A bankruptcy docket is the official, chronological record of everything that happens in a federal bankruptcy case, from the initial petition through the final discharge or dismissal. Every motion, order, hearing date, and filing is logged there, giving creditors, attorneys, and the public a complete timeline of the proceedings. Today these records live in the federal judiciary’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system and reach the public through the PACER portal.1United States Courts. Electronic Filing (CM/ECF)2Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Public Access to Court Electronic Records
What Appears on a Bankruptcy Docket
The docket sheet is a running log. At the top, you’ll see the basic case information: whether the case is open, closed, or dismissed; which chapter of the Bankruptcy Code was filed (Chapter 7, 11, 13, or others); the assigned bankruptcy judge; and the trustee responsible for administering the estate.
Below the header, each entry carries a date stamp, a short description, and a link to the underlying document. Typical entries include:
- Voluntary petition. The document that starts the case, listing the debtor’s basic information and the chapter elected.
- Schedules of assets and liabilities. Detailed inventories of what the debtor owns and owes.
- 341 Meeting of Creditors notice. The date and location of the mandatory meeting where the trustee and creditors can question the debtor under oath.
- Proofs of claim. Filed by creditors asserting they are owed money from the estate. The deadline for filing these claims is also recorded on the docket.
- Motions. Requests for court action, such as dismissal, relief from the automatic stay, or approval of asset sales.
- Discharge order. The final order releasing the debtor from eligible debts, which marks the effective end of the case for most purposes.
The claims register, which compiles every creditor who filed a formal proof of claim, is usually available as a separate report accessible through the docket. On PACER, this report is capped at the same $3.00 maximum charge as any other document.3PACER: Federal Court Records. Frequently Asked Questions
Adversary Proceedings
Some disputes inside a bankruptcy spawn their own separate lawsuit, called an adversary proceeding. These get a new case number distinct from the main case. You’ll see an adversary proceeding when a creditor challenges whether a specific debt can be discharged, or when someone objects to the debtor’s discharge entirely. The main docket will note that an adversary proceeding was filed, but the detailed filings for that dispute live under the separate adversary case number in PACER.
How to Look Up a Bankruptcy Case on PACER
Anyone can access bankruptcy records through PACER, but you need to register for a free account first.4PACER: Federal Court Records. Register for an Account Registration itself does not cost anything. Once you have an account, you can search two ways: directly within a specific bankruptcy court’s system if you know where the case was filed, or through the PACER Case Locator if you don’t.
Bankruptcy cases can be searched by case number, party name, Social Security number, or tax identification number.5PACER: Federal Court Records. What Information Is Needed to Search Court Records Using PACER? The SSN and tax ID options come in handy in bankruptcy because individuals sometimes file under slightly different name variations, and the number gives you a reliable match.
What It Costs
PACER charges $0.10 per page for viewing docket reports and documents, with a cap of $3.00 per individual document regardless of length. Light users often owe nothing: if your total charges stay at $30 or less during a billing quarter, those fees are waived entirely. Once you cross $30 in a quarter, you owe the full amount.6PACER: Federal Court Records. PACER Pricing: How Fees Work
You can also view case information for free at public access terminals inside any federal courthouse.
Certified Copies
A printout from PACER is not an official certified copy. If you need a certified copy of a discharge order or other court document for a legal transaction, such as proving to a lender that a bankruptcy has been discharged, request one directly from the bankruptcy court. Certified copies can typically be obtained in person or by mail from the clerk’s office. Federal courts charge $12 for certification on top of any copying fees, a rate set by the Judicial Conference that applies across all districts.
Older and Archived Bankruptcy Records
Not every case is available through PACER. The Judicial Conference adopted a policy restricting public electronic access to documents in bankruptcy cases filed before December 1, 2003, that have been closed for more than one year. For these older cases, you can usually still view the docket sheet on PACER, but the individual documents attached to each entry may be unavailable for download.
Once records have been transferred to the National Archives, you can order copies through the National Archives Federal Records Center Program. Three package options are available:7National Archives & Records Administration. Bankruptcy Case Files
- Docket sheet only: $35.00 including shipping.
- Pre-selected documents: $35.00 including shipping.
- Entire case file: $90.00 including shipping, which covers up to 150 pages. Files over 150 pages incur additional labor charges.
Ordering from the National Archives requires specific identifying information: the state and city of the court, debtor name, case number, transfer number, box number, and location number. You’ll need to get most of these details from the federal court where the case was originally filed and closed, since the Archives stores the physical records but the court maintains the index information.7National Archives & Records Administration. Bankruptcy Case Files If you need a certified copy of an archived record, the Archives charges an additional $15 on top of the package price.
Privacy Protections and Redactions
Bankruptcy filings contain sensitive financial information, and once filed they become public records. Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9037 requires anyone filing a document to redact the following before submission:8Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 9037 – Protecting Privacy for Filings
- Social Security and taxpayer ID numbers, showing only the last four digits.
- Birth dates, showing only the year.
- Minor children’s names, using only initials for any minor other than the debtor.
- Financial account numbers, showing only the last four digits.
The responsibility for making these redactions sits with the filer, not the court clerk. If someone files a document with unredacted personal information and doesn’t file it under seal, the rule’s protection is waived for that information and it becomes publicly accessible through PACER.8Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 9037 – Protecting Privacy for Filings A process exists to retroactively redact previously filed documents, but it requires a motion that identifies the proposed redactions and is served on the debtor, trustee, U.S. Trustee, and any affected individuals.
Beyond the standard redaction requirements, the court can order that certain filings be made entirely under seal or restrict remote electronic access to specific documents. Tax returns, for example, are not filed on the public docket. The court can also require redaction of additional identifiers such as driver’s license numbers or alien registration numbers when circumstances warrant it.