To get a copy of a criminal complaint, contact the clerk of the court where the case was filed. State cases go through the county courthouse’s clerk of court; federal cases are pulled from PACER, the online portal for U.S. District Court records. In most situations, any member of the public can request a copy because criminal complaints are part of the public court record.
What to Gather Before You Request
Start with the defendant’s full legal name. Without an accurate name, a clerk’s search will stall or return nothing useful. A case number makes everything faster, and it appears on paperwork like bail receipts, court notices, and arraignment documents.
If you don’t have a case number, the defendant’s date of birth helps the clerk narrow results, especially for common names. You also need to know which court has the case. A traffic violation might sit in municipal court, a felony in a superior or district court, and a federal crime in a U.S. District Court. If you’re not sure where charges were filed, search the county’s court website or call the courthouse’s general information line.
Requesting a State Criminal Complaint From the Clerk
The Clerk of Court’s office at the courthouse where the case was filed is the official keeper of the record. Search online for the county name plus “clerk of court” or “criminal court records” to find contact information, hours, and request instructions.
Many state courts also run free online case-search portals. They vary widely. Some let you view and download filings directly. Others show only a docket listing with case status and hearing dates. Even when the portal doesn’t have the document itself, it can confirm the case number and court location so you can request the complaint another way.
In Person
Go to the criminal records window at the courthouse, fill out a records request form, show a valid ID, and pay the copying fee. This is usually the fastest route, and you leave with the document the same day.
By Mail
Send a written request with the defendant’s name, case number if you have it, date of birth, and the specific document you want. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment for copying fees. Courts charge per page, and certified copies cost more than plain ones. Call the clerk’s office first to confirm the fee amount and accepted payment methods; many courts won’t accept cash by mail, so a money order or certified check is usually safest. Turnaround typically runs two to three weeks.
Federal Criminal Complaints Through PACER
Federal cases go through a different system. The Public Access to Court Electronic Records system, PACER, is the online portal for nearly all federal court documents, including criminal complaints filed in a U.S. District Court.
Register for an account at pacer.uscourts.gov. Registration requires your date of birth and a tax identification number, which is only used for debt collection if fees go unpaid.1PACER: Federal Court Records. Register for an Account Once your account is active, you can search by party name, case number, or other identifiers. If you don’t know which federal district handled the case, the PACER Case Locator runs a nationwide search across all federal courts.2United States Courts. Find a Case (PACER)
PACER charges ten cents per page to view or download a document, capped at $3.00 per document. If your total charges stay at $30 or less during a calendar quarter, the fees are waived entirely.3PACER: Federal Court Records. PACER Pricing – How Fees Work A single criminal complaint will almost never come close to that threshold, so most people pulling one document pay nothing.4PACER: Federal Court Records. Pricing Frequently Asked Questions
Plain Copy or Certified Copy
When you request the complaint, the clerk will usually ask which you want. A plain copy is just a photocopy. A certified copy includes a stamp, seal, or separate page from the clerk confirming the copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original on file.
A plain copy is enough for most personal purposes. You need a certified copy if you’re submitting the document in another legal proceeding, providing it to a government agency for an immigration or licensing matter, or using it anywhere authenticity has to be independently verified. Certification carries an additional fee on top of the per-page charge. If you’re not sure which you need, ask whoever is requiring the document. Paying for certification you don’t need is a waste, but going back for a certified copy because a plain one was rejected is worse.
When Access May Be Restricted
The public has a longstanding common-law right to inspect court records, reinforced in criminal cases by First Amendment principles. That right isn’t absolute, and a few situations can block access to a specific complaint.
Sealed Cases
A judge can order a case sealed to protect someone’s privacy, safeguard an ongoing investigation, or shield witnesses from retaliation. The records still exist but are hidden from public view, and only parties with court authorization can access them. Sealing is sometimes temporary, and records may become available again once the reason for the seal expires.
Expunged Cases
Expungement goes further. When a record is expunged, the court orders public offices that hold records of the case to destroy them. Some law enforcement and government agencies may still be able to see that an arrest occurred, but the general public won’t find the complaint through normal channels. Expungement and sealing rules vary significantly by state, and some states use the terms interchangeably.
Juvenile Cases
The juvenile justice system operates with a strong presumption of confidentiality. Most states restrict public access to juvenile court records to some degree, and a majority allow public access to at least some categories, particularly for serious or violent offenses and repeat offenders.5Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Juvenile Justice Reform Initiatives in the States – Juvenile Proceedings and Records A small number of states keep all juvenile records confidential regardless of the offense. If the case involves a minor, expect hurdles and check your state’s specific rules.
Active Investigations
A judge may temporarily restrict access to a complaint to prevent interference with an active investigation. This often happens when charges are filed under seal before a defendant has been arrested. Once the arrest occurs and the immediate investigative concern is resolved, the complaint typically becomes publicly available.
If You Are the Defendant
If a criminal complaint has been filed against you, you have a constitutional right to be informed of the specific charges. At arraignment, the court reads the formal charges and hands you copies of the complaint and other relevant documents, so you don’t need to go through the public records process. If you’ve hired an attorney or been assigned a public defender, they have the complaint as part of the case file and can give you a copy.
If charges were dropped before arraignment, or if you simply lost your copy, you can still request one from the clerk’s office using the same process available to the general public. As the named defendant, you won’t face the access restrictions that might apply to third parties in sealed or expunged cases, though you may need to show identification proving you are the person named in the case.