Civil Court Records Searches
Civil Court Records Search |
Civil court record search will help you identify non-criminal litigation, a person has been a party to. This search will identify suits filed by individuals or corporations including product liability suits, civil rights violations, judgments for nonpayment of goods and other similar cases. Records are retrieved from federal, state or local courts through a nationwide network of court researchers. The "Comprehensive Nationwide Criminal, Civil & other court records search" also searches for pending or dismissed cases and lawsuits, dispositions and Federal and State court dockets search. You also have the option to find copies of court documents. Civil court records search is available for every jurisdiction in the USA, Canada and every other country in the world.
You can search by Civil lower court, Civil upper court or Federal District Court Civil Results. Search of Superior and/or Municipal Court Records yields reports on any civil litigation involving a particular individual or business during the past seven years. The results include the names of plaintiff and defendant, the date filed, type of action and current status or disposition. Each court search is an independent Civil Court search and returns, LAWSUITS, judgments and liens. Results can also include copies of official transcripts and COURT ORDERS. This search can also help you find out how much ALIMONY someone is paying. For a detailed search please order the search for each court independently. To search records older than 7 years, please choose the search titled 30 year USA Nationwide Civil & Criminal court records search.
What is the difference between Upper, Lower and Federal District Courts?
Civil records are often located in different courts commonly referred to as Upper or Lower courts. Civil records are normally divided between upper and lower courts based on the monetary amount of the claim. In some states, these courts are also referred to as Circuit or County courts.
Upper level record searches generally involve monies greater than what is listed in the table below (amount varies by state), while Lower court, or Small Claims courts involve lesser sums in question. Divorce and marriage records may be found in Family or Domestic courts.
Federal District Courtis the name of one of the courts of the United States. It is held by a judge, called the district judge. Several courts under the same name have been established by state authority. Most federal cases are initially tried and decided in the U.S. district courts, the federal courts of general trial jurisdiction. There are 94 district courts in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. With the exception of the three territorial courts, all district court judges are appointed for life by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. A district may itself be divided into divisions and may have several places where the court hears cases. Congress authorizes judgeships for each district based in large part on the caseload. In each district, the judge who has served on the court the longest and who is under 65 years of age is designated as the chief judge. The chief judge has administrative duties in addition to a caseload.
Click here to view the list of U.S. District Courts.
Lower Court or Small Claims Court Limits for the 50 States |
|
| State | Dollar Limit |
| Alabama | $3,000 |
| Alaska | $7,500 |
| Arizona | $2,500 (small claims court); $5,000 (regular justice court) |
| Arkansas | $5,000 |
| California | $5,000 (A plaintiff may not file a claim over $2,500 more than twice a year. The limit for suits involving a surety company or licensed contractor is $4,000.) |
| Colorado | $7,500 |
| Connecticut | $3,500 (no limit for landlord-tenant cases involving security deposit claims) |
| Delaware | $15,000 |
| District of Columbia | $5,000 |
| Florida | $5,000 |
| Georgia | $15,000 |
| Hawaii | $3,500 |
| Idaho | $4,000 |
| Illinois | $5,000 (small claims); $1,500 (Cook County Pro Se Branch) |
| Indiana | $3,000 ($6,000 in Marion and Allen Counties) |
| Iowa | $5,000 |
| Kansas | $1,800 |
| Kentucky | $1,500 |
| Louisiana | $3,000 |
| Maine | $4,500 |
| Maryland | $5,000 |
| Massachusetts | $2,000 |
| Michigan | $3,000 |
| Minnesota | $7,500 |
| Mississippi | $2,500 |
| Missouri | $3,000 |
| Montana | $3,000 |
| Nebraska | $2,400 |
| Nevada | $5,000 |
| New Hampshire | $5,000 |
| New Jersey | $3,000 (small claims); $15,000 (special civil part, superior court) |
| New Mexico | $10,000 |
| New York | $3,000 |
| North Carolina | $4,000 |
| North Dakota | $5,000 |
| Ohio | $3,000 |
| Oklahoma | $4,500 |
| Oregon | $5,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $8,000 (small claims); $10,000 (Philadelphia Municipal Court) |
| Rhode Island | $1,500 |
| South Carolina | $7,500 |
| South Dakota | $8,000 |
| Tennessee | $15,000; $25,000 in Shelby and Anderson Counties; no limit in evictions or suits to recover personal property) |
| Texas | $5,000 |
| Utah | $5,000 |
| Vermont | $3,500 |
| Virginia | $2,000 (small claims); $4,500 (general district court); $15,000 (circuit court); no limits on eviction suits in general district court |
| Washington | $4,000 |
| West Virginia | $5,000 |
| Wisconsin | $5000 (no limit on eviction suits) |
| Wyoming | $3,000 (small claims); $7,000 (county circuit court) |