Access to certain records via the internet from the comfort of your own home or office is provided by many courts.Some courts in the United States do not provide online access to court records, and some have only basic information about a particular court case, such as the case name, case number and type of court.If you need electronic access to court records, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Understand the United States court system.
To understand what type of records you need to look for, you must first understand how the judicial system is set up in the United States.At the state and federal level, there is a hierarchy of courts.The United States Supreme Court is the top of the hierarchy at the federal level.Appellate courts and trial courts are located in different parts of the country.Circuits and federal trial courts are referred to as districts at the appellate level.There are several federal courts that have jurisdiction over a specific subject matter.At the top of the state court hierarchy is the supreme court, which is followed by the appellate courts and trial courts.Depending on the state, trial courts may be called "circuit courts," "superior courts" or something else.The courts of appeal are often called state appellate courts.Be aware of the different courts in your state.There is a chance of overlap between the state and federal systems in the judicial process.Under certain circumstances, a case may be heard in front of both the state supreme court and the federal Supreme Court.You should be aware of this when searching for court records.The names of the federal and state courts can be found on these websites.
Step 2: Take a look at the documentation you have.
If you want to search for state or federal court records, begin by analyzing the documents you have in your possession.Different documents have different information, so look for documents with the most identifying information about your case or situation.The type of court, the location, and the specific designation of the court are typically included in documents.A criminal citation, a written form given to someone by a law enforcement officer in response to an alleged illegal act, will usually have information about the types of charges being brought against a person and will provide you with a court name and location where the person is required to report.You can see what type of law is involved and what court is going to hear the case by looking at this.You should be able to decide whether you are in state or federal court.A document like a complaint that states the issues in controversy in a given case is going to have a cover sheet that includes the exact court in which the complaint was filed."In the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts" is the title of the complaint's cover sheet.In order to determine if you are in federal court, you need this information.
Step 3: Determine the topic of your issue.
Think about the type of law you are looking for.Depending on the subject, some legal subjects are either state law or federal law.State laws govern contract law and family law.If your research topic deals with one of these subjects, you'll want to look in a state database.Federal laws govern bankruptcy law, maritime law and constitutional law.If your research topic deals with one of these subjects, you will want to look in a federal database.These are general rules and they have qualifications as well.State law courts can hear federal law issues.
Step 4: Don't make a decision.
You should be able to determine if you need to search a federal database or a state database after analyzing the documents you have in your possession.You will use Part 2 of 3 if you determine that you need to access federal court records electronically.You will use Part 3 of 3 if you determine that you need to access state court records electronically.You can look at both types of databases if you don't know what type of court records you'll need.
Step 5: Go to the Public Access to Court Electronic Records website.
There is a website that gives access to court records from the federal district courts, courts of appeals, and bankruptcy courts.The United States Supreme Court website contains published opinions and oral argument audio files.Clicking on the tabs at the top of the page will allow you to easily access all the information you need.You don't have to pay a fee to access this information.
Step 6: APACER account is established.
You must register and create an account to use the website.The "Register" button can be found at the top of the home page.Complete your registration by following the directions on the screen.You can register for attorneys and non-attorneys at the same time, and you will have the ability to create an account that fits your needs.You can modify your account settings following the directions.There is no registration fee, but a fee for every file viewed, downloaded, or printed.You have to provide your credit card information to register for instant access to court documents.If you don't give your credit card information during registration, an activation code will be sent to you within 7 days.
Step 7: You can search for documents.
You will have access to the site once you have registered and received your login information.Clicking on the "log in" button at the top right of the screen will allow you to log in.You can search for a document after logging in.You can go to the court links page if you know the location of your case.You can choose the case that you want.If you don't know where your case is, you can use the case locator.To find a variety of cases and documents, follow the on-screen prompts when you access the case locator.You will be able to search for cases by their case number, case title, date it was closed, party names, or even the region in which your case was filed.You can always access the user manual if you need help understanding the search criteria.
Step 8: Pay the fee.
You will have to pay the required fee once you have found the court record you need.You will be charged $0.10 per page if you view, download, or print the document.The charges are capped at 30 pages for a single document.The charges can build up quickly when you are on the site.Search and access the court records you need.If you spend less than fifteen dollars in a quarter, fees will not be charged.
Step 9: You can visit your state's courts website.
Depending on what state your records are from, the process you follow and the records you have access to will be vastly different.Go to your state's courts website to begin your search.You can find links to court records on the website.Washington's courts website has a link on the right side of their page that will allow you to start the records search.Alabama does not provide access to court records through their websites.
Step 10: You can find the National Center for State Courts website.
The National Center for State Courts website can be used to find out how to access your state's court records electronically.You can find out how to access state court electronic court records by scrolling through a number of state links.Go to the webpage and find your state.Click on any applicable link if you want to search for court records.