Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney
Open records requests
The Kentucky Open Records Act (KRS 61.870 to 61.884) gives Kentucky residents the right to inspect public records. This page explains how to make a request to this office.
Making a request
Put it in writing
A request must be written and signed. You can use the Attorney General’s standard form, but any letter that covers the points below will do.
- Your name, printed legibly, and your signature
- A mailing address or email address for the reply
- A description of the records, specific enough for staff to find them
- How you qualify as a Kentucky resident under the Act
- Whether the records will be used for a commercial purpose
Standard open records request form (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Where to send it
Email your request to:
CampbellOpenRecords@prosecutors.ky.gov
Or mail or hand-deliver it to:
Records CustodianOffice of the Commonwealth’s Attorney601 Washington Street, Suite 201
Newport, KY 41071
After you ask
What happens next
The office answers in writing within five business days of receiving a request. The answer will either make the records available, say when they will be, or explain which part of the law allows them to be withheld.
You may inspect records at the office during business hours or ask for copies. The Act allows a reasonable fee for copies, no higher than the actual cost of making them.
If a request is denied, you can ask the Kentucky Attorney General to review the decision. Send the Attorney General a copy of your request and of the denial.
Know before you ask
Most case files are exempt
The Act exempts records that a Commonwealth’s Attorney compiles and keeps for criminal investigations and criminal cases, and they stay exempt after the case is over (KRS 61.878(1)(h)). Requests for a prosecutor’s case file are usually denied for that reason.
Other offices hold public versions of many of the same records. Police reports come from the police agency that wrote them. Indictments, orders and other documents filed in a case come from the clerk of the court.
Court records
Campbell Circuit Court ClerkCampbell County Courthouse330 York StreetNewport, KY 41071