Where to file bankruptcy in Kentucky

Which Kentucky court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Your county decides the district and division: Eastern District list at https://www.kyeb.uscourts.gov/counties-division-county-codes; Western District counties are listed on each office page (https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/louisville, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/bowling-green, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/owensboro, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/paducah).

Federal bankruptcy courts: 2
Courts: Eastern District and Western District

Which court you file in, in Kentucky

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

Divisions: Ashland, Covington, Frankfort, Lexington, London

Clerk's phone: 859-233-2608

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky

Divisions: Louisville (Breckinridge, Bullitt, Hardin, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Spencer, Washington); Bowling Green (Adair, Allen, Barren, Butler, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Green, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Russell, Simpson, Taylor, Todd, Warren); Owensboro (Daviess, Grayson, Hancock, Henderson, Hopkins, McLean, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Union, Webster); Paducah (Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, McCracken, Marshall, Trigg). Only the Louisville office is staffed; all paper filings go there.

Clerk's phone: (502) 627-5700

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Tennessee: Eastern District, Middle District and Western District
Indiana: Northern District and Southern District
Ohio: Northern District and Southern District

Steps to file in Kentucky

Find your district
Your district depends on where you lived most of the last 180 days.
Check local rules
Local forms and rules are on Eastern District and Western District.
Get your counseling certificate
Use an approved agency. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Get the forms ready
Download the official bankruptcy forms.
Get help
Ask for free help: Kentucky Justice Online (statewide legal aid finder) and Legal Aid Society (Louisville area).

Where to get free help in Kentucky

Questions about filing in Kentucky

How do I find my bankruptcy court in Kentucky?

What is the median income for the means test in Kentucky?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $61,652; 2 people: $73,892; 3 people: $85,212; 4 people: $109,443; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Who helps with bankruptcy for free in Kentucky?

Kentucky Justice Online (statewide legal aid finder), Legal Aid Society (Louisville area) and Kentucky Legal Aid (western and south-central Kentucky).

More for Kentucky

What it costs to file

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

The 341 meeting

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

The courses you must take

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Kentucky

Short answer

Which court you file in, in Kentucky

In nearby states

Steps to file in Kentucky

Find your district

Check local rules

Get your counseling certificate

Get the forms ready

Get help

Where to get free help in Kentucky

Questions about filing in Kentucky

More for Kentucky