Utah Court Docket Search
The Utah Government Records and Access Management Act allows all members of the public to request, view and copy court dockets and other Utah court record information. Dockets in Utah are records of all documents filed in a court proceeding. Dockets are a tool of accountability, fairness, and justice in the court system as they contain all details of court proceedings and are open to public scrutiny.
A Utah court docket search furnishes the researcher with information about the parties involved in the case, the type of the case, trial dates, the case status, judgments, appeals, motions, and other court documents maintained by the Utah State Court System. Utah Dockets are recorded, maintained, and transferred by the Court Clerk at different court levels and jurisdictions.
What is a Court Docket in Utah?
A court docket is a legal document containing a chronological record of events related to a case and documents filed by the courts, parties, and enforcement agencies. It is a formal record used by the court clerk to keep a summary of court proceedings, including pleading, motions, judgments, and future court dates. Utah court dockets help identify the case history, court filings, and future hearings. They generally include information such as the names of the parties, attorneys, the name of the competent court of jurisdiction, docket number, and other relevant information. The court clerk assigns a unique docket number to all cases filed in Utah. Researchers and other interested persons can use these docket numbers to conduct a court docket search in the state. Additionally, the court clerk is responsible for filing, maintaining, and transferring court records, dockets, and other case information.
Are Court Dockets Public Records in Utah?
Utah Court dockets are generally considered public records. By virtue of the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), government records are open for inspection and copying to members of the public. While court dockets may be publically available, there is a requirement to be met or procedures to be followed before an individual can access or request public records. Procedures for requesting records may vary depending on the institution or means of request(online, in person, or via mail). It is equally important to note that public access is not absolute. Some court records, by their nature, are deemed confidential and private and, as such, are exempt from public disclosure. Some examples of private court records in Utah are juvenile, medical, adoption, child custody, divorce, and financial records. Although, certain categories of persons, especially those with a legitimate interest in a case, might be granted access to private records. This includes parents and guardians, parties involved in the case, attorneys or other legal representatives, and physicians.
What Do Court Dockets Contain in Utah?
Court dockets generally contain the history of cases, filings, and court proceedings in brief entries, documented in the order in which they occurred. Documents and information that can be found in a docket include:
- Docket Number
- An official summary of court proceedings
- The names of the parties, their legal representatives, and the judge
- The date of filing
- Court Schedule
- The name of the court hearing the case
- The type of the case
- Deadlines and procedural rules
A docket number is a unique tracking number assigned to every case in the U.S. It is made up of a letter or number to represent the court, a two-digit number to signify the year, CV or CR to state if it is a civil or criminal case respectively, a four or five-digit case number, and the judge’s initials in parentheses.
Court dockets contain the full name of the plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys. These include the attorney’s firm address, contact information, and the name of the presiding judge. It also includes the dates of filings, motions, and pleadings, as well as incoming trial dates.
Likewise, a court schedule is a document that lists the court activities, time, date, and location of trials. Court dockets also indicate whether or not the case is a criminal or civil case and the relevant deadlines and procedural rules to be adopted in the case.
Where to Find a Court Docket in Utah
In Utah, court dockets are recorded and maintained by court clerks in the courthouses where the trials were held. To find court records in Utah, researchers need to find out the courthouse and type of court that keeps the records they seek. Requesters may visit the courts in person, send mail requests, fax, or call the clerk's office to inquire about case information or court dockets. They can also opt for a more convenient option: conducting an online search via state or third-party case search applications. The Utah Courts have a court case management system called XChange that provides residents with public access to court records and dockets. Researchers can use this service at district courthouses or subscribe to the service for a fee. Interestingly, some courthouses allow members of the public to search court dockets on XChange for free.
How to Conduct a Court Docket Search in Utah
Most court dockets maintained in judicial, district, and appellate court documents are open to the public for copying and inspection. Dockets from courthouses across the state, including the Utah State Supreme Court, are kept in Utah State Archives. This archive also has a database for lesser courts like the municipal and probate courts. Individuals searching for Utah court dockets may begin their search at the clerk’s office at the Court of Appeals, District Courts, Probate Courts, and so on. Researchers may need the following data to find the information they seek:
- Name of the Parties
- Name of the Attorney
- Case Type
- Docket Number
- Court Jurisdiction
- Type of Court Record
Researchers can also find court dockets through the Utah case management feature, XChange. Although it requires a paid subscription, the State’s District and Justice Courts allow in-person researchers to use the terminal for free. XChange only gives individuals access to public records uploaded to its Courts Information System (CORIS) by the court clerks. Here is a quick guide to using this service:
- Visit the XChange Case management site
- Select ‘Search Court Records
- Select the relevant type of court
- Enter the scope of the search (state or county wide)
- Input search criteria - party name, business name, docket number, date, or attorney name
- Then search
In line with the provisions of the law, XChange does not publish or reveal private, sealed, or confidential court dockets and case information. Nonetheless, an XChange search result will display information like:
- Court Address
- Case Status
- Judgments
- Court Location
- Case Type
- Filing Date
- Full names of plaintiffs and defendants
- Party Code
- Case History
How to Find Appellate Court Dockets
Interested individuals who need appellate court dockets can either visit the appellate court clerk's office or conduct an Appellate Docket Online Search. The search criteria for the online search is the eight-digit case docket number. The Appellate Docket Search repository has cases spanning over three decades. For in-person requests, visit or contact the Appellate Clerk at:
Utah State Appellate Clerk's Office
450 South State Street, 5th Floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Phone: (801) 578-3900
Researchers may also find Supreme Court dockets from 1865 to date on the online archives of the Utah State Law Library, Utah State Archives, Brigham Young University law library, and the University of Utah law library.
How to Find Court Dockets by Name
Interested individuals can conduct a name-based search on the Utah Courts website or other online third-party sites. Many third-party sites offer simpler and cheaper or even cost-free search alternatives. In order to find these records, the searcher must provide the name of persons in the record, business names, name of the court, or last known address.
What is a Court Docket Number in Utah?
In Utah, a docket number is a unique case or tracking number assigned to every case in the state. It consists of a two or four-digit number indicating the year the case was filed, two letters or numbers to indicate the type of court, CV/cv or CR/cr to state if it is a civil or criminal case, respectively, a three to five-digit case number, and a sequence code. Docket numbers help track trial progress and search for case information and court records.
How to Conduct a Court Docket Number Lookup in Utah
To find a court docket number in Utah, researchers must
- Figure out the court jurisdiction where the case was filed. This may be the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District or Probate Court.
- Visit the State Court’s website. Utah state courts have online search access to public records.
- Search for the case information using the name of the parties, attorneys name, name of the court, date the case was filed or other relevant search criteria.
- Analyse and view the docket number and other case information in the search result
If an online search does not provide satisfactory results, the researcher may contact the court clerk or visit the Clerk’s Office at:
Utah State Appellate Clerk's Office
450 South State Street, 5th Floor
Salt Lake City, Utah
Phone: (801) 578-3900
Utah Supreme Court
P.O. Box 140210
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-0210
supremecourt@utcourts.gov
Utah Court of Appeals
P.O. Box 140230
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-0230
courtofappeals@utcourts.gov
Fax: (801) 578-3999
