Place of county offices; office hours; penalty for failure to keep open

19-2601. Place of county offices; office hours; penalty for failure to keep open. Every county officer shall keep his or her office at the seat of justice of such county, and in the office provided by the county, if any such has been provided; and if there be none established, then at such place as shall be fixed by special provisions of law; or if there be no such provisions, then at such place as the board of county commissioners shall direct, and they shall keep the same open during such days and hours as shall be fixed by the board of county commissioners; and all books and papers required to be in their offices shall be open for the examination of any person; and if any of said officers shall neglect to comply with the provisions of this section, such officer shall forfeit, for each day he or she so neglects, the sum of five dollars ($5). History: G.S. 1868, ch. 25, § 172; R.S. 1923, 19-2601; L. 1963, ch. 180, § 1; L. 1976, ch. 145, § 79; January 10, 1977. Cross References to Related Sections: Office at place other than county seat, see 19-1601a. Attorney General's Opinions: Legal holidays; observance of holidays. 80-86. County commissioners; control of county clerk's office. 81-287. Place of county attorney's office. 83-63. Taxation; property valuation, equalization; assessment; records open to public inspection. 85-36. Office hours of the district court. 86-21. Power of county commission to supervise county employees' work hours; time clocks. 94-29. Board of county commissioners' powers; office hours of county attorney's office. 94-159. Register of deeds; office hours; recording and filing documents. 97-94. CASE ANNOTATIONS 1. District court cannot require removal of records to another county. State. v. Smithers, 14 Kan. 629, 631. 2. Validity of tax sale at temporary office of treasurer considered. Richards v. Cole, 31 Kan. 205, 206, 1 P. 647. 3. Does not authorize private abstractor to copy entire records. Cormack v. Wolcott, Register, 37 Kan. 391, 393, 15 P. 245. 4. Extent of right to examine records defined. Boylan v. Warren, Clerk, 39 Kan. 301, 304, 18 P. 174. 5. Offices not kept open on Sunday. Implement Co. v. Parlin & Orendorff Co., 51 Kan. 566, 576, 33 P. 363. 6. County commissioners cannot convene as board outside county. The State v. Scott Co., 58 Kan. 491, 495, 49 P. 663. 7. Forfeiture cannot be collected for failure of county attorney to keep office open. Henry v. Simon, 128 Kan. 113, 276 P. 55. 8. Provisions noted; appeal from city court held not perfected in time. Geile v. Knowles, 172 Kan. 528, 530, 241 P.2d 509. 9. Resolution fixing office and working hours upheld; adoption of central standard time. Whitmer v. House, 198 Kan. 629, 631, 632, 633, 426 P.2d 100. Previous | Next LEGISLATIVE COORDINATING COUNCIL General Policies 2026 Archived LCC Documents Archived LCC Meetings REVISOR OF STATUTES Archived Session Documents Archived School Finance Documents USEFUL LINKS Session Laws Kansas Administrative Regulations OTHER LEGISLATIVE SITES Kansas Legislature Administrative Services Division of Post Audit Research Department Contact Us PDF Help www.ksrevisor.gov 2026