Utah Court Records Search

Utah Court Records & Case Lookup

In most fiscal years, courts under the Judicial Branch of Utah see a combined average of 670,000 case filings annually. According to reports, these include about 107,000 civil cases, 310,000 traffic-related cases, 170,000 criminal matters, 24,000 domestic relations cases, and at least 18,000 juvenile matters every year. In most cases, the Justice Courts have the most case filings.

Unless specifically exempt from public disclosure by law or a court order, Utah court records are considered public records under the state's Government Records Access and Management Act. This Act gives members of the public the right to inspect and make copies of public records, including most court records. However, court records that are sealed or protected by state law, federal statute, or federal regulation are generally not accessible to the public.

There are several ways to look up Utah court records, opinions, and cases. The state's Judicial Branch manages several online records portals. For instance, some allow members of the public to view case history and search public cases online, while others provide access to court records, including case reports and recordings.

State of Utah Court System

The Utah State Court System is structured into two appellate courts and some trial courts, as well as two administrative bodies - the Administrative Office of the Court and the Judicial Council. The two appellate courts are the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.

In Utah, the Supreme Court is referred to as the court of last resort. It has original jurisdiction to answer questions of state law and has appellate to hear first-degree and capital felony convictions from the state's District Court and civil judgments (excluding domestic cases).

All appeals involving domestic relations and criminal cases of less than a first-degree felony and appeals from the Juvenile Courts are heard by the Court of Appeals. Generally, the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals compliments that of the Supreme Court.

Utah trial courts are where most litigations begin and end in the state. However, there are instances where decisions of these lower courts are appealed to the appellate courts. This often happens when one party to a case is not satisfied with the court's decisions and wants a higher court to determine if an error of law was made by the lower/trial court.

Utah Trial Courts

Utah has a two-trial court structure that includes District Courts, Justice Courts, and Juvenile Courts. The state's general jurisdiction trial courts are the District and Juvenile Courts, while the only limited jurisdiction court is the Justice Court. Utah's trial courts are located in each of the state's eight judicial districts.

District Courts in Utah

As Utah's trial courts of general jurisdiction, the District Courts serve residents of the state's eight districts and have original jurisdiction to try all criminal felonies and civil cases. Criminal felony cases handled by these courts include sex offenses, drug offenses, homicides, robbery, assaults, arson, forgery, and misdemeanors under certain circumstances.

Utah District Courts also hear domestic relations matters, such as adoption, probate, divorces, child support, and child custody. Furthermore, these courts serve as appellate courts to review informal adjudicative proceedings from the state's administrative agencies.

Juvenile Courts in Utah

In Utah, Juvenile Courts have an equal status to the state's District Courts. They have exclusive jurisdiction over persons under 18 years of age who violate any municipal, state, or federal law. In addition, they exercise sole authority in matters involving children who are dependent, abused, or neglected. These courts generally have concurrent jurisdiction with Utah District and Justice Courts over adults contributing to the neglect and delinquency of minors.

Utah Juvenile Courts are empowered to determine child support, custody, and visitation under certain circumstances. Also, they have a right to authorize or require treatment for children with disabilities or mentally ill children, and to permanently terminate parental rights. Furthermore, Utah Juvenile Courts has exclusive jurisdiction in traffic violation offenses involving minors but unrelated to DUI, automobile homicide, joy riding, reckless driving, and fleeing a law enforcement officer.

Justice Courts in Utah

Justice Courts are located in all parts of Utah and are generally established by municipalities and counties. They have the authority to hear cases involving ordinance violations, small claims, Class B and C misdemeanors, and infractions, including traffic and parking infractions, committed within their territorial jurisdiction.

Utah Justice courts are locally funded and operated. Their jurisdictions are primarily determined by the boundary of local government entities, such as counties or cities, responsible for hiring the judges.

What are the Specialty Courts in Utah?

Utah's specialty courts are commonly referred to as problem-solving courts. They are designed to reduce the likelihood of participants reoffending while increasing their chances of successful recovery by providing them with support and treatment.

Problem-solving courts in Utah were established to help offenders who appear in courts repeatedly because conventional methods of corrections, including mandatory imprisonment and strict probation, have failed to correct the fundamental issues. The following are the specialty courts in Utah:

• Adult drug courts
• Adult mental health courts
• Juvenile Family Dependency Drug courts
• Juvenile mental health courts
• Veterans drug courts
• Juvenile drug courts

Generally, the mental health courts help individuals convicted of crimes who need more streamlined procedures. Similarly, drug courts recognize that fines and jail time are not likely to prevent some offenders from committing crimes in the future unless substance abuse ends. Veterans drug courts in Utah provide U.S. veterans living in the state with an opportunity to better their lives through a dedicated team of experts.

Utah State Court Records vs. Federal Court Records

Utah State court records are created from a wide range of cases handled by the state courts. These include documents and information filed with the state's District, Juvenile, and Justice Courts and those generated during court proceedings for cases such as civil and criminal matters, as well as infractions. Utah State court records may be accessed online through certain state-managed portals. In addition, physical access is often allowed at the courthouses in which the cases were filed and/or heard.

In Utah, federal court records, on the other hand, are generated from cases over which the federal courts within the state have jurisdiction. These include cases involving admiralty law, the constitutionality of the United States laws, bankruptcy, habeas corpus, U.S. laws and treaties, and those involving ambassadors and ministers heard by the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Federal court records generated in Utah are publicly accessible on Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), a portal that allows registered users to look up federal court records by specific federal courts.

What Are Public and Non-Public Court Records in Utah?

Public court records in Utah include most records of cases handled by the state's District, Juvenile, and Appellate Courts. They are largely available and are accessible to members of the public on various online platforms and in person at the courthouses.

In contrast, non-public court records in Utah are usually restricted from public disclosure due to varying reasons. Most of the time, they are limited from disclosure as a result of state or federal statutes or by the order of the court. Non-public Utah court records are primarily accessible to parties to the cases, their attorneys, and a few other individuals authorized by law or a court order.

The table below shows what court records/information are public and non-public in Utah:

How To Seal or Expunge Utah Court Records

Per U.C.A.77-40a-101(10), expungement in Utah is the process of clearing a person's criminal court records and convictions. It involves sealing information about their arrest, detention, and investigation. When someone's criminal record is expunged in the state, no individual may see the record unless permitted or authorized by the court.

The following cases are eligible for automatic expungement under Utah's Clean Slate law:

• Acquittals - 60 days from the order of acquittal
• Class A drug possession (limited to two) - 7 years since the date of adjudication
• Class B misdemeanors (limited to three) - 6 years from the date of judgment
• Dismissals without prejudice - 180 days from order of dismissal
• Class C misdemeanors, minor regulatory offenses, and infractions - 5 years from the date of adjudication
• Dismissals due to a plea in abeyance agreement - the waiting period depends on the waiting periods as convictions

A person will not qualify for automatic expungement under Utah's Clean Slate law if they have new criminal convictions during the waiting period. Generally, convictions for domestic violence, sex offenses, DUIs, simple assault, and certain weapons-related offenses are not eligible for automation expungement under the Clean Slate law.

Persons with more severe criminal convictions, as listed below, may request a petition-based criminal court record expungement in Utah:

• Felonies (limited to one) - After 7 years
• Misdemeanor DUI or impaired driving conviction - After 10 years
• Class A misdemeanors (limited to 2) - After 7 years
• Acquittals - After 60 days from order of acquittal
• Class B misdemeanors - After 4 years
• Dismissals as a result of a plea in abeyance agreement -After 30 days from the order of dismissal
• Dismissals except in plea in abeyance matters - 180 days from order of dismissal
• Class C misdemeanors - After 3 years

The waiting period of the petition-based expungement process typically runs from the latest conviction date, release from incarceration, and completion of parole or probation. Generally, a person must have paid all fees, fines, and restitution ordered in any case they intend to expunge and must have completed probation or parole to be eligible for the process.

Unless officially pardoned, the following cannot be expunged under Utah law:

• Felony DUI
• Capital felony
• Violent felony
• Registerable child abuse offense
• Felony automobile homicide
• First-degree felony
• Registerable sex offense

How To File a Petition-Based Criminal Court Record Expungement in Utah

An eligible person should take the following steps to file a petition for criminal court record expungement in Utah:

• Obtain a certificate of eligibility from the state's Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI). It may take a few months from the time the BCI receives the request to get this certification.
• Once the certificate of eligibility is obtained from the Utah BCI, file the petition with the appropriate court after completing the appropriate expungement form.
• The court will serve the prosecutor with a copy of the petition to notify them of the petitioner's request to expunge their criminal record. Typically, the prosecutor will review the petition and respond within 30 days to the court and the petitioner.
• Afterward, the judicial assistant (clerk of the court) will submit the completed expungement form to the judge assigned to the case, who will review and issue an order.
• If the judge signs the expungement order, the petitioner will be notified by email or phone to pick up the certified copy of the order. In addition, the court will inform the Utah Bureau of Identification and other relevant agencies of the expungement order.

How Do You Access State of Utah Court Records?

Members of the public may look up Utah court records in multiple ways. For instance, they may access them in person at the courthouses in which the cases are filed or heard. Alternatively, interested persons may access Utah public records and cases online through the various platforms managed by the state's judicial branch.

Online Access to Utah Court Records

The Utah Judicial Branch manages the following portals to provide access to the state's public court records:

• Xchange Public Case Search - This is a repository of Justice and District Court case information, for cases such as criminal, civil, and domestic matters. The portal provides summary information about cases, including parry addresses (if available), names of parties, attorneys of records, judgments entered, documents filed, and hearings held. Records may be searched by case type codes or party type codes. Access to this repository is available by paid subscription.
• Appellate Docket Search - This is used to search for information about appellate court cases in Utah using the case number.
• My Court Case - This is an online system that enables individuals to view their court case history and access or review documents filed in the case. It is available for almost any case type in District and Justice Courts.

In-Person Access to State of Utah Court Records

Anyone may visit the District or Justice courthouse in Utah where a case was filed or heard and request access to public court records. Depending on the location (county), requesters will typically be asked to submit written requests or complete a specific request form. In addition, most District courthouses and some Justice Court locations in the state offer free public Xchange access.

How To Request Judicial Administrative Records

To request a judicial administrative record in Utah, complete the Request for a Record Form and submit it to the appropriate court - the court in the custody of the administrative records being sought. The court will contact the requester to set up payment arrangements if the request requires staff time to search the record. Responses are typically provided within 10 business days.

Alternatively, interested persons may complete and submit the GRAMA Request Form online to request Utah's judicial administrative records. The phone permits search by agency name and agency type.

How To Access Older and Archived Court Records in Utah

Older and archived court records (more than 50 years old) in Utah are available at the state's Archives. These include records of the state's Supreme Court, Justice Courts, and many county District Courts. To access older and archived court records in the state, contact the Utah Division of Archives and Records Services at: