Federal Court Case Search, PACER Dockets and Inmate Lookup
A federal arrest rarely appears in one simple public database. This guide helps you identify the correct district court, search PACER, check BOP custody, trace a recent U.S. Marshals detainee, request your own FBI history and find the right legal or victim-support route.
There Is No Single Public Federal Arrest Records Search
Use the system that matches the question. PACER covers federal court dockets, BOP covers many people in federal prison custody, the U.S. Marshals Service manages many pretrial detainees, and the FBI provides an Identity History Summary for the person requesting their own record.
Use PACER or the specific district court.
Use BOP for records from 1982 to the present.
Check the district court and U.S. Marshals custody route.
Request an Identity History Summary using fingerprints.
Choose What You Need to Find
This browser tool does not collect a name, case number or personal information. It simply routes you to the correct official source.
Someone Was Arrested by a Federal Agency Today
A very recent federal detainee may not appear in the BOP locator. The U.S. Marshals Service assumes custody of people arrested by federal agencies and may house them in a federal, state, local or contract detention facility.
Write down whether the arrest involved the FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security, Postal Inspectors or another federal agency.
Use the U.S. Courts finder with the arrest city, state or ZIP code. Open the district court website.
Look for an initial appearance, magistrate judge calendar or criminal case number. Call the district clerk when public information is not yet online.
Use the specific court when known. Use the nationwide PACER Case Locator when the filing district is uncertain.
A U.S. Marshals detainee may be held in a county jail or contract facility. Contact the local USMS district office or defense counsel for routing.
Confirm any bond, fine or release instruction through the court, attorney or detention facility before sending money.
How to Search Federal Court Records in PACER
PACER provides public access to federal appellate, district and bankruptcy court dockets. Search the specific court when you know where the case was filed; use the nationwide Case Locator when you do not.
Search a specific federal court
- Open the Federal Court Finder.
- Search by city, state, ZIP code or court name.
- Choose the U.S. District Court that handled the criminal matter.
- Open the court website and select PACER or Case Information.
- Search by case number for the narrowest result.
- Open the docket report and confirm party name, case type, judge and filing date.
Search the nationwide index
- Open the PACER Case Locator.
- Sign in with a PACER account.
- Use the person or business name when the district is unknown.
- Narrow by court type, date range or region.
- Open the matching case and note the court abbreviation and case number.
- Move to that court’s PACER docket for filings and current activity.
Read a Federal Criminal Docket Without Guessing
Docket item | What it usually means | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
Complaint | A charging document used at an early stage and supported by allegations. | Initial appearance, detention decision and later indictment or information. |
Indictment | Charges returned by a federal grand jury. | Arraignment, count numbers, superseding filings and plea entries. |
Minute entry | A short court summary of what happened at a hearing. | Release conditions, future dates and related orders. |
Detention order | The court ordered the defendant held pending further proceedings. | Reasoning, later review motions and current custody location. |
Appearance bond | The court entered release terms or a bond document. | Conditions, co-signer requirements and whether another hold exists. |
Plea agreement | A written agreement connected with a plea. | Plea hearing, accepted counts and sentencing date. |
Judgment | The formal outcome, sentence and conditions entered by the court. | Custody term, supervision, restitution and appeal deadline. |
Sealed entry | The public cannot access the sealed document. | Do not attempt to bypass the seal; monitor public docket updates or contact counsel. |
What Usually Happens After a Federal Arrest
The exact sequence depends on the case, but this animated route helps families understand where custody, court records and legal representation fit.
Federal Bail, Detention and Public Defender Help
Pretrial Services gathers information and a judge decides whether release conditions can reasonably address appearance and community-safety concerns.
Federal release may involve recognizance, secured or unsecured conditions, location monitoring, travel limits, third-party supervision or detention.
A state warrant, immigration matter, probation issue or another federal case may affect actual release even after conditions are set.
Open FD.org and choose the Federal & Community Defender Directory, or ask the district court clerk which office serves the case.
How to Find a Federal Inmate or Pretrial Detainee
Situation | Start here | What to do after opening |
|---|---|---|
Person may be in BOP custody | Search by BOP, DCDC, FBI or INS number when available; otherwise use name, age, race and sex to distinguish matches. | |
Arrest occurred very recently | Identify the federal district and ask for the detention-facility routing process. Some information may be limited. | |
The person is housed in a local jail | Official county or city detention portal | Search the facility named by counsel, the court or USMS. Follow that facility’s visitation, mail and phone rules. |
The case is visible but custody is unclear | PACER docket and defense counsel | Review detention or release orders, minute entries and attorney appearances. Contact counsel for current location questions. |
The person may be in immigration custody | Use the A-number and country of birth when available, or name and birth information. |
Federal Visitation, Phone, Mail and Money Rules
If the person is in a BOP facility
- Use the inmate locator to identify the exact institution.
- Open the institution page and read its visiting schedule and local rules.
- Visitors generally must be placed on the inmate’s approved list and cleared before visiting.
- Bring the required identification and arrive early enough for screening.
- Use BOP’s official communications page for phone, email, mail and money routes.
- Wait until the inmate has physically arrived before sending funds.
If the person is in U.S. Marshals custody
- Confirm the actual detention facility; it may be a county, state, private or BOP location.
- Follow the housing facility’s rules for visitation, phone access, mail and deposits.
- Do not mail items to a U.S. Marshals office unless official instructions specifically direct it.
- Check again before travelling because transfers can occur.
- Contact the facility directly for medical or urgent communication procedures.
Request Your Own FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI Identity History Summary is a fingerprint-based copy of information the FBI maintains about the requester. It is not a public name-search tool for obtaining another person’s private FBI record.
Use the FBI Identity History Summary page and select the electronic option, mail request or an FBI-approved channeler.
Follow the current fingerprint-card instructions and make sure impressions are clear and complete.
The FBI currently lists an $18 fee. Review the official page before submission.
Compare names, dates, agencies, charges and dispositions with your official court documents.
Use the FBI challenge process and provide supporting court or agency documentation.
The FBI will not provide another person’s Identity History Summary to a member of the public.
When a FOIA Request May Help
FOIA can request records from the federal agency that maintains them, but it is not a substitute for PACER and it does not guarantee disclosure of active investigative, sealed, privacy-protected or otherwise exempt information.
There is no single federal FOIA office for every department. Request FBI records from the FBI, BOP records from BOP, and other records from the responsible component.
Provide names, date range, office, incident, case number and document type. Avoid asking an agency to answer legal questions.
Start with FOIA.gov or the DOJ component guide to locate the correct submission route.
Law-enforcement, privacy, confidential-source and other exemptions may restrict what can be released.
Why a Federal Arrest or Case Search Returns No Result
- The case was filed in a different federal district.
- The name format or spelling differs.
- The case has not reached the public docket yet.
- The complaint or indictment remains sealed.
- The person is in U.S. Marshals rather than BOP custody.
- The person is housed in a local contract jail.
- The case number uses an unfamiliar court abbreviation.
- Older criminal documents may have access limits.
- The event was state, local, military or immigration rather than federal criminal court.
- The person was released and is no longer in current custody.
- A transfer is in progress.
- The record is legally restricted, corrected or unavailable to the public.
Federal Victim Notifications and Case Updates
Victims identified in a federal case may receive access to the Department of Justice Victim Notification System. VNS can provide eligible users with court-event, outcome, custody and release information.
VNS access is not a general public search. Eligible victims receive identifying credentials through official notice.
Visit Notify.USDOJ.gov or call 1-866-365-4968 with the required credentials.
Federal Record Search Phone Numbers, Addresses and Hours
PACER Service Center
Use for account access, searching, billing and PACER technical questions.
- 1-800-676-6856
- Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Central Time
- pacer@psc.uscourts.gov
- P.O. Box 780549, San Antonio, TX 78278
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Use the locator first. Central Office is not a local visitation or release desk.
- 202-307-3198
- Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- 320 First Street NW, Washington, DC 20534
- Official contact page
FBI Identity History Summary
Use for your own fingerprint-based Identity History Summary and record-challenge guidance.
- 304-625-5590
- identity@fbi.gov
- FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306
- Official request guidance
Federal Court or U.S. Marshals District
Addresses, phones and public-counter hours vary by judicial district.
- Find the correct federal court
- Find the local USMS district office
- Check the selected office page before travelling.
- Have the full name, district, case number and arrest date ready.
Federal Bureau of Prisons Central Office Map
This map shows BOP Central Office in Washington, DC. It is not the place to visit an inmate. Use the BOP facility locator to find the institution and its local rules.
320 First Street NW
Washington, DC 20534
Call first. Headquarters does not replace the inmate’s institution, court clerk or detention facility.
Search BOP facilities, then open the institution page for phone, address, visiting hours and local rules.
Use the Federal Court Finder for the correct district and courthouse.
Verified Federal Arrest, Court and Custody Resources
Federal Record Terms You May See
- PACER
- The federal judiciary’s public electronic court-record service.
- Case Locator
- PACER’s nationwide index for locating federal appellate, district and bankruptcy cases.
- Initial appearance
- An early hearing where charges, rights, counsel and release or detention may be addressed.
- Detention hearing
- A hearing on whether the defendant should remain detained or can be released with conditions.
- USMS custody
- Pretrial or other federal prisoner custody managed by the U.S. Marshals Service, often using local facilities.
- BOP custody
- Custody within the Federal Bureau of Prisons system, including some pretrial and sentenced people.
- Identity History Summary
- The requester’s fingerprint-based FBI record, sometimes called a rap sheet.
- Sealed record
- A document or case information that is not available to the public under a court order or rule.
Federal Arrest Records and Court Lookup FAQs
Is there a free nationwide federal arrest records database?
No. There is no single public database containing every federal arrest. Use PACER for federal court cases, BOP for searchable federal custody records, the appropriate district court for recent case activity and the FBI Identity History Summary process for your own fingerprint-based record.
How do I search a federal criminal case by name?
Use the PACER Case Locator when the court is unknown. Sign in, search the party name, narrow the results by date or court and open the matching case. When you know the district, searching that court directly is usually faster and more current.
How much does PACER cost?
PACER currently charges $0.10 per page. Many case-specific documents and reports are capped at $3, while some searches and reports are not capped. If an account accrues $30 or less in a quarter, the fees are waived for that quarter.
Why is a recent federal arrest missing from the BOP locator?
The person may still be in U.S. Marshals pretrial custody, housed in a local contract jail, awaiting processing or connected with a sealed case. Find the federal district court, check PACER and contact defense counsel or the local U.S. Marshals district office for the correct detention route.
Can I find a sealed federal indictment on PACER?
No. PACER states that sealed documents, including sealed indictments, are not available to the public. Do not attempt to bypass a court seal. Monitor the public docket for later unsealing or consult an attorney about a case-specific concern.
How do I get my own FBI arrest record?
Request an FBI Identity History Summary using the official electronic, mail or approved-channeler process. The request requires fingerprints and currently carries an $18 FBI fee. Review the official instructions before submitting.
Can I order another person’s FBI rap sheet?
No. The public Identity History Summary process is for the subject of the record. The FBI does not provide another person’s private Identity History Summary to a member of the public through a simple name search.
How do I find a federal public defender?
Use FD.org and open the Federal and Community Defender Directory, or ask the clerk of the federal district court handling the case. The court determines whether a defendant qualifies for appointed counsel and which attorney is appointed.
How do I visit someone in federal custody?
First identify the exact facility. For a BOP institution, the inmate must generally place the visitor on an approved list and the visitor must be cleared. For a U.S. Marshals detainee housed locally, follow that detention facility’s visitation rules and confirm the schedule before travelling.
How can I correct an inaccurate federal arrest or criminal-history entry?
Identify which agency or court created the disputed information. Use the FBI challenge process for an Identity History Summary, contact the court clerk about docket errors and use the responsible agency’s Privacy Act or FOIA process when appropriate. Provide certified or official supporting documents.
Official resources reviewed August 5, 2026
This website is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with PACER, the federal judiciary, the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshals Service or the Department of Justice. Federal records may be delayed, corrected, restricted, sealed or unavailable to the public.
Responsible-use notice: Do not use this page as a consumer report for employment, housing, credit, insurance or another decision governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Confirm time-sensitive information through the court, agency, detention facility or licensed attorney.