AOC-175 Form Kentucky: How to Fill Out a Small Claims Complaint

What Is Form AOC-175?

Form AOC-175 is the official Small Claims Complaint used in all 120 Kentucky counties. It is the document that starts your case. You fill it out, file it with the Circuit Court Clerk, and the clerk uses it to issue a summons to the defendant. The current version is available on the Kentucky Court of Justice website at kycourts.gov under the Legal Forms section.

The form doubles as both a complaint and a sworn affidavit — you are making a factual claim about what happened and swearing under oath that you meet the filing requirements.

Section by Section

Plaintiff information. Enter your full legal name, street address, and telephone number. If you are filing on behalf of a business, use the business's legal name as it appears in the Secretary of State's records. Under SCR 3.020, a corporation or partnership may appear through an officer or a person regularly employed in a managerial capacity; the named plaintiff must still be the entity itself.

Defendant information. Enter the defendant's full legal name and a current address where they can receive service. Certified mail must be directed for delivery to the addressee only under CR 4.01(1)(a); sheriff service requires a physical address where the sheriff can attempt delivery. This is where most filing errors happen. If you are suing a business, use the exact registered name from the Kentucky Secretary of State database at sos.ky.gov — not a trade name or DBA. For a business entity, use the registered agent's address.

Amount claimed. Enter the principal dollar amount you are seeking, which cannot exceed $2,500. Do not include interest or court costs in this number — those are added separately. You may check the boxes requesting court costs and statutory interest in addition to the principal amount.

Statement of claim. Write a concise factual description of your dispute. Include the key dates, what the defendant agreed to or was obligated to do, what they actually did (or failed to do), and the amount of money or property owed. You do not need legal terminology. "On March 15, 2026, I paid Defendant $1,800 for bathroom remodeling. No work was performed. I demand return of the $1,800 deposit." is exactly the right level of detail.

Small Claims Affidavit. This section contains a sworn statement that you have not filed more than 25 small claims in any District Court across Kentucky in the current calendar year. KRS 24A.250 imposes this limit. You sign under oath — before a deputy clerk or notary — that the statement is true.

The Attachment Warning

Near the top of page one, the form includes a note that is easy to overlook: "Only the Complaint form will be served on Defendant. Attachments WILL NOT be served."

This means your contracts, invoices, photographs, text messages, and any other supporting documents are not mailed to the defendant as part of the service packet. The clerk only sends the complaint form and the summons. You will bring your evidence to the hearing and present it there. Prepare three copies — one for the judge, one for the defendant, and one for your own reference.

This catches first-time filers off guard. People assume that attaching evidence to the complaint means the defendant has seen it. They have not, and the judge expects you to present it live at the hearing.

Where to Get the Form

You can download Form AOC-175 as a PDF from kycourts.gov. It is also available at the counter in any Circuit Court Clerk's office. If you prefer to file electronically, self-represented litigants can create an account on the KYeCourts portal, though paper filing remains available in every county.

Form AOC-104 (Civil Case Cover Sheet) is not required for Small Claims filings under the statewide Circuit Clerks' Manual. Check the clerk's site for any other local filing instructions.

Common Mistakes

Wrong entity name. Suing "Mike's Auto Shop" when the registered LLC is "M.J. Thompson Automotive LLC" can make a judgment unenforceable. Always verify the legal name first.

Amount over $2,500. For a claim of $5,000 or less, file in the general civil division of District Court; for a claim over $5,000, file in Circuit Court. You may instead waive the excess above $2,500 to proceed in Small Claims.

Missing the affidavit signature. The complaint is not complete until you sign the affidavit under oath. If you mail in the form, it must already be notarized.

Incomplete address. A P.O. Box is not a physical location for sheriff service. It may be used for certified-mail service if the defendant receives mail there and delivery can be made to the addressee only.

Our Kentucky Small Claims Filing Guide includes a field-by-field form map for AOC-175 along with worksheets for evidence organization and a deadline calendar for every step after filing.

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