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

Utah's main court records tool is not free today, but that changes on January 1, 2027. 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. A law enacted in 2026 requires the Judicial Council to maintain a single public court record website that cannot charge for ordinary searching, effective January 1, 2027. This guide covers what Xchange costs now, the free alternatives that already exist alongside it, what the 2027 law changes, and how Utah's expungement process changed as of January 1, 2026.

Information last verified on 2026-09-02. 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.

Those figures were re-confirmed against the Utah Courts subscription page on September 2, 2026. They are set administratively, by Judicial Council rule under Utah Code 63G-2-702(4)(a), rather than by statute, so they can change without any legislative act. The 2027 law described below also limits what the Judicial Council may charge for the state's public court record website.

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 Changes on January 1, 2027

Utah enacted a law in 2026 that inverts the paid-access model described above. Two new sections, both enacted by Chapter 378 of the 2026 General Session and both effective January 1, 2027, require free public access to Utah court records online.

Utah Code 78A-1-204 provides that "the Judicial Council shall establish and maintain a single website that allows the public to search and access all public court records." That site must let you search by the name of a court, the name of a party, judge, or attorney, the name of a judicial district, a case number, a case type, a filing date, and the case status, and for criminal cases by the Utah Code section under which an offense is charged and the disposition of the charge. Subject to one exception, Subsection (4) provides that the Judicial Council "may not require a person to pay a fee to: (a) access the court record website; (b) create an account or register to obtain access to the court record website; (c) conduct a search in the court record website; or (d) download a document from the court record website."

The exception sits in Utah Code 78A-2-301.7(3). The Judicial Council "may not establish fees for the search and retrieval of records in the court record website," except that it may, by rule, require payment for each search beyond 50 in a calendar month and each document download beyond 50 in a calendar month. High-volume commercial users can therefore still be billed. Someone checking a case or two cannot.

Free does not mean anonymous. Section 78A-1-204(2) requires the site to provide remote access through a network that is secure and that provides restricted access under security standards set by the Judicial Council, including a registration requirement under which a prospective user must provide their identity, business or residence address, and citizenship status.

Neither section names Xchange, and neither says what becomes of it. The Judicial Council has not yet published the implementing rules. Until January 1, 2027, the Xchange fees above are what applies, so check the date on this guide and confirm with Utah Courts directly if you are reading it near or after that date.

What's Public and What Isn't

Utah's classification of court records has a statutory source that is worth knowing, because it also explains where the fee schedule above comes from. Under Utah Code 63G-2-702, the judiciary is subject to the Government Records Access and Management Act except as that section provides. Subsection (3) requires that "the Judicial Council, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the courts, and other administrative units in the judicial branch shall designate and classify their records in accordance with Sections 63G-2-301 through 63G-2-305." That range includes public records (Section 63G-2-301), private records (Section 63G-2-302), controlled records (Section 63G-2-304), and protected records (Section 63G-2-305), so the working question about a Utah court record is which of those categories it falls into.

Subsection (4)(a) is the authority behind both the court rules and the fees: it directs the Judicial Council to "make rules governing requests for access, fees, classification, designation, segregation, management, retention, denials and appeals of requests for access and retention, and amendment of judicial records."

The rule made under that authority is UCJA Rule 4-202.02, part of the state's Code of Judicial Administration. The rule as posted by Utah Courts (effective May 18, 2026) opens with a presumption: "Court records are public unless otherwise classified by this rule." It then sorts records into public, sealed, private, protected, juvenile and safeguarded lists. Expunged records are sealed, involuntary commitment cases under court order are private, and protective-order and stalking-injunction actions are private except that the case history, judgments, orders, decrees and the record of public hearings in them are public. 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 clerk 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: 2026-09-02. Xchange fee figures were re-confirmed against the Utah Courts subscription page on September 2, 2026. This guide must be re-checked before January 1, 2027, when Utah Code 78A-1-204 and 78A-2-301.7 take effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Utah's court records search free?

Not the main tool, at least through the end of 2026. Xchange charges a $25 setup fee plus $40 per month. MyCase is free but only shows your own cases with ID verification. Public terminals at most district courthouses are free. Starting January 1, 2027, Utah Code 78A-1-204 requires a single public court record website that cannot charge a fee to access it, register, search it, or download a document.

How much does Xchange cost?

A $25 one-time setup fee, then $40 per month covering up to 500 searches. Additional searches beyond 500 cost $0.35 each, and document downloads cost $1.00 each. These amounts are set by Judicial Council rule rather than by statute, so confirm the current schedule with Utah Courts before subscribing.

Is Utah court records search becoming free?

Yes, for ordinary use. Utah Code 78A-1-204 and 78A-2-301.7, enacted by Chapter 378 of the 2026 General Session and effective January 1, 2027, require the Judicial Council to maintain a single public court record website and bar fees for access, account creation, searching, and downloads. The one exception lets the Judicial Council charge for searches beyond 50 and downloads beyond 50 in a calendar month. The site will still require registration, including your identity, address, and citizenship status.

What's the difference between Xchange and MyCase?

Xchange is a paid subscription that searches district and justice court case information broadly. MyCase is free but limited to viewing your own cases and requires identity verification with a Utah driver license or state ID.

What does expungement mean in Utah?

It means sealing the case records so no one can see them without court permission. Utah's own courts describe it as sealing, not destroying, the file.

Is Utah's Clean Slate expungement automatic now?

Yes, as of January 1, 2026. After a pause that ran from October 1, 2024, the courts resumed automatically finding and clearing qualifying cases without requiring a form request.

Do I need a Certificate of Eligibility to get my Utah record expunged?

Only for the petition-based track. The Certificate, issued by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and valid for 180 days, applies when a case doesn't qualify for the automatic Clean Slate process.

Can I use Xchange or MyCase to screen a tenant or job applicant?

You can search public records, but using them for an employment or housing decision is separately governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. This guide addresses personal lookups, not screening compliance.