Sedgwick County, Kansas State Court Records
The creation, maintenance, and distribution of Sedgwick County court records are governed by Rule 108 of the Kansas Court Rules. Per this rule, court records include all records filed during the course of a case, comprising electronic and physical documents or filings. The rule also states the procedure for the reproduction and dissemination of court records. The court clerks serve as the official custodians of court records.
Records of the court in Sedgwick County are available in various formats, appearing as individual filings in adoption, civil, or other legal matters, or as integrated criminal history records that frequently incorporate arrest documentation.
Individuals may seek court records for research, personal, or judicial purposes, including for use as references or legal precedents.
Are Sedgwick County Court Records Public?
Yes. Access to Sedgwick County court records is governed by several Kansas laws, including the Kansas Public Records Act (KORA) (§ 42-218), Rule 22 and 106 of the Kansas Supreme Court Rules, and § 20-371 of the Kansas Statutes. Under these provisions, individuals may access court transcripts, case files, court budgets, and final judgments from criminal or civil cases. Members of the public may inspect these records, often at no cost, or obtain copies, typically for a fee.
The level of access to court records varies depending on the type of record and the law governing it. In some instances, certain records are not available for public inspection or copying.
Exceptions to public access to court records in Sedgwick County are provided under KORA (§ 42-221), case law, court orders, and judicial rules. Under these provisions, records unavailable to the public include
- Sealed and expunged court records
- Adoption records
- Active criminal investigation records
- Grand jury proceedings
- Juvenile records
In some cases, records that are not open to the public may be accessed through a court order.
What Information is Available in Sedgwick County Court Records?
The information included in a Sedgwick County court record varies per the type of record, applicable legal provisions, and the practices of the court that handled the case. Generally, court records in Sedgwick County contain a combination of case information and documents filed for a particular case. Some of the information commonly found in Sedgwick County court records includes
- Case details: Case type, case number, case status, case history, filing date, handling court, county of filing, judicial officer
- Party information: The names of the plaintiff, defendant (including aliases, if any), and attorneys
- Events: Dates and descriptions of case events
- Hearings: Hearing dates and locations
- Financial information: Court fees, fines, or other related financial records
- Documents: These may include petitions, summonses, returns of service, and orders signed by a judge
Sedgwick County Court Records Search
Courts in Sedgwick County are required by statute to provide platforms or channels through which the public may inspect or retrieve copies of court records.
- Online Access
The Kansas judiciary provides a remote case management system through which users may access court records from any county, including Sedgwick County. Individuals may search by party name, business name, citation number, or case number. Users may limit searches to Sedgwick County and apply additional filters to obtain exact or near-exact results.
General use of the search tool does not require individuals to log in or create an account. However, expanded access requires an account and is available only to authorized users. Access to records through this platform depends on the case type and the statutory provisions governing it. While some case records are available in full, others are restricted or unavailable through the system.
Adoption, abuse, care and treatment, alcohol, transfer in adults, coroner inquest, and waiver of parental consent cases, among others, are not available through the case management system. Additionally, conservatorship and guardianship documents may only be obtained in person at the courthouse. Online searches are free of charge.
- In-Person Access
Under Rule 22 of the Supreme Court Rules, public court records that are not available through the case management system are generally accessible at the courthouse. This option also serves individuals who prefer to conduct searches in person.
Most courthouses provide a dedicated public-access computer terminal that allows visitors to search court records electronically. Through this channel, individuals may view digital copies of cases handled by the court. Those who prefer to inspect physical records or obtain copies must submit a written request for court records.
Requesters must complete and submit the court record request form provided by the court. While inspecting records may be free, obtaining copies may require payment of a fee. Whether using a public access terminal or inspecting paper records, requesters must provide identifying information for the record sought. This may include a party's name, filing date, or a case number.
The primary methods for searching or requesting Sedgwick court records are online or in person; the court does not accept requests by phone.
Although Sedgwick courts are statutorily required to provide public access to court records, they are not obligated to fulfill requests for bulk data.
Fees for Court Records in Sedgwick County
Generally, there is no cost to inspect Sedgwick County court records. However, voluminous in-person searches that require significant staff time may incur a fee. Additionally, the court typically charges fees for reproducing copies of court records. These fees cover only the cost of reproducing copies of court records.
Possible fees include
- $20 for document preparation performed by custodial and clerical employees (charged in quarter-hour increments)
- $60 for document preparation performed by professionals (charged in quarter-hour increments)
- $10 for certified copies
- 50 cents per page to mail the first five pages and 25 cents for each extra page
- 50 cents per page for copies sent by fax (limited to 15 pages)
- 25 cents per page for plain copies of records
- 10 cents per page to print a document accessed through a public-access computer terminal
Online and in-person searches are generally free.
Sedgwick County Courthouse Locations
The Sedgwick County court system comprises the 18th Judicial District Court, the Small Claims Court, and several Municipal Courts. The District Court is the court of highest jurisdiction in the county. It serves as a trial court of general jurisdiction and an appellate court for courts of lower jurisdiction. It hears a range of criminal and civil cases and comprises several divisions.
The Small Claims Court oversees cases involving damages of up to $10,000, while the Municipal Courts handle cases involving municipal ordinances and city laws within their respective jurisdictions.
The 18th Judicial District Court
|
Civil Department |
Criminal Department |
Family Law Department |
Care and Treatment Department |
Juvenile Department |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Handles civil cases, including mortgage, tax foreclosure, breach of contract, change of name, and eviction, to mention a few |
Oversees criminal cases, including search warrants and inquisitions, felonies, misdemeanors, and appeals from lower courts |
Handles domestic relations cases, including paternity, stalking, visitation, divorce, and protection from abuse |
Responsible for filing and maintaining probate actions. Cases heard include guardianship, conservatorship, adoption, and care and treatment |
Hears child-in-care and juvenile cases |
Below are the addresses of the courts in Sedgwick County.
Sedgwick County District Court
525 North Main Street
6th floor
Wichita, KS, 67203
Phone: (316) 660-5900
Fax: (316) 941-5358
Email: sg.micro@kscourts.gov
Sedgwick County Juvenile Courthouse
1900 East Morris Street
Wichita, KS 67211
Main:(316) 660-5900
Fax: Juvenile Clerk: (316) 941-5356
Juvenile CINC: (316) 941-5366
Juvenile Probation: (316) 941-5367
Municipal Courts
326 North Main Street
Andale, KS 67001
Phone: (316) 444-2351
Fax: (316) 444-2322
7651 East Central Park Avenue
Bel Aire, KS 67226
Phone: (316) 744-6000
150 South Wichita Avenue
Bentley, KS 67016
Phone: (316) 796-1799
Fax: (316) 796-1711
131 North Main Street
Cheney, KS 67025
Phone: (316) 540-3622
Fax: (316) 542-0185
129 East Ross Avenue
Clearwater, KS 67026
Phone: (620) 584-2317
Fax: (620) 584-3118
212 West Wichita Avenue
Colwich, KS 67030
Phone: (316) 796-1025
Fax: (316) 796-0913
229 North Baltimore
Derby, KS 67037
Phone: (316) 788-1511
Fax: (316) 788-3706
Eastborough Municipal Court
1 Douglas Avenue
Eastborough, KS 67207
Phone: (316) 682-4111
Fax: (316) 682-4193
Garden Plain Municipal Court
505 North Main
Garden Plain, KS 67050
Phone: (316) 531-2321
Fax: (316) 535-2207
118 North Main
Goddard, KS 67052
Phone: (316) 794-2441
Fax: (316) 794-2401
200 West Grand
Haysville, KS 67060
Phone: (316) 529-5920
Fax: (316) 529-5921
220 West Kechi Road
Kechi, KS 67067
Phone: (316) 744-6611
Fax: (316) 201-6962
10100 Grady Avenue
Maize, KS 67101
Phone: (316) 722-8736
Fax: (316) 425-3380
112 West Main Street
Mount Hope, KS 67108
Phone: (316) 661-2211
Fax: (316) 661-2212
211 North 2nd
Mulvane, KS 67110
Phone: (316) 777-9515
Fax: (316) 777-4081
1941 East 61st Street North
Park City, KS 672191
Phone: (316) 744-6417
Fax: (316) 295-2135
314 East Clay
Valley Center, KS 67147
Phone: (316) 755-7310
Fax: (316) 755-7319
455 North Main
2nd Floor,
Wichita, KS 67202
Phone: (316) 268-4611
Fax: (316) 268-4249
Criminal Records Access in Sedgwick County
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) serves as the central repository for criminal history information from counties across the state. In practice, law enforcement agencies in each jurisdiction, including Sedgwick, are required to submit records of individuals' interactions with the criminal justice system to the Bureau. Members of the public seeking criminal history information may conduct a search through the KBI, which also regulates the dissemination of such records.
Individuals seeking Sedgwick County criminal case records may contact the District Court to conduct an in-person search or visit the Kansas Judicial Branch website to access the case management system. Researchers need only provide the name of a party involved in the matter or a case number.
Sedgwick County Probate Records
Sedgwick County probate records are documents filed and maintained by the Probate, Care, and Treatment Division of the District Court. These materials are generated and preserved throughout probate proceedings. Probate proceedings are generally required when a deceased resident leaves assets valued at more than $75,000 or when an estate has no designated beneficiary.
The Probate, Care and Treatment Division handles matters involving adoptions, treatment of mentally ill persons or alcoholics, guardianship, care and treatment cases, conservatorship, and estate. Most files maintained by the division are confidential, unavailable through the Kansas Judicial Branch's online case management system, and accessible only to authorized individuals in person.
Sedgwick County Family Court Records
Rules 22.d and 106 of the Kansas Supreme Court Rules restrict public access to family law records. Under these provisions, only parties to a matter and other authorized individuals may obtain such information. Sedgwick County family matters subject to these restrictions include paternity, divorce, protection from abuse, and interstate actions. Like probate matters, these proceedings are not available through the case management system.
To inspect or obtain documents from a family law proceeding, authorized individuals must visit the courthouse. There, they may complete and submit a court records request form, providing the information needed to identify the file. This is the only method for obtaining documents or certified copies from a family law matter. Individuals seeking access may also need to present a government-issued photo ID before they are permitted to inspect or reproduce the requested materials.
Fees may apply when copies are requested.
Federal Court Records in Sedgwick County
The details of a Sedgwick County case handled by a federal court are preserved as part of the federal court's record. Such a case may originate in Sedgwick County but fall under federal jurisdiction. Examples include treason, certain types of fraud, and bankruptcy matters.
The federal court that handles these cases in Sedgwick County is the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Under common law, records of cases handled by the court are open to the public, subject to applicable restrictions.
Individuals seeking to inspect a public federal case may use the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system provided by the judiciary, submit a written request via mail, or stop by the courthouse. Requests may be directed to the Office of the Clerk in the court where the case was heard.
Using the electronic case search system or requesting copies may incur a fee. Requesters typically need a name or case number to search.
