Case number format guide

PACER Case Locator case number format

Use the documented format cues and official entry route below before you try a case-number or party-name search.

Independent tool. Not a court, government agency, law firm, or background-check service.

Case number, citation, or party name Filing state optional

Jurisdiction added — enter a case detail when available

County / court Case type

Private by design. Matching happens in this browser. Case numbers and names are not uploaded or stored here.

58 verified official routes · Last reviewed 2026-07-22

Verified official output

Your official court route

This guide starts with a verified official route. Adjust the fields to narrow it further.

Best official match

Verified 2026-07-22

PACER Case Locator

U.S. federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts

Official sourcepacer.uscourts.gov/find-case/search-national-index

Open official search

Search by
Case number · Party name

Cost
Usage fees may apply

Account
Registration required

Why this route: This page is already focused on this official portal · Federal matches the selected jurisdiction · PACER Case Locator matches the selected court

Registration, format, access, and source details

Court level
Federal / federal

Official entry
pacer.uscourts.gov/find-case/search-national-index

Query methods
Case number · Party name

Registration
Registration required

Fees
Usage fees may apply

Case number format
Many federal district CM/ECF dockets use division:year-case-type-sequence, sometimes followed by judge initials. This is a district-court signal, not a universal PACER format: appellate and bankruptcy courts can use different local forms.

Last verified
2026-07-22

Public / restricted
Public records with court-specific sealed or restricted exclusions

Use the nationwide index when you do not know the exact federal court. Switch to the specific court once you identify the filing court.

Public docket reports and many filings are available, but sealed and protected records are excluded.

Case number format guide Court source page

Officially documented format evidence

Case-number cues for PACER Case Locator

Many federal district CM/ECF dockets use division:year-case-type-sequence, sometimes followed by judge initials. This is a district-court signal, not a universal PACER format: appellate and bankruptcy courts can use different local forms.

Published examples

The official source documents the number components but does not publish a reusable sample number.

Signals used by this matcher

Federal district CM/ECF signal: division, year, case type, and sequence

Evidence and limits

A format match narrows a likely jurisdiction; it does not prove that a case exists. Court-specific legacy and transferred case numbers can differ.

Official source 1 Official source 2 Official source 3

Jurisdiction jump Switch state or lookup task

Every destination below is a direct, crawlable internal link.

Federal Case Lookup Court Date Lookup Traffic Ticket Lookup

Verified route ledger

PACER Case Locator official route ledger

Scan the court, search methods, expected cost, and verification date. Expand only the route you need.

01 Federal / federal PACER Case Locator U.S. federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts Search byCase number · Party name CostUsage fees may apply Verified2026-07-22

Registration: Registration required
Record access: Public records with court-specific sealed or restricted exclusions
Case number guidance: Many federal district CM/ECF dockets use division:year-case-type-sequence, sometimes followed by judge initials. This is a district-court signal, not a universal PACER format: appellate and bankruptcy courts can use different local forms.

Registration is free. Self-service PACER use is billed at $0.10 per page, and no bill is issued unless quarterly charges exceed $30.

Public docket reports and many filings are available, but sealed and protected records are excluded.

Open official search

Case number format guide Court source page

Format guide

How to use the PACER Case Locator format note

This page turns the published case-number examples and signal cues into a routing aid, but the official court entry still decides whether a search succeeds.

Coverage

PACER Case Locator handles U.S. federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts.

Search methods

The verified official entry supports case number and party name.

Fees

Usage fees may apply.

Access

Registration required.

Format

Published numbering evidence includes Federal district CM/ECF signal: division, year, case type, and sequence.

Treat the pattern as a clue

The format can identify a likely court level, county, or case type, but transferred, sealed, legacy, or clerk-side numbering can still fall outside the pattern.

Confirm the owning court

Use the related county or state guide to verify the filing venue before assuming that one number format covers every court in the jurisdiction.

Check the official search rules

PACER Case Locator still controls accepted search methods, registration, fees, and record access. Latest verification on this route: 2026-07-22.

Next official path

Related lookup guides

Federal case lookup

PACER Case Locator case number format

Your official court route