How Can I Get Stored Federal Court Records?
Accessing public records is rather easy these days because most information is available online. If you are looking for information in stored federal court records, the best place to start is the Internet. Court record information is available to the general public; researchers, teachers and students, media professionals, legal assistants, jurors, government employees and anyone interested in the status of a particular case. Websites such as Public Access to Court Electronic Records (pacer.gov) and United States Courts (uscourts.gov) are good places to start.
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Things You'll Need
- Court docket information (eg, court location, case number, party name, Social Security or tax identification numbers, date of filing)
Instructions
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PACER
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Visit pacer.gov and register for an account. PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) provides access to docket and case information from Federal Bankruptcy, District and Appellate courts; the Administrative Office of the United States Courts operates the service. Fill out the online registration form or call 800-676-6856 to request a form. Registration is free but the service does charge for document pages that are searched and retrieved.
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Log in and search the PACER case locator or individual court sites. The individual court site webpage includes links to various jurisdictions such as the U.S. Supreme Court, federal district courts and courts of appeals. Each court maintains its own docket. Links are also provided that will access PACER or Case Management/Electronic Case Files.
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Enter any necessary information required, such as the case location and docket number of the case you are interested in. PACER provides access to case summaries, docket entries and federal documents.
United States Courts
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Visit the U.S. Court's website where you will find links for court records, bankruptcy, jury services, rulemaking, appointment of counsel and probation services. Access federal court record information under the "court records" link on the home page.
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Follow the links. Options include obtaining electronic records through PACER or, if you are looking for documents dated before 1999, a link to the Federal Records Center. Paper case files may be available in the archive or at the particular federal court location where the case was heard.
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Determine the particular form you will need and fill out the required information. Pay any applicable fees.
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Tips & Warnings
Fees for pages searched or retrieved through PACER vary; accounts are billed quarterly. Users can set up a billing system or use a credit card to pay for their searches. PACER will charge a flat fee if it performs a requested search. PACER is updated as court events happen; information is available 24 hours a day, including weekends. For special assistance, contact the court where the case is filed. Court records considered to be historical in value are transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration. Basic case information may be available by telephone.
Some information deemed private is not available to the public; Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, identification of minor children, dates of birth and home addresses (in the criminal cases). Other documents may also have information removed or redacted. Some case files are saved permanently, but some are destroyed after a period of time, which coincides with the U.S. Courts' records disposition schedules. Records requested from the Federal Records Centers are subject to various fees.
References
- Public Access to Court Electronic Records: Frequently Asked Questions
- Public Access to Court Electronic Records: Fee Information
- Public Access to Court Electronic Records: Telephone Access to Automated Case Information
- The National Archives and Records Administration: Federal Record Center Locations
- Unites States Courts: Records Schedules
- Unites States Courts: Forms and Fees
Resources
- Photo Credit NA/Photos.com/Getty Images
