Belt tightening by the Kentucky Judicial Branch means Kentucky courts and court offices will be closed Monday.
August 6 is the first of three scheduled furlough days.
Other state workers have been furloughed in recent years, but according to the Administrative Office of the Courts, the move to shut down Kentucky's judicial system to balance the branch's budget is unprecedented in the modern history of the court system.
The next two furlough days are scheduled for Sept. 4 and Oct. 15.
The move will impact everything from regular court dockets to issuing and renewing of driver's licenses, which is a function of the circuit court clerk.
Since 2008, the Judicial Branch has sustained repeated reductions to its budget and has cut 282 employees statewide, eliminated court programs and trimmed operating costs at all four levels of the court system to stay within its budget.
The Supreme Court and leadership from the Administrative Office of the Courts will meet in January 2013 to determine whether more furloughs and reductions are necessary for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends next June 30.
