Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. 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). The divorce record of a couple from Shelby County is a file of the Circuit Court's family division, kept by the Circuit Court Clerk, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records, directory links 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.
Where a Divorce from Shelby County Is Filed and Kept
Divorce records are not vital records in Kentucky. The decree and the file of a divorce from Shelby County are court records of the Circuit Court's family division, and certified copies come from the Circuit Court Clerk.
For Shelby County the court records page SearchSystems verified 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. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
Kentucky has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Shelby County
A certified copy of the decree comes from the Circuit Court Clerk, the office that keeps the file, reached through the court at 502-633-1287.
The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1958.
The Kentucky vital records page SearchSystems verified is at chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dehp/vsb/Pages/birth-certificates.aspx.
The County Clerk, whose page SearchSystems verified is at shelbycountyclerk.ky.gov/land-records, records deeds and liens, not divorces.
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)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of a divorce decree from Shelby County?
From the Circuit Court's family division, through the Circuit Court Clerk (kycourts.gov). The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1958.
Are divorce records public in Kentucky?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Shelby County?
The Circuit Court's family division. The file is kept by the Circuit Court Clerk.
Does Kentucky issue divorce certificates?
The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1958.
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.