Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Carter County, Kentucky, has about 26,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Carter Circuit Court and the District Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Circuit Court Clerk, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Carter County public records, Carter County arrest records, Carter County warrants, Carter County criminal records, Carter County police reports, Kentucky arrest records and Kentucky inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Carter County
In Carter County, the Carter Circuit Court hears felonies, civil cases over $5,000, divorces and appeals from the district court.
Below it, the District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims, probate and juvenile matters.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court's family division, and the file stays with the Circuit Court Clerk.
The Circuit Court Clerk keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Kentucky Open Records Act.
Looking Up a Case from Carter County
For Carter County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Carter.aspx (page title: Carter | Kentucky Court of Justice), phone 606-474-5191, 100 E. Main St. Grayson, KY 41143, Monday 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Kentucky has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The Kentucky court page SearchSystems verified is at judicialindexes.ky.gov.
What Reaches the Court from Carter County
Together, the three agencies in Carter County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 626 arrests to the FBI that year; the Commonwealth's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Carter Circuit Court or the District Court.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Carter County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Carter County criminal records, Carter County divorce records and Carter County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Carter County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Carter County and Kentucky. These court pages from its Carter County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Kycourts (kcoj.kycourts.net)
Cities in Carter County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Carter Circuit Court or the District Court.
The cities and towns in the county are Grayson and Olive Hill.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Carter County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov, phone 606-474-5191.
Which court hears felonies in Carter County?
The Carter Circuit Court, which hears felonies, civil cases over $5,000, divorces and appeals from the district court. The District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims, probate and juvenile matters.
Who keeps the court records in Carter County?
The Circuit Court Clerk. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Kentucky?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Carter County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.