Are Court Dockets Public Record: What Shows and How to Remove It

What Is a Court Docket?

A court docket is the official register or calendar of a court case. It contains a chronological list of all actions taken in a case - filings, motions, hearings, orders, and judgments. In federal courts, this is managed through the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system. In state courts, dockets are maintained by the court clerk and vary widely in terms of online accessibility. For more information, visit the PACER.

Docket entries typically include:

• Case number, filing date, and court location
• Names of parties (plaintiff/defendant), attorneys, and judges
• Each filing with its date and brief description
• Hearing dates, continuances, and dispositions
• Final judgment or sentence

Are Federal Court Dockets Public?

Yes. Federal court dockets are presumptively public under the First Amendment and common law right of access. They are accessible through PACER (pacer.gov) for a per-page fee. CourtListener (courtlistener.com), operated by the Free Law Project, provides free access to millions of federal court dockets and has indexed them extensively - making them searchable via Google. For more information, visit the US Courts public access.

Federal dockets can be sealed in whole or in part by court order, but the default presumption is public access. Grand jury materials, certain juvenile records, and some national security matters are routinely sealed. Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.

Are State Court Dockets Public?

Generally yes, but with significant variation. Most states make criminal and civil court dockets publicly accessible - either in person at the courthouse or through online portals. However: Learn more about background check reports on our blog.

• Family court, juvenile, and probate records are often restricted or confidential by default
• Mental health, adoption, and certain domestic relations cases are typically sealed
• Expunged records are removed from public dockets after court order
• Some states restrict remote online access even for records accessible in person

How Do Court Dockets End Up on Google?

Several pathways bring court docket information into Google search results:

• CourtListener: Systematically indexes federal court dockets and makes them freely searchable. Google heavily indexes CourtListener pages.
• Justia, FindLaw, Casetext: Republish court opinions and case summaries drawing from docket data.
• State court portals: Many state court websites allow public name searches and are indexed by Google.
• Data brokers: Aggregate public record data including court docket information into searchable people profiles.
• News sites: Coverage of notable cases references docket information and is permanently indexed.

Can Court Dockets Be Removed from Google?

Directly removing docket information from official court systems requires a court order (expungement, sealing, or similar relief). After official records are restricted, you can:

• Submit removal requests to CourtListener, Justia, and other aggregators with documentation of your court order
• Use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool to request de-indexing of pages showing restricted records
• Opt out of data broker profiles that republish docket information
• For federal dockets, contact PACER and the specific court clerk - some federal courts will restrict docket access after sealing