DC Court Case Search & Dockets
Searching DC court cases is not the same as searching a county clerk site. The District has a local trial court, the DC Superior Court, and a local appellate court, the DC Court of Appeals. Superior Court records are split between the Portal and eAccess, while Court of Appeals cases use a separate appellate case-search system.
Independent guide reviewed September 2026. Confirm case status, access limits, copy fees, courtroom information, hearing dates, and certification requirements with the official District of Columbia Courts before relying on a record.
Which DC Court Case Search Should You Use?
DC has a local Superior Court, a local Court of Appeals, and separate federal courts. A landlord-tenant case, probate estate, criminal case, domestic violence case, tax case, appellate case, and federal case can all require different systems.
Use the Portal for Civil Division cases, including Landlord & Tenant and Small Claims, plus civil Tax Division, Office of Auditor Master, and Probate matters.
Open Superior Court Portal →Use eAccess for Criminal Division, criminal Tax Division, and Domestic Violence Division case types. Criminal citation cases are not available there.
Open eAccess →Use the DC Court of Appeals case search for appellate case numbers, captions, Superior Court or agency case numbers, participants, docket entries, and public filings where available.
Search Court of Appeals cases →Use today’s case calendar to check public hearing listings by party, case number, division, courtroom, judge, time, and case type.
View today’s Superior Court cases →Use PACER for U.S. District Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and federal appellate dockets. DC Courts local case search does not search federal cases.
Find federal cases in PACER →Use the Superior Court copy request route when you need certified copies, paper copies, or a record that is not available remotely.
Open copy request form →How to Search DC Court Cases and Dockets
The most reliable DC search starts with court level, then case type, then case number or party name. Do not search only by name and stop at the first familiar result. DC dockets can include people, businesses, estates, government agencies, landlords, tenants, prosecutors, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and appellants with similar names.
- Decide whether the case is local DC or federal. Local DC Superior Court and DC Court of Appeals records are on DC Courts systems; federal records are on PACER or federal court systems.
- Open the official DC Courts case-search page. Use Superior Court Case Search for trial-level DC cases.
- Choose Portal or eAccess based on case type. Portal is the route for civil, landlord-tenant, small claims, probate, civil tax, and Office of Auditor Master. eAccess is the route for criminal, criminal tax, and domestic violence.
- Use the case number first if available. A case number is usually more precise than a name search, especially in common landlord-tenant, criminal, and civil matters.
- Use name search carefully. Try full name, business name, estate name, alternate spelling, party role, and filing year clues where the system permits.
- Compare the docket result before relying on it. Check case title, party role, case number, division, filing date, hearing dates, judgment entries, and latest docket activity.
- Use copy-request or clerk routes for official records. Online docket information may not be the same as a certified court record.
DC Court Search Systems: What Each One Covers
The phrase “DC court case search” can mean several different systems. This table separates them so users do not waste time in the wrong database.
| System | Best for | Search clues | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Court Portal | Civil Division cases, Landlord & Tenant, Small Claims, civil Tax Division, Office of Auditor Master, and Probate Division. | Case number, party name, business name, estate name, filing date, case type. | Most case information can be viewed anonymously, but document access and restrictions vary by case type. |
| Superior Court eAccess | Criminal Division, criminal Tax Division, and Domestic Violence Division case types. | Case number, party or defendant name, division clue, filing year. | Criminal citation cases are not available; restricted or confidential records may not be fully visible. |
| DC Court of Appeals Case Search | Appeals from Superior Court or agency decisions, appellate docket entries, public civil/criminal filings where available. | Appellate case number, caption, Superior Court or agency case number, participant name, filed date. | Not every appellate filing is public; access depends on case type and public-access rules. |
| Today’s Superior Court Cases | Checking public hearings on a specific day. | Party, case number, courtroom, judge, division, time. | Confidential family and juvenile hearings do not appear; domestic violence hearings may be open but not available to look up online. |
| PACER | Federal district, bankruptcy, and federal appellate cases. | Party name, federal docket number, court, filing date. | PACER is separate from DC Courts and may have account and fee rules. |
| Copy Request Form | Paper copies, certified copies, and written case-information requests. | Case name, case number, division, document title, number of pages, certification need. | A written request may require payment and enough detail to identify the case. |
How to Read DC Court Dockets Without Misreading the Case
A docket is a timeline, not a full legal explanation. It can show filings, hearings, orders, judgments, deadlines, warrants, continuances, and appeals. A docket entry saying a motion was filed does not mean the motion was granted. Always read later entries.
Today’s Superior Court Cases
Use this calendar for hearings open to the public. It can be filtered by party, case number, courtroom, judge, division, and time.
Open today’s Superior Court casesDC Court of Appeals Search
Use appellate case search for appellate case number, caption, participant, Superior Court or agency case number, docket entries, and public filings where available.
Open Court of Appeals case searchHow to Request DC Court Case Copies or Certified Records
If you need a record for an agency, appeal, employment matter, housing matter, licensing issue, immigration packet, background documentation, probate matter, or legal filing, a screenshot of an online docket may not be enough. Use the appropriate copy-request route and state whether certification is needed.
| Copy / record need | Official route | Fee or access note |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court case copies | Case Information Copy Request Form | The form lists copies at $0.50 per page. |
| Certified Superior Court copies | Case Information Copy Request Form | The form lists certified copies at $5.00 each plus page-copy charges. |
| Probate searches and copies | Probate Division request process | Probate search requests use the Register of Wills route and published probate-copy instructions. |
| Family or juvenile inspection/copy | Application to inspect or copy records | Restricted records may require approval and a stated purpose. |
| Transcript | Court Reporting and Recording Division | Use transcript order forms and division instructions rather than ordinary copy forms. |
| Federal records | PACER or federal court clerk | Separate federal access and fee rules apply. |
DC Court Buildings Used in Case Search and Docket Results
DC court dockets often use building names or courtroom prefixes. If your calendar result says “A-46,” “B-53,” or “Moultrie,” it is pointing to a physical building in the Judiciary Square court complex.
| Location | Address | Common record or docket connection |
|---|---|---|
| Moultrie Courthouse | 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 | Main Superior Court courthouse. Many Superior Court hearings and divisions route here. |
| Court Building A | 515 5th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 | Probate Division and other court services; calendar rooms can appear with “A-” courtroom prefixes. |
| Court Building B | 510 4th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 | Civil Division services, Landlord & Tenant Branch and other Superior Court functions; rooms can appear with “B-” prefixes. |
| Historic Courthouse | 430 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 | Home of the DC Court of Appeals and appellate public office functions. |
No DC Case Found? Try This Recovery Path
A no-result search can mean the case is in the wrong system, is federal rather than local, is confidential, is a criminal citation, is not yet entered, or must be searched by a different clue.
| Problem | Likely reason | Best next move |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, landlord-tenant or probate case not found in eAccess | Those case types are routed through the Superior Court Portal, not eAccess. | Search the Portal and use the case type or branch clue. |
| Criminal or domestic violence case not found in Portal | Those case types are routed through eAccess. | Use eAccess, then compare case number, party names, and division. |
| Criminal citation case missing | DC Courts says criminal citation cases are not available in eAccess. | Contact the police district where the citation was issued for the court date. |
| Appeal missing from Superior Court search | Appeals use the DC Court of Appeals case-search system. | Search by appellate case number, caption, participant, or Superior Court/agency case number. |
| Federal case missing | Federal cases are not in DC Courts local case systems. | Use PACER, the U.S. District Court for DC, bankruptcy court, or the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. |
| Hearing not on today’s calendar | Some confidential family and juvenile cases are closed; domestic violence hearings may be open but unavailable online. | Contact the division handling the case or check your official notice. |
| Document image unavailable | The docket entry may be public while the document itself is restricted, sealed, not scanned, or unavailable online. | Use the copy request, inspection, or division-specific clerk route. |
Local Tips That Save Time With DC Court Dockets
Many people confuse DC Superior Court with the U.S. District Court for DC. If the case is federal, use PACER, not DC Courts local case search.
The newer Superior Court page routes different case types to Portal and eAccess. Do not assume one replaced every function of the other.
Landlord & Tenant and Small Claims are listed under Civil Division routes, so start with the Portal rather than criminal eAccess.
Large estates, small estates, disclaimers, major litigation, wills, and foreign estate proceedings are included in online case-search descriptions, but probate copies may follow probate-specific request rules.
Today’s Superior Court Cases can show hearings open to the public, but it is not a substitute for the full docket or copy request.
The Court of Appeals eFiling disclaimer places privacy-protection responsibility on the filer for information that must be redacted.
DC Court Case Search Terms You May See
Official DC Court Links Used in This Guide
These official links are included because they help complete real case-search, docket, hearing, copy, appellate, or federal-record tasks. Use them before relying on private people-search or background-check pages.
DC Court Case Search & Dockets FAQs
1. Where do I search DC Superior Court cases online?
Use the official DC Superior Court Case Search page. It routes users to the Portal for civil, landlord-tenant, small claims, civil tax, Office of Auditor Master, and probate matters, and to eAccess for criminal, criminal tax, and domestic violence cases.
2. What is the difference between the DC Superior Court Portal and eAccess?
The Portal is used for Civil Division matters, including Landlord & Tenant and Small Claims, as well as civil Tax Division, Office of Auditor Master, and Probate Division matters. eAccess is used for Criminal Division, criminal Tax Division, and Domestic Violence Division matters.
3. Can I search DC Court of Appeals cases online?
Yes. Use the DC Court of Appeals public case search. It allows searching by appellate case number, case caption, Superior Court or agency case number, participant name, and filed-date range, subject to public-access limits.
4. Are DC criminal citation cases available in eAccess?
No. DC Courts states that criminal citation cases are not available in eAccess. The court directs users to contact the police district where the citation was issued for the court date.
5. How do I check today’s DC Superior Court hearings?
Use the Today’s Superior Court Cases calendar. It can be searched and filtered by party, case number, courtroom, judge, division, time, and case type for cases that are open and available to the public online.
6. Why is a DC hearing missing from the public calendar?
Some hearings are not shown online. DC Courts notes that confidential family and juvenile cases are closed and do not show on today’s calendar. Domestic violence hearings may be open to the public but not available to look up online.
7. How much are DC Superior Court certified copies?
The Superior Court Case Information Copy Request Form lists copies at $0.50 per page and certified copies at $5.00 each plus page-copy charges. Verify current fees with the court before submitting payment.
8. Where is the main DC Superior Court courthouse?
The Moultrie Courthouse is located at 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Many Superior Court hearings are held there, though some hearings and divisions use Court Building A or Court Building B.
9. Where is the DC Court of Appeals located?
The DC Court of Appeals is located in the Historic Courthouse at 430 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. Its public case-search system is separate from Superior Court Portal and eAccess.
10. Where do I search federal DC cases?
Use PACER or the relevant federal court website for federal cases. DC Courts local systems do not search the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, or the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.