Court portals, case search URLs, certified copy fees, and expungement laws — all 50 states + DC
Eviction court records are presumptively public under state public-records (sunshine) laws in all 50 states and DC. However, the ease of access varies widely: 23 states have statewide online case search portals you can use right now, while many others require county-level web searches or in-person requests at the courthouse. Additionally, 9 states have enacted laws allowing eviction records to be sealed or expunged in certain circumstances — landlords must be careful about adverse screening decisions based on sealed records.
| State | Court That Handles Evictions | Online Access | Portal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | District Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Alaska | District Court or Superior Court | Statewide | CourtView Public Access | Details → |
| Arizona | Justice Court (< $10K) or Superior Court | Statewide | AZ Public Access | Details → |
| Arkansas | District Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| California | Superior Court (Unlawful Detainer) | County-level Expungement | County court clerk | Details → |
| Colorado | County Court | Statewide | Colorado Integrated Courts e-Filing (ICCES) | Details → |
| Connecticut | Housing Court (major cities) or Superior Court | Statewide | CT Judicial Branch Case Look-Up | Details → |
| Delaware | Justice of the Peace Court | Limited | County court clerk | Details → |
| District of Columbia | Landlord-Tenant Court (DC Superior Court) | Statewide Expungement | DC Courts Case Search | Details → |
| Florida | County Court | Statewide | Florida Courts eFiling Portal / County Clerk Search | Details → |
| Georgia | Magistrate Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Hawaii | District Court | Statewide | Hawaii eCourt Kokua | Details → |
| Idaho | Magistrate Court | Statewide | Idaho iCourt Portal | Details → |
| Illinois | Circuit Court (Eviction / Forcible Entry and Detainer) | County-level Expungement | County court clerk | Details → |
| Indiana | Superior Court or Circuit Court (Small Claims Division for evictions under $8,000) | Statewide | Indiana courts.in.gov / mycase.in.gov | Details → |
| Iowa | District Court (Small Claims or Law Division) | Statewide | Iowa Courts Online | Details → |
| Kansas | District Court (Magistrate Division) | Statewide | Kansas Courts eCourt | Details → |
| Kentucky | District Court | Statewide | Kentucky eCourts | Details → |
| Louisiana | Justice of the Peace Court (rural) / City Court or Parish Civil District Court (urban) | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Maine | District Court | Limited | Maine Judicial Branch Case Management (limited) | Details → |
| Maryland | District Court | Statewide Expungement | Maryland Judiciary Case Search | Details → |
| Massachusetts | Housing Court (7 divisions) or District Court | Limited Expungement | Massachusetts eCourt Portal (limited) | Details → |
| Michigan | District Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Minnesota | District Court | Statewide Expungement | Minnesota Courts Public Access (MNCIS) | Details → |
| Mississippi | Justice Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Missouri | Circuit Court (Associate Division) | Statewide | Missouri Case.Net | Details → |
| Montana | Justice Court or District Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Nebraska | County Court | Limited | Nebraska JUSTICE (limited public access) | Details → |
| Nevada | Justice Court or District Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| New Hampshire | Circuit Court (District Division) | Limited | New Hampshire eCase | Details → |
| New Jersey | Special Civil Part of Superior Court | Statewide Expungement | NJ Courts eCourts | Details → |
| New Mexico | Magistrate Court or District Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| New York | Housing Court (NYC) / Town, Village, or City Court (upstate) / County Court | County-level | NY eCourts | Details → |
| North Carolina | Magistrate Court (Summary Ejectment) / District Court on appeal | Statewide | NC eCourts | Details → |
| North Dakota | District Court | Limited | North Dakota Court Records | Details → |
| Ohio | Municipal Court or County Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Oklahoma | District Court (Small Claims Division) | Statewide | Oklahoma OSCN | Details → |
| Oregon | Circuit Court (FED — Forcible Entry and Detainer) | Statewide Expungement | Oregon eCourt Case Information | Details → |
| Pennsylvania | Magisterial District Court (MDJ) | Statewide | PA Unified Judicial System Portal | Details → |
| Rhode Island | District Court | Limited | Rhode Island Judiciary Case Search | Details → |
| South Carolina | Magistrate Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| South Dakota | Magistrate Court or Circuit Court | Limited | County court clerk | Details → |
| Tennessee | General Sessions Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Texas | Justice of the Peace Court; County Court at Law on appeal | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Utah | Justice Court (< $11,000) or District Court | Statewide | Utah Courts xChange | Details → |
| Vermont | Superior Court (Civil Division) or Judicial Bureau | Limited | County court clerk | Details → |
| Virginia | General District Court | Statewide | Virginia Courts Case Information | Details → |
| Washington | District Court or Superior Court | County-level Expungement | County court clerk | Details → |
| West Virginia | Magistrate Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
| Wisconsin | Circuit Court (Small Claims) | Statewide | Wisconsin CCAP | Details → |
| Wyoming | Circuit Court | County-level | County court clerk | Details → |
Searching public eviction court records is a standard part of tenant screening. Landlords look up whether a prospective tenant has prior eviction judgments, and may also search to understand eviction trends in a market. Eviction records are civil court filings — not criminal records — and are maintained by the state or county court clerk's office.
Important caveats: (1) A filed eviction case does not mean the tenant was found liable — many cases are dismissed or settled. Make screening decisions on the final disposition, not the filing alone. (2) Several states now restrict adverse screening based on eviction records older than 3–5 years, dismissed cases, or sealed/expunged records. (3) Commercial tenant-screening bureaus aggregate court data, but may have outdated or incomplete records — always verify against the primary court source before making an adverse action.
Court portal URLs from each state's official court administrative office website. Expungement laws from published state statutes; see individual state pages for citations. Last updated April 30, 2026. For informational purposes only — not legal advice.
