Public access to the Southern District of New York’s case information is provided through a service of the United States Judiciary called PACER. PACER is an acronym for Public Access to Court Electronic Records and, it permits account holders to view documents that have been filed within the Court’s Electronic Case Filing (ECF) System. It also permits the public to query this database for a particular individual, case name, and other case information.
Anyone who has a computer and internet access may use the PACER service. To obtain a PACER account and password, register online at the PACER Service Center. However, to file case documents electronically with the Southern District, attorneys must register for a ECF account and login to the Southern District’s ECF system.
Some types of cases are not included in the ECF system and, therefore; will not be accessible through PACER. For a detail listing of the types of cases not included in ECF, please view the ECF Rules & Filing Instructions.
PACER provides access to the case summary, docket entries, and copies of documents filed in federal cases. If a paper document is needed, or if a case cannot be located when searching by case number, party name, or using the U.S. Party Case Index (USPCI ) then contact the Court to request a court record.