Kentucky Rules of Appellate Procedure – 2026

The Kentucky Rules of Appellate Procedure, a standalone set effective January 1, 2023 that replaced the former CR 72 through 76 and reset appellate practice in the Commonwealth. A notice of appeal and the statutory docket fee are both jurisdictional and due within 30 days from the date of notation of service. Coverage includes appeals as of right, cross-appeals, the record and briefs, motions for relief from injunction rulings under RAP 20, discretionary review under RAP 44 and original proceedings under RAP 60.

Last updated September 04, 2026

Browse all 63 rules of the 2026 edition below. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules. Use the search box to find rules by keyword or number.

Article I. Title and Scope of Rules

1 Applicability, title, and amendment of these rules

Article II. Commencement of Appeal

2 Appeal as of right--how taken 3 Appeal as of right--When taken 4 Cross-appeals

Article III. General Provisions Applicable to Appeals

5 Service, form, and filing 6 Computing and extending time 7 Motions 8 Death, substitution, and amendment of parties 9 Intervention on appeal 10 Failure to timely appeal or comply with other rules 11 Obligation of counsel and self-represented party; frivolous filings 12 Appearance, substitution, or withdrawal of attorneys 13 Costs and filing fees 14 Number of Documents Required 15 Word-count certificate 16 Reserved

Article IV. Preliminary Procedure and Interlocutory Relief

17 Transfer of appeal from court of appeals to supreme court 18 Reserved 19 Reserved 20 Motion for relief from an order granting or denying an injunction 21 Motion for intermediate relief during pendency of appeal 22 Prehearing procedure in the court of appeals 23 Notice to Attorney General when constitutional validity of a statute is at issue

Article V. Record on Appeal

24 Contents and designation of record on appeal 25 Unavailable or omitted proceedings 26 Duties of circuit court clerk regarding preparing, certifying, and forwarding the record and review or withdrawal of appellate record 27 Appellate clerk's duties 28 Access to record on appeal 29 Reserved

Article VI. Briefs

30 Time for filing and serving briefs 31 Format and number of briefs 32 Organization and content of briefs 33 Reserved 34 Amicus curiae 35 Supplemental authority 36 Reserved

Article VII. Disposition of Appeal

37 Submission 38 Oral argument 39 Reserved 40 Opinions and orders--issuance and effective date 41 Citation to unpublished opinions 42 Stay pending review by united states supreme court

Article VIII. Rehearing or Discretionary Review

43 Petition for rehearing or other relief as to opinion or opinion and order or motion for reconsideration of order 44 Motion for discretionary review 45 Amicus curiae in support of or opposition to motion for discretionary review 46 Cross motion for discretionary review 47 Neither petition for rehearing nor motion discretionary review required for exhaustion in criminal appeals

Article IX. Appeals from District Court

48 Appeals from district court

Article X. Other Appeals

49 Appeals from workers' compensation board 50 Certification of question of law to or from the supreme court 51 Review of decisions concerning bail 52 Habeas corpus appeals 53 Reserved 54 Motions to proceed in forma pauperis and appoint counsel 55 Appeal of the denial of in forma pauperis 56 Reserved 57 Reserved 58 Reserved 59 Reserved

Article XI. Original Actions

60 Original proceedings in appellate courts 61 Reserved

Article XII. Bonds

62 Stays and bail in criminal cases 63 Bonds in civil appeals