Short answer. Cases go to the District Court. The tenant answers by appearing on the trial date on the eviction notice to explain their reasons; the notice is served at least three days before trial. Who carries out a lockout: sheriff or constable.
At a glance
- Court
- District Court. The District Court of the county where the property is.
"the District Court of the county in which the land or tenement, or a principal part thereof, lies."
Source 1 - Hearing after filing
- The tenant gets at least three days' notice of the trial (the earliest date here assumes service on the filing day).
"at least three (3) days' notice of the time and place"
Source 1 - Time to answer or appear
- The tenant answers by appearing on the trial date on the eviction notice to explain their reasons; the notice is served at least three days before trial.
"you MUST APPEAR in Court to explain your reasons at this time."
Source 4 - Judgment to writ
- The warrant for possession issues once no appeal is filed by the seventh day after the finding.
"Defendant having failed to file an appeal on or before the seventh day after the finding, and upon request of the Plaintiff"
Source 2 - Writ to lockout
- The judgment orders the tenant to leave within seven days; either side may appeal in that time.
"Defendant(s) are ordered to vacate said property within seven days of the entry of this Judgment."
Source 3 - Who carries out the lockout
- Sheriff or constable. The warrant is directed to the sheriff or a constable.
"To the Sheriff or any other Constable of"
Source 2 - Right to counsel (statewide)
- No statewide right to counsel for tenants in eviction cases (as of November 2026, per the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel): its tracker of enacted laws lists no statewide law here. Local: Louisville (2021) have their own right-to-counsel laws.
"An eviction right to counsel is created by an enacted law that, at a minimum:"
Source 5, National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source)
Want us to handle it?
A runner files your papers in person at the clerk's window and sends you a scan of the stamped copy. We file what you prepared; we don't give legal advice.
Price: Outside New Jersey it goes through our contractor network: quote-based, confirmed before any work starts, and booked once a local contractor accepts. In New Jersey it is from $75 per filing, court fees at cost. Starting rates. Your exact price is quoted after we confirm a local notary/runner, before you pay.
Sample timeline: filed Monday, December 7, 2026
Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Need the other side served? Process serving with an affidavit of service.
- Answer or appear: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Hearing or trial: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Judgment: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Writ or warrant of possession: Thursday, December 17, 2026
- Earliest lockout: Thursday, December 17, 2026
Another date: open the estimator.
Not stated on the pages we read: filing fee, paying to stop the case, diversion or mediation (statewide).
Sources
- Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210 (checked November 2026)
- Kentucky Court of Justice: AOC-220 Eviction Notice, Warrant for Possession (Rev. 5-14) (checked November 2026)
- Kentucky Court of Justice: AOC-217 Forcible Detainer Judgment (Rev. 4-23) (checked November 2026)
- AOC-215 Eviction Notice: Notice of Eviction Hearing (Kentucky Court of Justice, rev. 10-25) (checked November 2026)
- National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source): National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel: Enacted Eviction Right to Counsel and Eviction Defense Programs (last modified November 2026) (checked November 2026)
Sourced from official pages; a few facts from vetted secondary sources, marked "(secondary source)".
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Not a court form. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Common questions
Which court hears eviction cases in Kentucky?
District Court. The District Court of the county where the property is.
How long does a tenant in Kentucky have to respond?
The tenant answers by appearing on the trial date on the eviction notice to explain their reasons; the notice is served at least three days before trial.
How soon after filing is the Kentucky hearing?
The tenant gets at least three days' notice of the trial (the earliest date here assumes service on the filing day). That's the statute's window; the court's own calendar decides the actual date.
When can a Kentucky landlord get the writ after winning?
The warrant for possession issues once no appeal is filed by the seventh day after the finding.
How long between the writ and a lockout in Kentucky?
The judgment orders the tenant to leave within seven days; either side may appeal in that time.
Who carries out an eviction in Kentucky?
Sheriff or constable. The warrant is directed to the sheriff or a constable. The officer acts on the court's order.
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