Wayne County Circuit Court Clerk
The official Kentucky Court of Justice Wayne County page names Patricia Lay as Wayne County Circuit Court Clerk. Her office is at the Wayne County Justice Center, 100 W. Columbia Ave., Suite 101, Monticello, KY 42633. The listed court phone numbers are 606-348-5841 and 606-348-5983. Fax is 606-348-4225. Jury service is 606-348-6789. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is on the sides of the building, with accessible handicap parking.
Kentucky circuit court clerks are elected trial-court clerks. The state court clerk overview says circuit court clerks have custody, control, and safe storage of Circuit Court and District Court records. They receive lawsuits and court documents, are present during trials, schedule juries, receive fines, and handle bond money. In Wayne County, Patricia Lay is therefore the court records contact for Circuit Court, Family Court, and District Court files, not merely felony Circuit Court cases.
Office of Circuit Court Clerk
Clerk: Patricia Lay
100 W. Columbia Ave., Suite 101
Monticello, KY 42633
606-348-5841 or 606-348-5983
Fax: 606-348-4225
Jury Service: 606-348-6789
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wayne County Court Clerk Duties
The Circuit Court Clerk is the local access point for court case files. The state court-record request guidance says the Administrative Office of the Courts does not maintain case records and cannot provide access to them. A person should start with the clerk of the court that heard the case. For Wayne County Circuit, Family, and District Court matters, that means Patricia Lay's office at the Justice Center.
That split is important because Wayne County has a separate County Clerk. Heather Piercy is the Wayne County Clerk for marriage licenses, land records, recorded wills, elections, motor vehicles, notary filings, and related county records. The County Clerk's records system is not the source for Circuit Court criminal files, District Court traffic files, divorce decrees, court dockets, or felony case copies.
- Maintains Wayne Circuit Court, District Court, and Family Court case records.
- Receives court filings, lawsuits, motions, orders, fines, costs, and bond money.
- Provides public access and copy guidance for case records that are not sealed or restricted.
- Helps identify off-site record facility location and locator numbers for older public files.
- Handles jury scheduling and jury service contact through the published jury phone line.
Search Wayne County Court Clerk Records
Public online searching begins with KYeCourts Public Court Records. The guest login page states that public case information is available free throughout Kentucky after the user completes the CAPTCHA and continues as a guest. The same entry point links to ePay for eligible court fees, fines, and costs. Post-login search fields were not verified because the CAPTCHA blocked static inspection, so field names beyond the verified pre-login controls should not be assumed.
For court dates, use Kentucky Court of Justice Dockets. Select County = Wayne, choose Circuit or District, enter the date, and submit. The docket portal is marked "NOT AN OFFICIAL DOCKET - SUBJECT TO CHANGE." It is useful for scheduling, but it is not the official case record and should be verified with the Circuit Court Clerk when timing matters.
| Access Channel | Use It For | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| KYeCourts Public Court Records | Free public case information and ePay access after CAPTCHA | Post-login fields were not verified in research. |
| KCOJ Docket Search | Wayne County Circuit or District court-date lookup by date | Not an official docket and subject to change. |
| Phone or counter request | Copies, certification questions, older files, file location, and verification | Access depends on public status and record retention. |
| Fax | Contacting the clerk when a faxed request is appropriate | Research did not publish a dedicated court-record email. |
Request Wayne County Court Copies
A certified copy is a clerk-issued copy that carries official certification for use where a plain printout is not enough. Wayne County users may need certified copies for divorce decrees, judgments, criminal dispositions, probate orders, name changes, appeals, or agency filings. Online search results should not be treated as certified court copies unless the clerk issues them in that form.
- Identify the court and case type first. Circuit Court handles felonies, higher civil cases, divorces, adoptions, title disputes, appeals from District Court, and contested probate matters.
- Use KYeCourts or the docket portal to gather the case number, party names, division, and hearing date when available.
- Call or visit Patricia Lay's office and state whether a plain copy or certified copy is needed.
- Ask whether the file is in the office, stored at a record facility, restricted, sealed, or destroyed under court retention schedules.
- Pay any current copy or certification cost using an accepted payment method and follow the clerk's pickup or mailing instruction.
Wayne County Court Request Details
No Wayne-specific online court-record request form was located for Patricia Lay's office. A good court-record request should still include enough detail for the clerk to identify the file without guessing. If the case has moved to a record facility and is public, the clerk can identify the facility and provide case or file locator numbers needed for a State Records Center request. The State Records Center cannot search by name or Social Security number alone.
| Detail to Provide | Required in Practice | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Best if known | Speeds lookup and may be needed for older stored files. |
| Party names | Yes | Helps identify civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic files. |
| Court division | Yes if known | Separates Circuit, Family, and District Court records. |
| Document type | Yes | Clarifies whether the request is for a decree, order, docket sheet, judgment, or full file. |
| Copy type | Yes | Plain copy and certified copy needs are processed differently. |
| Contact information | Yes | Allows the clerk to follow up about fees, restrictions, or file location. |
Wayne County Court Clerk Fees
The Wayne County court page lists accepted payment options for court obligations as cash, certified check, money order, credit cards, debit cards, and online ePay, with a fee applying for cards. The official sources reviewed did not publish a local court copy fee schedule for plain copies, certified copies, or searches. The $40 AOC expungement certification request fee is separate because that certification is requested through the Administrative Office of the Courts, not the local Wayne County clerk counter.
| Item | Amount or Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Court fines, costs, or fees | Varies by case | Eligible items may be payable through ePay or the clerk. |
| Card payment fee | Fee applies | The Wayne court page states a fee applies for credit and debit cards. |
| Plain court copy | Not published in research | Call Patricia Lay's office for the current charge. |
| Certified court copy | Not published in research | Ask the clerk before mailing payment or sending a representative. |
| AOC expungement certification | $40 | Requested from AOC in Frankfort by drive-thru, in person, or mail. |
Wayne County Clerk Court Types
Patricia Lay's office covers more than one court level. Kentucky Circuit Court is a general-jurisdiction court and a court of record under KRS 23A.010. District Court is limited jurisdiction and handles misdemeanors, traffic offenses, violations, city and county ordinances, juvenile matters, probate of wills, small claims, lower-dollar civil cases, felony preliminary hearings, mental commitments, and domestic-violence matters. Family Court functions as a Circuit Court division for family-law matters where applicable.
This is why Wayne County court records searches should not be routed only by the word "Circuit." A traffic ticket, misdemeanor, probate of will, or small claim may be a District Court file, but the local court-records clerk is still the Circuit Court Clerk. A divorce, adoption, higher civil case, felony, contested probate matter, or appeal from District Court is a Circuit or Family Court matter. The same clerk office is the starting point for public access.
Wayne County Records Office Boundaries
Other Wayne County officials are important, but they do not replace Patricia Lay for court records. Heather Piercy, the County Clerk, handles marriage licenses, recorded wills, land records, liens, vehicle work, elections, and notary filings through wayne.countyclerk.us. Sheriff Tim Catron's office handles sheriff functions through the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Jailer Ronnie Ellis is listed on the official Wayne County Jailer page for detention-center matters. Court case records still begin with the Circuit Court Clerk.
Note: Use the County Clerk for recorded wills and marriage licenses, but use the Circuit Court Clerk for divorce decrees and court probate files.