How to Search for Free Court Records
Court documents, arrest records, and official records are considered public information and can be found online or by visiting a courthouse. The public is allowed to search for free court records through their county courthouse, however, they may have to pay a fee if they want to receive copies of these documents.
Free Court Records vs Background Checks
Court records are part of an individual’s information that is contained in background checks. Background checks provide information about tickets, citations, arrests, and court record regardless of if the information was filed in a courthouse.
Court records consist of information or documents filed during court hearings on cases filed in a courthouse. If the case was not filed in court, you would need to request a background check on an individual to locate information about an arrest or citation.
If you need help performing a background check, you can contact the local police department or the county sheriff’s office to assist you with conducting a background check. Most services are available by paying a fee.
How to Obtain Copies of Free Court Records
If you want to obtain free court records, you can perform a web search to locate the county courthouse’s website. Some counties provide an online court record search portal that allows the public to look up court documents. In most cases, these portals provide court case information at no charge.
If you are unable to locate an online search portal for the county courthouse, you can contact the county court clerk’s office to obtain information on requesting court records. You may need to submit a request to the clerk’s office by mail, fax, online, or in person. When submitting a request for court records you may have to pay fees for the search and copies of documents. These fees vary so you will need to check with the court clerk’s office for more information.
Things to Know About Free Court Records
There are other websites and organizations that provide access to court records. Most court officials believe that anything filed in a court of law is considered public information.
You should be cautious when looking for court records from websites that you believe look suspicious. Unless you are using the official website for the county clerk or the county courthouse, do not give out personal information or pay a fee before obtaining information about the court case records that you are looking for. If you are required to pay a fee make sure to verify what is included with the fee.
In some areas, you may encounter consolidated court systems. This allows anyone with access to the program to access court records. Typically, this access is given to attorneys, court staff, and law enforcement agencies. You can contact one of these agencies to assist you with obtaining information if you are unable to reach a clerk of the court.
Some states have a statewide judicial system online court record search portal. Keep this in mind when you are searching for free court case documents.