Court records by type
Different cases are filed in different courts and kept by different clerks. Start with the kind of record you need.
- How to Find Bankruptcy Court Records How to look up a bankruptcy case in PACER, what is in the file, how long it stays public, and how to get a discharge order. Updated
- How to Find Civil Court Records How to look up lawsuits, judgments, small claims, and evictions, which court keeps each kind of civil case, and what is free online. Updated
- How to Find Criminal Court Records Where criminal case records are kept, the difference between a court record and a criminal history, and how to search felonies and misdemeanors. Updated
- How to Find Family Court Records Where divorce, custody, child support, adoption, and protective-order records are kept, what is public, and how to get a certified divorce decree. Updated
- How to Find Probate Court Records How to find a will, estate, guardianship, or conservatorship case, which clerk keeps probate files, and how to get letters testamentary. Updated
- How to Find Traffic Court Records Where traffic tickets and driving offenses are filed, why they are split across municipal, justice, and county courts, and how to look up a citation. Updated