Clark County, Nevada Court Records

Clark County Court Records

Clark County court records are official documents of court proceedings that take place within the county’s jurisdiction. These records can be used to conduct legal research, verify the status of a case, and check an individual’s criminal history. The Clerk of the Courts is responsible for maintaining court records, and they can be retrieved in person through record custodians alongside other Clark County Public Records.

In Clark County, Nevada, there are both civil court records and criminal court records. Civil court records are documentation of court proceedings that involve conflicts between persons or organizations. On the other hand, criminal court records contain information about criminal charges like assault, theft, or murder.

Are Court Records Public in Clark County?

The Nevada Open Records Act grants the public access to government records and documents in the state of Nevada. The law applies to all state and local government agencies, including Clark County.

Individuals can access and duplicate court records in Clark County, with a few exceptions. Court records may be sealed or confidential if they contain sensitive information related to ongoing criminal investigations or juvenile matters.

Sealed domestic records (except adoption cases) can be viewed by attorneys of record upon presentation of proper identification. Court orders are required to access adoption records and sealed civil and criminal records.

What Do Clark County Court Records Contain?

The information featured in Clark County court records provides details of the proceedings in a legal case. Attorneys, judges, and the public can use the record to understand legal issues and follow up on cases. The components of these records typically include:

Names of parties involved
Aliases of parties involved (if applicable)
Case number
Filing date
Court location
Case type
Case status
Attorney’s name
Judge’s name
Pleadings and motions
Court orders and judgments
Judgment type
Judgment date
Docket date
Exhibits
Hearing date and time
Court comments and remarks

Where to Conduct a Clark County Case Lookup

Court records are generated when a court proceeding takes place. They contain the details of the proceedings and are usually managed made by the court clerk. A case lookup can be conducted at:

How to Conduct a Clark County Court Case Search

Individuals seeking court records in Clark County can search online or visit the courthouse where the case was filed. By using the court directory, individuals can find address and contact information of the different justice courts in Clark County.

The Web Public Portal allows users to access records filed at Clark County Justice Courts, with the exception of the Las Vegas Justice Court, whose records can only be accessed through the Las Vegas Township Justice Court Records Inquiry Portal. At these portals, inquirers can search for court records by name, case number or ticket number.

Information about cases in Clark County District Court can be found on the Smart Search Portal. Users are required to enter the case number, First Name and Last Name of case party or initiate a wildcard search.

Wildcard search can be used when searching by name of case party, company name or an attorney name. It can be conducted by entering a minimum of three characters followed by an asterisk for the last name, and a minimum of one character followed by an asterisk for the first name.

For example, a person searching for John Smith, would type "Smith, J*" or "Smi*, J*". Using a wildcard character to search for a person's first and last name can provide a very long list of search results, which could cause a delay in system response time.

An alternative search method on the Smart Search portal would be to use the Advanced Filtering Options to narrow search results. Available filter options includes; search by nickname, business name, state ID number, FBI number, SO number, booking number, date of birth, cast type, case status, filing date, and Judicial officer.

Record seekers should note that the Portal will not display any sealed cases or information that is exempt from disclosure. To access such information, a record seeker would have to visit the court where the case was filed for more information.

All cases filed at the Supreme Court of Nevada are available in an electronic database that can be searched by party name and case docket information. To access these records, inquirers would need to input the case number into the search box on the Find A Case Portal and select “search”. Alternatively, inquirers can search by entering the appellant or respondent’s last name or organization name in the caption box provided. First and middle names can be included for a more refined result.

Clark County Civil Court Case Records

Legal disputes between private citizens or companies are referred to as a civil case. Cases initiated in civil courts are filed in an effort to enforce some sort of agreement, contract, or obligation. The plaintiff may wish to recover property or money, collect damages for some sort of injury, or protect certain civil rights. Interested individuals can inspect and retrieve copies of civil court case records at the Clark County Justice Courts and District Court.

The Justice Court handles civil cases such as probable cause, arraignments, preliminary hearings, bond forfeitures, evictions, small claims, and other civil disputes where the amount in controversy does not exceed $15,000. Civil cases with a value greater than $15,000 are handled by the District Court.

Civil lawsuits filed at the Justice courts can be accessed at the courthouse or via the Web Public Access Portal. Those filed at the District Court can be obtained at the Records Division or online via the Smart Search Portal. Individuals interested in getting a certified, exemplified, or plain copy from the District Court can fill the copy request form and send it to recordsrequest@clarkcountycourts.us.

Clark County Criminal Court Case Records

A criminal court case record in Clark County is an official record of lawsuits filed against individuals who have broken a criminal law. The Justice courts hears cases that carry light sentences like misdemeanors and traffic trials while felonies and gross misdemeanors are tried in the District Court.

When someone commits a gross misdemeanor, they risk spending up to a year in county jail and/or paying a maximum fine of $2,000, depending on the severity of the crime. Felonies are more serious crimes, such as kidnapping and murder that carry death penalty or lengthy prison terms.

Similar to civil case court records, the Web Public Access Portal provides access to records of criminal cases filed at the Justice Courts. The Las Vegas Justice Court is an exception, as it maintains its own records on a separate court records inquiry portal. The Courthouse where the case was filed is another option for individuals who prefer to get criminal court case records in person.

How to Get Court Records Online for Free

There are several ways to get free access to Clark County court records. Using the Justice courts' online portal is one option. Record seekers are advised to read the terms and conditions for public record search at the portal before continuing. After agreeing to the conditions of use, users are taken to the public access portlet where they can conduct a free search. By entering the names of case parties and attorneys, date of birth, case type, case status, and party type into the spaces provided, the search results can be filtered for better outcomes.

Information about cases filed at the District court can be accessed through a free search portal. Click on “Smart Search” on the Portal's home page, then enter the name of a case party or case number and click on Submit. The portal will return several case options based on the users input, and these can be further filtered using the provided tools. Users can also change search criteria by entering new parameter or modifying existing ones on the Case Search tab.

Considered open to citizens of the United States, court records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:

The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.

Courts in Clark County

Here are the addresses and contact information of courts in Clark county, Nevada:

Eighth Judicial District Court
200 Lewis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89155
Phone: (702) 671-4528

Las Vegas Justice Court
200 Lewis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: (702) 671-3100

Boulder City Justice Court
501 Avenue G
Boulder City, Nevada 89005
Phone: (702) 455-8000

Henderson Justice Court
243 South Water Street
Henderson, NV 89015
Phone: (702) 455-7951

Moapa Justice Court
1340 East Highway 168
Moapa, NV 89025
Phone: (702) 864-2333

Moapa Valley Justice Court
320 North Moapa Valley Boulevard
Overton, NV 89040
Phone: (702) 397-2840

Bunkerville Justice Court
190 West Virgin Street
Bunkerville, NV 89007
Phone: (702) 346-5711

Laughlin Justice Court
101 Civic Way
Laughlin, NV 89029
Phone: (702) 298-4622

North Las Vegas Justice Court
2428 North Martin L. King Boulevard
North Las Vegas, NV 89032
Phone: (702) 455-7801

Goodsprings Justice Court
23120 Las Vegas Boulevard
Jean, NV 89019
Phone: (702) 874-1405

Mesquite Justice Court
500 Hillside Drive
Mesquite, NV 89027
Phone: (702) 346-5298

Searchlight Justice Court
1090 Cottonwood Cove Road
Searchlight, NV 89046
Phone: (702) 297-1252