Search and copy court documents

Anyone can apply to search and copy certain documents used in civil and criminal cases in Queensland.

Applying to search and copy

You can apply online to search and copy documents held in the Supreme, District and Magistrates Courts.

To find a document, you need the file/indictment number and/or defendant or party names. Contact the relevant courthouse if you don't know this information.

Note: For civil matters in the Supreme and District Courts, you can do a party search.

What you can search and copy

What you're allowed to search or copy may depend on relevant laws. For example, for:

• Supreme and District Courts
  • decisions for searching of copying civil documents are based on Rules 975G, 975H and 975I of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules (UCPR) 1999
  • decisions for searching or copying criminal documents are based on Rules 29, 30, 31, 56, 56A and 57 of the Criminal Practice Rules 1999
• Magistrates Court
  • decisions around searching and copying documents are based on section 154 of the Justices Act 1886 and Schedule 3 of the Justices Regulation 2014
  • for searching and copying subpoenaed material and exhibits, Rules 3, 31, 56 and 56A of the Criminal Practice Rules 1999 may also apply.
  • decisions for searching of copying civil documents are based on Rules 975G, 975H and 975I of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules (UCPR) 1999
• Planning and Environment Court
  • decisions for searching of copying civil documents are based on Rules 47A, 47B and 47C of the Planning and Environment Court Rules 2018

What you’re allowed to search may also depend on court orders and whether you're a party to the proceeding.

Complete our online form

Fees

The fees for searching and copying depend on:

• which court holds the documents
• whether you’re applying for a civil or criminal document
• whether you’re a party to the proceeding.

In most cases, parties don't pay search fees. If the file is kept offsite, you may need to pay a retrieval fee to have it brought to the courthouse. We let you know if this applies to you.

If you want a copy of the documents, we contact you with the total fee and your payment options. After we receive your payment, we process the application.

View search and copy fees for:

• Supreme Court
• District Court
• Magistrates Court.

What happens next

After you submit the form, it can take up to seven business days to prepare your documents, depending on the file or material you requested.

If you get your copies by email or post, we send them as soon as they’re ready. Otherwise, we contact you when your documents are ready to view or copies are ready to collect.

Records we don't hold

Record	Location
Transcripts	To request Court Transcripts and Recordings please visit: Recording and Transcription Services
Name change records	To view or copy records relating to name changes that happened: before 1 February 2004 in Brisbane, contact Queensland State Archives (though you may use this form for name changes that happened before this date in Queensland locations other than Brisbane). If you have already contacted QSA and you are referred back to the court registry, this is because you will require approval from the authority of the Supreme Court of Queensland for a copy of the deed poll document. after 1 February 2004, contact the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Divorce records	Contact the Family Law Courts to view or copy records relating to divorces after 1974.
Health Practitioner Tribunal or Legal Practitioner Tribunal records	Contact the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), which holds these records.