A DC Superior Court case search runs through one of two free online portals: Odyssey for Civil Division matters and eAccess for criminal and Domestic Violence Division matters. Both are open to the public without registration, and you can search by case number or by party name. The catch is that each portal only shows the cases assigned to it, so choosing the wrong one returns nothing even when the case exists.1District of Columbia Courts. Superior Court Case Search
Which Portal Covers Your Case
The Odyssey Portal handles civil actions, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, probate, and civil tax cases. The eAccess system, at eaccess.dccourts.gov, covers criminal cases, criminal tax matters, and Domestic Violence Division cases.2District of Columbia Courts. Welcome Page – District of Columbia Superior Court eAccess The DC Courts case search page at dccourts.gov links to both.1District of Columbia Courts. Superior Court Case Search
If you aren’t sure which division heard the case, the case type abbreviation on your paperwork usually tells you. When you have no paperwork at all, just try both portals.
Searching by Case Number
A case number search is the fastest way in, but the format is unforgiving. Enter the four-digit year, a space, the case type abbreviation, another space, and a six-digit case number padded with leading zeros. An abbreviated number like 17ADM1 becomes 2017 ADM 000001.2District of Columbia Courts. Welcome Page – District of Columbia Superior Court eAccess Drop a leading zero or a space and the search returns nothing, which is why many people wrongly conclude their case isn’t in the system.
Common abbreviations include CMD for criminal misdemeanors, CF for criminal felonies, CA for civil actions, LT for landlord-tenant, and SC for small claims.
Searching by Party Name
Without a case number, search by party name. Use a first and last name for individuals or the full business name for a company. Name searches can return a lot of hits, with a display cap of roughly 1,000 matches, so the date-range filter is worth using to narrow the field to cases filed between specific dates.1District of Columbia Courts. Superior Court Case Search
Two extra fields are restricted by case type. Date of birth only works for criminal searches; enter it on a civil or probate search and the system returns zero results instead of ignoring the field. Date of death is available only for probate searches.2District of Columbia Courts. Welcome Page – District of Columbia Superior Court eAccess
What the Online Docket Shows
Both portals give you the case docket: a chronological log of filings, hearings, and court actions. You can see whether the case is open, closed, or pending, the parties, the assigned judge, and upcoming hearing dates. Some case types also include scanned images of motions and orders.
The docket is a reference tool. It is not a substitute for a certified copy in legal proceedings. If you need a document with the court’s official seal, you have to request it through the Clerk’s Office and pay a fee.
Records You Won’t Find Online
Several categories of records are closed by law and will never appear in a search. Juvenile case records are confidential under DC law and cannot be inspected by unauthorized persons.3D.C. Law Library. DC Code 16-2331 – Juvenile Case Records; Confidentiality; Inspection and Disclosure Adoption records are sealed from the moment the petition is filed, and even the parties themselves need a court order to view them.4D.C. Law Library. DC Code 16-311 – Sealing and Inspection of Records and Papers Mental health commitment proceedings are also restricted.
Individual cases can also be sealed or expunged by court order, including under DC’s Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022, which broadened the categories of criminal records that qualify to be cleared.5Government of the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Fiscal Impact Statement – Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022 Sealed records still exist but are hidden from public view; expunged records are removed from the court’s public and criminal history databases. Either way, a search returns nothing and gives no indication that a record ever existed.
Sensitive identifiers are also kept off public dockets in cases that are otherwise fully accessible. Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and similar data are filed on separate non-public forms, mirroring the federal standard under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 – Privacy Protection For Filings Made with the Court
Getting Records From the Clerk’s Office
For records not available online, or for certified copies, contact the Clerk of the Superior Court at the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the general number is 202-879-1010. For help with eAccess itself, call 202-879-1700.7District of Columbia Courts. Superior Court – District of Columbia Courts2District of Columbia Courts. Welcome Page – District of Columbia Superior Court eAccess
Bring the case number if you have it. Without one, the clerk has to run a manual search, which takes longer and costs more. The fee schedule includes photocopies at $0.50 per page, certified or true seal copies at $5.00 per document, and record searches at $10.00 per name.8District of Columbia Courts. Family Filing Fees
Older files may be stored off-site. When that happens, the clerk orders the file delivered, which can take several business days, so plan ahead for cases more than a few years old.
Common Mistakes
Searching the wrong portal is the top reason a case appears to be missing. A criminal case searched on Odyssey, or a landlord-tenant case searched on eAccess, will not show up. Try both if you’re unsure.
Case number formatting is the second trap. The system does not match partial numbers or numbers without leading zeros, so 2024 CMD 1234 fails where 2024 CMD 001234 succeeds.
Finally, don’t confuse the DC Superior Court with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They are separate courts with separate records systems. The Superior Court handles local matters — criminal charges under DC law, landlord-tenant disputes, family cases, probate. The federal district court handles federal criminal prosecutions, federal civil suits, and constitutional challenges. For a local DC case, the Superior Court portals are the right place to look.