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 9, 2026.
Shelby County, Kentucky, has about 50,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Shelby 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: Shelby County public records, Shelby County arrest records, Shelby County warrants, Shelby County inmate search, Shelby County criminal records, Kentucky arrest records and Kentucky inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Shelby County
Court cases from Shelby County are filed in the Shelby Circuit Court, which 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 Shelby County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Shelby.aspx (page title: Shelby | Kentucky Court of Justice), phone 502-633-1287, 401 Main St. Suite 101 Shelbyville, KY 40065, Monday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 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 Shelby County
Together, the three agencies in Shelby County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,314 arrests to the FBI that year; the Commonwealth's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Shelby Circuit Court or the District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at shelbycounty.ky.gov/elected-officials/Pages/commonwealth-attorney.aspx (page title: Commonwealth Attorney | Shelby County), phone (502) 647-3019, 544 Main Street Shelbyville, KY 40065, Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
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 Shelby County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Shelby County criminal records, Shelby County divorce records, Shelby County DUI and Shelby County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Shelby County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Shelby County and Kentucky. These court pages from its Shelby County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Kycourts (kcoj.kycourts.net)
Cities in Shelby County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Shelby Circuit Court or the District Court.
The cities and towns in the county are Shelbyville and Simpsonville.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Shelby County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov, phone 502-633-1287.
Which court hears felonies in Shelby County?
The Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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.