Montgomery County County Clerk Office
Kentucky uses a split local records structure. The Circuit Court Clerk handles court case files, while the County Clerk handles recorded instruments and county-clerk services. Montgomery County Clerk Chris Cockrell is the local contact for deeds, mortgages, leases, marriage licenses, vehicle registrations and titles, motorboat records, vehicle tax collection, insurance verification, voter registration, elections, delinquent taxes, notary applications, handicap placards, and related county-clerk services.
The County Clerk office is in the same Court Street government area as the courthouse, but it is not the court records counter. Use this office for land and recording records, marriage-license questions, eCCLIX access, DOC ALERT, County Clerk open records, and recording fees. Use the Circuit Court Clerk for Circuit Court and District Court case records.
Montgomery County Clerk
Clerk: Chris Cockrell
1 Court St Ste 2
Mount Sterling, KY 40353
859-498-8700
Fax: 859-498-8729
chris.cockrell@ky.gov
Monday 8:00-5:00; Tuesday-Friday 8:15-4:00
What Montgomery County Clerk Handles
The County Clerk's Real Estate Recordings department houses Montgomery County land records and related recording documents. Official research identifies deeds, mortgages, tax liens, plats, and thousands of other real-estate documents, with hundreds of plats available for public inspection. The office also handles marriage licenses and many county service functions that are not court case records.
- Deeds, mortgages, leases, plats, and tax liens.
- Marriage licenses and other County Clerk legal recordings.
- Vehicle registrations, titles, motorboat records, and vehicle tax collection.
- Voter registration, elections, delinquent taxes, and notary applications.
- Handicap placards and other County Clerk services listed by the office.
Attorneys, title companies, and frequent filers can also use e-recording vendors listed by the Clerk: Indecomm, Hopdox, CSC, Simplifile, and ePN.
Search Montgomery County Clerk Records Online
Online land and recorded-document access runs through the Montgomery County Clerk online records page and eCCLIX, the Internet version of CCLIX used by many Kentucky county clerks. eCCLIX is the right online path for many County Clerk recorded documents, but it should not be treated as a Circuit or District Court case search.
The County Clerk separates eCCLIX users into private and commercial categories. Private users are Montgomery County residents searching for personal reasons with no commercial gain. They may search only Montgomery County records, are limited to five searches per day, and pay no charge for that service. Commercial users are businesses or individuals in the business of researching documents. They use a subscription-fee path and may add other counties.
| User type | Access rule | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Private Montgomery County user | No charge, Montgomery-only, five searches per day | Personal deed, mortgage, lien, or recorded-document checks. |
| Commercial user | Subscription fee with option to add counties | Title research, business document searches, and frequent record work. |
| Counter or open-records requester | Use Clerk office or request form | Records not found online, copies, or formal inspection requests. |
Request Certified County Clerk Copies
A certified County Clerk copy proves the County Clerk's recorded document or county record. It is different from a certified court copy. For example, a certified deed or recorded will document comes from the County Clerk if that document is in County Clerk records. A certified divorce decree comes from the Circuit Court Clerk because divorce is a court case.
- Identify the record type, such as deed, mortgage, lien, plat, will recording, marriage license, or another County Clerk record.
- Search eCCLIX if online recorded-document access is appropriate for the record.
- Call or email the County Clerk to confirm whether a certified copy is available and what fee applies.
- Use the open-records request form if the Clerk directs formal submission.
- Submit by hand delivery, mail, fax, or email using the channels in the County Clerk open-records policy.
- Pay all copy fees and postage in advance when required.
Montgomery County Clerk Request Form
The County Clerk open-records policy says requests should use the Open Records Request Form. Requests may be hand-delivered, mailed, faxed to 859-498-8729 during regular office hours, or emailed to Chris Cockrell at chris.cockrell@ky.gov. A determination will be made within five working days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.
| Field label | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Requester contact information. |
| Mailing address | Yes | Used with Kentucky residency category. |
| Email address | Optional | Helpful for response and follow-up. |
| Records to be inspected | Yes | Describe the County Clerk public records requested. |
| Commercial purpose statement | Yes | Choose not for commercial purpose or for a commercial purpose. |
| Kentucky residency statement | Yes | Select the category that qualifies the requester. |
| Signature and date | Yes | Required for the standardized request form. |
Montgomery County Clerk Fees
The County Clerk fee schedule is most detailed for recording and document-related services. Statutory schedules under KRS 64.012 and KRS 64.019 can apply first. Otherwise, the County Clerk open-records policy sets non-commercial paper copies at $0.50 per copy and non-commercial recordings, computer discs, or tapes at $5.00 per copy. Fees and postage must be paid in advance.
| Record or filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Deed | $50 |
| Mortgage | $80 |
| Mortgage with assignment | $126 |
| Plat | $50 |
| Will | $47 |
| Renunciation of will | $46 |
| Disclaimer of will | $46 |
| Judgment lien, lis pendens, federal tax lien, mechanic lien | $46 |
| State tax lien or in-state child support lien | $5 |
| Power of attorney | $50 |
For starred or numbered document categories, the published extra-page rule adds $3 for every page over the first five pages on some items and $3 for every page over the first 30 pages on others. Check the current recording fee schedule before recording.
Montgomery County DOC ALERT
DOC ALERT is a County Clerk-linked property-fraud notification service. The Clerk's online-records page says it is a free service offered with Software Management, LLC. Registration requires only name and email. The system sends an email alert when a mortgage or deed bearing the registered name or business name is filed at the County Clerk's Office.
DOC ALERT does not block a filing, undo a deed, or replace a title search. It is an alert tool. It can be useful for homeowners, businesses, estate representatives, and people who want notice of deed or mortgage activity tied to a registered name. For suspected fraud or legal disputes, contact the proper public office or counsel after checking the recorded document.
County Clerk Open Records Rules
Kentucky open-records law applies to County Clerk records, but access still depends on whether the requested record is public and whether any exemption, fee schedule, or commercial-purpose rule applies. KRS 61.870 defines public-record and commercial-purpose terms, KRS 61.872 covers the right of Kentucky residents to inspect public records, and KRS 61.874 covers copies, fees, commercial-purpose requests, and online access.
Commercial-purpose applicants must provide a certified statement under KRS 61.874 and, if approved, enter a contract stating production, labor, and copy fees. Non-commercial requesters still must provide enough detail for the Clerk to identify the record and must pay required fees before copies and postage are provided.