How to Find Court Records on a Person: Background Research & Public Records Lookup

Start with a Google Search

Before searching official databases, run a Google search using the person's name and their state or city. This often surfaces the most prominent court record results quickly - court portal pages, data broker profiles, and news coverage. Use search terms like: For more information, visit the PACER.

• "[First Name] [Last Name]" court records [state]
• "[First Name] [Last Name]" criminal record [county]
• "[First Name] [Last Name]" arrest [year]

This Google approach won't find everything, but it shows you what is most visible online - which is often what matters most for practical purposes. Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.

Step-by-Step: Official Court Records Search

1. 1
   Identify likely courts

   Determine which states and counties the person has lived in. Criminal cases are filed in the state and county where the offense occurred. Civil cases are filed where the parties are located or where the dispute arose. Federal cases are filed in the federal district covering the location of the offense. Learn more about background check reports on our blog.

2. 2
   Search state court portals

   For each state the person has lived in, search the state court portal by name. Most states have an online name search. County-specific portals (like Maricopa County in Arizona or Cook County in Illinois) often have the most detailed criminal court information.

3. 3
   Search PACER or CourtListener for federal cases

   Use PACER Case Locator (pcl.uscourts.gov) to search all federal courts by name. CourtListener provides free access to a large federal case archive. Federal criminal cases (bank fraud, drug trafficking, federal tax crimes) are here.

4. 4
   Check data broker and aggregator sites

   Sites like Spokeo, BeenVerified, TruthFinder, and Intelius aggregate court records from multiple states into a single report. These are not always complete or current but provide a consolidated starting point. Some charge fees for detailed reports.

5. 5
   Check county-level court records

   For the county where you believe the person may have had cases, go directly to the county court clerk's website. Many counties have their own searchable database more detailed than the statewide portal.