In 1835, the Kentucky General Assembly modified the system for patenting unappropriated land in the Commonwealth. Prospective landowners purchased orders (or warrants) from the county court authorizing the county surveyor to survey a tract of unappropriated land for a patent application. The total acreage could not exceed the amount specified in each warrant, and the land had to be located within the county issuing the warrant. More than one warrant could be used for a particular survey.
The survey and a copy of the authorizing order(s) were then sent to the Register of the Land Office in Frankfort. Upon approval by the Register and, in some instances, the Attorney General, the governor signed the grant finalizing the patent. Since 1835, more than 70,000 Kentucky land patents have been issued in the County Court Order Series. The process for patenting land is defined in Chapter 56 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes.
This
database can be searched by patent number, grant book and page, county, watercourse, grant name, survey name, survey year or grant year.
For questions regarding the County Court Order Series, please review the
frequently asked questions or contact the Land Office at
(502) 564-3490 or by
email.