Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is an electronic public access service that offers an inexpensive, easy-to-use alternative for obtaining case information from the Judiciary’s Case Management and Electronic Case Files system (CM/ECF), without having to visit the courthouse. PACER allows an Internet user to request information about a particular case or party. The data is immediately available for printing or downloading.
Registration - There is no cost for registration.
- Visit the PACER Service Center website at pacer.uscourts.gov.
- Click on the Registration tab and select the account type. Then fill out an online form and provide a valid email address.
- Provide credit card information to establish an account and receive same-day access.
- Choose to register without credit card information, and you will receive account login information by U.S. mail, usually within one week.
Fees - Congress has authorized the Judiciary to charge fees to fund the costs of PACER and CM/ECF.
The Judicial Conference of the United States has set fees and conditions for services as follows:
- Ten cents per page for access via the Internet, with a total charge of any document, docket sheet, or case-specific report not to exceed $3.00, the fee for 30 pages.
- Fees are waived for users who incur less than $30 of use in a quarterly billing cycle.
- Fees are billed quarterly.
Western District of Washington Bankruptcy Court - CM/ECF (login required)
PACER Case Locator (login required)
PACER Frequently Asked Questions