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Court Records Requests

Court records that are not confidential or sealed are available to the public. Court staff is responsible for maintaining all documents in the local court files and assists the public with requests for copies of court documents. Record requests are handled on a first come, first serve basis.

Documents in newer court cases can be reviewed using the kiosk computers in the court house lobby. Older case files that have not been digitized can be reviewed by requesting the file be retrieved.

Adoption and Juvenile cases are confidential. Access to these cases is limited. For information about requesting copies from an Adoption case, go to our Adoption information page.

To request copies from a Juvenile case please contact the court.

Access

To request copies from a court file, complete and submit the online Jefferson Copy Request Form. The copy request form can also be populated and printed, then submitted via US mail, fax, or in person at the customer service window of the courthouse. 

Court staff will calculate the total cost after the request is made. If copies are being mailed, postage costs will be added. All fees must be paid in full before any copies will be made.

Audio Copies of Court Proceedings Requests

Copies of audio recordings will be electronically transferred using digital technology through a secure website. The court uses a digital recording system called “For The Record” (FTR), which is a proprietary system. To play the recordings you will need the free FTR Player which can be downloaded from http://www.fortherecord.com/.

 To request audio copies of a court proceeding, complete and submit the online Jefferson audio Copy Request Form.

Difference between Copies, Certified Copies, and Exemplified Copies

• Copies are electronic images (TIFF, PDF) or photocopies of any document in the file or an audio recording.
• Certified Copies are photocopies of a filed document in its entirety (everything within a staple) that is sworn to be a true copy by a Court Clerk. The certified copy should not be taken apart. If the staple is removed the certification becomes invalid.
• Exemplified Copy, also called a 3-Way Certificate, is a photocopy of a pleading in its entirety that’s authenticity is sworn to by the Court Clerk. The signature of the Court Clerk is sworn to by the Presiding Judge then the Court Clerk swears to the authenticity of the Judge’s signature. These copies are often required by other states and countries when copies are being submitted for filing in their local court. It takes two to three additional days to process an exemplified copy request.