Federal court records

Federal case lookup

Start with the nationwide federal locator when you do not yet know the filing court, then switch to the specific court for the full docket.

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

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

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

Jurisdiction jump Switch state or lookup task

Every destination below is a direct, crawlable internal link.

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Official federal search routes

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

Federal guide

How to use the federal lookup page

Federal records often require two steps: identify the court first, then move from the national locator to the specific district, bankruptcy, or appellate system.

Coverage

PACER Case Locator is the verified nationwide federal route for U.S. federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts.

Search methods

Supported search methods include 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.

Start with the national locator

Use the nationwide federal tools when the court is still unknown, especially if you only have a party name, a rough case number, or a filing year.

Switch to the court that owns the docket

Once the likely district or circuit is clear, move to that court's official entry because document availability, fees, and search depth can differ from the national index.

Expect registration and fee checks

PACER and related federal systems can require accounts, billable access, or separate document retrieval. Review those rules before you hand off the search.