How to Search Davis County Court Records
The main public tool is Utah Courts Xchange. Utah Courts calls it a repository of district and justice court case information. It pulls from CORIS, the courts' case management system, and case data shows as soon as a clerk enters it. Xchange covers civil, domestic, criminal, felony, misdemeanor, infraction, traffic, and small claims information, depending on the court. It is a paid product, with one-time, guest, and monthly rates.
Before you search, gather a full name or a case number. Decide which county and court you need, since Davis County spans three district court sites and several justice courts. The official Xchange subscription page lists the access options and what each one costs.
Most searchers follow these steps:
- Open Xchange and pick a one-time, guest, or subscription option.
- Enter a party name or a case number. For names, add an asterisk, like Smith*, to catch middle-name quirks.
- Filter by county, court location, and case type.
- Add a filing or disposition date range to stay under the 500-result cap.
- Open the case, review the events, and buy a document image if you need the filed paper.
Davis County Court Records Search Fields
Xchange uses a small set of fields. The Xchange FAQ explains the quirks, such as the asterisk wildcard and the result cap. Use the filters to narrow common names. Party addresses appear only on public cases when the address was given to the court.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name / party search | Text | Varies | Use an asterisk, e.g. John*, since middle names land in the first-name field |
| Case number | Text | Optional | Case numbers are court-specific, not statewide |
| County | Filter | Optional | Narrows common names |
| Court location | Dropdown | Optional | Farmington, Bountiful, Layton, Davis County Justice, and more |
| Case type | Dropdown | Optional | District and justice case types |
| Filing / disposition date | Date | Optional | Use a range to avoid the 500-result cap |
The Xchange FAQ answers the questions that trip up first-time searchers.
If a case will not appear, the search may be too narrow, or the case may be sealed, expunged, or a type that never displays.
MyCase, Terminals, and Davis County Court Records
Xchange is the public, paid product. MyCase is different. It gives a party to a case online access to that party's own district or justice court file. It is not a search for the general public, so it works only for your own matter. For your own case, MyCase is often the fastest free path.
The Utah MyCase page explains who can register and what the account shows.
There is also a no-cost option in person. Utah Courts says public terminals sit at most district court sites. For Davis County, that means Farmington, Bountiful, and Layton. A clerk can point you to the terminal during business hours.
Types of Davis County Court Records
The court level shapes the record type. The District Court holds the broad civil, felony, family, and probate files. The Justice Courts hold small claims, infractions, ordinance cases, and many traffic citations. Juvenile cases sit with the Juvenile Court and stay off the public search.
Common Davis County court records include:
- Civil records, such as complaints, motions, orders, judgments, and liens.
- Criminal records, such as charging papers, pleas, sentencing orders, and public warrants.
- Family records, such as divorce, custody, and support, with many documents private by rule.
- Probate records, such as wills, estate petitions, and letters of appointment.
- Traffic and small claims records from the county and city justice courts.
Each type lives in a set spot. A divorce decree is a District Court file, while a county speeding ticket may sit in the Davis County Justice Court and a city ticket in a municipal justice court. Small claims, capped at a set dollar limit, are a Justice Court matter. Knowing the right court before you search saves a wasted lookup.
For dockets and event lists, see the Davis County court dockets page. For arrests and charges, see arrest records.
What Davis County Court Records Show
A court record holds more than a name. Utah Courts says Xchange returns summary data: party names, addresses when public, the judge, attorneys, filings, hearings, and the outcome. The table shows the core fields you will see on a Davis County case result.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court-specific ID; unique to one court, not the state. |
| Filing Date | When the case opened in the court system. |
| Parties | Names and party type codes, plus a public address when given. |
| Disposition | The final result of a charge or claim. |
District court document images filed online since July 1, 2010 can be bought through Xchange. Most district courts moved to CORIS by the end of 1998, so older files may be thin or paper-only. The result also lists the assigned judge, the attorneys of record, each document filed, the hearings held, and any minute entries the clerk recorded.
Terms in a Davis County Court Record
Court files use words that trip up first-time searchers. A short glossary helps you read a result without guessing. The terms below show up on most Davis County civil and criminal cases.
- Plaintiff
- The person or business that files a civil case.
- Defendant
- The person sued in a civil case or charged in a criminal case.
- Minute entry
- A clerk's short note of what happened at a hearing.
- Disposition
- The final outcome of a charge or claim.
- Judgment
- The court's final, enforceable decision on money or claims.
A charge is not a conviction. The charge states what the prosecutor alleges, and the disposition shows the result. Watch the case type and party type codes, since they tell you the kind of case and the role of each name.
Public Access Framework for Davis County Court Records
Court files in Utah are governed by judicial branch rules, not the open-records act that covers county agencies. The default rule is that court records are public. UCJA Rule 4-202.02 says case files, indexes, party names, filings, orders, judgments, open-hearing records, and arrest warrants are public unless a rule or order says otherwise.
Anyone can search and request public court records. Xchange charges per search and per document. County agency records, by contrast, run through GRAMA, which the Davis County public records page covers. To access or reclassify a court record tied to a case, a person uses the procedure in UCJA Rule 4-202.04.
Note: Public web data is informational only. For court filings, background checks, or legal use, request a certified copy from the court that holds the record.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Davis County
Several record types never show on Xchange. Sealed and expunged cases are removed. Adoption, civil commitment, juvenile delinquency, child welfare, and termination of parental rights cases do not display. In domestic and guardianship matters, many documents are private, though case history, final orders, and letters of appointment may stay public unless a judge orders otherwise.
To view a sealed record, a person usually needs a court order. Once a case is expunged, Utah Courts says no one may access it without court permission. A petition to access or reclassify a court record goes through UCJA Rule 4-202.04. Booking photos are also protected and are not posted with the inmate roster.
Federal Court Records for Davis County
Not every case filed in Davis County is a state case. Federal crimes, federal civil rights suits, bankruptcy, and federal-question matters go through the federal courts, and they do not appear on Xchange. Davis County sits in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Utah handles federal trials and civil suits for the area.
Federal case files live on PACER, the official federal access system. Users register for a PACER account, and federal policy sets the fees and exemptions. Bankruptcy cases go to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah, and appeals go to the Tenth Circuit. Start at PACER for any federal Davis County matter.
Appellate and bankruptcy dockets are covered further on the court dockets page.
In-Person Court Record Requests
Certified copies come from the court that holds the case. For Justice Court records, the Davis County Justice Court takes a written request form with ID. Utah Courts also posts a statewide fee schedule for filings, transcripts, and copies. Plan to pay per document and per page.
Davis County Justice Court
800 West State Street, Courtroom #2
Farmington, UT 84025
801-451-4488
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Utah Courts fee page lists the current statewide filing and record fees.
For Justice Court copy fees, count $4 per certified document plus $0.50 per page, or $0.25 per plain page. The Clerk of Court page has the full schedule.