| Clerk of the District Court | Shawnee County District Court — Clerk of the District Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Shawnee County Courthouse, 200 SE 7th St, Room 209, Topeka, KS 66603 |
| Phone | (785) 251-6700 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Fax and electronic filing available at all hours. |
| 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 |
Shawnee County's trial court is the 3rd Judicial District Court, seated at the Shawnee County Courthouse in Topeka. As across Kansas, there is a single Clerk of the District Court for the whole county rather than separate district and county clerks; that office keeps criminal, civil, family, and probate files together.
The Clerk's Office website, shawneecourt.org, links directly to Kansas CaseSearch for online case
lookups and to a public court records section for guidance on requesting documents. Topeka being the
state capital, Shawnee County's district court also handles a steady docket of state-related civil
litigation in addition to typical county caseloads.
Topeka Municipal Court and other city courts in the county handle ordinance violations and police-issued traffic tickets separately from the district court; those records are not searchable through CaseSearch or the Clerk's Office.
Search Shawnee County court records online
Clerk of the District Court
Shawnee County District Court — Clerk of the District Court
- Cost
- Free case search on CaseSearch; fees apply for copies requested from the clerk
- Coverage
- All 3rd Judicial District case types filed in Shawnee County, including criminal, civil, family, and probate matters
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The Clerk's Office page links to public court records information and to Kansas CaseSearch as the online case-lookup tool; electronic filing and fax service are available outside normal office hours.
What is available online
Case information for Shawnee County District Court is searched statewide through Kansas CaseSearch (casesearch.kscourts.gov), linked directly from the Clerk's Office site. As with other counties, document availability depends on when the case was filed relative to the county's move onto the Kansas eCourt system, and sealed, juvenile, and certain domestic records are excluded from the public portal.
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
Shawnee County clerk offices
Shawnee County Courthouse, 200 SE 7th St, Room 209, Topeka, KS 66603
Phone: (785) 251-6700
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Fax and electronic filing available at all hours.
Contact the Clerk of the District Court at 200 SE 7th St, Room 209, Topeka, in person, or by phone at (785) 251-6700 to request copies; the clerk's site describes the public court records process and any request forms in use. Include the case number if known, the documents you need, and whether you need certified copies. Fax filing and service are available around the clock, though records requests themselves are processed during regular office hours.
For a quick case-status check, search Kansas CaseSearch before contacting the clerk.
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 search a Shawnee County court case online?
Search Kansas CaseSearch (casesearch.kscourts.gov) for the district court and Shawnee County. The Clerk of the District Court's website links directly to it as the official case-lookup tool.
How do I request a certified copy of a Shawnee County court record?
Contact the Clerk of the District Court's office at the Shawnee County Courthouse in Topeka, in person or by phone, and ask for a certified copy of the specific document. Fees are set by the court.
Are Topeka traffic tickets in the district court's records?
No. Tickets from Topeka police for city ordinance violations go to Topeka Municipal Court, a separate system from the Shawnee County District Court and Kansas CaseSearch.
Who keeps divorce and probate records in Shawnee County?
The Shawnee County District Court's Clerk of the District Court, the single office that maintains all district court case types, including family and probate matters, for the county.
Sources
- Shawnee County District Court — Clerk of the District Court — https://www.shawneecourt.org/69/Clerk-of-the-District-Court
- Third Judicial District, Kansas — https://www.shawneecourt.org/
- 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.