Job Opportunities
We currently have a vacant Staff Attorney III position. Please click here to view the posting on the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet Website.
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Kentucky Land Office
The Secretary of State's Office is the place to start when researching Kentucky land acquisitions. All chain of title in the Commonwealth traces back to Virginia land patents and Kentucky land patents. In fact, all Kentucky deeds eventually trace back to an original patent recorded in the Kentucky Land Office. The Secretary of State maintains the security and preservation of these historical documents. We assist a variety of researchers such as historians, genealogists, and applicants for honorary societies as well as attorneys, mineral rights researchers, and land owners tracing the history of their properties. Researching land patents is as easy as determining the surname of your ancestor, when he might have obtained a land patent, and the area in which he might have been located. A number of publications, as well as databases on our website, can help you determine if your ancestor was involved in a land patent.
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Early Kentucky Land Patents: A Power Point Presentation |
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Click here to download the Land Office program from the May 10, 2008 workshop co-sponsored by the Kentucky Genealogical Society & Kentucky Historical Society.
If you do not have Microsoft Power Point, click here to download a free Power Point viewer.
Click here to download the supplemental notes to accompany the Power Point Presentation.
Click here to view a special announcement from Secretary of State Trey Grayson.
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Kentucky Cities |
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This website/database lists all filings submitted by Kentucky’s cities to the Secretary of State’s Office since 1942 and identifies current city classifications, incorporation dates, status, etc. Listings of current city and county officials, furnished by “The Gold Book”, are included as are pre-built list and query options. These functions allow researchers to see how many filings were received by year, the number of cities with a distinctive classification, cities within a particular Area Development District, and much more. You will also find pages for “Frequently Asked Questions”, links to KRS regarding Kentucky Cities, and links to sources regarding Kentucky Cities and Counties. The Kentucky Cities site offers a unique opportunity for the public to participate in a state government website. Further, the public is invited to submit (for approval) pictures of tourist attractions for download onto that city's information page.
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Military Registers & Land Records |
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Under the terms of the Proclamation of 1763, issued by England's King George III, soldiers who served in the French & Indian War received bounty land warrants as payment for service. The warrants provided the capacity to obtain land patents. The rank of the soldier determined the acreage awarded by the warrant.
The same principle of "land for military service" applied to soldiers serving during the Revolutionary War. Each colony determined the acreage per rank, the requisite duration of service, and the location of their respective Military District. The Military District for Virginia rested in southwestern Kentucky and south-central Ohio. The Military Registers and Land Records site includes information regarding Military Warrants issued to Virginia veterans prior to 1792 and all Kentucky patents authorized by those warrants.
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Non-Military Registers & Land Records |
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In Kentucky, there are four steps involved in land patenting: 1) the Warrant (or Warrants) authorizing the survey; 2) the Entry reserving the land for patenting; 3) the field Survey; and 4) the Governor's Grant finalizing the patent. No title is conveyed until the Grant is issued. The Kentucky Secretary of State's Land Office is the repository for all records pertaining to patents issued within the Kentucky boundary, including patents issued by the state of Virginia prior to Kentucky's statehood in 1792.
In Non-Military Registers and Land Records, we include databases, legislation and frequently asked questions regarding patents not authorized by military warrants.
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Land Office Order Form |
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Contains links to online as well as printable order forms for the Kentucky Land Office.
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Database Searches |
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This page provides instant access to all Kentucky Land Office databases. To learn more about the structure and history of the databases included on this site, we encourage researchers to visit the individual pages for each database.
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Land Office Journal |
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What is new on the Land Office website? Has the date been set for a book fair or your favorite seminar? The Land Office Journal is the place to check for news and online publications of interest to Kentucky historians, genealogists, surveyors and engineers. Submissions approved for this website are added to the Journal pages upon receipt. Submissions to the Journal should include timely announcements and publications to ensure maximum coverage.
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Reference Library |
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The Reference Library is designed to aid researchers in their study of the Kentucky land patenting process, Kentucky Land Office databases and related articles.
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Contact |
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For more information regarding the land office, please contact the Land Office Branch of the Office of the Secretary of State:
- by phone at (502) 564-3490;
- by Email; or
- by mailing your inquiry to: Office of the Secretary of State
Land Office Branch
700 Capital Avenue, Suite 80
Frankfort, KY 40601
The Office of the Secretary of State is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm EST.
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