Search Grant County Court Records
Grant County District Court does not publish a separate county-built case database. Public district court case information is searched through Kansas CaseSearch, the statewide Kansas Judicial Branch portal, or through public terminals at the courthouse. The local District Court page links users toward Kansas Judicial Branch resources, while the Clerk of the District Court remains the direct office for copy questions, certified documents, and older or restricted files that do not appear online.
Before starting a Grant County court records search, gather the case number if known, party names, the case type, and an approximate filing date. Citation numbers help for traffic and fish or game cases. If the matter is a City of Ulysses ordinance case, the better first stop is Ulysses Municipal Court. If it is a jail, sheriff, or warrant question, the record may sit at the Grant County Law Enforcement Center or in a court docket rather than in the public case portal.
- Open Kansas CaseSearch and search by case number, party name, business name, or citation when that information is available.
- Use case type or case status filters if the portal offers them for the selected search.
- Review the events index, party names, case category, hearing entries, and public document links.
- Use a courthouse terminal or contact the Clerk of the District Court when the portal does not show the record or document needed.
- Request certified copies from the clerk when a court seal or official copy is required.
The Grant County official homepage is a useful starting point for local departments. The image from the Grant County official website reflects the county source used for courthouse and office routing.
That county source helps separate court records from county clerk, sheriff, register of deeds, and freedom-of-information channels.
Grant County Court System
Grant County is part of the Kansas 26th Judicial District with Haskell, Morton, Seward, Stanton, and Stevens counties. The Grant County District Court is the main trial court for local court records. It has general original jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, including jury trials, divorce, domestic relations, probate, guardianships, conservatorships, juvenile matters, care and treatment cases, damage suits, and small claims. Grant County also has a resident district magistrate judge within the district court structure.
The local judicial officers listed by the county are Hon. Mike Winner, Magistrate Judge; Hon. Clint B. Peterson, Chief Judge; Hon. Bradley E. Ambrosier, District Court Judge; and Hon. Linda P. Gilmore, District Court Judge. City ordinance violations and many city traffic matters move through Ulysses Municipal Court. Appeals from district court generally move to the Kansas Court of Appeals and then, when accepted or required, to the Kansas Supreme Court.
Case flow: Ulysses Municipal Court or District Magistrate Judge › Grant County District Court › Kansas Court of Appeals › Kansas Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Grant County District Court | General trial jurisdiction | Criminal, civil, domestic, probate, guardianship, juvenile, mental-health, traffic outside Ulysses city limits, and small claims. |
| District Magistrate Judge | District court judicial officer | Local hearings and matters assigned within the district court system. |
| Ulysses Municipal Court | City ordinance jurisdiction | City ordinance violations, city traffic tickets, municipal hearings, fines, and costs. |
The Kansas district courts overview explains the statewide trial court structure that Grant County uses.
That statewide structure is why Grant County searches often use Kansas Judicial Branch tools even though the case was filed in Ulysses.
Grant County Court Locations
Most Grant County court record work is tied to three places in Ulysses. The courthouse holds the District Court, Clerk of the District Court, County Clerk, and Register of Deeds on different levels. The City of Ulysses maintains a separate municipal court at City Hall for city ordinance and city traffic matters. Jail, sheriff, police, booking, and law-enforcement records run through the Grant County Law Enforcement Center.
Grant County Courthouse
108 S. Glenn, Second Level
Ulysses, KS 67880
(620) 356-1526
Ulysses Municipal Court
115 W Grant Ave
Ulysses, KS 67880
(620) 356-4600
Grant County Law Enforcement Center
210 E. Central Avenue
Ulysses, KS 67880
620.356.3500
The Grant County District Court page is the local court source for judges, clerk contact, and jurisdiction.
Those details matter because the same courthouse also houses non-court offices with different record duties.
Grant County Court Record Types
Grant County District Court produces the broadest court record set in the county. Civil files may include petitions, answers, motions, orders, judgments, service returns, and hearing records. Criminal files may include a complaint or information, charges, bond orders, appearance records, pleas, motions, warrants, judgments, sentencing orders, probation terms, fines, costs, and restitution. Domestic, probate, guardianship, juvenile, and traffic cases have their own public access limits.
Not every record with a legal issue is a district court record. Tickets inside Ulysses city limits go to the municipal court. Jail booking questions go to the sheriff. County administrative records go through the County Clerk, who is also the Freedom of Information Officer. Recorded land documents, deeds, mortgages, tax liens, powers of attorney, plats, and military discharge records go through the Register of Deeds.
- Criminal court records show the court case after charges are filed by the County Attorney.
- Civil court records cover lawsuits, small claims, judgments, and court orders between parties.
- Family and divorce records include divorce case files and decrees, while certificates come from KDHE.
- Probate records include estate, guardianship, and conservatorship matters handled in District Court.
- Traffic court records split between District Court and Ulysses Municipal Court based on where the ticket was issued.
The Grant County Clerk page identifies the county clerk services that sit outside the court case file workflow.
That distinction keeps court cases with the Clerk of the District Court and county administrative requests with the County Clerk.
What Grant County Court Records Show
Public Grant County court records commonly show identifying details that help a reader confirm the right file before requesting copies. A case number is the primary tracking number. The parties show who filed, who responded, or who was charged. The events index, also called the register of actions, is the chronological list of filings, hearings, notices, warrants, orders, judgments, and disposition entries. Public documents may appear online, but document access depends on case type, user role, document type, date, and restriction status.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The clerk and Kansas CaseSearch identifier for the file. |
| Filing Date | The date the case opened or the filing was received. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, state, estate, ward, or other role names. |
| Charges / Cause | Criminal statutes, traffic citations, civil claims, probate petitions, or domestic issues. |
| Disposition | Dismissal, plea, conviction, acquittal, judgment, diversion, probation, sentence, or closed status. |
| Financial Data | Fines, court costs, restitution, bonds, payment plans, and balances when public. |
Grant County Court Access Laws
Kansas public access starts with the policy in K.S.A. 45-215, which favors inspection of public records unless a law closes them. Court records also have court-specific rules. Kansas Supreme Court Rule 22 recognizes access to public case records and the events index through courthouse terminals and public portals, subject to limits. Grant County administrative records use the County Clerk and Freedom of Information Officer process.
Key Statutes:
K.S.A. 45-221 lists records that public offices are not required to disclose, including many criminal investigation and medical records.
Kansas Supreme Court Rule 106B defines electronic public access to district court records through terminals and remote systems.
Kansas Supreme Court Rule 108 covers reproduction, retention, disposition, and destruction of court records.
The Grant County Freedom of Information page is the local source for county open-records requests outside judicial case files.
That process asks requesters to be specific and allows advance fees for staff time and copying.
Restricted Grant County Court Records
Some Grant County court records are public only in part or not public at all. Juvenile matters, adoption files, sealed files, expunged matters, mental-health proceedings, protected addresses, medical information, financial account numbers, and minor names may be restricted or redacted. Criminal investigation records may also be closed under KORA exceptions. Public access is strongest for ordinary public dockets and case events, but it narrows when a statute, court rule, or judge's order protects the file.
Adult expungement is governed by K.S.A. 21-6614. Juvenile expungement is governed by K.S.A. 38-2312. For a Grant County District Court matter, the petition is filed in the court with jurisdiction over the event. If an adult expungement is granted, the clerk sends a certified copy to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which the research notes may take about two to four weeks to process after receipt.
Grant County Specialty Programs
Official Grant County pages reviewed for this build did not publish a local drug court, veterans treatment court, mental health court, DUI court, reentry court, or family treatment court page for Grant County. That absence should not be read as a permanent statement about all program options. Specialty and problem-solving courts can vary by district and by current court administration.
For current program availability, the practical contact is the Clerk of the District Court at the courthouse. Criminal defendants should use counsel or the court process for eligibility questions, and indigent-defense routing may involve the Kansas State Board of Indigents' Defense Services or assigned counsel. The County Attorney's role is prosecution and court-related legal work for the county, not advice to defendants or private parties.
Grant County Sheriff and Jail
The Grant County Sheriff's Office is at the Law Enforcement Center in Ulysses. James Biddle is the elected sheriff. The office is responsible for operating the Grant County Jail, serving court papers and District Court process, offender registry duties, fingerprinting, vehicle identification number inspections, patrol, dispatch, and jail staffing. The jail was built in the 1970s and can hold up to 40 prisoners.
No official Grant County, Kansas online jail roster was confirmed in the reviewed county pages. Inmate questions start with the sheriff by phone or in person, then move to court dockets, records requests, KDOC KASPER for state custody, or the KBI registered-offender registry where those tools fit. Detailed custody routing belongs with Grant County inmate records, while active warrant questions belong with Grant County warrant records.
Marriage Divorce and Probate
Kansas marriage license applications now use the Kansas Judicial Branch online process. Completed licenses are filed through the issuing district court and then forwarded to KDHE Office of Vital Statistics. KDHE issues certified marriage certificates and divorce certificates, but a divorce certificate is not the full divorce decree. The decree and case file come from the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the divorce was filed. Grant County probate and administration of estates are handled in District Court, not in a separate probate court.
Use the dedicated Grant County marriage and divorce records page for certificate and decree routing. Use Grant County probate records for estates, wills filed in court, guardianships, and conservatorships.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Executor
- A person appointed to carry out a will and handle estate duties.
- Conservator
- A person appointed to manage another person's financial affairs under court oversight.
Grant County Court Records Fees
Grant County's Freedom of Information page says county open-records fees may include staff time and copying or reproduction costs and may be requested in advance. Kansas court-record request guidance captured in the research identifies court copy and certification amounts, while KDHE and KSCourts payment pages set separate costs for vital certificates and online payment fees.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Kansas court record copy | 25 cents per page, per Kansas Courts request guidance snippet in the research. |
| Certified court document | $10 per certified document, plus copy and mailing charges when applicable. |
| KDHE marriage or divorce certificate | $20 per certified copy. |
| KSCourts Central Payment Center card fee | 5 percent convenience fee, minimum $1. |
| KSCourts Central Payment Center e-check fee | $1 convenience fee. |
Read Grant County Court Records
A docket is not the same thing as the full case file. The docket or events index is the running list of events. A motion is a request asking the judge to act. An order is the judge's written direction. A disposition is the outcome of a charge or claim. In criminal records, a charge is an allegation filed in court, while a conviction is a final finding or plea establishing guilt. A dismissed charge should not be read as a conviction.
The City of Ulysses directory gives the city office context for municipal court and police department records.
City directory details are useful when a traffic or ordinance issue belongs with Ulysses rather than the county district court.
The Ulysses Municipal Court page is the local source for city ordinance and city traffic matters.
That municipal source matters because some Grant County traffic and ordinance entries will not be district court cases.
Grant County Record Limits
Online records can lag behind court action, and jail, warrant, payment, and driver-license status can change quickly. Kansas CaseSearch may show public district court information and documents, but sealed, expunged, juvenile, adoption, and some domestic-relations details may be unavailable. KASPER is not a complete criminal history. The KBI offender registry is not a warrant list. KDOR driver records do not replace a court docket.
Kansas Courts issued a 2025 release for CaseSearch and a March 2025 appellate public access portal announcement. It also issued an April 2026 warning about a scam impersonating a Kansas court traffic division. Use official court and payment sources, and call the clerk when a message, payment demand, or docket entry looks suspicious.
Note: Verify urgent court dates, warrants, balances, and license consequences with the originating court or agency before relying on an online result.
Grant County Court History
The Grant County courthouse district at 108 S. Glenn St. was built in 1929 and 1930, designed by Smith & English of Hutchinson, built by J.M. Fuller, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The courthouse is described in the federal historic-preservation source as Art Deco, with a four-story courthouse, a four-story addition, and a connected jail annex. That history helps explain why the courthouse remains both a working records center and a civic landmark.
Grant County recordkeeping also has strong local archival details. The Register of Deeds says records can trace back to the earliest land transactions and that microfilm is stored in the salt mines at Hutchinson for safekeeping. Older court or land-related research may therefore require more than an online portal.
The Kansas Court of Appeals page shows where many district court appeals go after local trial court action.
Appeal records are separate from the Grant County District Court file, even when they arise from a Grant County case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Grant County court records kept?
District court case records are kept by the Clerk of the District Court at the courthouse. City ordinance and city traffic records are handled by Ulysses Municipal Court. County administrative records go through the County Clerk and Freedom of Information Officer.
Can Grant County court records be searched online?
Public district court case information can be searched through Kansas CaseSearch where available. Courthouse public terminals and clerk requests remain important when online records are incomplete, restricted, older, or when a certified copy is needed.
Does Grant County publish a jail roster?
No official Grant County, Kansas jail roster was confirmed in the reviewed local sources. Call the sheriff's office for current jail questions, and use KDOC KASPER only for state custody or supervision context.
Which court handles Grant County traffic tickets?
Tickets outside Ulysses city limits go to Grant County District Court. Tickets inside Ulysses city limits go to Ulysses Municipal Court. Eligible online payments may use the KSCourts Central Payment Center.