How to check if you have been sued

It is free, it takes about five minutes, and almost nobody knows they can do it.

What you are looking for

• Search your full name in the county where you live. Debt cases are almost always filed where the defendant lives.
• A real case has a case number, a filing date, and both parties named. If a letter quotes no case number, or the number returns nothing, it is not a lawsuit — whatever the envelope looks like.
• Check the service record. Cases proceed against people who were never handed the papers. If the record says you were served at an address you have not lived at, that matters and you should raise it immediately.
• Try old names and previous addresses. Filings use whatever the creditor had on file.

Where to search, by state

These are official government court sites. We are not affiliated with any of them, we do not see your search, and we never charge for this. If your state is not listed, search for “[your state] judiciary case search”.

If you find a case with your name on it

Find the filing date and the deadline printed on your papers. Then look up the company that filed it — that is what the rest of this site is for.

Information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm and cannot tell you what to do in your case. Free legal aid exists in every state.