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Franklin County, KY Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Franklin County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Franklin County District Court, with probate jurisdiction under KRS 24A.120. |
| Filing office | Office of Circuit Court Clerk, Franklin County Courthouse. |
| Courthouse address | 222 St. Clair St., Frankfort, KY 40601. |
| Mailing address | No separate mailing address is published. Use the courthouse address. |
| Phone | (502) 564-7013. |
| Fax | (502) 564-8188. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. |
| Opening cost | $80 to open a probate case: a $50 filing fee set by Supreme Court rule effective July 1, 2026 (CR 3.03(1)(c)), plus a $10 Access to Justice Fee (KRS 27A.630) and a $20 court technology fee effective July 1, 2018. Franklin County may add a $10 court facilities fee if its fiscal court has adopted the ordinance (KRS 24A.185), and a county law library fee under KRS 453.060 where one is in force, so confirm the exact total with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk before you file. |
| Payment | Cash, personal check and postal money order are published payment options. The county page also links to ePay. No credit or debit card option is published for general filings. |
| Forms | Franklin County uses Kentucky statewide AOC probate forms. No separate Franklin County probate packet is published. |
| Electronic filing | Since January 1, 2024, an attorney handling an eligible Kentucky probate case must e-file. A self-represented filer may register, but may still file on paper at the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Frankfort. |
| Court dates and case information | Kentucky does not publish a free full District Court probate case search. A no-login court-date lookup is available at kcoj.kycourts.net/dockets/, and the state account portal requires an account. For Franklin County estate status, contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. |
| Remote court | Franklin County publishes no probate Zoom link. Ask the Office of Circuit Court Clerk whether your Franklin County District Court matter under KRS 24A.120 will be in person or remote. |
| Parking and accessibility | Two-hour parking surrounds the courthouse and adjacent streets. Designated parking is in front of the building for visitors with disability parking permits. |
| Website | https://www.kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Franklin.aspx |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Franklin County, make a working list of the accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts and likely beneficiaries. The court filing asks for specific estate information, and a complete asset picture helps you choose the right estate settlement path before you go to the courthouse in Frankfort.
Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help families find accounts and assets, then uses that information to help prepare the probate packet. That keeps the Franklin County filing focused on what the District Court and the Office of Circuit Court Clerk actually need.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Kentucky sends the estate to the District Court of the county where the person lived at death (KRS 394.140), and where there is no will, to the same court (KRS 395.030). If the person lived in Franklin County, the papers go to the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the Franklin County courthouse in Frankfort.
The Franklin County Office of Circuit Court Clerk publishes one location: Franklin County Courthouse, 222 St. Clair St., Frankfort, KY 40601. That courthouse serves estates for people who lived anywhere in Franklin County, including Frankfort and unincorporated communities such as Bridgeport, Forks of Elkhorn, Jett, Peaks Mill and Switzer.
Franklin County is the 48th Judicial District under KRS 24A.030. Unlike many rural Kentucky districts, the 48th Judicial District is Franklin County alone.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm the estate facts before filing. List assets, debts, possible heirs or beneficiaries, and whether the person left a will, so the Franklin County estate settlement filing matches the property that actually needs court authority.
- Get the Kentucky AOC forms. Use AOC-805 for probate of a will or appointment of an executor or administrator under KRS 394.145, AOC-830 if asking the court to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455, AOC-808 for the financial disclosure required by KRS 395.015, AOC-841 for the inventory under KRS 395.250, and AOC-846 or AOC-850 for closing under KRS 395.610 or KRS 395.605.
- File with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the Franklin County Courthouse, 222 St. Clair St., Frankfort, KY 40601. No separate mailing address is published, so use the courthouse address for mailed filings. Since January 1, 2024, an attorney must e-file eligible Kentucky probate papers, while a self-represented filer may still file on paper at the clerk's office.
- Pay the opening cost or confirm the exact total before filing. $80 to open a probate case: a $50 filing fee set by Supreme Court rule effective July 1, 2026 (CR 3.03(1)(c)), plus a $10 Access to Justice Fee (KRS 27A.630) and a $20 court technology fee effective July 1, 2018. Franklin County may add a $10 court facilities fee if its fiscal court has adopted the ordinance (KRS 24A.185), and a county law library fee under KRS 453.060 where one is in force. Franklin County publishes cash, personal check, postal money order and ePay as payment options.
- Ask the Office of Circuit Court Clerk for the next court date. Franklin County does not publish a separate probate docket on its county page, and the no-login online docket is a court-date lookup, not a full case-record search.
- Check remote appearance before the hearing. Kentucky courts have held proceedings remotely by Zoom since March 2020, but Franklin County publishes no probate login information, so ask the Office of Circuit Court Clerk whether your matter will be in person or remote.
- If the District Court appoints you, get the authority document. The Office of Circuit Court Clerk issues a Certificate of Qualification, AOC-807, and Kentucky law also refers to letters of appointment under KRS 395.105.
- Administer the estate and close it. File the inventory within ninety days under KRS 395.250, handle creditor claims under KRS 396.011, follow any court order about bond under KRS 395.130, and use the appropriate final settlement form under KRS 395.605 or KRS 395.610.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Franklin County
Franklin County uses Kentucky's statewide Administrative Office of the Courts probate forms; there is no separate Franklin County form set. You file AOC-805 to open an estate with a will or appointment request under KRS 394.145, AOC-830 if you are asking the court to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455, AOC-841 for the inventory under KRS 395.250, and AOC-846 or AOC-850 to close under KRS 395.610 or KRS 395.605.
The forms are free through the Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms page, and the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Frankfort can provide paper copies. The clerk can provide forms and fee information, but the clerk is not an attorney and cannot give legal advice.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Franklin County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by identifying what was jointly owned and what, if anything, is solely in the decedent's name. If court authority is needed, file in Franklin County District Court under KRS 24A.120 through the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Frankfort. If asking to dispense with administration, use AOC-830 with KRS 395.455. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize home and title information, and prepare the estate settlement packet for Franklin County filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Kentucky does not use an out-of-court small estate affidavit. If the facts fit, the Franklin County filing is a petition to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455, filed with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Frankfort. Call (502) 564-7013 before traveling to ask about paper filing, e-filing if represented by an attorney since January 1, 2024, and whether the court date can be handled remotely through the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. | Sunset helps gather account information before you travel, assemble the AOC-830 packet, and connect you with a Kentucky attorney if local representation would save a trip. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home was in the child's name alone, the buyer or title company will usually need a court appointment and a Certificate of Qualification, AOC-807, before a personal representative can sign sale papers. File the appointment request in Franklin County District Court under KRS 24A.120, then use the Certificate of Qualification with the appointment order. Kentucky law also refers to letters of appointment under KRS 395.105. | Sunset helps locate debts and accounts, organize title-company requests, generate the probate packet, and connect the family with a vetted Kentucky probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | Contact | How it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Circuit Court Clerk, Franklin County | Franklin County Courthouse, 222 St. Clair St., Frankfort, KY 40601; (502) 564-7013; fax (502) 564-8188. | The filing office for Franklin County estates. The office can provide forms, tell you the current fee total under CR 3.03 effective July 1, 2026, and give court-date information. It cannot give legal advice. |
| Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms | https://www.kycourts.gov/Legal-Forms/Pages/default.aspx | Statewide probate forms, including AOC-805 under KRS 394.145, AOC-807, AOC-830 under KRS 395.455, AOC-841 under KRS 395.250, AOC-846 under KRS 395.610, AOC-850 under KRS 395.605 and AOC-860. |
| Kentucky Court of Justice Self-Help Portal | https://www.kycourts.gov/Legal-Help/Pages/Self-Help-Portal.aspx and https://a2j.org/#Kentucky | Free guided interviews for Kentucky probate topics, including Probate Estate and Dispense with Administration under KRS 395.455. |
| Legal Aid of the Bluegrass | 859-431-8200; https://lablaw.org/ | The civil legal aid program listed for Franklin County. Ask the program directly whether it can help with your situation. |
| Kentucky Free Legal Answers | https://ky.freelegalanswers.org/ | Free online civil legal questions answered by volunteer Kentucky attorneys. |
| Kentucky Bar Association lawyer referral services | https://www.kybar.org/page/lawreferserv | Statewide lawyer referral information for families who need Kentucky probate counsel. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider hiring a Kentucky probate attorney if the estate involves real estate that must be sold, a dispute among heirs or beneficiaries, uncertain debts, tax questions, missing beneficiaries, or an out-of-state personal representative who cannot easily appear in Frankfort. A lawyer is also useful when a contested matter must move from District Court to Franklin Circuit Court as an original adversary proceeding under KRS 24A.120(2) and KRS 394.240. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build a clearer inventory of accounts, insurance, benefits, real estate and debts before filing in Franklin County. That makes estate settlement less dependent on guesswork.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the information you provide to prepare the Kentucky probate forms that fit your situation, including the Franklin County courthouse information and the statewide AOC form path.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal help, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Kentucky probate attorney who understands District Court filings under KRS 24A.120.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset, and the goal is to make the Franklin County probate process easier to understand and complete.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Franklin County, Kentucky?
File with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the Franklin County Courthouse, 222 St. Clair St., Frankfort, KY 40601. Kentucky probate is handled in District Court under KRS 24A.120, but the filing office is the Office of Circuit Court Clerk.
Is the Franklin County probate courthouse in Franklin or Frankfort?
It is in Frankfort. Franklin County's courthouse city is Frankfort, and the Kentucky city named Franklin is in Simpson County.
How much does it cost to open a Franklin County probate case?
$80 to open a probate case: a $50 filing fee set by Supreme Court rule effective July 1, 2026 (CR 3.03(1)(c)), plus a $10 Access to Justice Fee (KRS 27A.630) and a $20 court technology fee effective July 1, 2018. Franklin County may add a $10 court facilities fee if its fiscal court has adopted the ordinance (KRS 24A.185), and a county law library fee under KRS 453.060 where one is in force, so confirm the exact total with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk before you file.
What payment methods does the Franklin County clerk publish?
The Franklin County page publishes cash, personal check and postal money order as payment options. It also links to ePay. It does not publish a credit or debit card option for general filings.
Does Franklin County have its own probate forms?
No separate Franklin County probate form set is published. Use Kentucky's statewide AOC forms, including AOC-805 under KRS 394.145, AOC-830 under KRS 395.455, AOC-841 under KRS 395.250, AOC-846 under KRS 395.610 and AOC-850 under KRS 395.605.
Can I e-file a Franklin County probate case?
Since January 1, 2024, an attorney handling an eligible Kentucky probate case must e-file. If you are handling the estate yourself, you may register as a self-represented filer, but you may still file on paper at the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Frankfort.
Can I appear remotely for Franklin County probate?
Maybe, but do not assume. Kentucky courts have used Zoom since March 2020, and Franklin County publishes no probate login information of its own. Call the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at (502) 564-7013 to ask whether your Franklin County District Court matter under KRS 24A.120 will be in person or remote.
Can I look up a Franklin County probate case online?
Kentucky does not publish a free full District Court probate case search. A no-login court-date lookup is available at kcoj.kycourts.net/dockets/, and the state account portal requires an account. For estate status, contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Frankfort at (502) 564-7013.
Is parking available at the Franklin County Courthouse?
The county page publishes two-hour parking around the courthouse and adjacent streets. It also publishes designated parking in front of the building for visitors with disability parking permits.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.