How to Search Court Records Online: Free Tools, State Portals & Search Tips

How to Search Federal Court Records

PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records)

PACER is the federal judiciary's official public access system. It provides access to all federal district court, bankruptcy court, and appellate court records. Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.

1. 1
   Create a PACER account

   Go to pacer.gov and register. Accounts are free; you pay $0.10 per page when you access records (first $30 per quarter is free, which covers most individual searches). Learn more about background check reports on our blog.

2. 2
   Use the PACER Case Locator

   The PACER Case Locator (pcl.uscourts.gov) allows you to search across all federal courts by party name, SSN, or tax ID. This is the best starting point for a name-based search of federal cases.

3. 3
   Review results

   Click through to specific cases to view docket entries, parties, and associated filings. Filing fees apply per page viewed beyond the free tier.

CourtListener (Free Alternative)

CourtListener (courtlistener.com) provides free access to millions of federal court records sourced from PACER. Search by party name, case name, or keyword. Most useful for decisions and larger federal cases - may not have all minor cases.

Authoritative Court Record Search Tools in 2026

The two most important official tools for finding court records in 2026 are PACER (pacer.uscourts.gov) for federal records and your state's own court portal for state-level cases. PACER - Public Access to Court Electronic Records - is the federal judiciary's official system and provides access to all U.S. district court, bankruptcy court, and appellate court filings. The first $30 in PACER fees is waived each quarter, making it effectively free for most individual searches.

For a comprehensive guide to PACER specifically, the US Courts PACER guide explains account setup, search functionality, and fee structure. See also our guides on probate record searches and dealing with old court cases showing online, or visit our complete removal guide if your record is already appearing and causing problems.

How to Search State Court Records

Each state has its own court portal. General approach:

1. 1
   Find your state's court portal

   Search '[State] court records search' or visit your state's court website (e.g., courts.michigan.gov, courts.state.va.us, nccourts.gov). Look for 'case search,' 'case lookup,' or 'public access.'

2. 2
   Search by name

   Most portals allow name-based searches. Enter the first and last name. Some portals are exact-match only; others use partial matching. Use variations if no results appear (middle name vs. no middle name, Jr./Sr. suffix).

3. 3
   Filter by case type

   Narrow results by selecting criminal, civil, traffic, or family court based on what you're looking for. Not all courts display all case types publicly.

Other Court Record Search Tools

• Justia (justia.com): Free case law and federal docket search. Good for finding case summaries and court opinions.
• FindLaw (findlaw.com): Case law search focusing on appellate decisions.
• Google: Simply searching '[Name] court records [State]' often surfaces court portal pages, news coverage, and data broker profiles - providing a quick overview of online visibility.