Court Records Directory

Types of Court Records

Court records are official documents created during judicial proceedings maintained by the court clerk. They are generally public under the First Amendment and state open-records laws.

• Criminal Dockets — charges, arraignment, pleas, verdicts, and sentencing orders.
• Civil Case Files — lawsuits, judgments, and orders between private parties.
• Probate Records — wills, estate inventories, and guardianship proceedings.
• Family Court Records — divorce decrees, custody orders (some records are sealed).
• Bankruptcy Filings — Chapter 7, 11, and 13 petitions filed in federal bankruptcy courts.

How to Search Court Records

1. State courts — use each state's online portal via the state links below. Most states have a unified civil and criminal case search.
2. Federal courts — see our PACER guide for federal district and appellate court filings.
3. Bankruptcy courts — federal bankruptcy cases are also searchable through PACER. See the Bankruptcy Search hub.
4. County courthouses — older records and local civil matters may require a visit or mail request to the county clerk.