Court Records Requests
Court records that are not confidential or sealed are available to the public. Court staff is responsible for maintaining all documents in the local court files and assists the public with requests for copies of court documents. Record requests are handled on a first come, first serve basis. Documents in newer court cases can be reviewed using the kiosk computers in the court house lobby. Older case files that have not been digitized can be reviewed by requesting the file be retrieved. Adoption and Juvenile cases are confidential. Access to these cases is limited. For information about requesting copies from an Adoption case, go to our Adoption information page. To request copies from a Juvenile case please contact the court.
Difference between Copies, Certified Copies, and Exemplified Copies
- Copies are electronic images (TIFF, PDF) or photocopies of any document in the file or an audio recording.
- Certified Copies are photocopies of a filed document in its entirety (everything within a staple) that is sworn to be a true copy by a Court Clerk. The certified copy should not be taken apart. If the staple is removed the certification becomes invalid.
- Exemplified Copy, also called a 3-Way Certificate, is a photocopy of a pleading in its entirety that’s authenticity is sworn to by the Court Clerk. The signature of the Court Clerk is sworn to by the Presiding Judge then the Court Clerk swears to the authenticity of the Judge’s signature. These copies are often required by other states and countries when copies are being submitted for filing in their local court. It takes two to three additional days to process an exemplified copy request.