Search federal dockets and filings

Search federal court dockets or retrieve a specific docket with optional filing entries. Use legal.listCourts() to resolve court slugs for filtering.

POST /legal/v1/docket

Search federal dockets and filings

cURL

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.case.dev/legal/v1/docket \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '
{
  "type": "search",
  "query": "<string>",
  "court": "<string>",
  "dateFiledAfter": "2023-12-25",
  "dateFiledBefore": "2023-12-25",
  "docketId": "<string>",
  "includeEntries": false,
  "live": false,
  "acknowledgePacerFees": false,
  "limit": 25,
  "offset": 0
}
'

200

{
  "type": "search",
  "query": "<string>",
  "court": "<string>",
  "dateFiledAfter": "2023-12-25",
  "dateFiledBefore": "2023-12-25",
  "found": 123,
  "dockets": [
    {
      "id": "<string>",
      "caseName": "<string>",
      "docketNumber": "<string>",
      "court": "<string>",
      "courtId": "<string>",
      "dateFiled": "2023-12-25",
      "dateTerminated": "2023-12-25",
      "cause": "<string>",
      "natureOfSuit": "<string>",
      "parties": [
        "<string>"
      ],
      "assignedTo": "<string>",
      "url": "<string>",
      "pacerCaseId": "<string>"
    }
  ],
  "includeEntries": true,
  "docket": {
    "id": "<string>",
    "caseName": "<string>",
    "docketNumber": "<string>",
    "court": "<string>",
    "courtId": "<string>",
    "dateFiled": "2023-12-25",
    "dateTerminated": "2023-12-25",
    "cause": "<string>",
    "natureOfSuit": "<string>",
    "parties": [
      "<string>"
    ],
    "assignedTo": "<string>",
    "url": "<string>",
    "pacerCaseId": "<string>"
  },
  "entries": [
    {
      "entryNumber": 123,
      "date": "2023-12-25",
      "description": "<string>",
      "documents": [
        {
          "id": "<string>",
          "documentNumber": "<string>",
          "attachmentNumber": 123,
          "description": "<string>",
          "pdfUrl": "<string>",
          "pageCount": 123,
          "isAvailable": true
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "limit": 123,
    "offset": 123,
    "returned": 123
  },
  "live": true,
  "pacerFees": {
    "serviceFee": 123,
    "maxPacerCost": 123,
    "currency": "USD",
    "fetchDurationMs": 123
  }
}

Authorizations

Authorization · string · header · required

API key starting with sk_case_

Body

application/json

Docket query parameters

type · enum<string> · required

Search dockets or look up a docket by ID

Available options: search, lookup

query · string

Case name or party name search query (required for search)

Required string length: 2 - 500

court · string

Optional court slug for filtering (e.g. "nysd", "ca9", "cafc"). Use legal.listCourts() to find slugs.

dateFiledAfter · string<date>

Optional lower bound for filing date (YYYY-MM-DD)

dateFiledBefore · string<date>

Optional upper bound for filing date (YYYY-MM-DD)

docketId · string

Docket ID (required for lookup)

includeEntries · boolean · default: false

Include docket entries/filings in lookup responses. Coming soon — currently returns 501. The parameter is accepted for forward compatibility.

live · boolean · default: false

Trigger a live PACER fetch for dockets not yet in the RECAP archive. Requires acknowledgePacerFees: true. PACER charges up to $3.00 per docket sheet plus a $0.05 service fee. Only valid with type: "lookup".

acknowledgePacerFees · boolean · default: false

Required when live: true. Acknowledges that PACER fees (up to $3.00 per docket) plus a $0.05 service fee will be charged to your account.

limit · integer · default: 25

Page size for search results or entry list (default 25 for search, 50 for lookup)

Required range: 1 <= x <= 100

offset · integer · default: 0

Offset for search results or entry list

Required range: x >= 0

Response

200

application/json

Docket query completed successfully

type · enum<string>

Available options: search, lookup

query · string | null

Echo of search query (search mode only)

court · string | null

Echo of court filter (search mode only)

dateFiledAfter · string<date> | null

Echo of date filter

dateFiledBefore · string<date> | null

Echo of date filter

found · integer

dockets · DocketSearchResult · object[]

Search results (search mode)

Show child attributes

includeEntries · boolean

Whether entries were requested (lookup mode only)

docket · DocketDetail · object

Full docket record (lookup mode)

Show child attributes

entries · object[] | null

Docket entries/filings (lookup mode with includeEntries)

Show child attributes

pagination · object

Pagination info for entry list (lookup mode with includeEntries)

Show child attributes

live · boolean

Whether this was a live PACER fetch (lookup mode only)

pacerFees · object

PACER fee information (present when live: true)

Show child attributes