| Clerk of the District Court | Sedgwick County District Court — Records Department |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Sedgwick County Courthouse, Records Department, 525 N Main St, 6th Floor, Wichita, KS 67203 |
| Phone | (316) 660-5900 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Closed weekends and federal holidays. |
| 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 |
Sedgwick County's trial court is the 18th Judicial District Court, and its Records Department at the Sedgwick County Courthouse in Wichita is the single office that keeps district-court files: criminal, civil, family, and probate. As in the rest of Kansas, there is no separate county clerk for court records; one clerk's office and one case index cover every case type filed in the district.
The Records Department requires written requests submitted through its own request form, by mail, email, fax, or in person, and generally charges an estimate up front before pulling and copying a file. Case information is searchable statewide through Kansas CaseSearch, which the Records Department links to directly rather than running its own separate lookup system.
Wichita and the county's other cities each run their own municipal courts for city-ordinance violations and police-issued traffic tickets; those tickets are not part of the district court's records and will not appear on CaseSearch or in a Records Department search.
Search Sedgwick County court records online
Clerk of the District Court
Sedgwick County District Court — Records Department
- Cost
- Free case search on CaseSearch; copy fees and a prepaid estimate apply for records requests
- Coverage
- All 18th Judicial District case types filed in Sedgwick County, including criminal, civil, family, and probate matters
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Requests must be submitted in writing using the department's request form, with payment of an estimate before processing; the office aims to respond within the timeframe set by Kansas records-request law. Adoption, domestic, juvenile, and protection-order cases are restricted from the public portal.
What is available online
Case information for Sedgwick County District Court is searched statewide through Kansas CaseSearch (casesearch.kscourts.gov). The Records Department also maintains public-access computers at the courthouse for cases or documents not available online, and handles requests for archived, older files that predate the county's move onto the Kansas eCourt system.
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
Sedgwick County clerk offices
Sedgwick County Courthouse, Records Department, 525 N Main St, 6th Floor, Wichita, KS 67203
Phone: (316) 660-5900
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Closed weekends and federal holidays.
Submit a written records request using the Records Department's request form by email, mail, fax, or in person at 525 N Main St, 6th Floor, Wichita. Include the case number if known, the documents you need, and whether you need certified copies. The department typically requires payment of a cost estimate before it processes the request, and aims to respond within a few business days as required by Kansas records law.
For a quick case-status check before submitting a formal request, search Kansas CaseSearch or use a public-access computer at the courthouse.
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 do I look up a Sedgwick County court case online?
Search Kansas CaseSearch (casesearch.kscourts.gov) and select the district court and Sedgwick County. The Records Department does not run a separate online search of its own.
How do I request a copy of a Sedgwick County court record?
Submit a written request using the Records Department's form by mail, email, fax, or in person at the courthouse in Wichita. Expect to pay a cost estimate before the copies are produced.
Are Wichita traffic tickets part of the district court records?
No. Tickets written by Wichita police for city ordinance violations go to Wichita Municipal Court, a separate system from the Sedgwick County District Court and Kansas CaseSearch.
Who keeps probate and divorce files in Sedgwick County?
The 18th Judicial District Court's Records Department. One office keeps all district court case types, including probate, divorce, and custody files, for the whole county.
Sources
- Sedgwick County District Court — Records — https://www.dc18.org/records
- Kansas CaseSearch — https://casesearch.kscourts.gov/
- Sedgwick County, Kansas — https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/
- 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.