Kentucky Marriage and Divorce Records: $6 Copies From June 1958

Kentucky is one of the simpler states in this cluster. The Office of Vital Statistics holds both marriage and divorce records from the same starting point, June 1958, and charges the same $6 fee for either certificate.

Information last verified on 2026-08-04. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

The Two Documents a Kentucky Divorce Produces

Kentucky follows the standard split, and choosing the wrong document is the most common wasted step.

The divorce certificate is a vital record. The Office of Vital Statistics collects, preserves and protects certificates for births, deaths, marriages, divorces and stillbirths, and issues certified copies (Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, "Marriage and Divorce Records"). It records that the divorce happened. It does not set out what the divorce decided, and it is the right document when an agency needs proof that a marriage ended.

The decree is a court record. Kentucky's Circuit Court hears divorces, and in counties with a Family Court division, that division hears cases involving dissolution of marriage along with support, custody, and related matters (Kentucky Court of Justice). The circuit court clerk in the county where the case was heard holds the file, and that clerk is the source for a certified copy of the judgment itself.

The marriage side splits the same way, one step earlier. A county clerk issues the marriage license, the completed record goes into the county's books, and the state holds its copy from June 1958 forward.

What the State Holds, and From When

The Office of Vital Statistics maintains marriage and divorce records from June 1958 to present day. For anything earlier, the state's own guidance is to call the county clerk in the county where the marriage license was issued, or the circuit court clerk in the county where the divorce decree was granted.

That single 1958 date for both record types is genuinely unusual. Most states in this cluster began collecting marriage records decades before they began collecting divorce records, which forces a reader to check two different cutoffs. In Kentucky, if the event happened before June 1958, the answer is the same for both: go to the county.

One rule shapes every Kentucky request, including the ones people expect to be free. The Office states that it cannot by law provide any information from records, perform a genealogical search, or verify whether a certificate is on file without a completed application form and the required fee attached. There is no phone or email check to confirm a record exists before you pay. Because the $6.00 is a non-refundable search fee, an uncertain request costs the same as a successful one, so narrow the date and the parties' names before applying.

On eligibility, Kentucky is unusually open, and the statute says so outright. KRS 213.136(1) provides that the state registrar shall, upon receipt of an application, issue a certified copy of a vital record in the registrar's custody, or a part of it, "to any applicant." There is no class of eligible requesters to qualify for. Most states in this cluster restrict certified copies of marriage and divorce records to the parties themselves, immediate family, or a legal representative, which is why the Kentucky agency pages describe only the application, the fee, and the search process without naming who may apply: the statute does not limit it. You still need the names of both parties, the date, and the Kentucky county, and the application form is the place to confirm current filing requirements.

Fees and How to Order

The fee is $6.00 per certificate for marriage and divorce, charged as a non-refundable search fee, meaning it is not returned if no record is found (Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, "Purchase Options"). That figure is set by regulation, 901 KAR 5:050, which prescribes the fees for searches and certified copies. Stillbirth and death certificates carry the same $6.00 fee. Birth certificates are $10.00, which is the figure people most often assume applies across the board.

Three ordering channels, current as of August 2026:

• Online or by phone through VitalChek, which Kentucky names as its ordering partner, reachable at (800) 241-8322
• By mail, sending a check or money order, no cash, payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer, to the Office of Vital Statistics, 275 E. Main St., 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621
• In person, at 275 East Main Street in Frankfort, weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern

One limit is worth planning around. The Office does not issue photocopies, faxed copies, non-certified copies, or electronic copies, and that is more than office preference. KRS 213.136(6) bars any person from preparing or issuing a document purporting to be an original, certified copy, or copy of a vital record except as that statute and its regulations authorize. There is no informal quick look-up and no emailed scan. If you need something today for an informal purpose, the Office is not going to help; if you need a certified document, it is the only state source.

For the decree, contact the circuit court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted, and ask that clerk for its copy and certification fees, which are set at the court level.

Older Kentucky Records

For pre-June 1958 events, county custody is the rule: the county clerk for a marriage license and the circuit court clerk for a divorce decree. Kentucky county clerks in several counties hold marriage books reaching well back into the eighteenth century, so a genealogical search that stalls at the state should restart at the county.

Kentucky also has an unusual early-divorce wrinkle worth knowing for family history work. In the state's earliest decades, a divorce could require an act of the legislature rather than a court judgment, so the record of a very early Kentucky divorce may sit in legislative acts rather than in a circuit court file. The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives holds early original circuit court records and is the right contact for that research.

Related Kentucky Records and Laws

• Marriage and divorce records by state for how Kentucky's single 1958 cutoff compares to states with split start dates
• How to get a copy of your marriage certificate for the general ordering walkthrough
• How to find out if someone is married or divorced for what a search can realistically establish
• Kentucky death records, which carry the same $6.00 fee
• Kentucky divorce laws for grounds, residency, and process
• Kentucky public records laws for requests to Kentucky agencies

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about how Kentucky marriage and divorce records are held and released as of the verification date above. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, forms, and office hours change, and county clerk and circuit court clerk practices vary. Confirm current requirements with the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics or the relevant county office before relying on any figure here.

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Last updated: 2026-08-04. Fees, the June 1958 start date, and ordering channels reflect the state agency pages as published on that date.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Kentucky marriage or divorce certificate cost?

$6.00 per certificate, charged as a non-refundable search fee, set by regulation at 901 KAR 5:050. The same $6.00 applies to death and stillbirth certificates. Kentucky birth certificates are $10.00.

How far back do Kentucky state marriage and divorce records go?

June 1958 for both. For an earlier marriage, contact the county clerk where the license was issued. For an earlier divorce, contact the circuit court clerk in the county where the decree was granted.

Does Kentucky issue the divorce decree itself?

No. The Office of Vital Statistics issues a divorce certificate recording the basic facts. The decree with the terms is a Circuit Court record held by the circuit court clerk in the county where the case was heard.

Can I call and ask whether a Kentucky marriage record exists?

No. The Office of Vital Statistics states it cannot by law provide any information from records, perform a genealogical search, or verify whether a certificate is on file without a completed application form and the required fee attached. The $6.00 search fee is non-refundable whether or not a record is found.

Can I get a Kentucky vital record by email or fax?

No. The Office of Vital Statistics does not issue photocopies, faxed copies, non-certified copies, or electronic copies, and KRS 213.136(6) bars anyone from issuing a document purporting to be a copy of a vital record except as the statute and its regulations authorize. It issues certified paper documents only.

How do I order a Kentucky marriage record online?

Through VitalChek, which Kentucky names as its online and telephone ordering channel, at (800) 241-8322. Mail and in-person service at the Frankfort office are the other official routes.

Who is allowed to request a Kentucky marriage or divorce certificate?

Anyone. KRS 213.136(1) directs the state registrar, on receipt of an application, to issue a certified copy of a vital record 'to any applicant.' Kentucky does not limit marriage and divorce certificates to the parties or their immediate family the way most states do. You still need to supply both names, the date, the Kentucky county, and the $6.00 fee.

Which court handles Kentucky divorces?

Circuit Court. In counties with a Family Court division, that division hears dissolution of marriage cases along with support, custody, visitation, and related family matters.