Connecticut’s free CT Judicial case lookup lives at jud.ct.gov under the Case Look-up tab. No account, no fee. You can search Superior Court civil, family, housing, criminal, motor vehicle, and small claims cases by party name, docket number, or attorney, and appellate matters through a separate portal. Some records, including juvenile files and erased criminal cases, are blocked from public view by state law and simply won’t appear.
What You Can Search
The Case Look-up page splits records into a few categories, and you pick one before you search:
- Civil, family, and housing cases, covering lawsuits between private parties, divorces, custody, foreclosures, and landlord-tenant actions. Some family details are restricted.
- Criminal and motor vehicle cases, from traffic infractions up through felony prosecutions.
- Small claims, for money disputes up to $5,000, or $15,000 for home improvement contract claims.1State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. Small Claims Frequently Asked Questions
- Supreme and Appellate Court matters, searched through a separate portal at appellateinquiry.jud.ct.gov.2Connecticut Judicial Branch. Case Look-up
Probate matters are not in this system. Connecticut’s Probate Courts run their own e-filing platform at ctprobate.gov, and there is no general public look-up for probate records; only interested parties and attorneys of record can view case documents electronically.3Connecticut Probate Courts. Viewing Case Documents
How to Run a Search
Go to jud.ct.gov and click Case Look-up.2Connecticut Judicial Branch. Case Look-up Pick the category that fits, then use the search fields on that page.
If you have the docket number, enter it and you’ll go straight to the case file. Otherwise, search by a person’s last name (adding a first initial cuts the list down), a business name, or an attorney’s name. Knowing the judicial district or geographic area where the case was filed helps too, since Connecticut splits its courts across multiple districts.
Searching by Attorney
Every Connecticut-admitted attorney has a Juris Number. Through the Attorney/Firm Look-up on the Judicial Branch site, you can search by that number, by last name, or by firm name to see licensing status, disciplinary history, and firm affiliation.4Connecticut Judicial Branch. Attorney Firm Look-up For an attorney admitted temporarily for a single case (pro hac vice), enter “PHV” followed by a space and the last name.
What the Results Show
A search returns a list of matches with docket numbers, party names, and filing dates. Click the docket number to open the full case detail page, which lays out the chronology: motions filed, orders issued, and hearings held. A Court Dates link inside the case record shows upcoming appearances, so you can check the next scheduled event without calling the clerk.
Records You Won’t Find
Several categories of cases are kept out of the public portal by law.
Juvenile records are confidential. Access is limited to the court and authorized agencies, and outside parties can see them only by court order.5Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-124 – Confidentiality of Records of Juvenile Matters
Youthful offender records are also closed to public inspection. They are automatically erased when the person turns 21, as long as no felony conviction has intervened, and once erased the person is legally treated as never having been arrested for those proceedings.6Justia. Connecticut Code 54-76o – Erasure of Police and Court Records
Judges can also seal individual documents or entire case files. Sealing requires a finding that it’s necessary to protect an interest overriding the public’s right of access, and the order must be no broader than needed. The parties’ agreement alone isn’t enough.
Erased criminal cases don’t show up either. Charges ending in acquittal, dismissal, or a nolle are erased automatically (13 months after a nolle; on final judgment for a dismissal or not-guilty verdict).7Justia. Connecticut Code 54-142a – Erasure of Criminal Records Under the Clean Slate Act (Public Act 21-32), certain misdemeanor convictions erase automatically after seven years, and some lower-level felony convictions after ten, for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2000.8Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act 21-32 Court clerks and law enforcement are barred from disclosing erased records to anyone other than the subject, so if you’re searching for a case that has been erased, you won’t see it in the look-up at all.
Getting Official Copies
The online tool lets you view case information, but it does not produce official copies. Connecticut courts charge $1.00 per page for copies of court records, with a flat fee for certified copies of judgment files and per-page charges for other documents.9State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. FAQs About Court Records Request copies from the clerk’s office at the courthouse where the case was filed.