How Do You Obtain Old Court Records for a Family Member?

The clerk of the court in the jurisdiction where the case was heard is the primary source for court records of any age. Every court maintains its own records archive, and the clerk's office is the official custodian of those documents.

Here is how to approach it:

Identify the correct court. You need to know whether the case was in a municipal, county, state, or federal court, and which specific courthouse handled it. If you know the approximate year and location of the case, that is usually enough to identify the right clerk's office.

Contact the clerk's office directly. Call or visit in person and ask about their records retrieval process for older cases. Many courts now have online search tools for more recent records, but older cases often require a manual request. Staff can tell you what information they need to locate the file, typically the full legal name, approximate date, and case number if you have it.

Be prepared for fees. Courts often charge for retrieving and copying older records, particularly if they have to pull physical files from off-site storage. The cost is usually modest but varies by jurisdiction.

Federal cases. If the case was in federal court, PACER at pacer.gov is the national system for federal court records. Older federal cases may also be available through the National Archives if they have been archived out of the active system.

If you are not sure which court handled the case, starting with the county clerk's office in the area where the case took place is the most practical first step.