Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Manhattan is a city in Riley County, Kansas, with about 55,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Manhattan offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 2 city office pages for Manhattan, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, City Hall, Records requests and Questions.
City or county record: where Manhattan records are kept
- Kept by the City of Manhattan: council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Riley County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Riley County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Manhattan City Clerk: council records and ordinances
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Manhattan.
- Website: manhattanks.gov/3247/City-Clerks-Office (page title: City Clerk's Office | Manhattan, KS)
- Phone: (785) 587-2480
- Checked: September 26, 2026, the page answered.
Manhattan City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: manhattanks.gov/2260/Contact-Information (page title: Contact Information | Manhattan, KS)
- Phone: (785) 587-2480
- Checked: September 26, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Manhattan
Kansas public records law applies to the city government of Manhattan. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
Manhattan Arrest Records
The Manhattan arrest records guide says who makes arrests in Manhattan. It also says where a person arrested in Manhattan is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.
Manhattan Records Guides
SearchSystems has eight more guides to Manhattan, each written from the city's own offices and figures: Manhattan warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Manhattan inmate search (the jail page of the Riley County Police Department, the jail numbers and who books people), Manhattan criminal records (the court file, the Kansas criminal history and the local arrest records), Manhattan court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Manhattan traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Manhattan DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Manhattan divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Manhattan property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Manhattan website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Manhattan offices listed above, and the city's own website is manhattanks.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
Where do I find Manhattan city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at manhattanks.gov/3247/City-Clerks-Office, phone (785) 587-2480. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Manhattan?
Manhattan cases are heard by the courts that serve Riley County, and people arrested in Manhattan are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Riley County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Manhattan?
From the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. Kansas public records law applies to city governments.