How To Start Your State Court Records Search
Begin With The Administrative Office Of The CourtsCourt Administrator offices exist at the state government level across all states and are generally responsible for maintaining and distributing court records to the public. Most, if not all, states provide online access to their court record database. Additionally, records can be made available to people who submit an application, a written request, or contact their state office by phone or email. For help with contact information select a state from the list below.
Contact County Court OfficesSome state offices will direct court records researchers to local county court offices. County court clerks often maintain detailed criminal and civil court records. In general, to access a specific court record individuals are asked to provide basic identifying information such as: case number, party name, and or date of filing.
Get To Know PACERPACER (Public Access To Court Electronic Records) is a federal service that provides public access to electronic case and docket information from federal appellate, district and bankruptcy courts. PACER's online search service allows users to lookup court cases nation-wide. To access PACER's national index, all users must register for an account with the website first (Pacer.Gov). Registration is free but access to individual records comes with a charge of $.08 per page.
National Court Record Resources
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PACER
Public Access To Court Electronic Records, service provided by Federal Judiciary -
US Courts
Comprehensive information on the organization and function of US federal courts -
National Center For State Courts
A directory of links to judicial branch websites by state
