Court records are among the most valuable sources in any investigation. They’re authoritative, government-created, and often contain information that no commercial database can match — exact charges, case outcomes, civil judgments, bankruptcy schedules, and documented relationships between parties.
Most court records can be found using free government systems — if you know which courts to search and in what order.
The challenge isn’t that court records are hidden. Most are public. The challenge is that the U.S. court system is fragmented across thousands of jurisdictions — federal, state, county, and municipal — each with its own search system, access rules, and online availability. Knowing where to look, and in which order, is what separates a thorough court records search from one that misses half the picture.
⚠️ Legal Notice: Court records are public records in most cases. Using court record findings for employment, housing, or credit decisions requires FCRA-compliant tools and written consent. Sealed, expunged, and juvenile records are not accessible through public search systems and should not be sought through unauthorized means.
Why This Guide Is Reliable
inet-investigation.com publishes research-based guides that rely on government sources, statutory law, and established investigative methods. All tools and sources referenced in this guide are publicly accessible. No legal advice is provided — for specific legal questions about court records, consult a licensed attorney.
Quick Court Records Search Checklist
- Search PACER Case Locator (pcl.uscourts.gov)
- Search federal bankruptcy separately on PACER
- Identify all states where the person has lived or worked
- Search each state’s court portal
- Search county clerk courts where no statewide portal exists
Why Court Records Matter for Investigation
Court records surface information that doesn’t appear anywhere else:
- Criminal history: Charges filed, convictions, sentences, probation terms — direct from the court that handled the case
- Civil judgments: Lawsuits won or lost, money judgments against someone, restraining orders
- Bankruptcy filings: Complete financial disclosure — assets, debts, income, creditors, recent transactions
- Eviction history: Landlord-tenant disputes, prior evictions, judgment amounts
- Divorce and family court: Property division, custody disputes, domestic violence restraining orders (where public)
- Business litigation: Contract disputes, fraud allegations, employment claims
- Traffic and DUI records: Many states maintain these in accessible court systems
Going directly to court sources gives you the primary record — more complete, more current, and more reliable than what commercial background check tools aggregate after the fact.
Who Uses Court Record Searches
Landlords screening rental applicants for eviction history, civil judgments, and criminal records before signing a lease.
Individuals verifying the background of someone they’ve met online, a contractor, or a new business contact.
Investigators and journalists building documented case histories from primary sources.
Attorneys researching opposing parties, witnesses, or potential clients.
Anyone conducting OSINT who wants authoritative primary-source documentation rather than aggregated commercial data.
→ Related guide: OSINT Tools for Beginners — [inet-investigation.com] → Related guide: Best Public Records Databases for Investigations — [inet-investigation.com]
The Two Systems: Federal and State Courts
Understanding this distinction prevents the most common mistake in court records searching — checking only one system and missing half the picture.
Federal Courts
Federal courts handle federal criminal cases, civil rights litigation, bankruptcy, immigration, and cases involving federal law or disputes between parties from different states. PACER (pacer.gov) is the central portal for all federal court records.
What’s in federal court:
- Federal criminal charges (drug trafficking, fraud, weapons, immigration offenses)
- Bankruptcy filings — Chapter 7, 11, and 13
- Civil rights cases
- Large civil litigation between parties in different states
- Securities fraud and white-collar crime
State Courts
State courts handle the majority of criminal cases, civil litigation, family law, probate, evictions, traffic offenses, and most day-to-day legal matters. Each state has its own court system and its own online access rules.
What’s in state court:
- Most criminal cases — felonies, misdemeanors, DUI, drug charges
- Civil lawsuits — personal injury, contract disputes, debt collection
- Evictions (unlawful detainer)
- Divorce, custody, and family court matters
- Probate and estate disputes
- Traffic violations
Critical point: A person with a clean federal record may have an extensive state court history, and vice versa. A complete search requires checking both systems in every relevant jurisdiction.
Federal Court Records: PACER
PACER (pacer.gov) — Public Access to Court Electronic Records — is the official federal court search system. It covers all 94 federal district courts, all circuit courts of appeal, and the federal bankruptcy courts.
What PACER Contains
- All federal criminal case records
- All federal civil case records
- All federal bankruptcy filings — including detailed financial schedules
- Federal appellate decisions
- Documents filed in each case — complaints, motions, orders, judgments
How to Search PACER
Step 1 — Create a free account Go to pacer.gov and register for a free account. Registration is immediate.
Step 2 — Use PACER Case Locator The PACER Case Locator (pcl.uscourts.gov) searches across all federal courts simultaneously. Search by name with and without middle name. Newly filed cases typically appear within about 24 hours.
Step 3 — Search bankruptcy courts separately Run a dedicated bankruptcy search — set court type to “Bankruptcy.” Bankruptcy schedules contain complete financial disclosure not found elsewhere.
Step 4 — Access court-specific CM/ECF Once cases are identified via Case Locator, access the specific court’s CM/ECF system to view full case details and documents.
PACER Fees
PACER charges $0.10 per page for case documents, with most individual documents capped at $3.00. Users who accrue $30 or less in a quarter have fees waived — this covers the majority of casual research use.
Source: Federal Courts — PACER — uscourts.gov
State Court Records: Free Portals by State
State court access varies dramatically. Some states have excellent free online search systems covering most courts statewide. Others require county-by-county searches or in-person courthouse visits.
State Court Portal Directory
| State | Portal / Access Point | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | Individual county clerk websites | No unified statewide public case-search portal. myflcourtaccess.com is the e-filing portal, not a public case search tool. Search by county. |
| Indiana | public.courts.in.gov (MyCase) | Statewide — publicly searchable, many documents free online |
| Oklahoma | oscn.net | Statewide — strong coverage |
| Texas | publicsite.courts.state.tx.us | Most counties covered |
| Maryland | casesearch.courts.state.md.us | Statewide. New Case Search & Record Portal launching March 14, 2026 — URL may update. |
| California | Each county separately | No unified state portal |
| New York | iapps.courts.state.ny.us | Civil Supreme Court; criminal access varies by county |
| Illinois | casenet.illinois.gov | Circuit courts |
| Ohio | Each county separately | No unified state portal |
How to Find Any State’s Court Portal
Search: [state name] court records public search
Or by county: [county name] [state] clerk of court case search
Step-by-Step: How to Search Court Records on Any Person
Step 1 — Gather identifying information Full legal name and approximate age or date of birth. Middle name or initial is especially useful for common names. Location, employer, and known associates help narrow results further.
Step 2 — Search PACER Case Locator Run the full name through pcl.uscourts.gov. Search both with and without middle name. Note any results and which court they’re filed in.
Step 3 — Search federal bankruptcy separately Run a dedicated bankruptcy search on PACER — set court type to “Bankruptcy.” Often the most informative search. Bankruptcy schedules disclose assets, debts, income, creditors, and recent financial transactions.
Step 4 — Identify all relevant states Court records are jurisdiction-specific. Search every state where the person has lived or worked. Use address history from people search tools to identify all relevant jurisdictions.
Step 5 — Search each state’s court portal Run the name through the state portal for each relevant state. For states without unified portals, identify and search specific county court sites.
Step 6 — Search county-level courts Even in states with good statewide portals, some municipal and justice of the peace courts may not be included. Check county court sites directly for thorough searches.
Step 7 — Pull full case documents where relevant Docket entries show what happened. Filed documents — complaints, motions, judgments, sentencing orders — contain far more detail. Pull through PACER for federal cases or the state court system for state cases.
Step 8 — Cross-reference with commercial tools Run findings against a commercial people-search tool to verify identity and check for jurisdictions potentially missed. Commercial tools supplement — they don’t replace — primary source searching.
What a Court Docket Contains
When you find a case, the docket is the index of everything that’s happened. Here’s how to read it:
Case number: Unique identifier for the case. Federal cases typically appear as 2:24-cv-01234 (year-case type-number).
Parties: Plaintiff vs. defendant in civil cases. United States (or State of X) vs. defendant in criminal cases.
Filing date: When the case was initiated.
Docket entries: Chronological list of every filing and court event — complaints, motions, hearings, orders, verdicts. Each has a date, document number, and brief description.
Case status: Open, closed, dismissed, appealed.
Common Docket Entry Types
| Entry | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Complaint filed | Case initiated — plaintiff’s allegations are in this document |
| Summons issued | Defendant has been notified of the case |
| Answer filed | Defendant’s response to the complaint |
| Motion to dismiss | One party asking the court to end the case |
| Order | Court ruling on a motion or issue |
| Default judgment | Defendant didn’t respond — plaintiff wins automatically |
| Notice of settlement | Case resolved out of court |
| Judgment | Final court decision including any money award |
| Notice of appeal | Party challenging the decision to a higher court |
Civil vs. Criminal Court Records: Key Differences
| Civil Records | Criminal Records | |
|---|---|---|
| Who initiates | Private party | Government (prosecutor) |
| Standard of proof | Preponderance of evidence | Beyond reasonable doubt |
| Outcome | Money judgment, injunction, dismissal | Conviction, acquittal, dismissal |
| What it reveals | Disputes, debts, business conflicts, evictions | Charges, convictions, sentences |
| Investigative value | Financial stress, business disputes, relationship conflicts | Criminal history, patterns of conduct |
| FCRA implications | Judgment liens affect credit; FCRA governs screening use | Governed by FCRA and ban-the-box laws for employment use |
Both types are valuable and both should be searched. A person with no criminal history may have an extensive civil litigation history — multiple lawsuits, default judgments, eviction filings — that tells a different kind of story.
What’s Not Publicly Accessible
Not all court records are public. Understanding what’s sealed or restricted sets accurate expectations.
- Juvenile records: Sealed in most states
- Expunged records: Removed from public access — may remain visible to law enforcement
- Sealed civil cases: Trade secret litigation, cases involving minors, certain family matters
- Family court records: Public in some states, restricted in others
- Grand jury records: Sealed at both federal and state level
- Protected witness information: Addresses and identifying details redacted
A “no results” response doesn’t guarantee a clean record — it may mean records are sealed, expunged, or in a jurisdiction not yet searched.
Paid Tools for Court Records Research
Free government portals are the primary source. Paid tools are useful for multi-state searches, filling gaps in states without good online systems, and quickly identifying which jurisdictions to search.
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Personal Research Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| PACER | All federal courts — authoritative primary source | $0.10/page | Government portal |
| BeenVerified | Multi-state criminal and civil aggregation | ~$26/month | Yes |
| TruthFinder | Criminal records focus with court sourcing | ~$28/month | Yes |
| Intelius | One-off report without subscription | $7–$20/report | Yes |
| LexisNexis/Accurint | Professional-grade multi-jurisdiction search | Custom | Professional |
| TLO | Professional skip tracing and court records | Custom | Professional |
📝 Paid aggregation tools may lag primary court systems by days or weeks and may miss smaller jurisdictions. For employment or housing decisions, use FCRA-compliant tools with written consent and adverse-action procedures.
Legal Framework: What You Can and Can’t Do with Court Records
Permitted
- Searching public court records for personal research and due diligence
- Using court records to verify identity or investigate a business contact
- Journalists and researchers using court records for reporting and investigation
- Using court records in legal proceedings with proper authentication
Requires FCRA compliance
- Using court records for employment screening decisions
- Using court records for housing/tenant screening
- Using court records for credit decisions
These uses require written consent, proper disclosures, and adverse-action procedures — even though the underlying records are public.
Restricted
- Accessing sealed, expunged, or juvenile records through unauthorized means
- Using court records to stalk, harass, or intimidate
- Misrepresenting the contents of court records
Sources: FCRA — Cornell LII | PACER — 28 U.S.C. § 1913 — Cornell LII
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all court records public? Most are, but not all. Federal and state court records are generally public with specific exceptions — juvenile records, sealed cases, expunged records, and certain family court matters are restricted. The default is public access; sealed is the exception.
Do I need a lawyer to search court records? No. Court records are public and the search systems are designed for public use. PACER requires account registration but is open to anyone.
What if someone has a common name? Use every available identifier — middle name, date of birth, city, known employers. Court records often include date of birth in criminal case headers, which is the most reliable deduplication identifier. Search with and without middle name to avoid false negatives.
Can I find out if someone has a restraining order against them? Domestic violence restraining orders are public court records in most states, though some restrict access. Search the relevant state family or civil court portal.
How current are online court records? PACER typically updates within about 24 hours of a filing. Most state portals update daily. Some smaller county courts may lag by a few days. For the most current status on an active case, call the clerk’s office directly.
What’s the difference between an arrest record and a court record? An arrest record reflects that someone was detained by law enforcement. A court record reflects what happened in the court system — charges filed, plea entered, verdict, sentence. Someone can be arrested without being charged, and charges can be dismissed without conviction. Court records are more informative than arrest records alone.
→ Related guide: How to Look Up Criminal Records Online
Final Thoughts
The U.S. court system’s fragmentation across thousands of jurisdictions is the main reason court record searches get missed or done incompletely. The fix is systematic coverage: federal courts through PACER, state courts through each state’s portal, and county courts for jurisdictions without statewide systems.
A court record found through PACER or a state court portal is primary source documentation. That’s the standard that holds up in professional investigations, due diligence reports, and legal proceedings.
Related Guides
- How to Look Up Criminal Records Online
- What Is Skip Tracing?
- Best Public Records Databases for Investigations
- Are Public Records Really Public? — [inet-investigation.com]
- How to Run a Background Check on Yourself
- Rental Applicant Background Checks for Landlords — [inet-investigation.com]
- OSINT Tools for Beginners
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Court records laws and accessibility vary by jurisdiction. For employment, housing, or credit decisions, use FCRA-compliant tools and procedures. This article may contain affiliate links — we may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.
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