PACER – Federal Court Records Guide
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) is the official federal system for accessing documents and docket information from U.S. district courts, courts of appeals, and bankruptcy courts. Operated by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, PACER provides access to over 1 billion court documents from 94 federal district courts, 13 courts of appeals, the U.S. Court of International Trade, and U.S. bankruptcy courts. As of February 2026, PACER requires multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all accounts. This guide covers everything you need to access federal court records. Updated March 2026.
How to Register for PACER
- Go to pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account.
- Select your account type: Individual (for personal research) or Attorney/Firm (for legal practice).
- Complete the online registration form with your name, address, and email address.
- Verify your email address. Your PACER account will be activated within 1 business day.
- Set up MFA (required as of February 2026): Log in and navigate to Account Settings → Security → Multi-Factor Authentication. PACER supports authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator) and SMS codes.
- For Case Search Only access (party/case name searches without document downloads), a separate free registration is available at pacer.uscourts.gov.
PACER Fees — 2026
PACER charges a fee of $0.10 per page for documents accessed or printed, with a maximum of $3.00 per document (30 pages). Fee exemptions and waivers are available:
- Free below $30/quarter: Accounts that accrue less than $30 in fees per quarter are not charged — a de facto free tier for occasional users.
- Free court opinions: Written opinions are available at no charge.
- Fee waiver for inability to pay: If you cannot afford PACER fees, you may apply for a fee exemption at your local federal courthouse. See PACER Fee Waiver Options.
- Exempt accounts: Attorneys representing parties in a case, pro se litigants in their own cases, government agencies, and academic researchers with approved projects may qualify for fee exemptions.
Searching Federal Court Records in PACER
Once logged in, you can search court records by court, case number, party name, attorney name, or document type:
- PACER Case Locator: pcl.uscourts.gov — Multi-district search for civil, criminal, and bankruptcy cases across all federal courts simultaneously. Search by party name, Social Security Number (last 4 digits), or case number.
- Court-Specific CM/ECF Systems: Each federal court has its own CM/ECF (Case Management/Electronic Court Filing) system accessible through PACER. Navigate to the specific court's docket to view case filings, motion history, hearing schedules, and judgment documents.
- Find a Federal Court: https://www.uscourts.gov/federal-court-finder/find — Find any federal district, appellate, or bankruptcy court by state or ZIP code.
Types of Federal Court Records in PACER
| Record Type | Court Level | What It Contains |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Case Docket | District Court | Complaints, motions, orders, judgments, settlement notices |
| Criminal Case Docket | District Court | Indictments, plea agreements, sentencing, conviction records |
| Bankruptcy Case Docket | Bankruptcy Court | Petitions, schedules, Chapter 7/11/13 filings, discharge orders |
| Appellate Briefs & Opinions | Court of Appeals | Briefs, oral argument transcripts, panel decisions |
| Court Opinions | All levels | Published decisions — free at no charge in PACER |
Free Alternatives to PACER
Several services provide free access to some federal court documents:
- courtlistener.com — Free access to 5 million+ federal court opinions, judicial financial disclosures, oral argument audio, and PACER docket alerts. Supported by a nonprofit organization.
- Justia Federal Court Dockets — Free docket searches for federal district and appellate courts. Document text is not always available but docket entries and party information are.
- GovInfo.gov – U.S. Courts — Free access to published federal court opinions from the GPO digital repository.
- Bankruptcy Records Search
- Judgments & Liens Search
- Legal Resources Directory
- Attorney License Search
Page updated: March 2026