Connecticut Court Records

Connecticut abolished county government in 1960 and runs a single statewide trial court, the Superior Court. That makes its records unusually easy to search: one free case look-up covers civil, family, criminal, housing and small claims cases across the state.

Probate courts are the exception. They form a separate system of regional courts with their own records.

How Connecticut's courts are organized

Connecticut's Judicial Branch has three levels, plus a separate probate court system.

Searching Connecticut court records online

The Judicial Branch website has free search tools for nearly every type of Superior Court case.

• Judicial Branch case look-upFree search of civil, family, housing, small claims, criminal and motor vehicle cases. Pending criminal cases are searchable, and convictions remain searchable for a limited time.
• Appellate case look-upDocket information for Supreme Court and Appellate Court cases.
• Connecticut Judicial BranchOpinions, court locations, forms and rules.

Getting records from the clerk's office

Copies of Superior Court files come from the clerk's office at the courthouse where the case was heard. Many civil and family documents filed electronically can be viewed online; older files and criminal files require a request to the clerk. Clerks charge a set fee per page for copies and for certification.

For estates, trusts, guardianships and adoptions, contact the probate court for the town where the person lived.

• Connecticut Probate CourtsFind the right probate court and request records.

What is public, and what is not

Connecticut court records are presumed public under the Practice Book, but juvenile, adoption, psychiatric and some family records are confidential. In family cases, financial affidavits are generally public but children's information is protected. Sealing a civil record requires a court order after notice to the public.

Connecticut's erasure law removes records of charges that were dismissed, nolled for 13 months or ended in a not guilty verdict. Under the state's Clean Slate law, many older misdemeanor and some lower-level felony convictions are now erased automatically after a waiting period, and the case look-up will no longer show them.

• Connecticut Clean SlateHow automatic erasure works and who is eligible.

Older and archived records

Closed Superior Court files are held for set periods and then destroyed or sent to the state archives. Historical records of the county courts, Superior Court and early probate districts are held by the Connecticut State Library.

• Connecticut State Library: State ArchivesHolds historical court records, including colonial and county court files.

Criminal history and background records

A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.

The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection keeps Connecticut's criminal history repository. Anyone can request a name-based conviction record for a fee.

• DESPP criminal history record checksHow to request a Connecticut criminal history check.
• Department of Emergency Services and Public ProtectionThe state police agency that runs Connecticut's public sex offender registry.
• Department of Correction inmate searchFind people in Connecticut correctional custody.

Federal court records in Connecticut

Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in Connecticut's state courts. Connecticut is a single federal judicial district, and each has its own clerk's office:

• District of Connecticut

Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from Connecticut's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Tips for a faster search

• Superior Court docket numbers start with a code for the judicial district or geographical area, followed by a case type such as CV (civil) or FA (family).
• If a conviction no longer appears in the case look-up, it may have been erased or aged off the search. Ask the clerk.
• There are no county clerks in Connecticut. Land records are kept by each town clerk.
• Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
• Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.

Legal help and law libraries

Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:

• Connecticut Judicial Branch Law LibrariesPublic law libraries in courthouses around the state.
• CTLawHelp.orgFree legal information and links to legal aid.
• Court Service CentersIn-person help with court forms and procedures.

This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.