How to Follow a Federal Lawsuit With PACER

What is PACER, and what is a docket?

PACER stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. It is the federal courts' service for electronic public access to federal court records ^[1].

Anyone can use it, but you need an account first ^[2]. The federal courts' own guide for reporters says people who cover courts should consider setting up an account and learning the system ^[3].

Each federal court keeps its own case information ^[2]. That is why PACER gives you two ways in. You can search a specific court, or you can use a national index ^[4].

The docket report is where you read a case's docket entries. Each entry may link to a document ^[5].

What can you see on PACER, and what can't you?

PACER lets you view, print or download current and recently closed federal cases ^[5]. It covers district, bankruptcy and appellate courts ^[6].

Once a filing or update enters a court's CM/ECF system, it is immediately available through PACER, according to the federal courts' journalist guide ^[3].

Some records will not be there. Know these limits before you start:

• Sealed documents, including sealed indictments, are not available to the public and cannot be found on PACER. ^[6]
• Certain personal identifiers are removed or redacted before records become public. They include Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, a minor's name, date of birth and, in criminal cases, home addresses ^[6].
• Most documents and docket sheets for cases opened before 1999 are on paper and may not be online ^[3].
• Transcripts of court proceedings are added to PACER 90 days after they are produced ^[6].

One more point helps. When a party moves to seal a document or close a hearing, a record of that motion can generally be found in PACER. ^[3] The motion itself may be worth reporting.

How do you register for a PACER account?

Follow these steps.

1. Go to PACER's registration page and create an account. Anyone can register, but you must do it before you can view records ^[2].
2. Skip the fee worry. There is no fee to register ^[7].
3. Decide whether to give a credit card. If you do not, an activation code is sent by U.S. mail to the address you entered ^[7].
4. Plan ahead. Register before a breaking story, because a mailed code takes time ^[7].
5. Try the free demonstration site first if you want to practice before you register ^[7].
6. After you log in, you can go to any other court's CM/ECF system without logging in again ^[5].

Video from StetsonLawLibrary (Stetson University College of Law library, YouTube). Open at youtube.com. Content from youtube.com loads only if you click.

How do you find the federal case?

Start with what you know. If you know the court and the case number, log in and search that court directly with the Query option ^[4].

Search by case number rather than party name. PACER says this takes you straight to the case without a charge ^[4].

If you do not know the court, or you have no case number, use the PACER Case Locator ^[4]. It is a national index for district, bankruptcy and appellate courts ^[5].

A Case Locator search returns the party name, the court, the case number, the date filed and the date closed ^[2]. Click the case number to reach more detailed information stored in the court's CM/ECF system ^[2].

You can also read the case number itself. In it, "cv" marks a civil case and "cr" marks a criminal case ^[5].

Watch for lag. Newly filed cases typically appear in the Case Locator within 24 hours ^[2]. The federal courts say the database updates at midnight each day ^[8]. Newly filed cases typically appear in the PACER Case Locator within 24 hours, and if you know the court and case number, you can search that court directly using the Query option ^[2].

How do you read a docket report and open the documents?

Run the Docket Report for your case. If you enter a date range first, PACER shows only the filings or entries within that range ^[4].

Look at each entry. If it has a link on the entry number or an icon beside it, you can open the document ^[5].

If an entry has no link or icon, you must order the document from the court clerk's office ^[5].

PACER provides the case summary, the docket entries and copies of documents. For anything beyond that, PACER says to contact the federal court where the case is filed ^[2].

Document · PACER Service Center, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

PACER User Manual for CM/ECF Courts (Updated September 2026)

Open at pacer.uscourts.gov

Document from PACER Service Center, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Open at pacer.uscourts.gov. Content from pacer.uscourts.gov loads only if you click.

What does PACER cost?

PACER charges 10 cents per page for case information ^[1]. A single document costs at most $3.00, which equals 30 pages ^[1].

The cap also covers case-specific reports such as a docket report ^[1]. The manual says docket reports are capped at 30 pages, but case reports are not ^[5].

PACER gives an example. A 10-page docket costs $1 ^[1].

You are billed quarterly, and only if you accrue more than $30 in the previous quarter ^[4].

A change is coming. The federal judiciary announced that on Jan. 1, 2027, the rate rises from 10 cents to 12 cents per page ^[9]. The same announcement raises the automatic quarterly exemption from $30 to $40 ^[9].

The announcement says the increase will remain in place for five years ^[9]. Older tutorials may show the old numbers, so check PACER's own pages for current fees.

Courts may exempt individuals or groups from fees on request. PACER lists indigents, pro bono attorneys, academic researchers and non-profit organizations as examples ^[4]. If you think you qualify, ask the court.

How do you keep fees down while following a case?

A few habits help.

• Search by case number instead of party name ^[4].
• Remember that a search with no matches still costs one page, or 10 cents ^[1].
• Use a date range when you re-check a docket. It shows only entries within that range, which can help limit fees ^[4].
• Read court opinions on PACER. They are free to anyone with an account ^[8].
• Visit the courthouse if you can. You can view electronic and paper records there for free, but printing costs 10 cents per page ^[8].
• Track your total. Billing starts only when you pass the quarterly threshold ^[4].

How do you follow a case without re-checking it every day?

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says litigants receive email alerts when their case is updated, but interested parties cannot ^[10]. You need other routes.

Start with the court. Some courts provide free automatic case notification through RSS feeds or read-only CM/ECF access ^[3].

Check the court's website too. For cases that draw substantial media and public interest, some courts have created "Cases of Interest" or "Notable Cases" sections. They may post docket entries, court orders and sometimes trial exhibits ^[3].

Free tools can fill gaps. CourtListener docket alerts, from the nonprofit Free Law Project, let you keep up with federal cases and bankruptcies in PACER. ^[11] It currently allows 5 free alerts, plus a bonus of 10 if you install the RECAP extension ^[11].

The RECAP extension adds your PACER purchases to the RECAP Archive automatically ^[12]. The free archive depends on its users' purchases ^[10].

Know the limits. The Reporters Committee says the free version relies on its own users, so it is not real-time and not comprehensive ^[10].

CourtListener says some courts offer no RSS feeds and others offer only partial ones. For less active cases, alerts may be slow or may not arrive at all ^[11].

Treat an alert as a prompt to look. Check the docket on PACER before you publish anything based on it ^[11].

If you want a way to document your work as a reporter, you can see how a press credential can document your work. An NPA credential is not government-issued. It does not give you legal rights or access to a courtroom.

What are the limits, and when should you ask for help?

PACER will not show everything. Sealed documents are not available to the public ^[6].

Discovery is another gap. Deposition records often stay with the lawyers. The media do not have a right of access to discovery materials that were not filed with the court ^[3].

Do not try to dodge the fees. PACER says any attempt to collect data in a way that avoids billing is strictly prohibited. It may result in criminal prosecution or civil action ^[2].

If you need information beyond the case summary, docket entries and documents, contact the federal court where the case is filed ^[2]. Sealed documents remain unavailable to the public ^[6].

If you face a legal question about a sealed record or a closed hearing, ask a lawyer. This guide is not legal advice.

What is a quick checklist for following a federal case?

1. Register for a PACER account. It is free ^[7].
2. Gather the court and case number. If you lack them, use the Case Locator ^[4].
3. Open the docket report and set a date range ^[4].
4. Open linked documents. Order unlinked ones from the clerk ^[5].
5. Check whether the court offers a free RSS feed or read-only CM/ECF notification, since only some courts do, and consider a CourtListener docket alert ^[3].
6. Re-check the PACER docket before you publish ^[11].
7. Watch your costs, including the Jan. 1, 2027 change ^[9].

If you report on your own, you can also learn how to join the National Press Association.