You are here

How do I start viewing dockets and court documents with PACER?

PACER stands for “Public Access to Court Electronic Records.”  It is a service of the United States Courts.  See www.pacer.uscourts.gov.

1.  PACER users can:

•     Review dockets online.
•     Print or download a .pdf copy of a docket.
•     Search by case number, party name, or for all cases filed within a specified range of dates.
•     Search for specified parties in federal court cases nationwide.

2.  To view documents and obtain docket information, visit the PACER system at www.pacer.uscourts.gov.  If you do not have a computer, you can use the public computers in the clerk’s office in the Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, or Missoula courthouses to obtain docket information.

3.  PACER Fees:

  • There are no registration costs.

  • Internet access to PACER is billed at .10 cents per page of information.

  • You will be billed quarterly by the PACER Service Center.

  • The charge for any single document is capped at $3.00, the equivalent of 30 pages.  The cap does not apply to name searches, reports that are not case-specific, and transcripts of federal court proceedings.

  • If your usage does not exceed $15.00 in a quarter, fees for that quarter are waived.  If your usage exceeds $15.00, you will be charged the full amount of the fees.

  • An order designated as a written opinion by the judge is free to view.

  • If you also register to receive electronic notice of court filings in your case, each time a document is efiled in your case, you will receive a “Notice of Electronic Filing” email, which will allow you to view the document for free one time.  This “free look” is only for the first time you open the document.  Be cautious: you will be charged for subsequent viewings of the document.  You should therefore print or save an electronic copy of the document during your initial viewing.

  • The PACER fee information provided above changes frequently.  Refer to PACER’s FAQ on fees for the most current information.

4.  You must register to become a PACER user before you can use any version of the PACER system.  Register online at www.pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account, or call (800) 676-6856 to obtain a PACER registration form by mail.  If you provide your credit card information at the time of registration, you will receive an email with instructions on how to retrieve your login information.  If you do not provide your credit card information at the time of registration, you will receive login instructions by mail.  Please allow two weeks for delivery.

5.  Information available through PACER: 

PACER contains docket information for the District of Montana for:

  • All civil and miscellaneous cases filed since August 1990;

  • All criminal cases filed since August 1991; and

  • A small number of cases filed before August 1990.

Once case information has been updated in the district’s electronic case filing system, it is immediately available on PACER.

6.  PACER Support:

If you have problems with your PACER account, please call the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856.  The court can help you with ECF questions, but cannot help with problems with your PACER account.