To find court date and case information, search the free online portal for the court handling the case: a state or county case search tool for state matters, or PACER for federal cases. If the portal comes up short, call the court clerk’s office. Most criminal, civil, and traffic cases are public records, and you can usually get hearing dates, courtroom assignments, and docket entries without paying anything.
What to Gather Before You Search
The case number is the single most useful piece of information. With it, you can pull up a specific case in seconds on almost any court portal. Without it, you’re relying on a name search, which can return dozens of hits in larger jurisdictions.
At a minimum, have the person’s full legal name, including any middle name. A date of birth helps when the name is common. Knowing the county or city where the case was filed matters because most state courts are organized by county, and you need to be searching the right one. If you aren’t sure which court has the case, the type of case narrows it down: criminal and traffic matters usually sit in county or municipal courts, while civil lawsuits and family cases are typically in county-level superior or circuit courts.
Searching State and County Courts Online
Most state court systems now run free online portals where anyone can search case information, view upcoming court dates, and review docket entries. The quickest way to find the right one is to search the state or county name followed by “court case search” or “court records.” Some states operate a single statewide database; others require you to search county by county.
These portals typically let you search by name, case number, or date range. Results show the case number, parties involved, case type, and scheduled hearings with dates, times, and courtroom assignments. Online records sometimes lag a day or two behind the court’s internal system, especially for newly filed cases or hearings that were just scheduled. If you need something time-sensitive, like a hearing set for tomorrow, call the clerk to confirm.
One warning: searches for court records will surface plenty of third-party sites that charge fees for information the court itself provides free. These sites often outrank official court websites in search results. Stick to URLs ending in .gov or .us, or to portals linked directly from the court’s official website.
Searching Federal Cases Through PACER
Federal court cases, including district court, bankruptcy court, and appellate matters, are searchable through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). Unlike most state portals, PACER requires you to register for an account first.
Registration is free and open to anyone. You provide your name, date of birth, and a tax ID number, which is used only if federal debt collection becomes necessary.1PACER: Federal Court Records. Register for an Account If you just want to look up case information, pick the “Case Search Only” account type.
PACER charges $0.10 per page to view documents, capped at $3.00 per document. Here’s the part most people miss: if your total charges stay at $30 or less in a calendar quarter, the fees are waived entirely.2United States Courts. Electronic Public Access Fee Schedule For someone running a handful of searches to find a court date, you’ll almost certainly stay under that threshold and pay nothing. Court opinions are always free.3United States Courts. Find a Case (PACER)
If you don’t know which federal court has the case, use the PACER Case Locator. It searches nationwide and updates daily.3United States Courts. Find a Case (PACER)
Federal cases filed before roughly 1999 may only exist on paper. For those, contact the court where the case was filed or check with the National Archives, which stores permanently preserved federal court files.3United States Courts. Find a Case (PACER)
Calling or Visiting the Court Clerk
When online searches don’t get you what you need, the clerk’s office is the most reliable fallback. Clerks maintain the official records for every case in their court, and they can look up scheduled hearings, confirm courtroom assignments, and tell you whether a case is still active. This matters most for older cases that were never digitized, courts with limited online portals, and situations where you aren’t sure which court has jurisdiction.
You can reach the clerk by phone or go in person. Have the person’s full name and any identifying details ready, and lead with the case number if you have one. Many courthouses keep public-access computer terminals in the clerk’s office where you can run searches for free.
If you need physical copies of documents, expect a per-page fee. Rates vary by jurisdiction but usually run from around $0.10 to a few dollars per page, with certified copies costing more. The clerk can tell you the exact fees before you order.
Why a Search May Come Up Empty
A blank result doesn’t mean the case doesn’t exist. A few things trip people up repeatedly.
- Wrong jurisdiction. The most common problem. If someone was arrested in one county but their case was filed in another, or if it’s a federal case rather than state, you’re searching the wrong database. For federal matters, the PACER Case Locator can run a nationwide search to help you find the right court.4PACER: Federal Court Records. What if I Cannot Find the Case I Am Looking For?
- Name variations. A hyphenated last name, a maiden name, a middle name used as a first name, or a misspelling can all throw off a name search. Try variations, or search by last name alone and narrow from there.
- Not in the system yet. Newly filed cases and recently scheduled hearings may not appear online for a day or two. If the arrest or filing just happened, call the clerk.
- Restricted record. Some cases are hidden from public search by law or court order.
Records That Aren’t Available to the Public
Not every case will show up no matter how you search. Several categories are restricted or completely hidden from public view.
- Juvenile cases. Federal law requires juvenile delinquency records to be safeguarded from disclosure to unauthorized persons. Names and photographs of juveniles cannot be made public in connection with delinquency proceedings unless the juvenile is prosecuted as an adult. State laws impose similar or stricter confidentiality.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 5038 – Use of Juvenile Records
- Sealed cases. A judge can order a case or specific filings sealed, removing them from public view. The records still exist, but no one can access them without a court order. Federal rules allow courts to require filings under seal and to limit or prohibit remote electronic access for good cause.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 5.2 – Privacy Protection for Filings Made with the Court
- Expunged cases. Expungement effectively erases a case from public records. Unlike sealing, which hides the file but keeps it intact, expungement removes evidence that an arrest or charge ever existed. An expunged case will not appear in any public search.
- Adoption and certain family cases. Adoption records are sealed in every state. Many family court proceedings, including custody and dependency cases, carry varying degrees of confidentiality depending on the jurisdiction.
If you’re getting no results, a restricted record is one possibility, but it’s usually more likely you’re searching the wrong court or misspelling the name.
Reading the Docket Once You Find the Case
The docket is where you’ll find everything that has happened and everything that’s scheduled. It’s a chronological log of all events in a case: filings, motions, orders, and hearing dates.7Library of Congress. Dockets and Court Filings A court calendar is different: it’s a schedule of upcoming hearings across many cases, usually organized by judge or courtroom.
Docket entries use dense abbreviations. The case number often encodes a two-digit year, the case type (CR for criminal, CV for civil), and a sequential number. In hearing entries, “Hrg” means hearing and “Cont.” means the hearing was continued, or postponed to a later date.8U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. Docket Abbreviations Each court has its own conventions, and most publish reference guides on their websites.
Knowing the hearing type helps you figure out where the case stands. An arraignment is typically the defendant’s first appearance, where they hear the formal charges and enter a plea.9United States Department of Justice. Initial Hearing / Arraignment A status conference is a meeting between the attorneys and sometimes the judge to discuss progress, set deadlines, and explore settlement or plea options. A trial is the full proceeding where evidence is presented and a decision is reached.
Case status also matters. “Open” or “active” means the case is ongoing. “Closed” or “disposed” means it has concluded, whether by verdict, plea, settlement, or dismissal. “Continued” next to a hearing means that hearing was rescheduled.
Remote Hearing Details
Many courts now hold some hearings by video or phone. When a hearing is set for remote participation, the docket entry or calendar listing will note it with something like “Zoom hearing” or “telephonic appearance.” Connection details, such as the Zoom link or dial-in number, usually aren’t published on the public docket. Contact the clerk’s office or check the specific judge’s page on the court website for instructions on how to join.
Attending a Hearing in Person
If you want to observe a hearing rather than just look up the date, you generally can. The public and the press have a recognized right of access to court proceedings, rooted in the First Amendment for criminal cases. Most courtrooms are open, and you can walk in and watch without asking permission or having any connection to the case. Exceptions apply to juvenile proceedings, certain family court hearings, and any proceeding a judge has specifically closed for cause. If you’re not sure whether a particular hearing is open, call the clerk before making the trip.