Shawnee County court records refer to the official physical and electronic documents related to the judicial proceedings held in courts within Shawnee County’s borders. These documents include complaints, petitions, summons, motions, pleadings, affidavits, transcripts, and final judgments.
InShawnee County, Kansas, court records serve as proof of the judicial system’s impartiality because they accurately reflect the proceedings in the courtroom. They are also essential resources for legal professionals, litigants, law students, policymakers, and the general public interested in following cases or researching the law.
The Clerk of the Court is the official recorder and custodian of court records originating in Shawnee County.
Are Court Records Public in Shawnee County?
Yes. TheKansas Open Records Act (KORA)makes every document kept or maintained by public agencies, including courthouses, open to the public. For this reason, members of the public can inspect and obtain copies of Shawnee court records, provided the sought-after record is not confidential or exempt from disclosure by law. Inquirers also have the right to receive written responses to their requests for public records within 3 business days.
Shawnee County court records deemed inaccessible to the public include:
- Criminal investigation records
- Records made inaccessible per therules of evidence
- Sensitive personal information of a party to a case (for example, a financial account number)
- Grand jury proceedings
- Adoption records
- Expunged criminal records
- Many juvenile records
Shawnee County Court Records Search
Shawnee County court records can be requested through the following means:
- At the courthouse where a case was filed
- Online via the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal (district court records only)
- Fill out and submit a public record request form by mail or any other means the presiding court uses.
Members of the public can also access databases maintained by private or third parties to look up Shawnee court records.
Shawnee County Court Records Search by Name
Individuals can obtain a Shawnee County court record using any of the aforementioned means by providing the name of a party to the case. For example, when searching the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal, parties can input a wildcard character in their query to search for a name they are unsure of.
Generally, members of the public can view court records without paying a fee. However, the Kansas Open Records Act allows a court clerk to charge reasonable fees for copying and processing requested records. The copy fee per page for district court records is usually 50 cents per page on microfilm before imaging and 50 cents per document on imaging, but additional fees apply for voluminous requests.
Shawnee County Courts
Shawnee County is part of the Kansas Third Judicial District; its court system comprises a district court and some municipal courts. The addresses of these courts are listed below:
Shawnee County District Court
200 Southeast 7th Street
Topeka, KS 66603
Phone: (785) 251-6000
Fax: (785) 251-4908
Auburn Municipal Court
161 West 9th
P.O. Box 160
Auburn, KS 66402
Phone: (785) 256-2426
Fax: (785) 256-2908
Rossville Municipal Court
438 Main Street
P.O. Box 337
Rossville, KS 66533
Phone: (785) 584-6155
Fax: (785) 584-6667
Silver Lake Municipal Court
218 West Railroad Street
P.O. Box 92
Silver Lake, KS 66539
Phone: (785) 582-4280
Fax: (785) 582-4195
Topeka Municipal Court
214 Southeast 8th Street
Topeka, KS 66603
Phone: (785) 368-3776
Fax: (785) 368-3782
Shawnee County Superior Court Case Search
The Kansas Judicial Branch comprises the municipal (city) courts, district courts, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. Unlike some jurisdictions, the Kansas court system does not include a "superior court". As such, there are no superior courts in Shawnee County.
However, the county has a district court that serves as a trial court of general jurisdiction, a role typically performed by a superior court.
Shawnee County District Court Records
The Shawnee County District Court handles all criminal and civil cases originating in the county. The court has various departments, including Criminal, Civil, Domestic Relations, Children and Juvenile, Traffic, Limited Actions, and Probate.
The process of accessing records specific to the Shawnee County District Court is as follows:
In-Person
Members of the public can visit the physical address of the Shawnee County District Court during business hours to view or obtain publicly accessible court records from the clerk's office.
To search, a person must provide specific details about the records they seek. These include party names, case type, filing date, or case number.
The more information one can provide, the easier and faster it will be to locate responsive records. Parties can leverage public access terminals in the courthouse to access digital records or print documents and pick them up at the cashier's window. However, the inquirer must present a completed KORA request form and pay the applicable copy fees.
For microfilm records, one may contact or visit the clerk's office to ascertain when the records will be available.
Online
TheShawnee County District Court Clerkprovides online access to district court records through theKansas District Court Public Access Portal. To access this portal, individuals must register or open an account by providing their names, emails, and phone numbers and answering security questions. After registering an account, users can log in with their email and password and click “Search Court Records” to begin their search.
On the portal, individuals can conduct a smart search using a case number or party name (in the last, first, middle, suffix format). They can also search using a nickname, business name, or soundalikes.
Members of the public can obtain copies of Shawnee County District Court records by filling out aKORA (Kansas Open Records Act) Request Formand hand-delivering it in person or submitting via mail to the address below:
Clerk of the District Court
200 Southeast 7th Street
Room 209
Topeka, KS 66603
Mail requests require the requester to pre-pay a $20 research and copy fee, while reasonable copy fees apply for in-person submissions.
Shawnee County Criminal Records
Shawnee County criminal records are public records that can be obtained from theShawnee County Sheriff's Office. Individuals can download, fill out, and submit aRequest for Records Formvia US mail to the address below:
Shawnee County Sheriff's Office
Attention: Request for Records
320 South Kansas Avenue
Suite 200
Topeka, KS 66603
Alternatively, they can send the completed form via fax to(785) 251-2344or email SNSORecordsRequests@snco.us. If the records requested are publicly available, copies will be sent to the requester’s preferred address.
However, the best method for requesting criminal records held by law enforcement agents in Shawnee County is by querying theKansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). The KBI maintains a central database of all criminal history records in Kansas (including Shawnee County), which interested parties can access by opening aKanAccess account.
Registered users can view a subject’s summary of arrests and criminal charge prosecutions, known as Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) or "rap sheet," via theCriminal History Record Search page. The search costs $20. Criminal records obtainable by the general public include Shawnee County arrest records generated within the past 12 months for which the deposition records have not been received and court convictions for felonies or misdemeanors.
Individuals can visit the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’sCriminal Record Search pagefor more information.
Shawnee County Criminal Court Case Lookup
Criminal court case information from Shawnee County can be obtained by visiting the courthouse where a subject was charged. Interested parties can also obtain criminal court case records by sending a public record request to the record custodian (a court clerk's office).
Persons seeking criminal case records from the Shawnee County District Court can also access the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal. Users can filter their search to display only criminal court case records by choosing “Criminal Type Cases” under “Filter by Case Type". One should also remember to select “Shawnee County”. However, only digital criminal records from 2004 to the present and criminal microfilm records from 1885 to 2003 are available.
Shawnee County Civil Court Records
Shawnee County civil court records refer to documents that detail legal proceedings between private individuals, businesses, and government entities. In a civil court case, a plaintiff approaches the court to resolve a dispute with another party (the defendant). Usually, the plaintiff seeks financial damages and other legal remedies (such as an injunction) for damages they suffered due to the defendant's actions.
Common civil court cases in Shawnee County include:
- Contract disputes
- Personal injury
- Mortgage foreclosure
- Employment and labor law matters
- Family disputes
- Small claims
To obtain Shawnee County civil court case information, interested parties can:
- Visit or contact the clerk of the court that heard the case.
- Send a public record request to the Shawnee County District Court Clerk's Office (if seeking district civil case records).
- Search the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal, choosing “Civil Type Cases” under “Filter by Case Type” (if seeking district civil case records). Only digital civil court case records from 2004 to the present and microfilm records of civil court cases from the 1800s to 2003 are available.
Note that a fee may be charged to obtain copies of a civil court record.
Shawnee County Family Records
Shawnee County family court records refer to documents created from family law proceedings filed or held in the county. These records are handled by the Domestic Relations Division of the Shawnee County District Court and include these case types:
- Annulment
- Child support and custody
- Divorce
- Domestic abuse
- Paternity
- Miscellaneous domestic issues
Generally, Shawnee County family court records are public under the Kansas Open Records Act. However, due to their sensitive contents and because they involve children, many records are deemed confidential and inaccessible to the public.
However, publicly available family court case information can be accessed by querying the Shawnee County District Court Clerk's Office in person or via mail through a KORA request. A person can also access the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal to review family court case records.
Shawnee Dissolution of Marriage Records
In Shawnee County, dissolution of marriage, popularly termed “divorce”, is the legal process of terminating a couple’s marital union. Dissolution of marriage records may be accessed via the same process that divorce records are.
Shawnee County Marriage and Divorce Records
Marriage records originating from Shawnee County are maintained by theOffice of Vital Statistics, which receives them from the Clerk of the District Court. On the other hand, the Office of Vital Statistics issues divorce certificates (which contain basic information about a divorce), while the Shawnee County District Court Clerk maintains divorce decrees (the actual court judgments).
Shawnee County marriage and divorce records in the custody of the Office of Vital Statistics are vital records and are, as such, not considered public documents. Only the subjects of the records, their immediate family members, legal representatives, named beneficiaries, and any other person with a proven direct interest can obtain certified copies of these records.
Requesters not named on the record or immediate family members require proper identification and written authorization from the subject of the record (when there is no proof of legal representation or direct interest). They must also provide a valid reason for requesting a record, which must be to determine property or personal rights.
Eligible individuals may visit theOrdering Marriage CertificatesandOrdering Divorce Certificatespages for detailed information on how to obtain Shawnee marriage and divorce records from the Office of Vital Statistics.
However, divorce records held by the District Clerk of the District Court are publicly accessible. As such, members of the public can contact or visit the clerk's office to request non-confidential divorce information.
Shawnee County Birth and Death Records
Birth and death records form part of the Shawnee County vital records. The records can be obtained from the Kansas Vital Statistics Office, but these are not public records and are only available to a fewauthorized individuals.
Authorized parties can search birth and death records that took place from July 1, 1911, to present by visiting the Office of Vital Statistics during official business hours at this location:
Office of Vital Statistics
1000 South West Jackson
Suite 540
Topeka, KS 66612
Phone: (785) 296-1400
Records of births and deaths that occurred before July 1, 1911, can be obtained from theKansas Historical Society. Individuals may also be able to search birth and death records from 1896 to 1911 at the District Court Clerk's Office.
Apart from an in-person visit, qualified applicants can obtain birth and death records online, by mail (regular or priority), or via telephone. Other request methods are provided on the agency'sbirthanddeathcertificate pages.
Information (and documents) needed to facilitate these searches include:
- Copy of an acceptable means of identification (driver's license, state ID card, passport or visa, military ID) or photocopies of any 2 of these:
- Social security number
- Bank statement with address
- Car registration or title with current address
- Utility bill with current address
- Pay stub
- Type of record
- Full name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth
- Mother's maiden name and father's full name
- The relationship to the subject of the record
- Reason for the request
- Daytime phone number
- Mailing address
- Handwritten signature on the request
Certified copies of birth and death records cost $20 per copy. Other charges, including a fee for expedited service, may apply.
Shawnee County Probate Court Records
Probate court records in Shawnee County include documents related to:
- Estate cases
- A decedent's last will and testament
- Guardianships and conservatorships
- Adoptions
- Mental illness commitment cases
- Marriage license issuance
To obtain probate court records in Shawnee County, individuals can:
- Visit the Shawnee County District Court Clerk's Office during operating hours.
- Fill out and submit a KORA request form to the Shawnee County District Clerk's Office.
- Access probate records online through the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal (searchers are advised to choose “Probate Type Cases” to narrow the search)
Note:Some probate court records may be restricted or available only to a few eligible parties. For example, information regarding adoption and mental illness cases is considered confidential and is not open for public inspection.
Shawnee County Property Records
TheRecorder of Deedsis the official keeper of property records in Shawnee County. Besides filing and indexing the records, the Shawnee County Recorder of Deeds provides access to publicly available property records (including deeds, plats, liens, surveys, and mortgages)onlineand at the address below:
Street and Mailing Address:
Register of Deeds Office
200 Southeast 7th Street
Room 108
Topeka, KS 66603-3971
Phone: (785) 251-4020
Individuals can also request property records from theShawnee County Appraiser's Officeat the address below.
Street and Mailing Address:
Shawnee County Annex
1515 Northwest Saline
Topeka, KS 66618
Phone: (785) 251-2882
Fax: (785) 251-4903
Alternatively, they can use the Appraiser'sonline real estate search platformto search property records by owner’s name, property address, parcel ID, or subdivision.
Shawnee County Court Records Online
Members of the public can obtain Shawnee County court records from third-party or private online databases likeKansascourtrecords.us. These websites offer an alternative means of looking up court case information and a convenient way to access records not limited to Shawnee County. Accessing private online databases reduces the time needed for physical visits to various courthouses for a court case search.
However, third-party online search services often charge subscription fees. Furthermore, information from these sources must usually be vetted against government sources to be relied upon. Searchers should also take the time to understand the terms and conditions of private search services before using them.
