Connecticut Criminal Court Records Search: Cases & Dockets

Connecticut provides multiple official record systems. Start with the Judicial Branch for court cases, the State Police for criminal-history checks, and the Department of Correction for inmate records.

Choose the type of information you need. This helper provides official links without collecting personal information.

Connecticut’s official Criminal / Motor Vehicle Case Look-up is maintained by the Judicial Branch. The state’s Clean Slate guidance confirms that it supports both defendant-name and docket-number searches.

1. Open the Connecticut Judicial Branch case lookup.

   Go directly to jud.ct.gov/crim.htm. This is the official criminal and motor vehicle case-search starting point.

2. Choose the appropriate search option.

   Select the available link for searching by defendant or by docket number. The exact page layout can change.

3. Enter the defendant name carefully.

   Use the complete legal name when available. If the initial query fails, check spelling or try the docket number from a court notice.

4. Use the docket number when known.

   A docket number helps distinguish cases involving people with similar names. Copy the number from official court paperwork if possible.

5. Review the matching court and case.

   Compare defendant information, judicial district, court location, case number and available dates. Do not assume every similar-name result belongs to the same person.

6. Check whether the case is pending or disposed.

   Review the available case-status information and any final disposition shown by the portal.

7. Read the charges and case activity.

   Look for hearings, criminal charges, dispositions and other recorded case events. A charge does not mean the defendant was convicted.

8. Verify important court dates with the courthouse.

   If you are a party, witness or attorney, confirm the date with the Superior Court location handling the case. Court schedules can change.

9. Request a certified record if necessary.

   When a recipient requires formal proof of a dismissal, conviction or sentence, contact the Superior Court clerk for the maintained court file.

Connecticut’s Superior Court is the state’s principal trial court. It handles criminal proceedings across its judicial districts and geographical areas.

Unlike states that divide court-record custody between county felony courts and county misdemeanor courts, Connecticut uses a unified state court system. Criminal cases should be traced through the Superior Court location or judicial district where the matter was filed.

Some cases can move between court locations or proceed in a different courthouse for later hearings. Rely on the current case assignment rather than assuming the court is determined exclusively by the arresting municipality.

A criminal court docket records case activity. It may identify criminal charges, hearing events, dispositions and later court proceedings.

For a certified disposition, judgment, sentencing order or other official document, contact the Clerk’s Office of the Connecticut Superior Court that handled the case.

1. Identify the filing courthouse.

   Use the docket or official court directory to determine the correct Superior Court clerk.

2. Explain the purpose of the request.

   For example, request a certified disposition rather than asking for every page in a court file.

3. Provide the docket number.

   This helps the clerk locate the correct record and reduces identity confusion.

4. Confirm public availability.

   The court may restrict documents containing protected information or records affected by an erasure law.

5. Ask about fees.

   Current copy and certification charges should be confirmed with the clerk. Do not assume the free online lookup means certified copies are free.

6. Follow the clerk’s delivery instructions.

   Request the document using whichever authorized mail, counter or electronic process the court offers.

Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), State Police Bureau of Identification (SPBI), maintains criminal-history record information and processes authorized background-check requests.

This differs from Judicial Branch case lookup because an official criminal-history check is a repository search rather than a review of a single court docket.

How to request an official Connecticut criminal-history check

1. Open the State Police Bureau of Identification page.

   Read its current Criminal Records Unit instructions, not an older copy of a form from another website.

2. Determine the request type.

   Identify whether you need a name/date-of-birth check, fingerprint-supported check, official record review or a special agency-required check.

3. Confirm the applicable submission route.

   Some agency-authorized requests use the Connecticut Criminal History Request System (CCHRS), while the SPBI public information page also publishes mail-in instructions. Follow the instructions applicable to your request.

4. Prepare the required identifying information.

   Use the official form or authorized online enrollment process, including any required service code.

5. Confirm the fee and payment format.

   Do not combine separate state, federal and fingerprint fees unless the current official instructions explicitly allow it.

6. Submit the request and retain confirmation.

   For mailed requests, use the correct official mailing address. For online agency-directed requests, preserve the transaction or enrollment reference.

7. Review the response.

   If details appear incorrect, contact the Criminal Records Unit about the appropriate record-correction process.

The Connecticut Department of Correction provides a public inmate information search. It can identify people in the department’s custody or supervision, subject to the published data rules.

Connecticut’s correctional system holds both people serving sentences and individuals on accused status who are awaiting trial. Therefore, a DOC result alone does not establish a criminal conviction.

DOC Public Information Office: (860) 692-7780, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., according to DOC’s published guidance.

The mailing address is 24 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109.

Connecticut DESPP maintains the state’s public sex offender registry. It provides information about persons subject to applicable registration laws, including available identifying details, offenses and location information.

1. Open the official registry page.

   Use the Connecticut government’s Sex Offender Registry resource.

2. Read the public disclaimer.

   The state explains the scope of the information and the limitations on conclusions about an individual.

3. Use the supported search options.

   Enter the name or available location information according to the live search interface.

4. Review identifying details carefully.

   Do not assume an individual is correctly identified based solely on a matching name.

5. Understand what is not covered.

   The registry does not function as a complete statewide list of all criminal convictions.

Connecticut has statutory criminal-record erasure rules, including its Clean Slate program. Eligible criminal convictions can be erased automatically or through a petition process, depending on the conviction date, offense, eligibility requirements and current implementation.

Connecticut’s Clean Slate website explains that convictions erased through Clean Slate and applicable cannabis-related erasure provisions no longer appear in the Judicial Branch public case lookup.

How to investigate your own old criminal record

1. Try the Judicial Branch case lookup.

   Search by your name or known docket number to find public case information.

2. Understand online limitations.

   Older, erased or restricted records may not be displayed.

3. Obtain your official criminal-history report if needed.

   Use the Connecticut State Police process described on the state’s Clean Slate page.

4. Review Clean Slate eligibility.

   Check whether the offense and conviction date qualify for automatic erasure or require a petition.

5. Follow the authorized court process.

   Use the official form and supporting criminal-history information when a petition is required.

A pending charge, an arrest, a court appearance and a criminal conviction are different events. Do not identify a person as convicted based only on the existence of a court docket.

This independent website is not a consumer reporting agency and does not provide consumer reports for employment, tenant selection, credit or other eligibility decisions governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

• Connecticut Judicial Branch Criminal / Motor Vehicle Case Look-up — defendant and docket searches
• Connecticut Judicial Branch Directory — court locations and clerks
• Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice Criminal Records — routes to State Police, courts and DOC
• State Police Bureau of Identification — criminal-history requests and fees
• DESPP State and National Background Check Program — CCHRS information
• Connecticut State Police Forms — criminal-history and Good Conduct requests
• Connecticut DOC Inmate Search — correctional information
• DOC Inmate Information and Public Contact — coverage and restrictions
• Connecticut Sex Offender Registry — public registered offender records
• Connecticut Clean Slate: Accessing Criminal Records — criminal record review and erasure
• Connecticut Information Sharing System — restricted criminal justice agency system; not a public search
• PACER — federal court records