# Kentucky — Anti-SLAPP special motion deadlines, fee-shifting and discovery stay by state

For Kentucky, deadline to file the motion is No later than sixty (60) days after a party is served with a complaint, crossclaim, counterclaim, third-party claim, or other pleading that asserts a cause of action to which KRS 454.460 to 454.478 applies, or at a later time on a showing of good cause, the party may file a special motion for expedited relief to dismiss the cause of action in whole or in part; attorney's fees for the prevailing party is On a motion under KRS 454.464, or the appeal of an order granting or denying a motion under KRS 454.464, the court shall award court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and reasonable litigation expenses related to the motion: (1) To the moving party if the moving party prevails on the motion; or (2) To the responding party if the responding party prevails on the motion and the court finds that the motion was brought without good cause; effect on discovery is Except as otherwise provided in subsections (4) to (7) of this section, on the filing of a motion under KRS 454.464: (a) All other proceedings between the moving party and responding party, including discovery and any pending hearing or motion, shall be stayed;; statute is Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 454.460 to 454.478, recorded from its source on 2026-09-02.

- **State:** Kentucky _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Deadline to file the motion:** No later than sixty (60) days after a party is served with a complaint, crossclaim, counterclaim, third-party claim, or other pleading that asserts a cause of action to which KRS 454.460 to 454.478 applies, or at a later time on a showing of good cause, the party may file a special motion for expedited relief to dismiss the cause of action in whole or in part. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Attorney's fees for the prevailing party:** On a motion under KRS 454.464, or the appeal of an order granting or denying a motion under KRS 454.464, the court shall award court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and reasonable litigation expenses related to the motion: (1) To the moving party if the moving party prevails on the motion; or (2) To the responding party if the responding party prevails on the motion and the court finds that the motion was brought without good cause. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Effect on discovery:** Except as otherwise provided in subsections (4) to (7) of this section, on the filing of a motion under KRS 454.464: (a) All other proceedings between the moving party and responding party, including discovery and any pending hearing or motion, shall be stayed; _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Statute:** Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 454.460 to 454.478 _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> No later than sixty (60) days after a party is served with a complaint, crossclaim, counterclaim, third-party claim, or other pleading that asserts a cause of action to which KRS 454.460 to 454.478 applies, or at a later time on a showing of good cause, the party may file a special motion for expedited relief to dismiss the cause of action in whole or in part.

## Where each value comes from

This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.

### Deadline to file the motion

> No later than sixty (60) days after a party is served with a complaint, crossclaim, counterclaim, third-party claim, or other pleading that asserts a cause of action to which KRS 454.460 to 454.478 applies, or at a later time on a showing of good cause, the party may file a special motion for expedited relief to dismiss the cause of action in whole or in part.

### Attorney's fees for the prevailing party

> On a motion under KRS 454.464, or the appeal of an order granting or denying a motion under KRS 454.464, the court shall award court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and reasonable litigation expenses related to the motion: (1) To the moving party if the moving party prevails on the motion; or (2) To the responding party if the responding party prevails on the motion and the court finds that the motion was brought without good cause.

### Effect on discovery

> Except as otherwise provided in subsections (4) to (7) of this section, on the filing of a motion under KRS 454.464: (a) All other proceedings between the moving party and responding party, including discovery and any pending hearing or motion, shall be stayed;

## Source

- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53202
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53203
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53209

Last verified: 2026-09-02. Review by: 2027-09-02.
Part of [Anti-SLAPP special motion deadlines, fee-shifting and discovery stay by state](https://referencesource.org/anti-slapp-motion-provisions-by-state/).