Knox County Arrest Records

In Knox County, Kentucky, arrest records reveal details about arrests conducted within the county. These records typically contain the arrestee's name, alias, physical description, mugshot, booking date, and bond amount.

Peace officers in Knox County conduct arrests when there's a violation of state or federal statutes. Note that officers do not always need an arrest warrant to conduct an arrest; state laws allow such arrests if the crime occurred in the presence of an arresting officer. Officers may detain offenders in the county jail until they fulfill the bail conditions or are arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Knox County sheriff's office creates and maintains records of arrest events. The agency may disclose these records to interested public members.

Public members can also obtain arrest records through public files in the custody of other public bodies. For example, Knox County court records regarding criminal case proceedings may include arrest data like criminal charges, exhibits, and bond amounts.

Are Arrest Records Public in Knox County?

Yes, a majority of arrest records in Knox County contain publicly accessible information. The Kentucky Open Records Act allows public access to such records. Under the law, public members can make requests for and obtain arrest records from specific government entities. For example, the Knox County sheriff's office allows in-person requests for arrest records. Interested parties must visit the agency at this address:

103 Jail Street
Barbourville, KY 40906
Phone: (606) 546-3181

However, not all arrest records are accessible to the public. Kentucky state laws prevent public access to these records:

• Arrest documents that are sealed or expunged due to statutes or court orders.
• Sensitive data about informants in a criminal investigation.
• Crime scene videos or photos that contain violence or sex-related content.

Note: Only legally eligible parties can access confidential arrest records in Knox County. Eligible parties may include the record subjects, legal representatives, crime victims, and criminal justice agencies.

Knox County Arrest Statistics

The Kentucky State Police create an annual arrest statistics report by gathering arrest data from local law enforcement agencies. Per the agency's report, Knox County's law enforcement agencies documented 3,876 arrests in 2023. Although there are no county-level inmate reports, the state's correctional facilities housed 18,920 inmates as of March 25, 2025.

Find Knox County Arrest Records

Public members can find Knox County arrest information in inmate records. Such records reveal arrest information like the arrestee's names, physical features, mugshot, criminal offense, arrest date and location, and bond amount.
Local and state-level agencies maintain online databases through which the public can access inmate records. At the local level, the Knox County Detention Center hosts an online searchable database for recent arrestees. Interested parties must provide the inmate names to view arrest information in the database.

Conversely, the Kentucky Department Of Corrections maintains an online database of inmates in the state's prisons. To view records in the database, inquirers must provide relevant search details in the required search fields.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons, via the Inmate Locator, offers access to records of inmates currently serving in federal penal institutions. Inquirers may search records on the platform by providing the inmate's name or prison number.

Knox County Arrest Records vs. Criminal Records

In Knox County, an arrest record is not the same as a criminal record, even if they both contain information on criminal activities. The records are different in terms of their content, custodian agency, and social implication to the record subject's life.

Based on content, arrest records only cover arrest-related events like the arrestee's personal data, arrest charges, booking information, bonds, and circumstances leading to the arrest. However, criminal records are a compilation of all information concerning an individual's criminal history. The record may include not only arrest data but also court and inmate records.

Arrest records are mostly under the purview of arresting agencies like the county sheriff's office. These agencies create and maintain records of arrest events as police or incident reports. In contrast, state-level agencies like the Kentucky State Police and the Administrative Office of the Courts are official record custodians of criminal records. These agencies create criminal records by gathering crime-related data from concerned public entities.

Arrest and criminal records have different impacts on a record subject's life. The former has no negative effect on the record subject's life since they do not reveal court convictions. However, criminal records reveal court convictions, which might lead to discrimination against the record subject.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Knox County, arrest records remain a part of your publicly accessible information until they are sealed or expunged. While the Kentucky Clean Slate Act automatically expunges dismissed arrest charges, convicted offenders may expunge arrest records by filing a petition with a court of competent jurisdiction. Note that some arrest records are not eligible for expungement.

Knox County Arrest Warrants

Knox County's arrest warrants are written court directives that authorize the arrest of persons suspected of committing a crime. Court magistrates may issue arrest warrants if there's enough evidence that the suspect broke the law. In some cases, judges issue warrants if the defendant is likely to abscond.

In Knox County, arrest warrants may contain these details:

• The defendant's name and physical attributes.
• Arrest charges
• Statement that the offender must be arrested.
• The court official's signature.

Do Knox County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Knox County arrest warrants do not have an expiration. This means they remain valid even after the statute of limitations for the crime has elapsed. Note that warrants only become active when the directive is fulfilled, i.e., the offender is arrested. The court magistrate can also revoke or nullify an active warrant.

Expunge Knox County Arrest Records

In Knox County, you can expunge arrest records by filing a petition with the General Sessions Court Clerk's office. You are considered eligible for expungement if you meet these legal requirements:

• You were arrested, but the charges were dismissed without prejudice.
• You were convicted of a felony D offense.
• You were convicted but received a pardon from the governor.
• You were convicted of a misdemeanor.

Eligible parties can expunge arrest records by following these steps:

1. Get an expungement certificate from the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts. You may opt to request the certificate online or offline. For offline access, you must make an in-person request or mail a request form to:
   Records Unit
   Administrative Office of the Courts
   1001 Vandalay Drive
   Frankfort, KY 40601
2. After receiving the certificate,requesters must fill out the appropriate form:
   • Petition to vacate and expunge misdemeanors
   • Petition to vacate and expunge class D felony
3. Attach a $100 non-refundable fee.
4. Send the completed form, certificate, and fee to the:
   400 Main Street Southwest
   Knoxville, TN 37902
   Phone: (865) 215-2375