Arrest Records Lookup: Butler County, Kansas

Butler County district court cases are searchable statewide through the Kansas Judicial Branch’s CaseSearch portal at no charge — that covers case information and, for documents, records filed after Butler County joined the eCourt system. For booking-level records held by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, reach the jail directly at (316) 322-4300 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.). The Butler County District Court sits within the 13th Judicial District and is located at 201 W. Pine, inside the Butler County Courthouse in El Dorado. A practical note before you visit: the District Court Clerk’s office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. — that closure is not posted on the county website, so plan your trip accordingly.

If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Butler County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.

If you need records outside Butler County

A nationwide criminal records search may help fill gaps that local portals often leave. Records from other Kansas counties, cases in neighboring states, or entries predating Butler County’s eCourt rollout window may not appear in CaseSearch at all. The preliminary scan is free; a full report requires creating an account.

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How to look up arrest records in Butler County

Does the record you need live in a court file, a booking log, or a police report — and does it include a booking photo? The answer determines which office you contact, because those records live in separate systems with different access rules.

Kansas Judicial Branch’s CaseSearch (court-side records). Search Butler County district court cases — including criminal filings — through Kansas Courts CaseSearch. You can search by name statewide at no charge. Case information (case number, charges, attorney of record, hearing dates) is available for all district court cases. Court documents are available only from the date Butler County’s 13th Judicial District went live on the eCourt system. Records predating that cutover are available at the courthouse terminal inside the Butler County Courthouse, 201 W. Pine, El Dorado. Municipal court cases — city ordinance violations handled by El Dorado or other Butler County cities — are not in CaseSearch at all.

Butler County Sheriff’s Office (booking-side records). The Butler County Sheriff’s Office runs the county jail and holds booking records for arrests made by the Sheriff. Call (316) 322-4300 during weekday business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.) to ask about a specific booking or to request a records search. The Detention Division page on the county’s official website lists current jail information. Booking rosters are open records under Kansas law; booking photos may be withheld at the agency’s discretion — call to confirm the Sheriff’s current release policy for photos.

El Dorado Police Department (city arrests). Arrests made by the El Dorado Police Department are held by that agency, not the Sheriff. Submit a written request through the El Dorado public records request form. The department is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Under the Kansas Open Records Act, an agency must act on your request as soon as possible and no later than the end of the third business day after receiving it — acting on it can mean explaining a delay and naming the earliest date the record will be ready.

Written requests for court documents. To obtain copies of filed court documents from the Butler County District Court Clerk, submit a written request using the Kansas Judicial Branch’s Request Form for Court Records. Phone lines at the Clerk’s office can be difficult to reach during business hours, and no voicemail system is available — visiting in person is often more reliable. Allow extra time; processing can vary.

Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) KASPER. For individuals who served time in state custody, the KASPER offender search covers people already released or discharged from KDOC facilities. It is a historical record, not a current custody list. Butler County’s own Butler County Jail holds people awaiting trial or serving county sentences; confirm current custody by calling (316) 322-4300.

Are Butler County arrest records public?

What about federal arrests — are those in the same system as state and county records? They are not, and that gap matters if the name you’re researching has any federal case history.

Butler County arrest records generated by state and local agencies are governed by K.S.A. 45-215 et seq. — the Kansas Open Records Act — which establishes a default-public presumption for government records. Jail booking rosters and police blotter entries are open records. An agency must respond to a written request as soon as possible and no later than the end of the third business day after receiving it, though the response may explain a delay rather than deliver the record immediately.

Several categories are withheld from public access. Sealed and expunged records are not available through CaseSearch or at the courthouse terminal. Juvenile records are largely exempt from disclosure. Victim-identifying information may be redacted from documents before release. Certain criminal investigation records — materials compiled in connection with an active investigation — may also be withheld at the agency’s discretion under K.S.A. 45-215 et seq.

Federal arrest records are entirely outside the Kansas state system. A federal arrest in Butler County — handled by the FBI, DEA, ATF, or another federal agency — would appear in federal court records, not in CaseSearch or the Sheriff’s booking log. To search federal cases, use the federal PACER system (pacer.uscourts.gov), which covers the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. No Kansas state portal, including CaseSearch, shows federal cases.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation maintains a statewide criminal history repository. Any individual may request a Kansas Criminal History Record Check from the KBI for a $30 fee. That search covers convictions and arrests statewide but does not include sealed or expunged entries. The KBI’s offender registry covers violent and drug offenders as well as sex offenders — it is not limited to sex offenses.

What’s in a Butler County arrest record?

A single arrest in Butler County can generate more than one record, and those records live in different systems with different fields visible to the public.

On the booking side — held by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office or the arresting city police department — the record typically includes: the date and time of booking, the full name and date of birth of the person arrested, the charges as listed at booking (which may differ from charges later filed in court), the arresting agency, and the booking number. The booking entry may also note whether a bond was set at the first appearance before a judge. A judge sets an appearance bond at the first appearance, secured by sureties or cash, or releases the person on their own recognizance — unless the magistrate makes a specific finding otherwise, a bond for a felony or misdemeanor against a person carries a condition of no contact with the alleged victim for at least 72 hours. Booking photos are part of the booking record at the Butler County Courthouse; whether they are released to the public is at the Sheriff’s discretion — call (316) 322-4300 to ask about current policy.

On the court side — accessible through Kansas Courts CaseSearch — the record includes: the case number, case type (felony, misdemeanor, traffic), the charges as formally filed by the prosecutor (which may be different from booking charges), the names of attorneys of record, the assigned judge, hearing dates, and the case disposition if the matter has been resolved. Dispositions include conviction, acquittal, dismissal, diversion, or deferred sentence. Court documents filed after the Butler County Courthouse joined the eCourt system are viewable through the portal; earlier documents require an in-person visit or a written records request.

A citation issued in the field — for a traffic stop or a lower-level offense — may produce a separate record in municipal court if the citation is for a city ordinance violation. Those records are not in CaseSearch and are held by the relevant city court. For El Dorado city ordinance matters, contact the El Dorado Police Department or El Dorado Municipal Court directly.

The practical takeaway: if you run a name through CaseSearch and see no result, that does not mean no record exists. A booking may be in the Sheriff’s system but not yet in a court file, or the case may be a municipal matter outside CaseSearch’s scope entirely.

How to expunge an arrest record in Butler County

When an arrest did not lead to a conviction, the path to sealing that record is generally more straightforward than post-conviction sealing — and the two routes work differently under Kansas law.

Non-conviction records. Arrests that were dismissed, resulted in acquittal, or were never charged can often be petitioned for expungement without the waiting periods that apply to convictions. The petition is filed in the district court that handled the case — for Butler County matters, that is the 13th Judicial District court at the Butler County Courthouse, 201 W. Pine, El Dorado. The case is docketed in the original criminal case number. K.S.A. 21-6614 governs the process. At the hearing, the court must also find that the person has not been convicted of a felony in the past two years — that is a look-back at the hearing date, not a separate waiting period.

Post-conviction sealing (discretionary). A conviction can be expunged once the applicable waiting period has passed from the end of the sentence, discharge from probation, parole, or other supervision — never from the arrest date or conviction date. For most misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and lower-level felonies, the waiting period is three or more years after the sentence was satisfied or supervision ended. For class A, B, and C felonies and other serious offenses listed in the statute, the waiting period is five or more years. A first drunk-driving conviction or diversion waits five or more years. A second or later drunk-driving conviction generally waits ten or more years, but that period depends on the date of the offense — violations committed between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015 are treated differently under the statute. A diversion agreement can be expunged three or more years after its terms were fulfilled. Nothing can be expunged while a person is required to register under the Kansas Offender Registration Act, and a defined list of serious offenses cannot be expunged at all.

Filing the petition. Petitions to seal are filed at the Butler County District Court Clerk’s office inside the Butler County Courthouse. The Clerk’s office is open weekdays and closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. — that closure is not posted online. Phone lines can be difficult to reach; visiting in person is more reliable. Once the expungement order is granted, it is sent to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which notifies the FBI and other agencies. Law enforcement retains access to sealed records; the public does not.

Self-petition vs. attorney-assisted. You can file a petition to seal without an attorney. The Kansas Judicial Branch’s court records guidance page describes the process. For complex cases — multiple charges, prior convictions, or cases involving the serious-offense list — consulting a licensed attorney is worth considering. The Kansas Bar Association’s client referral service can connect you with a local attorney. If you cannot afford one, the Kansas Board of Indigents’ Defense Services may be able to help.

Juvenile records. A juvenile record can be expunged once the person has reached age 23, or two years have passed since final discharge from supervision — whichever comes later — provided there is no later conviction or adjudication that bars it.

Quick-contacts reference

Frequently asked questions about Butler County arrest records

What is the best way to visit the Butler County District Court Clerk to get arrest record documents?

Go to the Butler County Courthouse at 201 W. Pine in El Dorado during weekday business hours. The Clerk’s office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. — that closure is not posted on the county website, so arriving before noon or after 1:00 p.m. avoids a wasted trip. Phone lines are often difficult to reach and there is no voicemail, so an in-person visit is more reliable than calling. Bring a written request using the Kansas Judicial Branch court records request form. You can also search case information for free at the courthouse’s public terminal, which covers records not yet available through Kansas Courts CaseSearch.

How do you get a Butler County arrest record expunged or sealed?

File a petition to seal in the 13th Judicial District court at the Butler County Courthouse, docketed in the original criminal case number. K.S.A. 21-6614 governs eligibility. Arrests that did not result in a conviction can often be petitioned without a waiting period. Convictions require waiting at least three or more years after the sentence or supervision ended for most misdemeanors and lower-level felonies, or five or more years for class A, B, and C felonies and other serious offenses listed in the statute. Nothing can be sealed while you are required to register under the Kansas Offender Registration Act. After the court grants the order, it goes to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which notifies the FBI — law enforcement retains access, but the public record is removed. The Kansas Bar Association client referral service can help you find a local attorney if you want legal assistance.