Brown County Clerk of the District Court
Brown County uses a split clerk structure. The Clerk of the District Court keeps court case records for the Brown County District Court. The Brown County Clerk is the county administrative clerk for commission records, elections, licenses, tax administration, open-records request intake, and courthouse scheduling. Brown County's own FAQ points court-date, fine, child-support, warrant, marriage/divorce certificate, and court-record questions to the District Court Clerk rather than the County Clerk.
The 22nd Judicial District identifies Peggy Siebenmorgen as the Brown County Clerk of District Court. The Kansas Judicial Branch listing places Brown County District Court at the courthouse in Hiawatha, with court mail to PO Box 417. The clerk's office is the practical contact when Kansas CaseSearch does not show a public record, when a certified copy is needed, or when a user needs to know whether a file is available at a courthouse terminal.
Brown County Clerk of the District Court
Clerk: Peggy Siebenmorgen
601 Oregon Street
PO Box 417
Hiawatha, KS 66434-0417
785-742-7481
Fax: 785-742-3506
Email: Peggy.Siebenmorgen@kscourts.gov
Brown County Clerk Duties
The Brown County Clerk of the District Court handles District Court records, while the Brown County Clerk handles county administrative records. This distinction is important because Kansas court records follow court-access rules and Kansas Supreme Court Rule 22, while county administrative records are commonly requested through the county's Kansas Open Records Act form. A court case file should not be sent first to the county administrative clerk unless the clerk's office specifically routes it there.
| Office | Records and Services | Contact Route |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of the District Court | Court files, dockets, fines, child support, marriage court routing, divorce decrees, probate, warrants tied to cases. | 785-742-7481 or court mail to PO Box 417. |
| Brown County Clerk | Commission minutes, contracts, resolutions, elections, tax administration, county forms, courthouse use, KORA intake. | Suite 202, phone 785-742-2581. |
| Register of Deeds | Land records from 1857, military discharges, cemetery deeds, real-property indexes. | Phone 785-742-3741. |
| County Attorney | Prosecution and county legal matters. | Phone 785-740-7401. |
Request Brown County Court Copies
For public case information, Kansas CaseSearch is the first online search path. It searches Kansas District Court records by case number, party name, business name, citation, and other role-based criteria. Brown County court users can then use the Clerk of the District Court for courthouse-terminal access, certified copies, older files, or questions about records that do not appear remotely.
- Search Kansas CaseSearch by case number first, then by party name, business name, or citation.
- Confirm that the result is a Brown County District Court case and not a municipal case.
- Write down the case number, party names, case type, and document name.
- Contact the Clerk of the District Court to ask whether the document is public, certified, remote, terminal-only, or paper-only.
- Submit the copy request with the requested delivery method and the fee amount confirmed by the clerk.
The Brown County Clerk page is a separate county source for administrative records. The official Brown County Clerk page explains that county office's duties and forms.
That county page is useful for open-records and administrative records, but court case files still route through the Clerk of the District Court.
Brown County Request Fields
The Brown County Open Records Request form is the documented county fallback for administrative records under K.S.A. 45-220 and related KORA provisions. It is not a replacement for court-copy procedures, but its field inventory is still useful when a request involves county records, commission records, or county offices outside District Court.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Unspecified | Date of the request. |
| Requester and company | Implied | Name and optional organization. |
| Address and daytime phone | Implied | Street, city, state, ZIP, and contact phone. |
| Email or fax | Optional or unspecified | Used for contact or delivery if available. |
| Use statement | Implied | Supports the anti-commercial-list certification. |
| Description of information | Yes or implied | Specific records sought. |
| Delivery choice | Implied | U.S. Mail, Priority Mail, fax, or pickup. |
| Signature | Yes | Appears under the statutory certification. |
Brown County Clerk Fees
Published Brown County fee details come from several sources and should be matched to the record type. The KORA form covers county administrative copy charges. The genealogy packet lists historical District Court copy prices for research use. The sheriff has a separate report-copy fee. Marriage and vital-certificate costs come from Kansas court and KDHE sources, not the county clerk's open-records form.
| Record or Service | Amount | Source Context |
|---|---|---|
| Brown County KORA copies | $0.30 per page | County Open Records Request form. |
| Election rosters | $0.01 per name | County Open Records Request form. |
| Research, compiling, typing, or printing | Employee hourly rate, one-hour minimum | County Open Records Request form. |
| Historical District Court copy | $0.50 per copy | Brown County genealogy packet, verify current use. |
| Historical District Court certified copy | $1.50 per certified copy | Brown County genealogy packet, verify current use. |
| Kansas marriage license | $85.50 plus online processing | Kansas court marriage-license sources. |
| KDHE certified marriage or divorce certificate | $20 each | KDHE vital-record sources. |
Marriage Divorce Probate Records
Brown County's District Court clerk is the local contact for divorce case files, divorce decrees, probate case files, and marriage record routing tied to the Kansas court system. The genealogy packet says marriage records date to 1857 at the Clerk of District Court, while modern certified marriage and divorce certificates may also be ordered through KDHE if the requester is eligible. KDHE vital records are not public records in the same way as a public court docket.
The Kansas Office of Vital Statistics is the state source for certified vital certificates.
That state office matters when a person needs a certified vital certificate rather than the District Court case file or decree.
Brown County Clerk Access Channels
Brown County court-record access uses several channels. Kansas CaseSearch covers public District Court case information online. Courthouse terminals may show public records not available remotely. The Clerk of the District Court handles certified copies, older files, and court-specific questions. The 22nd Judicial District hearings page provides Brown County docket access for current hearing questions. The Kansas Judicial Council provides official forms for probate, divorce, expungement, small claims, traffic, municipal, protection orders, and small estates.
Mail for Brown County District Court goes to PO Box 417, Hiawatha, KS 66434-0417. In-person court access is at the courthouse on Oregon Street. County administrative KORA requests use the Brown County Open Records Request form and the County Clerk's Suite 202 office. If a request is for a court case file, start with the court clerk even when the county KORA form looks broader.
Note: Brown County municipal court cases, such as some city traffic or ordinance matters, may not be held by the District Court clerk.