Find Court Records With a First and Last Name
Learn How to Find Court Records Online
There are official government records for every type court case criminal and civil. All cases that run through US court systems are generally considered public domain, unless the records pertain to juveniles, have been sealed or have expunged by the courts. Many of these records are available online, if you know where to look.
You can join in the conversation in our court records blog at the bottom of the page and find what you’re looking for. Feel free to reach out and ask any questions you have and we will do our best to assist you with your court records needs.
Types of Court Records
The federal, state and local courts maintain a variety of court records, including:
- Criminal court records
- Summons and complaints
- Arrest records
- Civil court records
- Family court records (such as marriage, divorce and custody)
- Bankruptcy court records
- Land deed records
What You Can Find in
- Names of all parties involved
- Names of attorneys
- Name of the judge
- Case number
- Court dates and location
- Case files
- Court Dockets
- Arrest warrant
- Supporting documents
- Final judgments
Unless the judge has sealed the court record, such as with juvenile cases, domestic violence cases, adoption and some civil cases, all the files pertaining to the case are available to the general public. Personal information, such as social security numbers, are typically omitted from all court records.
Start a Court Record Search With a First and Last Name
Reasons to Search for a Court Record
Attorneys and news reporters find court records on a regular basis. However, there are many different reasons why everyday people might need to search for a court record, such as:
- Criminal background check on anyone
- Check up on a date or a neighbor
- Check up on suspicious people
- Filing a civil suit against another party
- A civil suit was filed against you
- Requesting an expungement
- Getting remarried or divorced
- Check for land ownership
- Requesting a name change
How to Find Court Records Online
Before you begin to find court records online, you should gather as much information, such as names of individuals involved in the case or case number, county and state where court was held, and the type of court case requesting.
How you make an online request depends on which court the case went through.
Federal Court Records
All federal court records, including district court and bankruptcy courts, are available through the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website. You must start by creating a user account. You will be asked to enter your credit card information. However, you are not required to do so in order to establish an account or use the PACER website. Once you set up an account, you can follow the easy prompt to request the specific court record you need. PACER charges a nominal fee. You will be billed on a quarterly basis. If your quarterly bill is less than a certain amount, then the fee might be waived. If you do not have enough information to find the right court record, you can request a search, but it will cost a few bucks per search.
Where to Lookup State Court Records
Most states offer an online portal for obtaining state court records. Depending on your specific state, you also may be able to locate county records on the state site. The type of information available online varies from state to state. You can find the link to your state’s various courts at the NCSC (National Center for State Courts) website. Look for the Court Records link on your state’s portal and follow the directions for requesting a court record.
How to Obtain County Court Records
The availability of online county court records varies from location to location. In some cases, you may be able to view basic information, such as names of all parties involved and final judgment online, but you will have to make a written or in-person request for more court specific information. Check out your county’s Clerk of Courts Office website to see what records are available in your area. If records are not available online, see section below.
Third-Party Online Vendors
We are a third party online vendor. We provide instant access to court records along with unlimited searches and reports from our member’s area. We also offer a free trial.
Obtain Court Records In-Person
Due to the ease of ordering court records online, the federal court system has halted in-person requests. However, most public libraries offer free internet services, and in many cases, the library staff can help you make an online request through the PACER system.
Most state and local courts, however, do allow you to make a request to see or obtain a copy of a court record in person. Depending on your specific state, you may be able to simply stop by your local Clerk of Courts office and find court records in person. You must provide the Clerk of Courts with enough information about the case to make it easy to find. You can view the record right at the court’s office, but you will not be able to take it with you. However, you can request a copy of the entire record for a nominal fee per page. Most local offices also allow you to make this request in writing, but you will need to pay for the copies up front and provide a return envelope.
Court Record Frequently Asked Questions
Can I lookup court records for free?
Yes, it's possible to lookup someone's court records for free but the information may be somewhat limited. A complete court record, especially if it's a certified copy will cost a bit, typically it's a nominal fee. You can make your court record request from the clerk of the courts or you can also use online non-government websites to view court record information online. Since most all court records are public domain, everyone has the right to access public information via the FOIAHow can I get a copy of my court records online?
You can visit the courthouse website where your court case was located and make a request online. Typically online court record requests take a few weeks to process and have a certified copy sent to you via mail.Before Comments
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Last Updated: 2021-02-21
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I’m trying to find out how much my deceased mother assets are worth
William, you may want to check with an attorney if these assets are in probate. Each state deals with these laws differently.
On 06/14/2017 I was called to attend a hearing at the Criminal Court of Islington Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, 51 Holloway Road London N7 8JA with the accusation of Harassment by Arianna Pipicceli, my ex / husband’s girlfriend. Arianna Pipicelli she slept with my husband, together, they took my son for a 10-day vacation, and did not return and wrote to the Family Court of Horbon, that I had abandoned my son in a park, because I was mentally ill. psychologist, I could easily go to a hospice for the rest of my life, they made several false documents from psychiatric hospitals in Italy, fake document from Paladim Storken. Appetizing Judges, I managed to get my son back. After I got my son in the Family court I was accused of Harassment. Once again the Judge was very competent and understood that it was more of a lie. reason for her, I lost the case, but the Judge did not convict me and made me pay £ 200 pounds, £ 5 a week and not the amount she wanted. The Judge warned me that I could not pass on the street of her house for 1 year and that after a year my name would be clear. But I had to do my DBS this year (2020), and my name came out dirty. My son is now 14 years old, we live in Bournemouth and I can’t work in the Care area. , which is my profession, I am desperate and would like an answer.URN 01NI / 00579/17.
Thank you. Marilene Martins
Marilene, we are happy to assist you with a court record lookup however we only have resources for the United States. Also note, European countries do not have a Freedom of Information Act and access to public records like we do in the United States so it’s likely more difficult to procure the court documents you’re looking for. You may want to obtain some legal advise on how to get the information you’re looking for
I’m looking for an update on a court hearing for an ex partner in Cook County Illinois for Domestic Battery, it was on September 15th 2020 and I haven’t heard any updates on him and don’t know where to start. I just want to know if he’s going to jail or not. His names James R Richardson. I need help.
Kayla, ongoing court cases are not public record and we could not find anything on the person you mentioned. You can try contacting the clerk of the court where the ongoing case is being heard and inquire with them
I need to get a copy of my old name change filing. It was filed in Virginia about 10 years ago, and I have lost my paper copy.
Elizabeth, if you’re looking to obtain a certified copy of your court record for your name change you will need to reach out to the Virginia courthouse where you filed this. You can call up the clerk of the court, or email them, and make an inquiry as to what you need to do in order to obtain a copy for your records and official purposes. Our public record resources are for online reference only and are cannot be used for official purposes. Please reach out if we can assist you with any court related inquiries in the future.
I want court records because I want to see what all my cases are looking like. I\’m going through a custody battle for my kids. DHR took my kids and have been fighting for 2 1/2 years to get them back.
Keara, we’re happy to assist you with looking up your court records. Can you provide us with your full name, age and state of residence?
I am looking for Information on a court hearing for a Mr. Jason Ranck age 42 from Watsontown, and Milton. He was picked up in Lycoming county on March 12 2020 for harrassmet and possession. I haven\’t heard anything from, or about him, since. The jail will not return my call. Please help. I don\’t know if he has even seen a judge. Thank you.
Can you let us know what state to search in and we’ll run that person’s name through our court record database for you
I have no.credit card and looking for divorce records out of sacramento ca
Kira, we can certainly verify a divorce record for you but if you’re looking to obtain a certified copy of your California divorce record you will want to contact the California Department of Public Health directly. their phone number is 916-324-6630
Im being harassed by Property manager/owner and I know im not the first and need to get any information on him and business what should i do? And does anyone know of legal representation or dept like dfeh?
Being harassed by anyone is illegal. You might want to consult legal counsel as you have tenant rights. You can find a good lawyer to consult with by searching the term “tenant lawyer” and setting up a free consultation. We are also happy to run a free court records search, or public records inquiry, for you if you give us the person’s full name and city and state of residency.
I’m trying to find court records on a murder case, State of Indiana vs Glendon P Brown in happened September 16,1968 Indianapolis Indiana Marion County, She was charged with First degree murder and was found guilty of Manslaughter. I was 5 years old at the time my mom was accused of killing my dad. The cause number CR 68-1780, in the Criminal Court of Marion County Division 2, Judge Sail I Rabb found her guilty of manslaughter. I’m trying to find the court transcript and any other court records pertaining to this case or any other case that involves Glendon P Brown and Roy R Brown, if there is police records, Doctor’s records arrest records I do’t care if it’s good or bad I would just like to know so maybe I can finally close the door to that part of my life before its to late, for I have cancer and everyone knows that with cancer we have no tomorrow because our tomorrows are not promised. There is also another case only I don’t know anything about it except there was a small thing in the paper Indianapolis Star Tue Jul 10,1962 -Room 5 – Roy R Brown vs Glendon P Brown if you could find anything out about this also then I would be so very grateful Please and Thank you and may God bless you every day
Roberta, thank you for reaching out about our court records blog. Unfortunately this Indiana court record is older and we do not have it in our database resources. Our Indiana court records only go back around 30 years. That being said, you can contact the clerk of the court of Marion county and make a request. If they do not have these court records, because they are over 50 years old, then you can reach out to the Indiana state archives and make a request.
My children were the victims of child molest and the accused was convicted. How do I obtain court case files? Or, record of conviction?
Sheri, to obtain an official copy of those court case records you will want to reach out to the courthouse clerk and request to obtain a certified copy of your children’s court case records. Since they are juveniles these are not public record but since you’re the mother, you will be able to obtain these court records. You can typically do this online, in person or by phone. Since these are juvenile court records you might need to call them or visit them in person first.
I am trying to find a California criminal record disposition report for myself from 1987 but it appears that they don’t go back that far online. Can you help me find out where to get this information?
A good option to finding your California criminal record disposition would be to contact the courthouse clerk where your case was heard originally. They will be able to better assist you with finding this information and can provide you with certified copies of your court records.
How to Get a Certified Copy of a Court Record
By contacting the state or county courthouse clerk directly you can obtain a certified copy of a court record. This can also be accomplished online depending on the resources made available by that specific courthouse
Trying find records of my father\’s conviction for embezzlement against u s. government. Was for selling tap water to government supposed be saline was in mid ,90\’s. Name is Thomas dimaio age 77 now lives in Philadelphia at time conviction loo ived in Brookfield,CT.
Rachael, we do show that your father, Thomas Dimaio, was convicted in Connecticut 12 years ago for Larceny, Sixth Degree. This conviction was made in a Connecticut federal court when your father was 65 according to our court record database.
I have a elderly friend being swindled by an inmate in Arapahoe Co jail in CO. He’s been taken for thousands by this guy in lawyers fees. The ‘lawyer’ is bogus. How can I find the name of the attorney of record for this inmates current court cases? I have case numbers, but no name of attorney representing him? I believe it is a Public Defender.
Does your friend have any documentation from this lawyer, such as a letter with their information on it? If you’re attempting to contact a public defender about an ongoing case then you might want to contact the district attorney in the relevant county in Colorado about this situation. Perhaps they can better assist you with locating this alleged Colorado court case and if the lawyer in question is indeed a Colorado public defender.
I’m looking for arrest records for Leroy Kenneth Johnson in Culpeper Virginia.
Our Virginia arrest record and court record databases did not find anything active for Leroy Johnson. If you feel there is a criminal record history for this person you can also reach out to your local law enforcement agency or county courthouse for more information.
I do not have a credit card.I thought the review was free for one time How can I get one free information on me?
We are happy to help you with a Free Court Record Search. If you can provide us with your full name, age and state of residence we can perform a court record search for you
Kenny
Kenny, if you can provide us with your full name, age and state and county of residency we can assist you with a court record search
what are the punishments against those people who misused the social media? Like facebook posting or else.
The punishments for misuse of social media can vary dramatically. If someone is harassing you via social media then they are susceptible to the same punishments as harassment in other walks of life. If someone is stalking you then it’s considered stalking just as though someone was doing it outside of social media. The only caveat to the punishment of these crimes is it’s sometimes difficult to track someone down or find out who the culprit is. If you feel that you’re the victim of a crime via social media then your best course of action is to contact the police and file a police report. Many police departments and courthouses have a cyber-crime division that will help you to navigate through the options to handling a crime via social media.
I AM TRYING TO FIND MY FANCES CASE NUMBER FOR WHEN HE WENT TO COURT IN 2009-2010 IN ALABAMA.
You will want to visit the Alabama Judicial System website and use the AlaFile Court Case Search Portal.
Find an Alabama Case Number
1. Visit the Alabama Judicial System website
2. Register with the AlaFile Court Case Search
3. Once registered search for court documents by name
4. Enter as much information as available
5. Find the Alabama Court Case Number
I need to find out how to file a civil action suit in the Athens-County State Court against insurance companies and attorneys. The parties are based in Atlanta, Ga.
but the incident occurred in Athens, Ga. I need to make sure of the jurisdiction before I file it. Can anyone help me?
We do not offer access to Class Action Law Suits in our member’s area. Your best bet would be to contact the Athens County State Court Clerk to inquire about this. The Athens County courthouse can better assist you.
If I am seeking record(s) for my great grandfather’s name change once he immigrated to America, how can I do so Is that something I can do on this website? Please advise. I know that it was likely sometime between 1915-1935 but if I had to I could expand the years.
I need his original surname because I can not trace my heritage without the surname he was born with.
Thank you for your time and assistance pertaining to this matter,
The public records that you are looking for are immigration records and is not a public record offered by our service. Your best bet to locate these immigration records is to visit the Archives.gov website. They are a government that archives most all American immigration records from the time frame you are looking for.
How To Find Immigration Records
1. Visit the National Archives website
2. Select Immigration Records research
3. Lookup immigration records by micro-film
4. You can also visit the National Archives in Person
Is there a way to get a copy of a 21 page brief written by Seth Waxman for several companies including Apple, Inc., AMici, Cisco Systems, Inc, Facebook, Ins., Google, Inc., and so forth? My husband needs some of the information for his Federal Appeal he is working on. He has been trying to get out for 6 years and the brief may help.
Thanks,
Unfortunately we don’t have that type of information in our court records database. If you can provide us with additional information as to what type of brief you’re inquiring about we can certainly research this and try and assist you as best we can. Additionally our court record resources are for reference only and cannot be used in a court of law for legal purposes. That being said we can point you in right direction if you can elaborate some more on the court records briefing you’re interested in.
pfliegen@yahoo.com. I’m looking for my father’s will, he left mineral rights to myself and siblings… How do I find out, And see paper work on it. His name is, Jerald Delbert David. Died in 1980 to 1982 not sure.
Peggy,
We can help locate your father’s death record online but we do not have the ability to lookup his last will and testament. If you provide us with his state and county of residency we can track down his information and assist you with finding the appropriate agency to help assist you with this matter.
How To Find Last Will and Testament of Deceased
1). Find out what state and county the executor filed the will
2). Visit the probate court where the last will was filed
3). Contact the court clerk about your father. You will need to show identification
4). Review archived wills if available
My last name is ‘”Burnside” I misspelled it in first post
This was awarded in the Harrison co. Courthouse by magistrate Tammy Marple
I’m trying to seek information on a man named Thomas weekly, I sued in 2005-2006, I was awarded judgment against this man it has been a little more than ten years for me to find where this man works as I was instructed to do to report it to the courts so they could get the money owed to me, I want to know what I need to do to bring this back out, he was told 10% each year it was not paid, can you help me out?
Hello Daniel,
We can certainly help you locate court records online however this is a legal matter that we cannot assist you with. You might consider contacting a lawyer for legal assistance. If you would like us to lookup court records for this person we can certainly assist you. We will need the full name, including middle name, state and county of residence and an address or approximate age. You can also find this information by contacting the county court clerk where the judgment was filed.
I need to speak to an actual person.
Hello Tyhesha,
I understand your concern however we do not offer certified copies of divorce record papers. We offer online access to divorce records, marriage records and court records but they are not certified copies of the original. That being said, if you can give me the state and county you originally received your divorce papers from, I can research where to get certified divorce record copies from.
Best Regards,
The Search Quarry Team
How can I get copies
My divorce was final in 2014 September. Against Robeca gonyea.
I need a copy of my divorce papers