probate petitions and wills unless adversary proceedings arise |
Montgomery County Case Flow
Criminal and civil records develop as the case moves. A felony record may show a complaint or arrest event first, then District Court arraignment or probable-cause entries, indictment or transfer, Circuit Court arraignment, motions, plea or trial, disposition, sentencing, probation terms, restitution, and appeal notices. A civil record can show complaint, summons, service, answer, motions, orders, judgment, garnishment, lien, satisfaction, and appeal entries.
Felony flow: Complaint or arrest › District Court arraignment/probable cause › indictment or transfer › Circuit Court arraignment › pretrial motions › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint › summons/service › answer › motions › orders › trial or settlement › judgment › collection or appeal.
Montgomery County Circuit Access
Public access to Circuit Court records is broad but not absolute. Kentucky open-records statutes define public records, inspection rights, copies, commercial-purpose rules, and exemptions. Court confidentiality rules still protect sealed records, expunged matters, adoption files, juvenile information, mental-health details, Social Security numbers, financial-account numbers, and safety-sensitive personal data.
For criminal-history reports, use the Kentucky Court of Justice background-check process rather than a single Circuit Court case lookup. For expungement, the Kentucky Court of Justice expungement page and Kentucky statutes provide the application framework. Eligible felony convictions can be addressed under KRS 431.073, while misdemeanors, violations, traffic infractions, dismissed charges, and amended charges are addressed under KRS 431.078.
Montgomery County Circuit Clerk
The Circuit Court Clerk is the practical records office for Montgomery County Circuit Court. The office is at One Court St., P.O. Box 327, Mt. Sterling, KY 40353. Public phone numbers are 859-498-5966 and 859-498-5991, with fax 859-498-9341. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday are closed.
Payment options listed by KCOJ include cash, money order, check, credit and debit cards, and ePay. Checks are held 10 days to clear the bank. Credit and debit card payments carry a fee. Those payment notes matter for Circuit Court criminal costs, civil costs, and other obligations, but current filing fees should be verified before filing because KYeCourts posted a civil filing-fee increase effective July 1, 2026 under Supreme Court Orders 2026-15 and 2026-18.