How to Search Court Records: Public Lookup Steps, Case Numbers, Certified Copies & PACER
Looking up court records is mostly a routing problem. First identify the court that handled the case, then use the official clerk, court portal, courthouse, appellate system or PACER route. This guide explains the public lookup process without pretending that every record is online or that a name match proves identity.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not a court, clerk, PACER, government agency, law firm, background-check company or Consumer Reporting Agency. This guide provides general educational information about public court-record lookup routes.
Responsible-use warning: a name match is not proof of identity. An arrest, charge, complaint, indictment, citation, petition or lawsuit does not prove guilt, liability or final outcome. Verify the official court, case number, filing date, party role, docket activity and disposition before relying on any court-record result.
Court records are public in many situations, but not all records are online
Court records are usually organized by the court that created the case file. A federal bankruptcy case, a county small-claims case, a municipal traffic citation, a state divorce case, a probate estate, a juvenile matter and a state appeal can all require different systems. The fastest way to look up court records is to identify the jurisdiction first, then use the official court or clerk route.
The court or clerk that handled the case controls the record route.
Case number is usually more precise than a name search.
Federal appellate, district and bankruptcy records use PACER.
Official certified copies come from the record custodian.
Court-record route finder
Select the record type you are trying to locate. This tool runs in your browser and does not ask for a name, case number, birth date, address, citation number or any private information.
For a civil lawsuit, identify the state, county, court level and case type. Use the official court or clerk portal if available, then request certified copies from the clerk that maintains the file.
How to look up court records without searching the wrong system
The lookup process should move from broad identification to precise verification. Do not pay for a search or publish a result until you know which court, case type and custodian are involved.
Decide whether you need a docket, upcoming court date, judgment, order, divorce decree, criminal disposition, traffic citation, probate filing, bankruptcy docket, transcript, opinion or certified copy.
Determine whether the case is state, county, municipal, tribal, territorial, federal district, bankruptcy, federal appellate or state appellate.
Use the county where the case was filed, the city on the citation, the courthouse on the notice, the federal district, the appellate court, or the bankruptcy division.
Use the state judiciary, county clerk, court clerk, municipal court, appellate court, federal court or PACER route. Avoid unofficial pages that promise hidden nationwide records.
Case-number searches are usually more precise and can reduce fees. Preserve hyphens, year codes, court codes and leading zeros when the official system requires them.
Use spelling variations only when supported. Compare court, filing date, party role, case type, attorney, docket activity and disposition before assuming the result belongs to a specific person or business.
Some cases are sealed, expunged, confidential, juvenile, restricted, courthouse-only, archived, purged or not digitized. Remote access may be narrower than in-person courthouse access.
When you need an official record, ask the clerk for the exact document and copy type. A screenshot or search result usually does not replace a certified copy.
Which court-record source should you use?
Different courts handle different case types. The table below helps you avoid searching a jail site for a court disposition, a deed system for a lawsuit, or a state portal for a federal bankruptcy case.
| Need | Likely source | Lookup tip |
|---|---|---|
| Civil lawsuit | State trial court, county clerk or court clerk | Search by case number or party name in the official civil case portal. Check whether the court is county, district, circuit, superior or common pleas. |
| Criminal court case | State trial court, county criminal court or municipal court | Separate arrest or booking records from court filings and dispositions. Verify charges, pleas, judgments and sentencing entries through the court. |
| Traffic citation | Municipal, county, justice, district or traffic court | Use the court or agency printed on the ticket. Citation payment systems may differ from court-record systems. |
| Divorce, custody or support case | Family court, domestic relations court, circuit court, superior court or county clerk | Family records often have remote-access limits. Certified decrees and orders come from the clerk that maintains the file. |
| Probate, estate, will or guardianship | Probate court, surrogate court, chancery court or county clerk | Guardianship, conservatorship and mental-health-related records may be restricted or partially confidential. |
| Small claims | Small claims division, justice court, district court, county court or municipal court | Use the state or county small-claims portal. Monetary limits and court names vary by state. |
| Eviction or landlord-tenant case | Housing court, district court, county court, justice court or civil division | Eviction records can have state-specific sealing or access limits. This guide is not a tenant-screening product. |
| State appeal | State court of appeals or state supreme court | Use the appellate case number or originating trial court number. Trial and appellate docket numbers are often different. |
| Federal civil or criminal case | PACER and the specific U.S. district court | Search the specific federal court for real-time records when you know it. Use PACER Case Locator when the court is unknown. |
| Bankruptcy case | U.S. Bankruptcy Court and PACER | Bankruptcy is federal. Do not search a county civil court for a bankruptcy docket. |
| Older or archived court file | Court clerk, county archive, state archive, microfilm index or federal records center | Ask the custodian about retention schedules, archive retrieval, paper files, microfilm and copy fees. |
How to search court records by name without making a false match
Name searches are useful when you do not have a case number, but they are also the easiest way to attach the wrong case to the wrong person. Use the official system’s rules only. Do not invent wildcard syntax, birth-date fields, address matching or statewide coverage unless the portal confirms it.
- Identify the likely state, county, city or federal district.
- Choose the correct case type.
- Try legal name, maiden name, business name and suffix variations only when appropriate.
- Check whether the portal supports partial names, exact names, Soundex or date filters.
- Review any search fee before submitting the query.
- Compare case number and court name.
- Compare filing date and case type.
- Compare party role, such as plaintiff, defendant, petitioner or respondent.
- Review the docket sequence, not just the result title.
- Verify the final disposition, order or judgment.
How to search by case number
A case number is often the best lookup key because it points to a specific file. Case-number formats vary by court and may include a filing year, court location, case type code, division code and sequence number.
Look on a complaint, summons, ticket, judgment, hearing notice, minute order, docket printout, bankruptcy notice, attorney letter or appellate filing.
Use the official format shown by the court. Keep leading zeros, hyphens, year codes, location codes and case-type letters when required.
Try the originating trial court number, appellate number, citation number or legacy number only in the field intended for that identifier.
How PACER works for federal court records
Federal appellate, district and bankruptcy case files are maintained electronically and are available through PACER for registered users. If you know the specific federal court, search that court directly for the most current docket information. If you do not know the federal court, use PACER Case Locator, which is a nationwide index that updates daily.
| PACER item | Current official information | Practical tip |
|---|---|---|
| Specific court search | Use the federal court where the case was filed for the most current information. | Best when you know the district, bankruptcy court, circuit or case number. |
| PACER Case Locator | Searches a nationwide index of federal appellate, bankruptcy and district court cases; updates once daily. | Best when you do not know which federal court has the case. |
| Page charge | $0.10 per page for many types of access. | Use case-number search and docket filters to limit page counts. |
| Document cap | Many single documents are capped at $3. | The cap does not apply to every PACER item. |
| No-cap items | Search results, non-case-specific reports and transcripts do not have the same maximum fee. | Avoid broad party-name searches unless needed. |
| Audio files | $2.40 per audio file when audio is available as part of the record. | Confirm whether the hearing audio is actually available before budgeting. |
| Quarterly waiver | Users are billed quarterly if they accrue more than $30 in the previous quarter. | Low-volume users may owe nothing if usage stays at or below the waiver threshold. |
| Help desk | PACER Service Center: 1-800-676-6856 or pacer@psc.uscourts.gov. | Ask PACER for account and search-help issues, not state or municipal court questions. |
PACER document-cost estimator
This tool estimates a single document using the current $0.10 per-page rate and $3 document cap. It does not estimate name searches, search-result pages, reports, transcripts or audio files.
Official court-record lookup links and what to do after opening each one
Use these official and authoritative resources as starting points. The most important step is choosing the correct source for the court that actually handled the case.
Use this to understand federal court case files and PACER.
- Confirm whether your case is federal.
- Review the federal court-record topics.
- Choose Find a Case if you need a federal docket.
- Use federal court forms or local federal court pages only when relevant.
- Do not use this for state traffic, divorce, municipal or county court cases.
Use this to choose between specific federal court search and nationwide federal index search.
- Register or sign in if needed.
- Use the specific federal court if you know where the case was filed.
- Use the nationwide index if the court is unknown.
- Check pricing before opening dockets or documents.
- Save the federal case number for future searches.
Use this when you do not know which federal court has the case.
- Search by party name only when necessary.
- Use region, state, date and court filters where available.
- Remember the index updates daily, not instantly.
- Open the specific court docket for the newest filings.
- Use a case number next time to reduce unnecessary result pages.
Use this before running federal searches or opening documents.
- Review the current per-page price.
- Check which items have no maximum fee.
- Use case-number search when possible.
- Use docket filters to limit pages.
- Check whether your quarterly usage may be waived.
Use this to understand federal, state, territory, county and municipal court levels.
- Identify whether the issue belongs to federal, state, county or municipal court.
- Use state or territory court websites for local court matters.
- Use bankruptcy court resources for bankruptcy cases.
- Use immigration court resources for immigration hearing information.
- Follow local court links rather than unofficial databases.
Use this to understand who can answer federal court questions.
- Contact the specific federal court for a specific federal case.
- Use PACER for case files and court records.
- Do not send state or municipal case questions to the federal judiciary.
- Use the Federal Court Finder when you need a local federal court.
- Never provide personal information to suspicious callers claiming to be a court.
Use this if court-record information is being considered in an employment context.
- Review federal nondiscrimination and FCRA obligations.
- Do not treat this article as a screening product.
- Use compliant background-check procedures when required.
- Review state and local rules that may also apply.
- Give required notices and rights when using background-reporting companies.
Use this if an employer or background-reporting company uses public records about you.
- Review when written permission is required.
- Learn what rights apply if you are denied a job or promotion.
- Check the report for mistakes.
- Dispute inaccurate information with the reporting company.
- Protect private information when communicating with third parties.
How to get certified court records
A search result, index page, docket screenshot or unofficial PDF is usually not a certified court record. Certified copies are issued by the clerk or custodian of the official court file.
- Court name and location.
- Case number.
- Party names or case caption.
- Approximate filing year.
- Exact document needed.
- Copy type: plain, certified, attested, exemplified or authenticated.
- Delivery method and payment method.
- Judgment or final order.
- Divorce decree.
- Criminal disposition.
- Probate order or letters.
- Small-claims judgment.
- Bankruptcy discharge.
- Appellate opinion or mandate.
Use the official search system to identify the correct court and case number.
Use the docket to determine whether you need a judgment, order, decree, sentence, disposition, mandate or filing.
Use the trial court clerk for trial records, appellate clerk for appellate records and bankruptcy or federal district clerk for federal records.
Copy fees, certification fees, archive retrieval, mailing, electronic certification and payment methods vary by court.
Do not remove seals, covers, staples, ribbons, clerk stamps or certification pages when the document must be used officially.
Why some court records are not visible online
Public access does not mean every document can be viewed remotely by everyone. Court systems balance public access with privacy, safety, confidentiality, data integrity, sealed-record rules and local resource limits.
- Sealed records.
- Expunged records.
- Juvenile matters.
- Adoption records.
- Domestic violence and protection-order details.
- Child custody and child support information.
- Guardianship, conservatorship and mental-health records.
- Victim information and protected addresses.
- Older cases stored on paper or microfilm.
- Archived files held off-site.
- Records purged under retention schedules.
- New filings not yet indexed.
- Portal migration or legacy system gaps.
- County-by-county systems with different coverage dates.
- Courthouse-only public terminals.
- Vendor portals that require accounts or fees.
How to read a court docket without over-interpreting it
A docket or register of actions is a chronological list of case activity. It can help you find filings, hearings and orders, but it does not automatically explain the legal meaning of every event.
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee, debtor, creditor, decedent, guardian and ward mean different things. A role does not automatically mean wrongdoing.
Complaint, petition, summons, motion, notice, order, minute entry, judgment, dismissal, plea, sentence and continuance entries must be read in sequence.
Open, active, pending, closed, disposed, dismissed, stayed, reopened or inactive may describe procedural status. It may not show whether a judgment was paid, vacated or appealed.
Court records vs jail, police, vital, property and background-check records
| Need | Correct source type | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Court case, docket, hearing, order or judgment | Court or clerk | The court record shows filings and court actions. |
| Current custody or booking | Jail or sheriff | Jail custody is not the same as court disposition. |
| Police report | Police department or law-enforcement agency | Police records and court case files are separate systems. |
| Criminal-history background check | State criminal-history agency, FBI channeler, authorized background-reporting company or official process | Court records are not a complete criminal-history report. |
| Birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate | Vital records or clerk route depending on the state | A divorce decree is a court record, but vital-record certificates may come from a separate agency. |
| Deed, lien, mortgage or recorded instrument | Recorder, register of deeds, county clerk or official records system | Recorded documents may relate to a case but are not the full court case file. |
| Federal bankruptcy discharge | U.S. Bankruptcy Court and PACER | Bankruptcy is federal, not a county civil case. |
Use public court records responsibly
- Full name and spelling variants.
- Business legal name and suffix.
- Case number.
- Court and jurisdiction.
- Filing date and case type.
- Party role.
- Attorney or judge when relevant.
- Final disposition or latest order.
- Certified copy when an official record is required.
- Harass, threaten, shame or retaliate against anyone.
- Publish unnecessary personal information.
- Bypass sealed, expunged, confidential or restricted records.
- Make FCRA-regulated employment, housing, tenant, credit or insurance decisions.
- Claim someone was convicted based only on an arrest, charge, filing or search result.
Frequently asked questions about looking up court records
How do I look up court records online?
Identify the state, county, city or federal court that handled the case, then use that court or clerk’s official search system. Search by case number when possible. If you search by name, verify the court, case type, filing date, party role, docket activity and final disposition before relying on a match.
Is there one website for all U.S. court records?
No. Federal appellate, district and bankruptcy records use PACER, while state, county, municipal, family, probate, traffic and small-claims records are handled by state and local courts or clerks. Some states have statewide portals, and others require county-by-county searching.
What is the best way to search by name?
Use the official court or clerk search system, try spelling variations when the system supports them, and compare all lawful identifiers before assuming a result belongs to a specific person. Common names can match many different people.
What is the best way to search by case number?
Use the exact case number from a notice, docket, judgment, ticket, complaint, petition or court document. Keep hyphens, year codes, court codes and leading zeros when the official system requires them.
Are court records always free?
No. Some courts provide free case indexes or dockets, but document images, name searches, certified copies, clerk searches, archive retrieval and PACER access may have fees. Always check the official court, clerk or PACER fee page before ordering.
How much does PACER cost?
PACER pricing verified August 31, 2026: access is generally $0.10 per page, many single documents are capped at $3, search results and non-case-specific reports have no maximum fee, audio files are $2.40, and quarterly bills of $30 or less are waived.
Why might a court record not appear online?
The record may be in a different court, filed under a different name, too new to appear, older than the online system, sealed, expunged, confidential, restricted from remote access, stored on paper or microfilm, archived, purged under retention rules, or located in a federal or appellate system.
How do I get certified court records?
Request certified copies from the clerk that maintains the official case file. Provide the case number, court, party names, filing year, exact document needed and whether you need a plain, certified, attested or exemplified copy.
Are court records the same as criminal background checks?
No. Court records show case filings, docket activity and court outcomes. A criminal background check may use different sources and may be regulated by federal and state law. Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency.
Can I use this guide for employment, tenant, credit or insurance screening?
No. This guide is not an FCRA screening product and must not be used to make employment, housing, tenant, credit, insurance or similar eligibility decisions.
Publishing checklist for this court-record lookup guide
This guide was structured around official U.S. Courts, PACER, USAGov, FTC and state-court public-access policy resources. Before publishing or updating, re-check PACER pricing, federal contact information, state portal behavior, clerk copy procedures, access restrictions, retention rules and any jurisdiction-specific fees or coverage dates.