Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsStart by identifying whether the case was heard in federal court or a state or local court. Then locate the case number, read the docket, and request the specific filing you need. A docket is an index, not a guarantee that every underlying document is online or open to the public.
1. Identify the court that handled the case
Federal courts handle federal criminal cases; state and local courts handle cases brought under state or local law. There is no single national portal for state and county criminal records.
For a federal case
If you do not know which federal court handled the case, use the federal Find a Case (PACER) guidance and PACER’s Case Locator to identify the court. PACER covers federal court records, not state or county cases.
For a state or local case
Identify the state, county, and court where the case was filed or heard, then use that court’s official records page or contact its clerk. Search instructions and access rules differ by court. Kentucky’s Request Court Records page and Santa Clara County’s Criminal Case Records page illustrate local procedures; neither is a nationwide method.
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2. Find the case number and docket
Search using the information the court’s official system accepts, such as a party name or case number. Once you find the case, note the court, case number, parties’ names as officially listed, filing dates, and docket-entry numbers. These details make it easier to request a particular document from the clerk.
Some courts impose specific steps. For example, Santa Clara County’s criminal-records instructions describe a local index for certain newer matters and require a case number to request public records. Follow the current instructions for the court that holds the case.
3. Use the docket to locate the actual records
A docket is a chronological index of case events and filings. It may identify a motion, order, hearing, or other filing, but an entry’s short description is not the document itself—and a listed document may not be available online or open to the public.
Federal case files generally include a docket sheet and documents filed in the case. Depending on court practice and access limits, a file may also include citations, pleadings, motions, orders, reports, evidence, recordings, or transcripts. Not all evidence is filed with the court: discovery kept by the parties is not automatically a public court record.
- Open the docket entry for the filing you need, if the court makes it available.
- Read the filing itself and any later orders or rulings relevant to it.
- If the document is unavailable online, note its docket-entry number and ask the clerk how to inspect or obtain it.
For federal records, PACER’s overview of information available through the service explains what its case records can contain. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ guide to accessing federal court documents says: “Most documents in federal courts are filed electronically using CM/ECF. The media and public may view most filings found in this system.” “Most” matters: exceptions and access restrictions apply.
4. Request records the portal does not show
Contact the clerk of the court where the case was filed or heard. Give the case number and identify the document or docket entry you are seeking. Ask whether the record is paper, archived, restricted, no longer retained, or available through a copy request, and ask about any inspection or copying procedure.
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Older federal paper files may remain at the court or, when eligible, be transferred to a Federal Records Center or the National Archives and Records Administration. State and local retention practices differ. A missing search result does not establish that no record exists; ask the clerk what applies to that case.
5. Understand access limits, fees, and transcript timing
Restricted and redacted records
Sealed federal documents are not available through public PACER search. Federal criminal documents filed before November 1, 2004 have restricted electronic availability to case parties; ask the clerk whether inspection or copies are possible. Federal filings also redact specified personal identifiers, including certain financial identifiers, dates of birth, names of minors, and home addresses in criminal cases.
State and local courts may withhold additional categories. Santa Clara County, for example, identifies victim-contact information, probation reports, protective orders involving minor victims, criminal-history information, and financial or medical information among nonpublic categories. Check the relevant court’s rules rather than assuming one court’s limits apply elsewhere.
Fees and waivers
PACER fees and possible waivers are governed by its current official terms. Courthouse inspection, printing, copies, and state or local record requests may have separate charges. Confirm current fees and waiver rules with PACER or the relevant court before ordering records; do not assume that a charge for one access method applies to another.
Transcripts
Some federal hearing transcripts are added to PACER after 90 days. Before then, the clerk’s office provides an inspection route and information about obtaining a transcript from the reporter or transcriber. This timing is a federal PACER service detail, not a guarantee for state courts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. Evaluate what a record actually establishes
A court filing is not automatically a finding by the court. A motion or complaint reflects the filer’s allegations or arguments; an order, verdict, judgment, or later ruling records a court action or outcome. Attribute claims to the party that made them, and check later docket entries before describing a case’s status as current.
For help locating a federal case, consult PACER’s Find a Case FAQ. For nonfederal matters, use the official court page or clerk for the specific jurisdiction.
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