Sedgwick County Clerk Records Office
For court records, Sedgwick County's primary clerk is the Clerk of the District Court through the DC18 Records Department. Sedgwick County's own Kansas Open Records Act routing materials say the 18th Judicial District Court is part of the Kansas Judicial Branch and must receive its own records requests. That means a person looking for District Court case records should use DC18 Records, Kansas CaseSearch, public-access computers, or a written court request rather than a county-government KORA request.
The DC18 forms index is an official entry point for court record, KORA, warrant affidavit, traffic, probate, small-claims, and protection forms.
The forms index helps connect Sedgwick County clerk records requests to the correct District Court document path instead of a county administrative form.
DC18 Records Department
Office: Clerk of the District Court
Sedgwick County Courthouse, 525 N. Main Street, 6th Floor
Wichita, KS 67203
316-660-5900
Fax: 316-941-5358
Email: sg.micro@kscourts.gov
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday; closed weekends and federal holidays
Sedgwick County Clerk vs Court Clerk
The phrase "county clerk" creates a common records problem in Sedgwick County. The Sedgwick County Clerk is a county-government office. It serves as official secretary for the Board of County Commissioners, records commission minutes, prepares written minutes, supports property-tax levy and tax-roll work, receives local government budgets, handles land and real estate transfer records for tax purposes, maintains taxpayer mailing addresses, assists with property tax appeals, and issues certain licenses and permits. It is not the District Court records clerk.
The Sedgwick County Clerk forms page points marriage and divorce certificate questions back to the District Court Clerk at 316-660-5700.
That county page supports the local rule: court-record questions belong with the Clerk of the District Court, not the county administrative clerk.
| Office | Use it for | Do not use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of the District Court / DC18 Records | Marriage records, divorce records, civil, criminal, probate, support, court copies, certifications, public terminals, archived case searches. | County commission minutes, tax levies, tax roll work, land-transfer records for taxation. |
| Sedgwick County Clerk | Board minutes, tax levies, tax-roll duties, county licenses, property-tax administration, land-transfer records for tax purposes. | District Court case files, certified court copies, criminal convictions, probate files, divorce cases. |
Request Sedgwick County Court Records
DC18 gives several court-record access channels. Public users may view available public records on courthouse public-access computers in the 6th floor Records Department. Online access runs through the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal, also called CaseSearch. Written records requests may be sent by email, mail, in person, or fax. DC18 requires one request form per case number, which is important when a person needs documents from more than one Sedgwick County court case.
The DC18 docket-fees page is tied to court fees and payment information.
Fee rules matter because the court gives an estimate and requires payment before fulfilling copy and research requests.
- Online search: Use Kansas CaseSearch for public district court case lookup by party name, case number, business name, citation, or other role-based criteria.
- Public terminal: Visit the 6th floor Records Department to view available public court records with no viewing-only fee.
- Email request: Send written requests to sg.micro@kscourts.gov when copies, certification, or staff handling are needed.
- Mail request: Mail requests to Clerk of the District Court, Records Department, Sedgwick County Courthouse, 525 N. Main, Wichita, KS 67203.
- Fax or in person: Fax requests to 316-941-5358 or present them at the Records Department counter.
Sedgwick County Certified Copy Steps
Certified copies are court-issued copies that confirm the document came from the court file. They are different from an online printout or ordinary copy. DC18 charges a document certification fee and can add a raised seal upon request. Certification is often needed when a record must be presented to another agency, court, school, licensing body, or legal office. Authentication is a separate service with its own fee.
- Identify the case number if possible. If it is not known, gather party names, record type, approximate filing date, and the department involved.
- Use the DC18 KORA request form or Request for Record Inspection or for a Copy, with one form for each case number.
- State whether the request is for inspection, a plain copy, a certified copy, authentication, mailed delivery, or emailed delivery.
- Submit the written request by email, mail, fax, or in person and wait for the estimate if staff research or fees apply.
- Pay the amount due before fulfillment. Do not send cash by mail because DC18 accepts mail payments only by check, money order, or cashier's check.
Note: Most in-person requests are generally filled at the time of request, unless the case is archived or the request is large.
Sedgwick County Request Form Fields
The dynamic DC18 form host was identified, but a full field-level capture was not available in the research. The official workflow is still clear: submit a written request, use one form per case number, provide enough detail for staff to locate the record, and indicate the service needed. The fields below should be read as information a requester should be ready to provide, not as a verbatim transcript of every box on the form.
| Information | Required status | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Requester name | Be prepared to provide | Identifies who is asking for inspection, copies, certification, or staff research. |
| Mailing address | Be prepared to provide | Needed for mailed copies, estimates, and return contact. |
| Phone or email | Be prepared to provide | Lets Records staff clarify the request or send an estimate. |
| Case number | Strongly recommended | DC18 requires one request form per case number. |
| Party name | Useful if case number is unknown | Helps locate a file through party-based search. |
| Record or document requested | Be prepared to provide | Distinguishes full file, docket, order, judgment, marriage record, divorce record, probate item, or other document. |
| Certification or authentication | As needed | Triggers separate certification, raised seal, or authentication handling. |
| Delivery method | As needed | Affects fee calculation for email, mail, in-person pickup, or inspection. |
Sedgwick County Clerk Fees
DC18 fees are not a single flat charge. They turn on the number of pages, whether the copy is emailed or mailed, whether staff research is needed, whether the document is retrieved from a case file, and whether certification or authentication is requested. The court gives an estimate and requires payment before fulfilling the request. Debit and credit cards carry a convenience fee and are in-person only, as is cash. Email payment and digital payment are not accepted by DC18.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Printed copies | $0.25 per page |
| Emailed copies with no research time | No fee |
| Emailed copies with research time | $20 per hour, quarter-hour minimum, no document charge |
| Mailed First-Class copies | $0.50 per page for first five pages, then $0.25 per additional page |
| Document certification | $10 per document, raised seal upon request |
| Document authentication | $5 plus copy fees |
| Document retrieval | $30 per case file |
| Preauthorized Records staff research | $20 per hour, quarter-hour minimum of $5 |
| Preauthorized Professional staff research | $60 per hour, quarter-hour minimum of $15 |
Sedgwick County Clerk Forms
DC18 forms include records and court-process requests that are more specific than a general public-records email. The forms index lists a KORA Request Form, Request for Record Inspection or for a Copy, Request for Affidavit of Probable Cause in support of an Arrest Warrant or Summons, Request for Affidavit or Sworn Testimony in support of a Search Warrant, and defendant or attorney request forms for certain probable-cause and search-warrant materials. Some warrant affidavit and search-warrant materials can be sealed or limited by law.
The Sedgwick County Clerk page shows the separate county administrative clerk function.
Use that county clerk page for county-government records, not for District Court case files or certified court copies.
The DC18 Civil Department page is one example of a department page tied to clerk-maintained court filings.
Civil, criminal, family, traffic, probate, and records departments each feed into the broader Clerk of the District Court records system.
Sedgwick County Clerk Response Rules
DC18 cites the K.S.A. 45-218 response framework. The court has three business days to respond to a records request. If the request takes longer than three business days, the requester should receive notice of delay. That response may be an estimate, a request for clarification, a statement that the record is restricted, or a route to inspection or copies. The three-business-day rule is not a promise that every record will be copied within three days, especially archived files, large requests, and records requiring review.
Payment rules should be checked before mailing anything. DC18 accepts check, money order, and cashier's check by mail. Debit or credit card and cash are in-person only. Do not send cash through the mail. DC18 cannot accept payment by email or digital payment, and debit or credit cards carry a convenience fee.