Owen County, Kentucky Genealogy Records

Which records survive from Owen County, the years each set covers, and where to find them.

Formed
1819
County seat
Owenton

Records that survive

The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) keeps microfilm of every county's records. These are the years its inventory lists for Owen County's most-used records. Gaps are common, and the full microfilm guide lists every roll.

Most-used records on microfilm

  • Marriages1819-1996
  • Deeds1819-2016
  • Will books1820-2003
  • County court order books1819-1977, 1986-2007
  • Civil cases1819-1977
  • Criminal cases1837-1977
  • Birth and death registerssome years, 1852–1910

Search KDLA's full microfilm guide

Source: KDLA County Records Inventory. Counties registered births and deaths only in scattered years between 1852 and 1910; statewide registration began in 1911.

Where to find the records

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Franklin County, Gallatin County, Pendleton County, Scott County

Check the parent counties for earlier records: Franklin County, Gallatin County, Pendleton County, Scott County

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1819, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.

Research tip

Kentucky's county court order books cover far more than lawsuits: they appoint guardians and road overseers, settle estates and record much of a county's daily business. Read them year by year for your ancestor's name.