Washington County Circuit Court Clerk
The Kentucky Court of Justice identifies JoAnne Miller, also shown as JoAnne Mudd Miller, as the Washington County Circuit Court Clerk. The clerk's office is located in the Washington County Judicial Center in Springfield. KCOJ states that circuit court clerks manage records for Kentucky Circuit, District, Family, and Business courts. That makes this office the primary clerk for local court case files, not the Washington County Clerk.
The Circuit Court Clerk receives lawsuits and court documents, maintains case files, supports court sessions, schedules juries, receives fines, and handles bond money. Court users looking for a divorce decree, felony case record, misdemeanor case file, traffic court record, probate court file, docket verification, or certified copy should begin here unless the record is clearly a County Clerk instrument.
Office of Circuit Court Clerk
Clerk: JoAnne Miller / JoAnne Mudd Miller
Washington County Judicial Center
100 E. Main St., Suite 100
Springfield, KY 40069
859-336-3761
Jury phone: 859-336-0734
Fax: 859-336-9824
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Washington County Clerk Records Split
Washington County uses a split clerk structure. The Circuit Court Clerk is the court-case clerk. The County Clerk, Brett Barry / Brett Filiatreau Barry, is a separate office for county legal records, marriage licenses, elections, vehicle services, deeds, mortgages, liens, powers of attorney, and recorded instruments. This distinction matters because using the wrong office can lead to a dead end even when both offices are in downtown Springfield.
| Record or service | Correct office | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court case files | Circuit Court Clerk | General-jurisdiction civil, felony, divorce, title, and contested probate cases. |
| District Court case files | Circuit Court Clerk | Traffic, misdemeanor, probate of wills, small claims, juvenile, and ordinance case records. |
| Certified divorce decree | Circuit Court Clerk | Divorce is a Circuit Court matter. |
| Marriage license or certified marriage copy | County Clerk | Marriage records are issued and copied through the County Clerk. |
| Deeds, mortgages, wills as recorded instruments | County Clerk | These are recorded legal instruments, often searchable through eCCLIX. |
Request Washington County Certified Copies
Certified court copies are used when a person needs an official court document rather than an online docket entry or an informal printout. A certified copy may be needed for employment licensing, school, benefits, immigration, real estate, name-change proof, appeal work, or a later court filing. The clerk can identify whether a record is on site, stored at a State Records Center, or subject to a court retention rule.
- Identify the court and case type, such as Circuit civil, Circuit criminal, District traffic, District probate, or divorce.
- Gather the case number if known, party names, approximate filing year, and the exact document needed.
- Call or visit the Circuit Court Clerk to confirm public access, copy availability, certification options, fee amount, and payment method.
- If the file is older or off site, ask for case and file locator numbers before contacting a record facility.
- Pick up the copy or follow the clerk's mailing instructions after the office confirms the request can be fulfilled.
Note: KCOJ says AOC is not the source for local case-file copies, so start with the county clerk of the court that heard the case.
Washington County Records Request Fields
The research did not locate a separate Washington County Circuit Court Clerk web form for case-file copies. KCOJ's request guidance and the county clerk's open-records field inventory still show the practical information a requester should supply. For court records, the most useful fields are the identifiers that let the clerk locate the case and screen access limits.
| Field | Required in practice | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requester name | Yes | Needed for office response and request tracking. |
| Address or contact method | Yes | Mailing address, phone, or email helps the clerk return instructions. |
| Case number | If known | Best way to locate a Circuit or District case quickly. |
| Party names | Yes if no case number | Use full names and role if known. |
| Case type or court division | Helpful | Examples include divorce, felony, traffic, probate, small claims, or civil. |
| Document requested | Yes | State whether the request is for decree, order, docket, citation, transcript, video, or full file. |
| Certified or plain copy | Yes | Certified copies may require a different charge and handling. |
| Approximate filing year | Helpful | Useful for older records and State Records Center routing. |
Washington County Clerk Fee Notes
The researched local sources publish the County Clerk's marriage and recorded-instrument fees, but they do not publish a complete Circuit Court Clerk copy-fee table for Washington County court records. Payment options listed on the KCOJ county page include cash, personal check, money order, credit cards, and debit cards, with a fee applying to cards. ePay is available for eligible court payments, but it is not a full case-copy request system.
| Item | Located amount or access note |
|---|---|
| Eligible court fines / fees | May be payable through KCOJ ePay or at the clerk's office |
| Credit or debit card payment | Accepted by KCOJ, card fee applies |
| Certified court copy | Washington County amount not located in official sources reviewed |
| Plain court copy | Washington County amount not located in official sources reviewed |
| Record facility retrieval | Ask clerk first for locator numbers and current process |
Washington County Court Dates and Payments
The Circuit Court Clerk page routes court users to KCOJ tools for finding a case, finding a court date, legal forms, fine or fee payments, and jury service. The docket portal is helpful for scheduled hearings, but KCOJ warns that docket information is not the official record and is subject to change. For court attendance, continuance questions, or a copy of a signed order, the clerk's office remains the verification point.
ePay can be useful for eligible payable citations, fines, costs, and payment plans. It can search by case, citation, or party. Cash payments must be made at the Circuit Court Clerk's office. When a payment is tied to a court date, KCOJ ePay instructions may require the balance to be paid in full at least two days before court.
Restricted Washington County Court Records
Not every file managed by the Circuit Court Clerk is open to the public. Juvenile records are generally confidential under KRS 610.340, with access limited to authorized persons and statutory exceptions. Expunged and sealed records may be removed from public access. Adoption records, mental-health proceedings, some domestic violence or protective-order materials, child-related family filings, and personal identifiers may also be restricted or redacted.
The federal court system is separate from Washington County Circuit and District Court records. PACER is the federal case-record access system and is used for federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate records, not local Washington County state case files.
That distinction helps keep a state court clerk request separate from federal record searches in the Western District of Kentucky.