How to answer a debt lawsuit in Kentucky

Deadlines by court, filing, fees and defenses, with a calculator.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026.

Short answer

District or Circuit Court: 20 days. File a written defense (an Answer) with the Circuit Court Clerk in the county listed on the summons (the clerk handles both District and Circuit Court cases).

Time to answer
20 days
Official answer form
No official form found

Your deadline to answer in Kentucky

  • District or Circuit Court: 20 days.

20 days after you receive the summons. The 20 days start the day after you were served.

Law: Kentucky Civil Summons AOC-105 (rev. 8-26); KRS 453.190

In nearby states

Work out your answer date

The date is counted in your browser.

The court's name is at the top of your summons.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Court holidays and local rules can change a deadline. File early, and ask the court clerk if you are not sure.

What an answer is and how to file it in Kentucky

File a written defense (an Answer) with the Circuit Court Clerk in the county listed on the summons (the clerk handles both District and Circuit Court cases). Serve a copy of your Answer on each plaintiff, or on its lawyer, by mail, hand delivery or another method allowed by Civil Rule 5. You must also file a certificate of service saying when and how you served it; it can be filed with your Answer.

Defenses to know in Kentucky

Kentucky time limits that can be raised as a defense: 10 years for a written contract signed after July 15, 2014; 15 years for a written contract signed before then; 5 years for a contract not in writing or a merchant's store account. Kentucky has no special pleading rules for debt-buyer lawsuits.

Law: KRS 413.160; KRS 413.090(2); KRS 413.120

In Kentucky, the time limit to sue on a written contract is 10 years. A debt older than that can be a defense, but you must raise it in your answer.

Court fees in Kentucky

If you can't pay the fees

Motion for Waiver of Costs and Fees and to Proceed In Forma Pauperis; Affidavit; Financial Statement; and Order (AOC-026). The court must let a 'poor person' defend a case without paying costs. https://www.kycourts.gov/Legal-Forms/Legal%20Forms/026.pdf

Law: KRS 453.190

How you must be served in Kentucky

Service means officially getting the court papers. Your deadline usually starts that day.

You must be served with the Civil Summons (AOC-105) and a copy of the complaint. The person who serves it fills in the return on the summons showing whom it was delivered to and when.

Law: Kentucky Civil Summons AOC-105 (citing CR 4.02, 5.01-5.05)

What to do now in Kentucky

  1. Check the court papers

    Write down the court, the case number and who is suing you.

  2. Note your last day

    Kentucky's rule: District or Circuit Court: 20 days.

  3. Answer in writing

    The clerk takes your answer; the plaintiff's lawyer gets a copy; you keep a copy.

  4. Ask for the documents

    A documents request letter asks for the contract and proof of ownership.

Federal rules in every state

  • Where a collector must sue. A debt collector that sues you over a consumer debt must file where you signed the contract or where you live when the suit starts. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1692i(a)(2)
  • Old debts. A debt collector must not sue you, or threaten to sue you, on a debt that is too old to sue on. Law: 12 CFR 1006.26(b)

Where to get free help in Kentucky

Questions about answering in Kentucky

How many days do I get to answer in Kentucky?

20 days after you receive the summons. The 20 days start the day after you were served.

What do I file to answer in Kentucky?

File a written defense (an Answer) with the Circuit Court Clerk in the county listed on the summons (the clerk handles both District and Circuit Court cases). Serve a copy of your Answer on each plaintiff, or on its lawyer, by mail, hand delivery or another method allowed by Civil Rule 5. You must also file a certificate of service saying when and how you served it; it can be filed with your Answer.

What if I can't afford the court fees in Kentucky?

Motion for Waiver of Costs and Fees and to Proceed In Forma Pauperis; Affidavit; Financial Statement; and Order (AOC-026). The court must let a 'poor person' defend a case without paying costs. https://www.kycourts.gov/Legal-Forms/Legal%20Forms/026.pdf

More for Kentucky

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources
Count my deadline