District of Columbia Court Records at a Glance
District of Columbia court records online access to local, county, state and federal judicial information including criminal, divorce and other lawsuits using the most updated source.
1District of Columbia State Court Records Search Suggestions
As there may be more than one source to obtaining District of Columbia criminal, civil and divorce records, it is important to search multiple state courts to find the correct records.
- District of Columbia Court Structurewww.courtstatistics.org
- Washington DC Family Court Operationswww.dccourts.govFamily Court
- District of Columbia Probate Divisionwww.dccourts.govProbate
- District of Columbia Superior Courts Civil Divisionwww.dccourts.govSuperior Court
- Landlord and Tenant Branchwww.dccourts.govLandlord and Tenant Branch
- Small Claims and Conciliation Branchwww.dccourts.govSmall Claims
- Distric of Columbia Civil Actions Branchwww.dccourts.govCivil Actions
- District of Columbia Court of Appealswww.dccourts.govCourt of Appeals
- District of Columbia Superior Courts Criminal Divisionwww.dccourts.govSuperior Court
- Washington DC Domestic Violence Unitwww.dccourts.govDomestic Violence Unit
- DC Community Courtswww.dccourts.govCommunity Courts
- Washington DC Problem Solving Courtswww.dccourts.govProblem Solving Court
- Court Reporting Divisionwww.dccourts.govCourt Records
2Federal & National Authoritative Sources
These federal and national sources complement District of Columbia's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when District of Columbia state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
The U.S. federal judiciary's unified electronic records system. Every federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate case docket is here.
https://pacer.uscourts.gov/ (pacer.uscourts.gov)
The official directory of every federal district, bankruptcy, and circuit court. Use it to identify the correct District of Columbia district(s) before searching PACER.
https://www.uscourts.gov/federal-court-finder (uscourts.gov)
The NCSC's directory of state court websites, technology standards, and public-access policies.
https://www.ncsc.org/information-and-resources/browse-by-state (ncsc.org)
District of Columbia Court Records, FAQ
Are court records free?
State court records are usually free to view at the courthouse and often free online, with per-page fees for certified copies. PACER charges $0.10 per page (capped at $3.00 per document), waived under $30 per quarter.
Do sealed cases show up?
No. A sealed case is hidden from the public docket index by court order. Its existence may still be confirmable by number, but documents are not accessible.
What's the difference between civil and criminal court records?
Civil cases involve disputes between parties (contracts, torts, family). Criminal cases are brought by the government. Both are indexed by the same court clerks but tracked in separate sub-dockets.
Can I search every court at once?
Not in one search. PACER covers all federal courts. Most states have a statewide judiciary portal that covers their state courts, but a few require per-county lookups. This page links to District of Columbia's official portal.