Rule 45.01.Form; issuance.

A subpoena is the tool that forces a nonparty -- or sometimes a party -- to show up and testify, hand over documents, or let someone inspect property. Rule 45.01 sets what has to be on the face of that document: the court that issued it, the case title, the court where the case is pending, the civil action number, and the name, address, phone number, and email of the attorney or pro se party who caused it to be issued. It can command the recipient to attend and testify, to produce documents or tangible things, or to permit inspection of premises, at a specified time and place.

Getting a subpoena issued doesn't always mean a trip to the courthouse. The clerk can hand over a subpoena that's signed but otherwise blank, letting the requesting party fill in the details before serving it. An attorney licensed to practice in Kentucky can also issue and sign a subpoena directly, on the court's behalf, without going through the clerk. And a demand to produce documents or things, or to inspect premises, can either ride along with a subpoena commanding attendance at a deposition, hearing, or trial, or stand on its own as a separate subpoena.