Kentucky Revised Statutes

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120 (2026)

Civil and probate jurisdiction

✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section KY-LRCapps.legislature.ky.gov JustiaChapter on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

District Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction in: (1) Civil cases in which the amount in controversy does not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), exclusive of interest and costs, except matters affecting title to real estate and matters of equity; however, nothing herein shall prohibit execution levy on real estate in enforcement of judgment of District Court; (2) Matters involving probate, except matters contested in an adversary proceeding. Such adversary proceeding shall be filed in Circuit Court in accordance with the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure and shall not be considered an appeal; (3) Matters not provided for by statute to be commenced in Circuit Court shall be deemed to be nonadversarial within the meaning of subsection (2) of this section and therefore are within the jurisdiction of the District Court; and (4) Matters involving trusts in accordance with KRS 386B.2-030. Effective: July 15, 2014 History: Amended 2014 Ky. Acts ch. 25, sec. 96, effective July 15, 2014. -- Amended 2011 Ky. Acts ch. 91, sec. 1, effective June 8, 2011. -- Amended 2003 Ky. Acts ch. 66, sec. 15, effective June 24, 2003. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 320, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 517, sec. 6, effective September 1, 1998. -- Amended 1988 Ky. Acts ch. 137, sec. 2, effective July 15, 1988. -- Amended 1982 Ky. Acts ch. 188, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1982. -- Amended 1980 Ky. Acts ch. 54, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1980; and ch. 259, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1980. -- Amended 1978 Ky. Acts ch. 384, sec. 122, effective June 17, 1978. -- Created 1976 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 28, sec. 11. Legislative Research Commission Note (6/8/2011). 2011 Ky. Acts ch. 91, sec. 4, provides that "any case which has been filed in a Circuit Court or District Court prior to the effective date of this Act (June 8, 2011) and the change in jurisdictional amounts (made by 2011 Ky. Acts ch. 91) shall remain in the court in which the case was originally filed, until the disposition of the case." Legislative Research Commission Note (6/24/2003). Under the authority of KRS 7.136, the Reviser of Statutes has renumbered the paragraphs and subsections of this section. To conform with this renumbering, a reference in subsection (3) to "paragraph (b) of this subsection" has been changed to read "subsection (2) of this section."

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 54 cases (21 in the last 5 years), 1980–2026 · leading case: McElroy v. Taylor, 977 S.W.2d 929 (Ky. 1998).
McElroy v. Taylor, 977 S.W.2d 929 (Ky. 1998). · cites it 33× “" The circuit court also quoted James R. Merritt, 1 Kentucky Practice: Probate Practice and Procedure § 731, at 474 (2d ed.”
West v. Goldstein, 830 S.W.2d 379 (Ky. 1992). · cites it 11× “240(2)." Id. at 228. The remedy, if one was required, was, not to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction, but to require the contestants to lodge the notice in question if to do so would serve some appropriate purpose.”
Hale v. Moore, 289 S.W.3d 567 (Ky. Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 4× “510(1), and KRS 24A.120, the district court no longer had subject matter jurisdiction.”
Hardaway Mgmt. Co. v. Southerland, 977 S.W.2d 910 (Ky. 1998). · cites it 2× “130 instructs that in construing statutes which contain an apparent conflict, reference may be had to the acts of the General Assembly from which the sections were derived. KRS 207.260 was enacted as section 51 of chapter 443 of the 1990 Kentucky Acts.”
Privett v. Clendenin, 52 S.W.3d 530 (Ky. 2001). · cites it 2× “Therefore, we hold that the district courts have exclusive subject-matter jurisdiction over claims brought under the UTMA, even accounting claims that in all probability will involve sums exceeding the district court's jurisdictional limitation of $4,000 imposed by KRS 24A.120.…”
Wood v. Wingfield, 816 S.W.2d 899 (Ky. 1991). · cites it 3× “" KRS 24A.120 gives the district courts exclusive jurisdiction in "matters involving probate, except matters contested in an adversary proceeding," KRS 24A.”
Reyes v. Hardin Cnty., 55 S.W.3d 337 (Ky. 2001). “010(1); KRS 24A.120(l)(a). Accordingly, the decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed and this action is remanded to the Hardin Circuit Court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
Parts Depot, Inc. v. Beiswenger, 170 S.W.3d 354 (Ky. 2005). “KRS 24A.120(1). Otherwise, it is the circuit court.”
City of Somerset v. Bell, 156 S.W.3d 321 (Ky. Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “KRS 24A.120(1)(a). Therefore, the circuit courts have jurisdiction of amounts in controversy exceeding $4,000.”
Kuprion v. Fitzgerald, 888 S.W.2d 679 (Ky. 1994). “110(1); KRS 24A.120(2); KRS 24A.130; KRS 24A.230.”
Vega v. Kosair Charities Comm., Inc., 832 S.W.2d 895 (Ky. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 3× “KRS 24A.120(2) grants the district court exclusive jurisdiction in “[mjatters involving probate, except matters contested in an adversary proceeding.”
Kampschaefer v. Commonwealth ex rel. Kampschaefer, 746 S.W.2d 567 (Ky. Ct. App. 1988). · cites it 3× “” KRS 24A.120(1) grants the district court exclusive jurisdiction in civil cases where the amount in controversy does not exceed $2,500.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(1) — 16 cases
McElroy v. Taylor, 977 S.W.2d 929 (Ky. 1998). “" The circuit court also quoted James R. Merritt, 1 Kentucky Practice: Probate Practice and Procedure § 731, at 474 (2d ed.”
Hardaway Mgmt. Co. v. Southerland, 977 S.W.2d 910 (Ky. 1998). “130 instructs that in construing statutes which contain an apparent conflict, reference may be had to the acts of the General Assembly from which the sections were derived. KRS 207.260 was enacted as section 51 of chapter 443 of the 1990 Kentucky Acts.”
Parts Depot, Inc. v. Beiswenger, 170 S.W.3d 354 (Ky. 2005). “KRS 24A.120(1). Otherwise, it is the circuit court.”
Kampschaefer v. Commonwealth ex rel. Kampschaefer, 746 S.W.2d 567 (Ky. Ct. App. 1988). “” KRS 24A.120(1) grants the district court exclusive jurisdiction in civil cases where the amount in controversy does not exceed $2,500.”
Dalton v. First Nat'l Bank of Grayson, 712 S.W.2d 954 (Ky. Ct. App. 1986).
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(1)(a) — 1 case
City of Somerset v. Bell, 156 S.W.3d 321 (Ky. Ct. App. 2005). “KRS 24A.120(1)(a). Therefore, the circuit courts have jurisdiction of amounts in controversy exceeding $4,000.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(1)(b) — 1 case
Fischer v. Jeffries, 697 S.W.2d 159 (Ky. Ct. App. 1985).
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(1)(c) — 1 case
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(2) — 28 cases
McElroy v. Taylor, 977 S.W.2d 929 (Ky. 1998). “" The circuit court also quoted James R. Merritt, 1 Kentucky Practice: Probate Practice and Procedure § 731, at 474 (2d ed.”
West v. Goldstein, 830 S.W.2d 379 (Ky. 1992). “240(2)." Id. at 228. The remedy, if one was required, was, not to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction, but to require the contestants to lodge the notice in question if to do so would serve some appropriate purpose.”
Kuprion v. Fitzgerald, 888 S.W.2d 679 (Ky. 1994). “110(1); KRS 24A.120(2); KRS 24A.130; KRS 24A.230.”
Hale v. Moore, 289 S.W.3d 567 (Ky. Ct. App. 2008). “510(1), and KRS 24A.120, the district court no longer had subject matter jurisdiction.”
Vega v. Kosair Charities Comm., Inc., 832 S.W.2d 895 (Ky. Ct. App. 1992). “KRS 24A.120(2) grants the district court exclusive jurisdiction in “[mjatters involving probate, except matters contested in an adversary proceeding.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(2)(3) — 1 case
Morris v. Brien, 712 S.W.2d 347 (Ky. Ct. App. 1986).
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(3) — 10 cases
McElroy v. Taylor, 977 S.W.2d 929 (Ky. 1998). “" The circuit court also quoted James R. Merritt, 1 Kentucky Practice: Probate Practice and Procedure § 731, at 474 (2d ed.”
Vega v. Kosair Charities Comm., Inc., 832 S.W.2d 895 (Ky. Ct. App. 1992). “KRS 24A.120(2) grants the district court exclusive jurisdiction in “[mjatters involving probate, except matters contested in an adversary proceeding.”
Hall v. Coyle, 240 S.W.3d 656 (Ky. Ct. App. 2007).
Doug Deatherage v. Pamela Breving (Ky. Ct. App. 2021).
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(8) — 1 case
Hale v. Moore, 289 S.W.3d 567 (Ky. Ct. App. 2008). “510(1), and KRS 24A.120, the district court no longer had subject matter jurisdiction.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(l)(a) — 2 cases
Reyes v. Hardin Cnty., 55 S.W.3d 337 (Ky. 2001). “010(1); KRS 24A.120(l)(a). Accordingly, the decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed and this action is remanded to the Hardin Circuit Court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
City of Somerset v. Bell, 156 S.W.3d 321 (Ky. Ct. App. 2005). “KRS 24A.120(1)(a). Therefore, the circuit courts have jurisdiction of amounts in controversy exceeding $4,000.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 24A.120(l)(b) — 2 cases
Fischer v. Jeffries, 697 S.W.2d 159 (Ky. Ct. App. 1985).
Mullins v. First Am. Bank, 781 S.W.2d 527 (Ky. Ct. App. 1989).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.