Information About PACER

The PACER system is an electronic service that allows the public to access and acquire both the docket as well as case information about public records arising from the federal district courts, federal appellate courts, the bankruptcy courts as well as from the United States Case index. The PACER service is available over the Internet http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/ which also provides the website links to all the courts. This service is provided by the Judiciary in the United States. The PACER service is operated by the Administrative Office of the US Courts.

The database system for the PACER service is maintained by each jurisdiction and each court which have separate websites as well. Since every court maintains a separate database containing case and docket information, the scope and format of the information available may differ but the process for the access, inquiry and retrieval of the case information is comparable.

To access the service of the PACER individuals require to register at the service center of the PACER which is the United States Judiciary’s centralized center for registration, technical support as well billing center. There is no registration fee but individuals need to pay a nominal fee for using this service which is $0.08 per page. In certain cases however, individuals can also have this fee waived under the provision of the Judicial Conference Policy.

Procedure for the User-fee Waiver

The procedure for obtaining an exemption from paying the fee for using the services of the PACER system is to file a petition with a court. For the court to waive the user-fee it is important for you to demonstrate the need for such claims. The Congress already has a system of set standards for sanctioning an exemption from paying the fee. According to the set standards the basis for exemption is the ability to prove that it “promotes public access” as well as avoids “unreasonable burdens”. You need to fulfill both these clauses to be eligible for a fee waiver.

Upon obtaining the court sanction you need to send a copy of the exemption from paying the fee to the service center of the PACER system at San Antonio so that you are not billed for accessing the records.

For more information on the policy of the PACER service please click here: http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/documents/pacer_policy.pdf.

Billing Information and Registration

When you register with the PACER Service Center, the system will generate billing information on a quarterly basis which will be sent to you via mails unless you have opted for the credit card billing system. To keep your account active with the PACER service you need to have a minimum balance of $10 in your account (PACER). The billing statement is sent to you only in case the amount due is greater than $10. To view the details of the transaction you can take a look at the account information section of the PACER website.

To register with the PACER service with a credit card and/or make payments you can use Discover, VISA, American Express as well as MasterCard. It is also acceptable to make your payment for the PACER services by using a check issued through a bank in the United States. When you pay by check, do make sure to include your login details at the back of the check to ensure that the payment is reflected on to the right account.

For more information on registration and billing you can contact the service center of the PACER service: (800) 676-6856 or call (210) 301-6440 here if you reside in San Antonio. To make your payments through check you can mail to: PACER Service Center, P.O. Box 70951, Charlotte, NC 28272-0951.

Or if you reside in the San Antonio are you can send your payments to: PACER Service Center, P.O. Box 780549, San Antonio, TX 78278-0549, E-mail: pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.