Frequently Asked Questions
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If there is a discrepancy found with case information, notify the court where the document or case is filed.
PACER provides access to millions of case file documents and docket information for all district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts. These are available immediately after they have been electronically filed.
Some case information is not available. Certain personal identifiers are removed or redacted before the record becomes public, including Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, the name of a minor, date of birth, and home addresses in a criminal case.
In addition, some documents may be unavailable to the general public, including:
- Documents from pre-2003 bankruptcy cases.
- Documents filed before Nov. 1, 2004 in criminal cases.
- Documents in social security and immigration cases.
If you are unable to locate the information you are seeking, contact the local court or the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or by email at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.
No. PACER access is for federal courts only.
Documents are provided as “PDF” or “html.” Select File and then Save As in the browser toolbar. For docket sheets or reports make sure the file is saved with the extension ".html." Court documents are provided as PDF files.
U.S. Bankruptcy Courts
Search by case number, party name, Social Security number, or tax identification number.
U.S. District Courts
Search by case number, party name, or filing date range.
U.S. Courts of Appeals
Search by case number or party name.
PACER Case Locator
Search by case number, party name, social security, employer identification number, nature of suit, date filed, or date closed. A search returns basic case information, including the case number, court where the case is filed, date filed, date closed, and various other information depending on the search type. These results will also link to more detailed information stored within CM/ECF.
Only the last four digits of a Social Security Number (SSN) are displayed on court documents. However, a full SSN can be used to perform searches to identify debtors.
Some courts provide automatic case notification and alerts through Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. PACER users can keep track of newly docketed events by subscribing to a court’s RSS feed, which is free and includes automatic notification of case activity, summarized text, and links to the document and docket report.
You can view the document or docket report linked from the RSS feed by logging into PACER.
Search for the court where the case is filed, using the Court CM/ECF Lookup, to find out if they have an RSS feed.
You are automatically logged out when you close your browser. You can also log out by clicking log out on the main menu.
When transcripts of court proceedings are produced, they are added to PACER 90 days later. Before a transcript is added to PACER, a copy is available in the clerk’s office for inspection only. Information on purchasing a transcript from the court reporter or transcriber within the 90-day can be provided by the clerk’s office. There is no maximum fee for transcripts in PACER.
To see more detailed information about a case, access the court's CM/ECF site. You can access that site and other detailed case information from the PACER Case Locator by clicking on the case number.