In civilian terms, a break-down of duties may include:

As over a dozen county courts are in session every day, duties include serving court documents such as criminal warrants, subpoenas and mental health petitions.

The sex offender compliance unit monitors hundreds of registered sex offenders across the country. The department assists victims of domestic violence navigate the criminal justice system and provide them with local resources. The office is also charged with verifying registered addresses of convicted sex offenders within the Fayette Co. lines.

In this county, the sheriff's office serves as the primary collector of current-year ad valorem taxes on real and tangible properties. Collection of your property tax is one of the most important duties of office, yet, few voters are aware of the duty or even who carries it out year after year.

The Fayette County Sheriff's Office is a fee-based department, which means it does not receive funding from LFUCG unless its the recipient of a Federal grant. The budget, therefore, comes from the fees that deputies receive from duties they perform.

Kentucky’s constitution requires the election of a sheriff in each county to a 4-year term. It requires the sheriff to be at least 24 years old, a Kentucky citizen, a resident of the state for 2 years, and a resident of the county of election 1 year before election (section 100). 

Before taking office, the elected sheriff must execute bond (required by KRS 70.020) for a minimum of $10,000 and relates to the faithful performance of all of duties. The fiscal court has the power to require the sheriff to enter into an additional bond (KRS 134.230). The sheriff must also take the constitutional oath of office (section 228) and a statutory oath of office (KRS 70.010).