Kentucky
Divorce, lawyers, and free legal help in Kentucky — verified against official sources.
How divorce filing works in Kentucky
The Kentucky Court of Justice runs a self-help portal with guided A2J interviews — including divorce without children and protective-order forms. Start there before anything else.
Kentucky Court of Justice — Self-Help Portal
Guided interviews for divorce without children, protective orders, and more — from the official courts.
kcoj.info — self-help portal →Find a divorce lawyer
Kentucky Bar — Lawyer Referral Services
The Kentucky Bar lists the three regional lawyer-referral services serving the state.
kybar.org — lawyer referral services →New to hiring a lawyer? Read Start Here first — it covers what to ask and what to bring.
Free or low-cost legal help
Kentucky Justice Online
Statewide legal-help hub, linked from the official court portal.
kyjustice.org →Report Child Abuse or Neglect
Call 1-877-KYSAFE1 (877-597-2331) or 800-752-6200 — Kentucky's Child Protection Branch (Cabinet for Health and Family Services).
chfs.ky.gov — child protection branch →Kentucky — Foreclosure Help
The Kentucky Housing Corporation connects struggling homeowners with counseling resources and programs to help avoid foreclosure.
kyhousing.org — homeownership resources →Call 211
Free, confidential referrals to local help. Dial 211 from any phone.
211.org →ZeroV — Kentucky's DV Coalition
Statewide directory of regional domestic-violence programs covering all 120 Kentucky counties. (Formerly the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence.)
kcadv.org →Unpaid wages in Kentucky
Your boss owes you pay and won't hand it over? Here's where to file and how long you have in Kentucky.
Where to go
Kentucky Labor Cabinet
Time limit to file
3 years
What the floor is
federal $7.25 applies
Changing your name in Kentucky
Whether it's marriage, divorce, or just time for a fresh start — here's the process in Kentucky.
How it works
petition the district court in your county
Typical court fee
varies by county — check your local court
Newspaper notice required?
no
Small claims court in Kentucky
Suing someone without a lawyer, for smaller amounts, in a simpler court. Here's how it works in Kentucky.
Maximum claim
$2,500
Filing fee
about $35–$75 depending on how the defendant is served
Can you bring one?
yes — allowed
Clearing your criminal record in Kentucky
Expungement or sealing can hide eligible arrests and convictions from background checks. Here's where Kentucky stands.
Can records be cleared?
yes — expungement
What qualifies
misdemeanors, violations, and many Class D felonies; acquittals and dismissals
Waiting period
5 years after sentence completion
Learn more about clearing your criminal record in Kentucky →
Child support in Kentucky
How child support gets calculated — and when it ends — in Kentucky.
How it's figured
income shares guidelines table in KRS 403.212; state online estimator
When it ends
age 18, or through the school year in which the child turns 19 if still in high school
Lemon law in Kentucky
Bought a new car that's constantly in the shop? Kentucky's lemon law may get you a refund or a replacement.
Which vehicles qualify
new vehicles bought or leased in Kentucky (excludes used/subsequent purchasers, motorhomes, motorcycles)
When it's legally a lemon
4+ repair attempts for the same nonconformity or 30+ calendar days out of service in the first 12 months/12,000 miles
What you get
repurchase (refund of price) or replacement with a comparable vehicle
Tenant rights in Kentucky
Renting comes with rights most people never hear about until something goes wrong. Here are the key ones in Kentucky.
Notice before eviction
30 days to end month-to-month; 7-day notice to pay or quit for nonpayment
Deposit limits & return
No cap; 30-60 day return timeline depending on circumstances; itemized damage list required
When the landlord won't fix things
May repair and deduct after 14-day written notice (cap $100 or half month's rent) - URLTA jurisdictions only
DUI / DWI in Kentucky
Driving under the influence carries some of the stiffest penalties in everyday law. Here's how Kentucky handles it.
Blood alcohol (BAC) limit
0.08; aggravating threshold at 0.15 (mandatory minimum jail even on first offense)
Typical penalties
2-30 days jail, $200-$500 fine, about 6-month license suspension
How far back DUIs count
10-year lookback
Gun laws in Kentucky
Gun laws vary a lot from state to state — what's perfectly legal in one state can be a crime in another. Here's the big picture for this state. Laws change often, so double-check anything before you act.
Carrying a concealed handgun
Permitless carry (since 2019), 21+; optional shall-issue CCDW license
Carrying openly
Generally allowed without permit (18+)
Background checks & waiting periods
Private sales: Not required No waiting period.
Extreme risk protection
No red flag law on the books here.
Reciprocity
Honors permits from all other states
Filming the police: your rights in Kentucky
Federal appeals courts across the country have recognized a First Amendment right to photograph and record police officers performing their official duties in public. The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on it directly. The right does not protect interfering with officers, trespassing, or breaking other laws while you record.
One-party consent
If you are part of a conversation, you may record it — including with police. (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 526.010)
No buffer-zone law
Kentucky has no law setting a minimum distance for filming police. You still must not interfere with officers doing their jobs.
Kentucky is one-party consent: 'eavesdrop' is defined as recording without the consent of at least one party. No Kentucky-specific court ruling on recording police and no state buffer-zone law were found.
Drug & alcohol addiction help in Kentucky
Addiction is a health issue, and help is out there — including court programs that can send people to treatment instead of jail. No insurance needed to call.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential referrals to treatment — call 1-800-662-4357 (English & Spanish).
Human trafficking victims in Kentucky
If you or someone you know is being forced to work or forced into sex against their will, you are a victim of a crime and help is available — immigration status does not matter.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733 — free, confidential, for victims and anyone who suspects trafficking.
Bullying in Kentucky
Every state has an anti-bullying law, and every school must have a plan. If your child is being bullied, document what happens and report it in writing to the school — and know what your state’s law requires.
Homelessness help in Kentucky
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your housing, help is close by. Shelters, food, health care, and long-term housing programs exist in every community.
211 homeless services
Dial 211 and press 6 for homeless services in your area.
VA homeless veterans
Homeless veterans: call the VA National Call Center at 1-877-424-3838 (877-4AID-VET), 24/7.
Deed fraud & squatters in Kentucky
Thieves can forge a deed to steal your home’s title — many counties offer free recording alerts that notify you if anything is filed against your property. And if someone is living in your property without permission, your state has specific rules for removing them: you generally cannot just change the locks.
FBI: protect your property from deed fraud
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center alert on parcel-owner impersonation →