Gove County Clerk Office
Gove County uses a unified Kansas district court structure for trial-court records. The State Court Structure Map identifies the primary clerk as the Clerk of the District Court. The official 23rd Judicial District Gove page lists Janna Cook as Clerk of the District Court I and Jessica James as Trial Court Clerk II. That page also lists the local court contact information and the district court staff serving Gove County.
The Clerk of the District Court is the local access point for case filings, record inspection, copy requests, public-terminal searches, probate case files, divorce case files, criminal dockets, traffic cases filed in district court, and older or non-digitized court files. When a person needs a certified copy of a Gove County divorce decree, probate order, criminal judgment, civil filing, or traffic disposition from district court, this is the right office to contact.
Gove County District Court
Clerk: Janna Cook, Clerk of the District Court I
420 Broad Street, PO Box 97
Gove, KS 67736
785-938-2310
Gove_County_Clerk@kscourts.gov
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Gove County Clerk Duties
The Clerk of the District Court maintains district court case records. That includes many records people casually call courthouse records: civil case files, criminal cases, domestic cases, divorce files, probate files, state traffic cases, protection orders, juvenile-adjacent public docket material where available, and public copies of filed documents unless access is restricted. The clerk also supports filings and assigns new case numbers after proper filing under the local rules.
- Maintain public district court case records and docket entries.
- Provide courthouse terminal access for public district court searches.
- Receive filing materials and assign case numbers after proper filing.
- Handle copy and certified copy requests for district court files.
- Route users away from court records when another county office is the custodian.
CaseSearch is useful, but it is not the full clerk function. Online public access can exclude sealed records, confidential files, older material, and documents that are not imaged for public view. For those issues, the clerk's phone, email, mail, terminal, and counter access remain important.
Gove County Clerk Search Channels
The 23rd Judicial District record-search page directs users to Kansas district court public records through the Kansas Judicial Branch eCourt system. For Gove County district court records, begin with Kansas CaseSearch when the case is public and enough search information is known. If the online result is missing, limited, sealed, too old, or not enough for a certified copy, use the public terminal or contact the Gove clerk.
| Channel | Best Use | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas CaseSearch | Public district court case information and documents | Sealed cases and sealed records are not public. |
| Courthouse public terminal | In-person searches at Gove County District Court | Still excludes sealed and confidential records. |
| Clerk request | Certified copies, older files, file pulls, and copy questions | Fees and processing steps should be confirmed first. |
| KDHE | Certified marriage and divorce certificates | Not the source for divorce case files or decrees. |
Request Gove County Certified Copies
A certified copy is a court copy with official certification from the custodian. It may be needed for a name change, benefits, appeal, title matter, agency filing, probate transaction, or legal proof of a judgment or decree. A screenshot, portal printout, or unofficial scan is not a certified copy. For vital certificates, such as certified marriage or divorce certificates, KDHE is the source, not the district court clerk.
- Identify the case number, case type, and party names if known.
- Decide which document is needed, such as decree, order, judgment, docket sheet, or filing.
- Contact the Clerk of the District Court by phone, email, mail, or in person to confirm availability.
- Ask for the current copy and certification fee before sending payment.
- Request mailing, pickup, or other delivery instructions from the clerk.
Note: Certified court copies come from the court custodian, while certified vital certificates come from KDHE.
Gove County Records Request Fields
The research did not locate a Gove-specific district court records request form. The practical request inventory below is based on the court-record access channels described in the research and the information the clerk needs to find a file. Include enough detail to prevent a false miss, especially if the case is older, the party used more than one name, or the document requested is only one order within a larger case file.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | If known | The fastest way to locate a district court record. |
| Party names | Yes | Use full names and known prior names. |
| Case type | Recommended | Civil, criminal, probate, divorce, traffic, or other type. |
| Document type | Yes | Order, decree, judgment, docket sheet, filing, or certified copy. |
| Copy type | Yes | Plain copy or certified copy. |
| Requester contact | Yes | Phone, email, and mailing address for follow-up. |
Gove County Clerk Fees
The assigned research did not locate a Gove County District Court copy fee schedule. It did locate Kansas public-record fee principles and several record-adjacent fees. A court records page should not invent a per-page copy fee or certification fee. For a district court copy, ask the clerk for the current cost, payment method, and whether a self-addressed envelope or other mailing step is required.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| District court plain copy | Confirm with Clerk of the District Court |
| District court certified copy | Confirm with Clerk of the District Court |
| KORA records costs | Fees and actual costs may apply under Kansas law |
| Marriage license | $85.50 plus $2.14 card/debit service fee |
| Traffic reinstatement after failure to comply | $122 per count |
County Clerk Is Separate
Gove County has a County Clerk, but that office is not the district court case-record clerk. The official county page identifies Bonnie Cook as Gove County Clerk and elections officer, with Jackie Hrabe as Deputy Clerk and Liz Dilka as Office Clerk for solid waste billing. The County Clerk's office is at 520 Washington Street, Suite 103, PO Box 128, Gove, KS 67736, phone 785-938-2300, fax 785-938-2305, email clerk@govecountyks.gov, and hours Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The County Clerk handles county administrative functions such as elections, budgets, human resources, payroll, taxes, and commission records. The Board of County Commissioners page also directs people with board business to contact the County Clerk to get on an agenda. Those are useful public records, but they are not Gove County district court case records. A person seeking divorce files, probate cases, criminal dockets, civil judgments, or traffic court records should use the Clerk of the District Court.
Register of Deeds Is Separate
The Register of Deeds is a third office that can be confused with the district court clerk. The official county page identifies Amber Hutchison as Gove County Register of Deeds and Bonnie Wood as Deputy Register of Deeds. The office uses PO Box 116, Gove, KS 67736, phone 785-938-4465, and weekday hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its page links to fee schedules, UCC forms, land index resources, notary fraud information, and e-recording.
Use the Register of Deeds for land records, UCC matters, e-recording, and land-index research. Do not send district court case copy requests there. The Register of Deeds page also says Gove County does not process passports and points residents to nearby passport locations, which is another reason a visitor should identify the correct office before driving to Gove.
Local Filing Rules
The 23rd Judicial District local rules add practical detail to clerk work. Petitions and pleadings needing summons must be accompanied by completed summonses and enough copies for service and return. Noncriminal subpoena requests must include completed subpoena forms and copies. Requests for writs of execution or garnishment must include the writ and copies for service and return. Criminal warrants, summonses, or subpoenas also require completed documents and copies.
Case numbers for new filings are assigned by the Clerk of the District Court upon proper filing and are not furnished before filing. That matters for public searches. A new case may not appear in CaseSearch until the filing is accepted and assigned a number, and a request that lacks a case number may require more clerk time to locate.