Utah Court Records: How to Search, What's Public, and How to Seal Them (2026)

Utah's main court records tool is not free. Xchange, the state's public case search system, charges a setup fee plus a monthly subscription, which surprises a lot of people expecting a free public lookup the way some other states offer. This guide covers what Xchange actually costs, the free alternatives that exist alongside it, and how Utah's expungement process changed as of January 1, 2026.

Information last verified on 2026-08-10. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Xchange: Utah's Paid Statewide Case Search

Xchange is described by the Utah Courts as "a repository of district court and justice court case information," providing "public record case information entered into the Courts Information System (CORIS) by court staff." That includes party names and addresses, assigned judges, attorneys of record, documents filed, hearing dates, judgments, and case outcomes.

The cost is the part that catches people off guard. Xchange requires a $25.00 one-time setup fee, then a $40.00 monthly subscription that covers up to 500 searches. Searches beyond that in a given month run $0.35 each, and pulling an actual document costs $1.00. Subscribing means emailing a signed agreement to xchange@utcourts.gov, with approval typically taking about 48 business hours. This is not a casual one-off tool. It is built for attorneys, employers, and others who need repeated access.

MyCase: Free, But Only for Your Own Cases

For a free alternative, Utah offers MyCase, but it comes with a real limitation: it only lets you view your own cases, and it requires identity verification through a Utah driver license or state ID before you can log in. If you are trying to look up someone else's case, or a case you are not personally a party to, MyCase will not work for that.

Public Terminals: The Other Free Option

Utah Courts confirm directly that "public terminals are available at most district court locations," which gives you a no-cost path to search the same underlying case information Xchange provides, without a subscription. The Utah State Law Library also offers public access. If you only need to check one case, a terminal visit avoids Xchange's setup and monthly fees entirely.

What's Public and What Isn't

Utah classifies court records as public or non-public under UCJA Rule 4-202.02, part of the state's Code of Judicial Administration. The rule's title suggests a binary classification structure rather than the kind of remote-versus-courthouse-only middle tier some other states use, but its exact list of excluded categories was not independently confirmed for this article. If you need to know whether a specific case type, such as a juvenile, mental health, or protective-order matter, is publicly available, confirm directly with the court rather than assuming based on a general classification framework.

Sealing Your Record: Expungement and the 2026 Clean Slate Restart

Utah's own courts describe expungement in plain terms: "When a court expunges your case: They seal all records about it. No one can see these records without permission from the court." That is a sealing remedy, not physical destruction, and it is governed by Utah Code Title 77, Chapter 40a.

Utah's automatic Clean Slate process, under Utah Code 77-40a-205, went through a real disruption worth knowing about if you are checking your own status. The Bureau of Criminal Identification's own page states there was "a pause on the courts batch Clean Slate/Automatic Expungements from October 1, 2024 through January 1, 2026," during which only form-requested expungements were processed automatically. That pause has ended. Utah Courts confirm that "as of January 1, 2026, individuals no longer need to file forms requesting automatic expungement," because "the court now finds and clears cases that qualify for automatic expungement on its own" through a resumed monthly batch review.

Waiting periods for automatic expungement, per the Bureau of Criminal Identification, are 5 years for a Class C misdemeanor or infraction, 6 years for a Class B misdemeanor, and 7 years for a Class A misdemeanor involving possession of a controlled substance. Felonies, sex offenses, domestic violence, DUI, and other serious offenses are excluded from this automatic track.

For anything outside the automatic track, Utah still runs a petition-based process that starts with applying for a Certificate of Eligibility from the Bureau of Criminal Identification, which is valid for 180 days from the date it is issued. For a full walkthrough of eligibility, waiting periods by offense, and the filing process, see the Utah expungement laws guide.

Certified Copies and Practical Steps

Both Xchange and MyCase search by party name or case number. Certified-copy fees were not independently confirmed for this article; contact the district court clerk where the case was filed to get the current fee before requesting one.

Using Utah Court Records the Right Way

These tools are built for checking your own case, verifying a matter you are personally involved in, or general public transparency, not for compiling background information on someone else. If a Utah court record is being used to screen a job applicant or tenant, that use is governed separately by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, and Xchange's subscription model is not designed as a screening product. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, records of criminal convictions are exempt from the standard seven-year reporting limit and can be reported indefinitely unless Utah has expunged them.

Related Resources

Court Records by State covers the full 50-state picture. See also How to Look Up Court Records, Are Court Records Public?, Utah Expungement Laws, Utah Background Check Laws, Utah Warrant Search, and Utah Public Records Laws.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Utah's public court record tools and expungement process. It is not legal advice. Portal fees, coverage, and statutes change; verify current details with Utah Courts or a Utah attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.

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Last updated: 2026-08-10. Portal facts and fees reflect their published status as of August 2026.