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State guides / Kentucky

Kentucky property data

Kentucky keeps its land records county by county, all 120 of them, each with its own systems. Here's what's public, what's hard to get, and what Deedplat puts on one map.

  • 120Counties
  • PublicSale prices
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What you can get in Kentucky

Kentucky makes most property records public, including what each property sold for. The catch is that every county keeps them differently.

Public everywhere

Every county has these, and Deedplat loads them all.

  • Owners and mailing addressesFrom the property Valuation Administrator (PVA) in each county
  • Sale pricesEvery Kentucky deed must state the full price paid, backed by a sworn consideration certificate, and the county clerk will not record a deed without it.
  • Deeds and mortgagesCounty Clerk in each county
  • Assessed valuesProperty can be revalued every year, and the PVA must inspect each parcel at least once every four years.
  • Tax lien salesRun county by county
  • Foreclosure filings and salesFiled in court, so they're public early
  • Lot linesCounty parcel maps

Depends on the town

Cities and consolidated governments like Louisville Metro and Lexington-Fayette keep code violations, vacant property lists and building permits, and the Kentucky Open Records Act covers them.

  • Code violations and condemnations
  • Building permits
  • Rental registration and inspections
  • Zoning maps and ordinances
  • Water and sewer liens

Not public

What no office will hand over, so you know where the line is.

  • Owner phone numbers and emails
  • Rents and leases
  • Active listingsThose live in the MLS
  • Mortgage balancesThe original loan amount is recorded; what's left is not

How property changes hands here

Distressed property reaches the market through a few channels, and they differ by county.

Tax lien certificates

Unpaid tax bills go from the sheriff to the County Clerk in the spring and become certificates of delinquency, which are liens on the property. Third-party buyers can purchase these certificates from the clerk, and the debt grows at 12% simple interest per year plus allowed fees. The buyer gets a lien, not the property, and must wait about a year after the taxes went delinquent before suing to foreclose.

Foreclosure goes through the courts

The lender files a lawsuit, and after judgment the court's Master Commissioner auctions the property, usually at the courthouse, subject to the judge confirming the sale. If the winning bid is under two-thirds of the appraised value, the owner gets six months to redeem.

Land banks

Kentucky law allows local land bank authorities, and the Louisville and Jefferson County Landbank Authority is the best known, selling vacant and abandoned lots in Louisville.

Transfer tax

The state transfer tax is 50 cents per $500 of value (0.1%), paid by the seller and collected by the county clerk when the deed is recorded.

Worth knowing

Because every recorded deed must state the full consideration under oath, Kentucky sale prices are reliable and easy to find at the county clerk.

Worth knowing

Delinquent tax certificates earn 12% simple interest a year, and buyers often add collection fees, so the payoff on a sold certificate can be far higher than the original tax bill.

Every county in Kentucky

Choose any county to get started.

Questions

Are property sale prices public in Kentucky?

Yes. Kentucky is a disclosure state. Every deed must state the full price paid and include a sworn consideration certificate, and the county clerk will not record it otherwise. Prices then show up in county clerk and PVA records.

How do tax sales work in Kentucky?

Kentucky sells tax liens, not property. Unpaid bills become certificates of delinquency held by the county clerk, and investors can buy them. The certificate earns 12% simple interest a year. If the owner does not pay, the buyer can sue to foreclose after about a year, and the property is sold through the court.

Where are deeds and mortgages recorded in Kentucky?

With the County Clerk in each of Kentucky's 120 counties. The clerk also collects the state transfer tax when a deed is recorded.

How often are Kentucky properties reassessed?

Values can change every year. Each county's Property Valuation Administrator must inspect every parcel at least once every four years, and many PVAs work through a quarter of the county each year.

Is foreclosure judicial in Kentucky?

Yes. Lenders must sue, and the court's Master Commissioner runs the auction, which the judge must confirm. If the sale brings less than two-thirds of the appraised value, the owner has six months to buy the property back.

Can I get records Deedplat doesn't have?

Often, yes. The Kentucky Open Records Act lets anyone ask counties, cities and agencies for records like code violations, permits and vacant property lists. We file those requests for you, clean up the results and add them to your map.

Sources for this guide

Laws and fees change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.

Every parcel, on one map

Deedplat is in beta. Pick any Kentucky county to get started.

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