Federal vs. State and Local Court Records

PACER is a federal system

PACER provides electronic public access to records from U.S. federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts. It can be searched by specific federal court or through the PACER Case Locator. PACER does not provide state or county court records.

State and local courts use separate systems

State and territory court systems can include trial courts, appellate courts, family courts, probate courts, and other specialized courts. County and municipal courts may handle local matters. Their websites, online portals, and clerk procedures are not part of PACER, and availability differs by jurisdiction.

Case information, docket entries, document copies, and certified copies are different needs

A person may only need to confirm that a case exists or see a docket. Another person may need a PDF of a filed document. A third may need a certified copy from the clerk. Electronic public access can satisfy the first two tasks in many cases without necessarily satisfying the third.

The clerk’s office remains important

The federal judiciary directs users to the court where the case was filed when information is not available through PACER. State and local clerk offices play a similar role within their own systems. A clerk can explain administrative record-access and copy procedures; the clerk does not become a private legal adviser about what a person files or how a case is argued.

Some records are restricted or unavailable to the public

Public court access has limits. Sealed material, protected personal information, and certain categories of cases or documents may not be publicly available online. The absence of a document from a public portal does not necessarily mean the document or case does not exist.

Primary sources

• U.S. Courts — Find a Case (PACER)
• PACER — State and county courts are not in PACER
• USA.gov — Federal, state, territory, county, and municipal courts