Court Records Search: Find Public Case Records by Name, Case Number, Court, Clerk & PACER Route
A court records search works only when you choose the right jurisdiction, court type and official custodian first. This guide explains how to find state, county, municipal, appellate, federal, bankruptcy, immigration and Supreme Court records without confusing court dockets with jail, police, vital, property or background-check records.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not a federal court, state court, county court, municipal court, clerk’s office, sheriff, jail, police department, PACER, EOIR, law firm, government agency, records vendor or Consumer Reporting Agency.
Responsible-use warning: a name match does not prove identity. A complaint, petition, charge, indictment, citation, warrant, lien, judgment entry or docket event does not prove guilt, liability or current case status by itself. Do not use this guide for employment, tenant, credit, insurance or other FCRA-regulated screening decisions.
The best court records search starts with jurisdiction, not a name
Many people search a name first and then get confused by incomplete results, wrong matches or commercial background-check pages. A better court records search starts by answering four questions: Where was the case filed? Which court handled it? Which clerk keeps the record? Which official portal or request method does that clerk use?
There is no single public website that replaces every state, county, municipal, appellate, federal, bankruptcy and immigration court system in the United States. Federal records use PACER. State and local court records depend on the state judiciary, county clerk, circuit clerk, district clerk, superior court clerk, municipal court or authorized court vendor.
Each state or territory controls its own trial and appellate court access rules.
Use for federal appellate, district and bankruptcy court records.
Certified copies usually come from the clerk that maintains the original file.
This guide does not ask for names, birth dates, addresses or case numbers.
Court records search route finder
Select the type of record you need. This tool runs only in your browser and does not ask for a name, birth date, address, case number, citation number, A-number or payment information.
State criminal cases may be in county, circuit, district, superior, municipal, justice or magistrate courts depending on the state. Federal criminal cases use PACER. Do not treat arrest or jail records as final court dispositions.
Which court-record system should you use?
Use this routing table before searching. It keeps state, county, municipal, federal and non-court records separate.
| Need | Likely official route | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| State felony criminal case | County, circuit, district or superior court clerk depending on the state | Use the state judiciary or county clerk site. Verify charge, plea, disposition and sentence separately. |
| State misdemeanor case | County, district, municipal, justice, city or magistrate court | Use the court named on the citation, complaint, summons or notice. |
| Civil lawsuit, judgment, tort, contract or foreclosure | State trial court, county clerk, circuit clerk, superior court clerk or authorized case portal | Search by case number or party name, then check judgment, satisfaction, appeal or dismissal entries. |
| Small claims or eviction | Small claims, district, justice, county, magistrate, municipal or housing court depending on location | Use the local court named by the filing. Do not use this guide for tenant screening. |
| Divorce, custody, support or family case | Family, domestic relations, circuit, superior, district or chancery court | Expect privacy limits. Certified decrees usually come from the clerk that handled the divorce. |
| Probate, estate, will, guardianship or conservatorship | Probate court, surrogate, register of wills, chancery, county or circuit clerk | Search by decedent, estate name, case number or filing year where available; sensitive guardianship records may be restricted. |
| Traffic ticket, ordinance case or municipal complaint | Municipal, city, village, justice, district or traffic court | Use the ticket number, citation number or court named on the notice. |
| State appeal | State court of appeals, appellate division or state supreme court | Search the appellate docket separately. The trial-court file remains with the original trial clerk. |
| Federal district or bankruptcy case | PACER, federal district court or bankruptcy court | Use PACER Case Locator if the court is unknown, or search the specific federal court for current filings. |
| Immigration court status | EOIR Automated Case Information System or hotline | Use EOIR tools for convenience, but rely on official notices and court documents for formal determinations. |
| U.S. Supreme Court docket | Supreme Court docket search | Search by Supreme Court docket number, case name or docket-report terms. |
| Police report, jail record, deed, birth certificate or background report | Not a court-record search | Use the sheriff, police agency, recorder, vital records office or FCRA-regulated screening provider as appropriate. |
How to run a court records search without using the wrong database
A useful public case search is a workflow, not just a search box. Follow these steps before paying fees, downloading documents or connecting a record to a person.
Start with the state, county, city, federal district, bankruptcy district, immigration court, appellate court or Supreme Court that could have handled the case.
Criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic, municipal, small claims, eviction, appellate, federal, bankruptcy and immigration matters can use different systems.
The custodian may be a clerk of court, circuit clerk, district clerk, superior court clerk, county clerk acting as court clerk, municipal clerk, appellate clerk or bankruptcy clerk.
Use a court, clerk, state judiciary, federal court or official government page before relying on a third-party search result.
Use case number, docket number, citation number, ticket number, complaint number, indictment number, judgment number or filing number when available.
Compare party role, case type, filing date, county, court, judge, attorney, docket activity, final order, judgment, dismissal, acquittal, plea or sentence before relying on a record.
For official use, contact the clerk that maintains the original file. A screenshot, downloaded docket or unofficial printout usually does not replace a certified copy.
Do not try to bypass sealed, expunged, juvenile, adoption, victim, domestic, mental-health or other confidential court-record restrictions.
Official court-record links and what to do after opening each one
These links are not a replacement for local clerk research. They help you start with official federal and government routing pages before searching state, county or municipal records.
Use this to understand the difference between federal, state, territory, county and municipal courts.
- Identify whether your matter is federal, state, county or municipal.
- Use the court level that matches your record type.
- Follow official government links instead of private databases.
- Use the local court or clerk for copies and current procedures.
Use for federal court-record basics and PACER routing.
- Confirm the case is federal.
- Choose Find a Case if you need docket or case file access.
- Use the clerk’s office if the record is unavailable online.
- Do not use federal PACER for state or local court cases.
Use for federal appellate, district and bankruptcy court records.
- Search by specific court if you know where the case was filed.
- Use the nationwide index if you do not know the court.
- Register for a PACER account before searching.
- Review fee screens before opening documents or reports.
Use when you do not know which federal court has the case.
- Search the nationwide federal index.
- Use filters such as region, date range or case type where useful.
- Save the federal court name and case number.
- Open the specific court record for real-time filing activity.
Use before running federal name searches, docket reports or document downloads.
- Review the per-page fee.
- Check which documents have a cap and which searches do not.
- Use case-number search and docket filters to reduce charges.
- Check the quarterly billing waiver language before relying on older guidance.
Use when you need the federal court serving a location or the official website for a federal courthouse.
- Search by address, city, state, ZIP code or court name.
- Confirm district, bankruptcy or appellate court type.
- Save the court website and clerk contact details.
- Use PACER for docket and document access.
Use to find official federal appellate, district and bankruptcy court websites.
- Choose U.S. Courts of Appeals, U.S. District Courts or U.S. Bankruptcy Courts.
- Open the court that matches the docket or location.
- Use local rules and clerk pages for copy procedures.
- Use PACER for electronic case records.
Use for U.S. Supreme Court docket reports, not ordinary state trial cases.
- Search by Supreme Court docket number when known.
- Search by case name or docket-report terms if needed.
- Use the Supreme Court docket format shown on the page.
- Review orders, filings and questions presented where available.
Use for immigration court hearing and operational-status information.
- Use EOIR tools only for immigration court matters.
- Use the court handling the case for clarification.
- Remember official notices and court documents control.
- Use the hotline if online access is not convenient.
Use for basic status information in certain immigration court or Board of Immigration Appeals matters.
- Read the official disclaimer before continuing.
- Use the required immigration case identifiers only on the official EOIR system.
- Do not enter immigration identifiers on this website.
- Contact the local immigration court if information is unclear.
PACER court records search: federal fees and smart searching
PACER is the official electronic public-access system for federal appellate, district and bankruptcy court records. It is not used for most state, county or municipal court cases.
| PACER item | Current official note | Practical search tip |
|---|---|---|
| Case-number search | PACER recommends searching by case number when possible. | A case-number search can reduce broad name-search fees and false matches. |
| Per-page fee | $0.10 per page for many accessed pages. | Check the fee screen before opening search results, docket reports or documents. |
| Document cap | Many case-specific documents are capped at $3.00 per document. | The cap does not apply to every type of PACER access. |
| Search results and non-case reports | Search results and non-case-specific reports may have no maximum fee. | Use date filters and narrow search terms before running broad reports. |
| Quarterly billing waiver | Users are billed quarterly if they accrue more than $30 in the previous quarter. | Low-volume users may owe nothing if quarterly usage stays at or below the waiver amount. |
| PACER Service Center | Phone: 1-800-676-6856; email: pacer@psc.uscourts.gov. | Ask for search-route help, not legal advice or case outcome interpretation. |
PACER fee estimator
This estimator is only a planning aid. PACER’s official fee screen, invoice and current pricing page control the actual amount.
How to get certified court records, dispositions and copies
A search result is not the same as an official court record. Certified copies, exemplified copies, authenticated copies and official dispositions come from the record custodian, usually the clerk that maintains the original file.
| Document needed | Likely custodian | Information to provide |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal disposition, sentence or judgment | Trial court clerk that handled the prosecution | Case number, defendant name, court, county, filing year, charge or indictment number if known. |
| Civil judgment or order | Civil trial court clerk | Case number, party names, judgment date, document title and whether certification is required. |
| Divorce decree or final judgment of divorce | Family, domestic relations, circuit, superior, district or chancery clerk | County, docket number, party names, divorce year and proof of authorization if required. |
| Probate order, will filing or Letters | Probate court, surrogate, register of wills or court clerk | Decedent name, estate number, date of death, county and exact document needed. |
| Traffic or municipal disposition | Municipal, city, justice, district or traffic court clerk | Citation number, ticket number, complaint number, name, court and disposition date if known. |
| Federal docket or document | Federal clerk through PACER or courthouse clerk’s office | Federal court, case number, party names, document number and whether certified or exemplified copies are needed. |
Most clerks can process a copy request faster when you provide a case, docket, citation, complaint, indictment, estate or judgment number.
Ask for the final judgment, sentencing order, decree, dismissal, warrant recall, satisfaction, mandate, Letters, will, order or docket sheet you actually need.
Different agencies require different proof levels. Ask the receiving agency before paying for unnecessary authentication.
Copy fees, certification fees, search fees, mailing fees, payment methods and processing times vary by court and can change.
Why public court records may be restricted, missing or incomplete online
“Public record” does not mean every document is instantly available online to everyone. Courts balance access with privacy, safety, juvenile confidentiality, victim protection, financial privacy, trade-secret rules and sealing or expungement orders.
- Sealed, expunged or impounded records.
- Juvenile, adoption and child-protection records.
- Domestic violence, protection order and victim information.
- Guardianship, mental-health and capacity-related filings.
- Trade-secret, confidential business and financial records.
- Older paper, microfilm or archived case files.
- Confirm you selected the correct court and portal.
- Use the case number or docket number if available.
- Call the clerk to ask about public terminal access.
- Ask whether a record can be copied, certified or viewed in person.
- Respect confidentiality rules and court orders.
- Speak with a licensed attorney for legal advice.
Court records are different from jail, police, vital, property and background records
Many search problems happen because users open the wrong public-record system. Use this comparison before entering information anywhere.
| Need | Likely source | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Court case, hearing, docket, judgment or certified court order | Court or clerk of court | This is the correct route for filings, orders, judgments and dispositions. |
| Current jail custody or booking | Sheriff, jail or detention center | Jail custody is not the same as a court case or final disposition. |
| Police report or incident report | Police department or law enforcement records unit | Police reports are not court filings unless introduced or filed in a court case. |
| Birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate | Vital records office, health department, registrar or clerk depending on state | A divorce decree may be a court record, but vital certificates often come from a separate office. |
| Deed, mortgage, lien, plat or recorded property document | Recorder, register of deeds, county clerk or land records office | Property records are separate from civil court case dockets, even when lawsuits involve property. |
| Employment, tenant, credit or insurance background report | FCRA-regulated screening provider | This guide is not a Consumer Reporting Agency product and cannot be used as a screening report. |
How to read court-record search results responsibly
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee, debtor, creditor, decedent, personal representative, guardian and ward are case roles. A role does not automatically mean wrongdoing.
Open, pending, active, closed, disposed, dismissed, stayed, inactive, reopened, satisfied or vacated must be read in context. A single status label may not explain the final result.
Complaint, petition, summons, motion, notice, order, hearing, judgment, dismissal, plea, sentence, warrant, continuance, mandate or satisfaction entries describe court activity. They are not all final outcomes.
- Arrest is not the same as filing.
- Charge is not the same as conviction.
- Indictment is not the same as guilt.
- Warrant is not the same as current custody.
- Disposition should be verified from the court record.
- A lawsuit filing does not prove liability.
- A judgment may later be paid, satisfied, appealed or vacated.
- A dismissal may be with or without prejudice.
- A default judgment may have special rules.
- Settlement terms may not appear in a public docket.
Older, archived, paper and microfilm court records
Older court records may not appear in modern online portals. They can be stored by the original clerk, a county archive, state archive, historical society, records center, microfilm collection, retired case index or federal records route.
Ask whether the file is active, closed, archived, destroyed under retention rules, stored off-site, on microfilm or transferred to an archive.
Older records may require index book, docket book, term year, volume, page, file box, reel number or estate packet information.
State archives can hold older county, probate, chancery, district, superior, territorial or appellate files depending on jurisdiction.
Archives may have appointment rules, copying limits, scanning fees, retrieval delays or restrictions for fragile records.
What to do when a court records search returns no result
- Wrong state, county, city or federal district.
- Wrong court type or clerk office.
- Traffic or municipal case searched in a county civil portal.
- Federal case searched in a state court system.
- Name spelling, suffix, middle initial or business-name mismatch.
- Old bookmark or migrated court portal.
- Sealed, expunged, impounded or confidential file.
- Juvenile, adoption, victim or family privacy restriction.
- Record too new to index online.
- Record too old for the current portal.
- Document image unavailable even though the docket is visible.
- Record requires courthouse terminal access or clerk request.
Use public court records responsibly
- A citation is not automatically a conviction.
- A charge is not a final disposition.
- A lawsuit does not prove liability.
- A warrant may not show current custody status.
- A docket can be incomplete, delayed or later corrected.
- A common name can match multiple people.
- Do not harass, threaten or retaliate against anyone.
- Do not publish unnecessary personal information.
- Do not bypass sealed, expunged or confidential-record rules.
- Do not treat this page as legal advice.
- Do not use this page as a background-check report.
- Use official custodians for corrections and certified records.
Frequently asked questions about court records search
What is the best way to start a court records search?
Start by identifying the jurisdiction and court type. A county criminal case, state divorce case, municipal traffic ticket, federal civil lawsuit, bankruptcy case, immigration case and Supreme Court case all use different official systems.
Can I search court records by name?
Yes, many official systems allow party-name searches, but a name match is not proof of identity. Compare the court, county, case number, filing date, party role, docket entries and disposition before relying on a result.
Is there one website for all U.S. court records?
No. Federal appellate, district and bankruptcy records use PACER, while state, county and municipal records depend on the state judiciary, local clerk, municipal court or authorized vendor used by that jurisdiction.
Where do I search federal court records?
Use PACER for federal appellate, district and bankruptcy records. If you do not know which federal court handled the case, use the PACER Case Locator. If you know the court, search that specific court through PACER for the most current docket.
How much does PACER cost?
PACER currently lists a $0.10 per-page fee, a $3.00 cap for many case-specific documents and quarterly billing only when usage is more than $30. Search results, non-case-specific reports and transcripts can have different rules or no document cap.
How do I find state or county court records?
Use the official state judiciary website or the clerk of the court that handled the case. Depending on the state, the correct custodian might be a circuit clerk, district clerk, county clerk acting as court clerk, superior court clerk, municipal court clerk or appellate clerk.
Are traffic tickets and municipal cases court records?
They can be, but they often use separate municipal, city, village, justice, district or traffic-court systems. Use the court named on the ticket, citation, summons or notice instead of assuming it appears in a county-wide civil or criminal portal.
How do I get a certified court record?
Request certification from the clerk or custodian that maintains the original case file. Provide the case number, court, county, party names, filing year and exact document title, then confirm copy fees, certification fees, payment methods and delivery options.
Why can a public case be missing online?
The case may be in the wrong court, too new to index, too old for the portal, filed under a different name, sealed, expunged, impounded, confidential, juvenile-related, archived, paper-only, microfilmed or available only at a courthouse terminal.
Can I use this page for employment, tenant, credit or insurance screening?
No. Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency, and this guide is not an FCRA-regulated background-check product. Do not use this article to make employment, housing, credit, insurance or tenant-screening decisions.
Source review and publishing checklist
This guide was reviewed against official and authoritative resources including USAGov court routing information, U.S. Courts court-record and Federal Court Finder pages, PACER Find a Case, PACER Case Locator, PACER pricing, Supreme Court docket search, EOIR immigration court information, EOIR Automated Case Information, and FTC/CFPB responsible background-screening guidance. Review date: September 1, 2026.