| Clerk of the District Court | Butler County District Court — Clerk of the District Court (13th Judicial District) |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Butler County Judicial Center, 201 W Pine, Suite 101, El Dorado, KS 67042 |
| Phone | (316) 322-4370 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM. Closed 1:00-1:45 PM each Thursday for a district-wide staff meeting. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Butler County, just east of Wichita, is the largest county in the 13th Judicial District, which also covers Elk and Greenwood counties. Each of the three counties has its own Clerk of the District Court; Butler County's clerk is at the Butler County Judicial Center at 201 W Pine in El Dorado. The 13th Judicial District runs its own website, separate from the county government site, and the Butler County page there is the most complete public source for hours, fees, and the records-request process.
Butler County is unusual among Kansas counties in publishing a full fee schedule for records: copies, fax copies, emailed records, certification, authentication, hourly research, and even copies of recorded hearings all have posted minimum fees. The office also states that any request for information must be made in writing, using the district court's public records request form, and that it has three business days to respond. Public court files can be reviewed by appointment in a designated room, and a public-access computer is available separately from the court offices.
El Dorado, Andover, Augusta, and Rose Hill each run a municipal court for city ordinance violations and tickets written by city police. Those cases are separate from the district court and are not in the clerk's records or in Kansas CaseSearch.
Search Butler County court records online
Clerk of the District Court
Butler County District Court — Clerk of the District Court (13th Judicial District)
- Cost
- Copies $0.50 per page minimum; certification $1.00 per document; research $12.00 per hour; fax copies $1.00 per page; emailed records free if under an hour of staff time
- Coverage
- All district court case types filed in Butler County — criminal, traffic, civil, domestic and child support, Chapter 61 limited actions and small claims, probate, and juvenile
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Requests for information must be in writing on the district court's public records request form; the clerk has three business days to respond. Public files can be viewed by appointment (316-322-4370) with a case number, and a public-access computer is available. Case search is through Kansas CaseSearch, linked from this page.
Other courts
13th Judicial District — Request for Public Records Form (PDF)
- Cost
- Fees per the posted schedule; copies $0.50 per page minimum, certification $1.00 per document
- Coverage
- Written records requests to the Butler County Clerk of the District Court
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
The form linked from the Butler County page of the 13th Judicial District site; completed forms can be emailed to the clerk or left in the drop box inside the Judicial Center's north entrance.
What is available online
Butler County district court case information is searchable in Kansas CaseSearch (casesearch.kscourts.gov), which the 13th Judicial District links to directly as "Smart Search." Documents are viewable online only for cases filed after the district moved onto the Kansas eCourt system; for anything older, or for documents excluded from the public portal, the clerk provides copies on written request. Emailed records that take less than an hour of staff research are free, which makes email the cheapest route for a small, well-identified request.
Which clerk has your record
In Kansas, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Kansas page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Courts | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil suits of any amount, including small claims | Clerk of the District Court for the judicial district |
| Municipal Courts | City ordinance violations; Traffic tickets issued by city police; Minor misdemeanors charged under city code | Municipal court clerk for that city |
Request records in person or by mail
Butler County clerk offices
Butler County Judicial Center, 201 W Pine, Suite 101, El Dorado, KS 67042
Phone: (316) 322-4370
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM. Closed 1:00-1:45 PM each Thursday for a district-wide staff meeting.
In person. Enter the Butler County Judicial Center from the north side, check in at security, and go to the Clerk of the District Court in Suite 101. Public court files are reviewed by appointment; call (316) 322-4370 with the case number to schedule. A public-access computer is available for searching the index. Copies are a minimum of $0.50 per page and certification is $1.00 per document.
In writing. The clerk requires every request for information to be in writing. Use the district court's Request for Public Records form (linked from the Butler County page of the 13th Judicial District site), include the case number, and describe the documents you need. The form can be emailed to the clerk, mailed to 201 W Pine, Suite 101, El Dorado, KS 67042, or left in the drop box inside the north entrance, which staff empty each weekday at 8 AM. The office has three business days to respond.
Fees. Copies $0.50 per page minimum; fax copies $1.00 per page; emailed records free if under one hour of research, otherwise $12.00 per hour; certification $1.00 per document; authentication $3.00 per packet; copies of recorded hearings $50.00 per hearing up to one day in length.
Online. Kansas CaseSearch is free and covers Butler County. Court fines and fees can be paid online through the Kansas CPC payment site linked from the district's page.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Kansas |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
K.S.A. 28-170 leaves the fee for certifying or copying a district court paper to be "prescribed by the district court," so there is no single statewide amount; each judicial district sets and posts its own copy and certification fees. Confirm the current fee with the clerk before mailing payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Kansas court records are open to the public by default, but several categories are not available online or in the courthouse index:
The Kansas guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How much are copies of Butler County court records?
The 13th Judicial District posts a minimum of $0.50 per page for copies, $1.00 per certified document, $1.00 per page for faxed copies, and $12.00 per hour for research. Emailed records are free when they take less than an hour of staff time.
Do I need to put a Butler County records request in writing?
Yes. The clerk's office states that any request for information must be made in writing, and it provides a Request for Public Records form for that purpose. The office has three business days to respond.
Can I look at a Butler County court file in person?
Yes, by appointment. Call the clerk at (316) 322-4370 with the case number, and a designated room at the Judicial Center is used for file review. A public-access computer is also available.
Are Elk and Greenwood County cases kept in El Dorado?
No. Butler, Elk, and Greenwood counties make up the 13th Judicial District, but each county has its own Clerk of the District Court in its own courthouse (Howard for Elk, Eureka for Greenwood).
Sources
- 13th Judicial District — Butler County — https://www.13thjudicial.org/27/Butler-County
- 13th Judicial District — Request for Public Records Form — https://www.13thjudicial.org/DocumentCenter/View/225/Request-for-Public-Records-Form-07_07_2025
- Kansas Judicial Branch — 13th Judicial District — https://kscourts.gov/About-the-Courts/District-Courts/Districts/13th-judicial-District
- Kansas CaseSearch — https://casesearch.kscourts.gov/
- Kansas Judicial Branch — About Kansas Courts — https://www.kscourts.gov/
- Search District Court Records — Kansas Courts eCourt — https://kscourts.gov/eCourt/District-Court-Records
- KBI Criminal History Record Search — Conducting a Record Check — https://www.kansas.gov/criminalhistory/conducting_record_check
- K.S.A. 21-6614 — Expungement of certain convictions, arrest records and diversion agreements — https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_066_0014.html
- K.S.A. 45-221 — Kansas Open Records Act, records exempt from disclosure — https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch45/045_002_0021.html
- K.S.A. 28-170 — District court clerk fees — https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch28/028_001_0070.html
- KBI Fact Sheet — Expungement of Criminal History Records — https://www.kansas.gov/kbi/info/docs/pdf/Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Expungement%2002.2025.pdf
- United States District Court for the District of Kansas — https://www.ksd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Kansas counties.