Search Connecticut Court Records by Choosing the Case Type Before the Name
Connecticut does not route state trial-court records through county clerks. The Judicial Branch uses separate statewide searches for civil and family matters, criminal and motor-vehicle cases, housing, small claims and appeals, while Connecticut Probate Courts operate a separate estate-and-trust lookup.
A name result is only the first layer. Verify the docket number and court location, check whether the underlying document is remotely viewable, and contact the clerk at the court of record when you need the official file or a certified copy.
Which Connecticut Court Records Search Should You Use?
Connecticut has one statewide Judicial Branch, but it does not place every case into one search form. The official Case Look-up page routes visitors to the correct database.
| What you need | Official route | Useful search method |
|---|---|---|
| Civil lawsuit | Superior Court Civil / Family / Housing / Small Claims | Party name, docket number or attorney/firm information. |
| Divorce or other family case | Superior Court Civil / Family inquiry | Party name or docket number; document access is more limited than ordinary civil files. |
| Criminal or motor-vehicle case | Criminal / Motor Vehicle Case Look-up | Pending or conviction search by defendant or docket number. |
| Eviction or housing matter | Housing Case Look-up / merged civil inquiry | Party, docket number, property address or attorney/firm where supported. |
| Small claims case | Superior Court Small Claims or legacy Centralized Small Claims | The correct system depends partly on when and where the claim was filed or transferred. |
| Supreme Court or Appellate Court case | Supreme / Appellate Court Case Look-up | Use the separate statewide appellate inquiry. |
| Decedent estate or trust | Connecticut Probate Courts Case Lookup Tool | First name, last name, district, case type, status or case number. |
| Federal District of Connecticut or bankruptcy case | PACER | Do not use a Connecticut state-court portal for a federal case. |
How to Search Connecticut Court Records by Name
Use a name to discover the correct case, then switch to the docket number. The docket number is more reliable for returning to the file, contacting the clerk and separating people with similar names.
Identify the case category
Decide whether the matter is civil, family, housing, small claims, criminal, motor vehicle, appellate, probate or federal. Starting in the wrong database is one of the simplest reasons for an empty search.
Open the official search route
Use the Judicial Branch Case Look-up hub for ordinary state-court matters. Use Connecticut Probate Courts for supported estate and trust searches. Use PACER only when the paperwork identifies a federal court.
Search the name as it may have been filed
Use the legal surname and first name or the business name. If the result is empty, test reasonable spelling, former-name or middle-initial variations rather than immediately assuming that no case exists.
Use the docket number as soon as you find it
Copy the complete docket number, including letters and suffixes. Use that number for later searches and for communications with the clerk at the court location where the case is filed.
Verify the match
Compare the court location, party role, case type, filing date, scheduled activity and disposition. A same-name search result is not enough to identify a person reliably.
Check document access separately
Finding the case does not mean every document can be opened from home. Civil, housing, small-claims and family documents follow different remote-access rules.
Use the clerk for the official record
Contact the clerk at the court of record when you need a paper file, a document not displayed online, an older case, a certified copy or confirmation of information that matters legally.
Civil and Family Court Records Use the Superior Court Inquiry System
Connecticut’s Superior Court has civil, criminal, family and housing divisions. Civil matters can include contracts, personal injury, foreclosure and other lawsuits; family cases can include divorce, custody and related proceedings.
Civil cases
Use the Superior Court Civil / Family / Housing / Small Claims inquiry. A case-detail page can show parties, attorneys, motions, pleadings, court orders, notices, scheduled events and disposition information when those details are publicly displayed.
Family cases
Public family case information can be searchable, but family documents and court orders are not generally available to the public over the internet. Public access may instead require the clerk’s office or a courthouse public-access computer.
Criminal and Motor-Vehicle Searches Separate Pending Cases From Convictions
The Criminal / Motor Vehicle Case Look-up uses a different system from Connecticut’s civil inquiry. It provides separate paths for pending cases and conviction information.
Search pending cases
Use the defendant-name or docket-number search when the criminal or motor-vehicle matter has not reached final disposition.
Search convictions
The conviction search provides qualifying criminal and motor-vehicle conviction information within the Judicial Branch’s online display period.
Check the court location
Connecticut criminal matters can be associated with a Judicial District or Geographical Area location. The court location helps distinguish similar names and tells you which clerk holds the official file.
Important limits on criminal web display
- Conviction information is generally displayed for no more than 10 years after sentencing, subject to shorter applicable retention periods.
- Youthful Offender cases are not shown in the public criminal conviction display.
- Juvenile cases are not shown.
- Infractions and violation convictions are not shown in that conviction display.
- Criminal-history information can change because of erasures, corrections, pardons and other later modifications.
Housing Records Can Be Searched by More Than a Party Name
Housing matters are handled in Housing Sessions or as part of Judicial District dockets. Connecticut has merged housing case lookup into the civil/family inquiry system, while the Housing Case Look-up page remains a useful routing page.
Party name
Use the tenant, landlord, property owner or other party name when the case number is unknown.
Docket number
Use the full docket number when you already know the case. This is the more precise return route.
Property address
The housing tools include a property-address search, which can be useful when the premises is known but a party name is uncertain.
Small Claims Has a Current Search and a Legacy Centralized Search
Connecticut’s small-claims records have an important date split. The current Superior Court Small Claims Case Look-up covers cases filed on or after September 1, 2017 and older cases that were transferred to a small-claims docket in a Judicial District or Housing Session.
Older cases filed with Centralized Small Claims before September 1, 2017 that were not transferred and assigned a new Superior Court docket remain in the separate Centralized Small Claims Case Look-up.
| Small claims file | Search route | What the result can provide |
|---|---|---|
| Filed on or after September 1, 2017 | Superior Court Small Claims Case Look-up | Party/attorney data, filed motions or documents, orders, notices and disposition information when publicly available. |
| Older case transferred to a Judicial District/Housing Session small-claims docket | Superior Court Small Claims Case Look-up | Use the newer assigned docket information. |
| Pre-September 2017 Centralized Small Claims case not transferred | Centralized Small Claims Case Look-up | Party data, file activity, motions/documents and rulings listed in the legacy system. |
Connecticut Supreme and Appellate Court Records Use a Separate Lookup
An appeal has a separate appellate docket from the Superior Court file. Use Connecticut’s Supreme / Appellate Court Case Look-up when a trial-court matter has moved into the state appellate system.
Trial court file
Keep the original Superior Court docket number when you need the complaint, judgment, evidence of disposition or other trial-court material.
Appellate file
Use the appellate lookup for the appeal’s own docket, appellate activity and related Supreme or Appellate Court information.
Connecticut Probate Court Records Are a Separate System
Probate is not simply another tab inside the Judicial Branch Superior Court search. Connecticut Probate Courts maintain their own case lookup, court locator and eFiling system.
January 5, 2011 to present
The Probate Courts state that Case Lookup data is available from January 5, 2011 to the present for Decedent Estates and Trust matters. A search can return earlier cases, but the database is incomplete before that date.
Case lookup is not a public document repository
The general public does not receive unrestricted document viewing through probate eFiling. For additional case information or documents, contact the Probate Court that holds the matter.
How to search probate case data
The public tool supports case type, Probate District, open/closed status, first name, last name and case number. Clicking the district information can help identify the court responsible for the file.
Case Information and Court Documents Have Different Access Rules
A docket or case-detail page tells you that filings and orders exist. It does not mean every filing can be viewed from home.
| Record category | Public internet access | Other access route |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic civil / housing files with return date on or after January 1, 2014 | Many public electronic documents available | Judicial District courthouse public-access computers can also provide access to eligible electronic documents. |
| Older electronic civil files | More limited remote access | Additional electronic material can be available on courthouse public-access computers. |
| Family files | Documents and orders not publicly available online | Paper files can be viewed at the clerk’s office; eligible electronic family files can be viewed at courthouse public-access computers, subject to restrictions. |
| Paper documents not converted to electronic form | Not remotely viewable merely because the case is online | Use the courthouse holding the paper file. |
| Sealed or otherwise protected documents | Not public | Access depends on law, court rule or court order; do not attempt to bypass restrictions. |
Why an Older Connecticut Case May No Longer Appear Online
The Judicial Branch’s web display is not a permanent historical archive of every case. For civil, family, housing and small-claims matters, case information is generally displayed for a period ranging from one to ten years after disposition, depending on applicable court-retention rules.
Criminal conviction information is likewise time-limited. Removal from a public web lookup does not necessarily establish that the official court file was destroyed on the same date.
Web display expired
The case may have reached the end of its online-display period even though you previously found it on the Judicial Branch website.
Paper or older electronic file
The case may exist at the court of record or within the Judicial Branch’s retained-record system without having the same public remote access as a newer case.
Protected case category
The absence may result from confidentiality, erasure, sealing, Youthful Offender or juvenile rules rather than ordinary record age.
Recovery sequence for an old or missing case
- Confirm that the case is Connecticut state court rather than federal or Probate Court.
- Search the correct case category instead of only the broadest portal.
- Try the known docket number before relying on a party-name search.
- Confirm the Judicial District, Geographical Area or other filing location.
- Check whether the case has reached the end of its public online-display period.
- For an eviction matter, remember the special 30-day web-removal rule that can apply after final activity.
- For criminal records, consider erasure, pardon and online-display limits.
- For old small claims, check the Centralized Small Claims route.
- For probate, check the relevant Probate Court directly when the public database is incomplete.
- Contact the clerk at the court of record and provide the names, approximate year and docket number if known.
Plain, Certified and Exemplified Connecticut Court Copies
A public web page is not a certified court record. When a legal, administrative or institutional purpose requires authentication, order the document from the clerk at the court location that maintains the official file.
| Service | 2026 Judicial Branch directory listing | Practical distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary copy | $1 per page | Useful when authentication is not required. |
| Certification under seal | $2 | Certification can be added when a formally certified copy is required. |
| Exemplified copy | $20 | A more formal authentication used only when the recipient specifically requires it. |
| Certified judgment file | $25 | The published amount includes certification/copying for the judgment-file service. |
| Non-certified judgment file | $15 | Use when the recipient does not require a certified judgment file. |
Read Connecticut Online Court Information Carefully
The Connecticut Judicial Branch explicitly states that its case look-up pages are a public service and are not the official record of the court. Important information should be verified against the official material filed at the court of record.
Read the disposition and later case activity before describing the outcome.
A civil filing records a party’s claims; it does not by itself establish liability.
Verify court location, docket number, party role, filing date and other available details.
Some listed filings may not have public internet document links.
Display limits, record age, confidentiality, probate separation and legacy systems can all affect search results.
Certification comes from the clerk or court responsible for the official file.
For unfamiliar docket terms, use the site’s Court Records Glossary. For a broader search workflow, use Court Records Search by Name & Case Number.
Connecticut Federal Court Records Are Not in the State Case Lookup
Federal civil, criminal, bankruptcy and federal appellate matters are separate from Connecticut’s state Judicial Branch systems. Use PACER when the paperwork identifies the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, U.S. Bankruptcy Court or a federal appellate court.
Connecticut state case
Use Judicial Branch Case Look-up, the separate appellate lookup or Connecticut Probate Courts depending on the record type.
Federal case
Use PACER or the specific federal court’s CM/ECF system. A state docket number will not become a federal case number merely because the dispute is located in Connecticut.
Use the site’s PACER Court Records guide for federal case searching, fees, documents and archived files.
Connecticut Court Records FAQs
What is the official Connecticut court-record search?
The Connecticut Judicial Branch Case Look-up page is the official gateway for Supreme and Appellate, civil, family, criminal, motor-vehicle, housing and small-claims case information. Probate estates and trusts use the separate Connecticut Probate Courts Case Lookup Tool.
Can I search Connecticut court records by name?
Yes. Several Judicial Branch systems support party-name or defendant-name searching. The Probate Courts Case Lookup Tool also supports first-name and last-name searches for the estate and trust matters covered by that system.
Are Connecticut online case results the official court record?
No. The Judicial Branch states that the case look-up pages are a public service and are not the official record of the court. Verify consequential information with the clerk at the court of record.
Why did an older Connecticut case disappear from online search?
Online display periods are limited. Civil, family, housing and small-claims case information is generally shown for one to ten years after disposition depending on the applicable retention rule, and certain eviction cases are removed sooner.
How long are Connecticut criminal convictions shown online?
The Judicial Branch states that conviction information is generally shown for no more than 10 years after sentencing, subject to shorter applicable Practice Book periods. Erasures, pardons and corrections can also change what is displayed.
Can I view Connecticut family court documents online?
Public family documents and court orders are not generally available over the public internet. Paper files can be viewed at the clerk’s office when public, while qualifying electronic family files can be viewed on courthouse public-access computers, subject to confidentiality restrictions.
Where do I search an older Connecticut small claims case?
Small claims cases filed on or after September 1, 2017 and transferred older cases use the Superior Court Small Claims Case Look-up. Older Centralized Small Claims cases that were not transferred use the separate legacy Centralized Small Claims Case Look-up.
How far back does the Connecticut Probate Courts Case Lookup Tool go?
The Probate Courts state that reliable case data is available from January 5, 2011 to the present for decedent-estate and trust matters. Searches may return earlier cases, but the database is incomplete before that date.
How much does a Connecticut Superior Court copy cost?
The 2026 Judicial Branch directory lists ordinary copies at $1 per page, certification under seal at $2, exemplified copies at $20, a certified judgment file at $25 and a non-certified judgment file at $15. Confirm the current total with the record-holding clerk.
Does Connecticut Judicial Branch Case Look-up include federal cases?
No. Federal District of Connecticut, bankruptcy and federal appellate cases use PACER and federal court systems rather than Connecticut’s state Judicial Branch case lookups.
Official Sources Checked for This Connecticut Guide
Research prioritized the Judicial Branch, Connecticut Probate Courts, Connecticut statutory material and official state guidance that control case searching, online display, document access and copy fees.
- Connecticut Judicial Branch — Case Look-up
- Superior Court Civil / Family / Housing / Small Claims Case Look-up
- Criminal / Motor Vehicle Case Look-up
- Housing Case Look-up
- Connecticut Small Claims Case Look-up
- Supreme / Appellate Court Case Look-up
- Connecticut Court Location Directory
- Connecticut Probate Courts Case Lookup Tool
- Connecticut Probate Courts — Viewing Case Documents
- Connecticut Probate Court Locator
- Connecticut Judicial Branch E-Services
- Connecticut — Accessing Criminal Records
Connecticut case-search routing, Superior Court structure, online display periods, criminal-search limits, housing and small-claims routing, public document-access rules, Probate Court lookup coverage and Superior Court copy-fee entries were reviewed against current official or current-published government sources.
Court systems, display periods, fees and electronic-access rules can change. The Connecticut Judicial Branch, Probate Court or record-holding clerk controls when current official instructions differ from this guide.