Quick Overview
- Most court filings in criminal and civil cases are public record, including: For more information, visit the PACER.
- Significant categories of court documents are sealed or restricted by default: For more information, visit the Privacy Act.
- Removing court documents from official sources requires a court order (sealing, expungement, or redaction).
100% Results-Based PricingYou pay only once the court record link is gone from Google search results. No retainer, no upfront fee.
Which Court Documents Are Public Record?
Most court filings in criminal and civil cases are public record, including: For more information, visit the PACER.
- Complaints and indictments
- Answers, motions, and briefs
- Orders and opinions
- Judgments and sentences
- Docket sheets
- Exhibits filed with the court (unless sealed)
Which Court Documents Are NOT Public?
Significant categories of court documents are sealed or restricted by default: For more information, visit the Privacy Act.
- Juvenile records: Most states seal juvenile court files
- Family court records: Divorce, custody, and adoption records are often restricted
- Mental health proceedings: Typically confidential
- Grand jury materials: Sealed by law
- Trade secrets: Businesses can file motions to seal confidential business information
- Victim identifying information: Addresses, SSNs, and similar data are routinely redacted
- Sealed cases: Court-ordered sealing restricts the entire record
- Expunged records: Removed from public access after expungement order
How Court Documents End Up on Google
Court documents reach Google through several pathways:
- PACER/CourtListener: Federal court filings are on PACER and indexed by CourtListener, which Google heavily indexes
- State court portals: State court websites with public name-search functionality are crawled by Google
- Legal aggregators: Justia, FindLaw, Casetext, and Law360 republish case information and opinions
- News coverage: Reporters obtain and publish or quote from court documents in news articles that Google indexes and that can be addressed through publisher outreach and de-indexing
- Data brokers: Aggregate public court record data into searchable people profiles
Removing Court Documents from Google
Removing court documents from official sources requires a court order (sealing, expungement, or redaction). After official restriction, you can pursue removal from private sites through: Learn more about court record removal on our blog.
- Documented removal requests to CourtListener, Justia, and FindLaw
- Google Personal Information Removal Tool for pages displaying sealed records
- Data broker opt-out requests
- For news articles: an advanced category: removal typically runs through publisher outreach
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, court documents filed in US courts are generally public record under the First Amendment and common law right of access. This applies to most criminal and civil case filings. Exceptions include juvenile records, family court matters, sealed cases, and records subject to protective orders. The presumption of public access can be overcome by court order showing specific interests outweigh the right of access.
Yes. Courts can seal documents and entire case files by order when specific interests - such as protecting trade secrets, victim privacy, national security, or the integrity of ongoing investigations - outweigh the public's right of access. Parties can move to seal documents; courts apply a balancing test. After sealing, the documents are restricted from public access on official court systems.
Removing court documents from official sources requires a court order (sealing or expungement). After official restriction, you can submit documented removal requests to CourtListener, Justia, and similar platforms. Google's Personal Information Removal Tool can be used to request de-indexing. Data broker profiles can be addressed through opt-out requests. News articles about your case typically require voluntary action by the publication.
Yes, civil court documents are generally public record. Complaints, motions, orders, and judgments in civil litigation are accessible on court portals and increasingly searchable online. Exceptions include documents filed under seal by court order, confidential settlement agreements, and documents containing sensitive identifying information. Some states provide greater access restrictions for certain civil matters (domestic relations, for example).
Federal court documents are accessible through PACER (pacer.gov) at a fee of $0.10 per page (first $30 per quarter is free). CourtListener (courtlistener.com) provides free access to a large archive of federal court documents sourced from PACER. Google indexes CourtListener extensively, making many federal court documents findable through a standard web search.
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