| Clerk of the District Court | Riley County District Court — Clerk of the District Court (21st Judicial District) |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Riley County Courthouse, 100 Courthouse Plaza, Manhattan, KS 66502 |
| Phone | (785) 537-6364 |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| 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 |
Riley County, home to Manhattan and Kansas State University, is part of the 21st Judicial District along with Clay County. Each county has its own Clerk of the District Court; Riley County cases are kept at the Riley County Courthouse at 100 Courthouse Plaza in downtown Manhattan, and Clay County cases are kept by a separate clerk in Clay Center. The Riley clerk's office handles every district-court case type for the county: civil, criminal, probate, domestic (divorce and custody), small claims, juvenile, and traffic.
The district court's website is hosted on the Riley County government site and is mainly a directory and docket page rather than a records portal. It posts a daily PDF court docket that lists hearings by date, time, and judge, which is a quick way to confirm a hearing without calling. For actual case records, the court's FAQ points to public-access computers in the courthouse, where you can search by name or case number, and to the statewide online portal. The FAQ still references the old "Public Access Portal" address, which now redirects to Kansas CaseSearch.
Two things the Riley clerk's office will not do: run a search over the phone, and perform a criminal-record search for employment or credit screening. Kansas Supreme Court Administrative Order 156 directs those requests to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation instead. Tickets written by the Riley County Police Department inside Manhattan city limits under the city code go to Manhattan Municipal Court, a separate city court not included in the district clerk's records.
Search Riley County court records online
Clerk of the District Court
Riley County District Court — Clerk of the District Court (21st Judicial District)
- Cost
- Free case search on public-access computers and Kansas CaseSearch; copy fees set by the court and paid at the clerk's counter
- Coverage
- All district court case types filed in Riley County — civil, criminal, domestic, probate, small claims, juvenile, and traffic
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Public-access computers at the courthouse allow searches by name or case number. Courts in Kansas will not run searches by phone, and employment or credit background searches are referred to the KBI. A daily court docket is posted as a PDF on the county site.
Other courts
Riley County District Court — Daily Court Docket (PDF)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Scheduled hearings for Riley County District Court, sorted by date, time, and judge, updated each workday
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Reference only; recent continuances and hearing changes may not be reflected. Use Ctrl-F to search by party last name or case number.
What is available online
Riley County district court case information is available through Kansas CaseSearch (casesearch.kscourts.gov), the statewide public portal; the court's own FAQ still links to the older "prodportal" Public Access Portal address, which redirects there. The county site adds a daily hearing docket in PDF form but no separate case-search tool. Documents are viewable online only for cases filed after the 21st Judicial District moved onto the Kansas eCourt system; older files are on paper or microfilm at the clerk's office.
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
Riley County clerk offices
Riley County Courthouse, 100 Courthouse Plaza, Manhattan, KS 66502
Phone: (785) 537-6364
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
In person. Go to the Clerk of the District Court at the Riley County Courthouse, 100 Courthouse Plaza, Manhattan (the small-claims desk is in Room 201). Public-access computers let you search the case index by party name or case number at no charge; ask the clerk for copies of specific documents and pay the per-page fee at the counter. Say up front if you need certified copies.
By mail. Write to the Clerk of the District Court at the courthouse address with the case number if you have it, or the parties' names and approximate year, a list of the documents you want, and a phone number or email for questions. Call (785) 537-6364 first to confirm the current copy and certification fees so you can enclose the right payment; the office cannot look up cases over the phone.
Online. Kansas CaseSearch is free and covers Riley County. Use it to find the case number and check status before requesting copies. Fines and court costs can be paid online through the Kansas CPC payment site linked from the district court page.
Background checks. The clerk does not run criminal-record searches for employment or credit purposes; those go to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, as required by Supreme Court Administrative Order 156.
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
Can the Riley County clerk look up a case for me over the phone?
No. The court's FAQ states that Kansas courts will not do searches by phone. Use the public-access computers at the courthouse or Kansas CaseSearch online, or send a written request with the case number.
Where do I find a hearing date in Riley County District Court?
The court posts a daily docket as a PDF on the county website, sorted by date, time, and judge. It is for reference only, so confirm with the clerk if a recent continuance may not have been processed.
Are Clay County cases kept at the Riley County Courthouse?
No. Riley and Clay counties share the 21st Judicial District, but each has its own Clerk of the District Court. Clay County cases are kept by the clerk in Clay Center.
Are Manhattan city traffic tickets in the district court's records?
Tickets charged under the Manhattan city code go to Manhattan Municipal Court, which is separate from the Riley County District Court and not included in Kansas CaseSearch. Tickets filed in district court, such as those charged under state law, are in the clerk's records.
Sources
- Riley County District Court — https://www.rileycountyks.gov/190/District-Court
- Riley County District Court — Contact Us — https://www.rileycountyks.gov/193/Contact-Us
- Riley County District Court — Court Dockets — https://www.rileycountyks.gov/1988/Court-Dockets
- Riley County District Court — FAQs — https://www.rileycountyks.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=24
- Kansas Judicial Branch — 21st Judicial District — https://kscourts.gov/About-the-Courts/District-Courts/Districts/21st-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.