Teton County Public Records /Teton County Court Records

Teton County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Teton County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Teton County may access publicly available case information through official government channels, including clerk offices, courthouse terminals, and statewide judicial search tools. TetonRecords.us provides a directory of resources and publicly available information related to court records maintained by government agencies serving Teton County, Wyoming. Depending on the case type and applicable access rules, records available through official sources may include the following categories:

Civil case filings and judgments
Felony and misdemeanor criminal records
Probate and estate proceedings
Family law matters, including divorce and custody
Traffic and infraction records
Small claims filings
Juvenile records (subject to statutory restrictions)

Court records may be searched through five primary methods:

1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office. The Clerk of the District Court for the Ninth Judicial District maintains official case files for District Court proceedings. Members of the public may submit record requests in person or in writing. Providing the full case number, party name, or filing date assists staff in locating the correct file. Requests for certified copies or extensive research may be subject to fees.

2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals. Pursuant to Wyoming Judicial Branch policy, access to filed documents is available for free public viewing at designated access terminals located in courthouses across the state. These terminals allow inspection of electronically filed documents without charge. Terminal access does not extend to sealed, restricted, or expunged records.

3. Online Court Search. The Wyoming Judicial Branch maintains statewide online resources through which members of the public may search for case information. Case name searches and background checks to determine whether a case exists in District Court public records are available through the official county portal.

4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools. The Wyoming Judicial Branch provides centralized access to court information statewide. Users may search by party name, case number, or filing date. Results reflect publicly accessible docket entries and may not include document images for all case types.

5. Written or Mail Requests. Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the Clerk of the District Court. Requests should identify the case by name, number, or approximate filing date. Processing times and applicable copy fees vary by request type.

Clerk of the District Court – Teton County
180 S. King Street
Jackson, WY 83001
Phone: (307) 733-2533
Clerk of the District Court

Are Court Records Public in Teton County

Court records maintained by the Ninth Judicial District in Teton County are presumptively open to the public under Wyoming law. Wyoming Statute § 16-4-201 establishes the public's right of access to government records, and Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedure and court administrative orders further govern access to judicial records. The Wyoming Supreme Court has affirmed that transparency in court proceedings is a foundational principle of the state's judicial system.

Records that are public under current law include:

Docket entries and case indexes
Party names and case numbers
Hearing dates and court calendars
Filed pleadings, motions, and orders
Final judgments and sentencing entries
Probate inventories and decrees

Certain categories of records are confidential, sealed, or restricted by statute or court order:

Juvenile delinquency and child protection records, protected under Wyoming Statute § 14-6-203
Adoption proceedings and related filings
Mental health commitment records
Records sealed by court order
Expunged criminal records
Protected personal identifiers, including Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth in certain filings

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While members of the public may inspect most public records at the courthouse or on designated terminals, not all documents are available through remote online search. Sealed filings and restricted exhibits remain inaccessible regardless of the method of access.

What Are Court Records in Teton County?

Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court in connection with a legal proceeding. In Teton County, court records are generated from the moment a case is initiated through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal. The Clerk of the District Court is responsible for accurately and effectively processing and managing the case files and court records of the Ninth Judicial District.

A docket entry is a chronological log of actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents filed by parties and the court. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document the prosecution of offenses by the state. Filed pleadings are the initial and responsive documents submitted by parties, whereas final judgments represent the court's conclusive resolution of the matter.

Public filings are accessible to any member of the public, subject to applicable rules. Sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public inspection by court order or statute. Trial court records are maintained at the originating court level, while appellate records are held by the Wyoming Supreme Court or intermediate appellate bodies.

Court records are created when a party files an initiating document, such as a complaint, petition, or indictment. The clerk assigns a case number, opens a file, and records each subsequent filing and court action as a docket entry. Records are updated continuously through hearings, orders, and final disposition. Upon conclusion, records may be archived, transferred to the Wyoming State Archives, or retained by the clerk's office depending on the applicable retention schedule.

What's Included in a Teton County Court Record?

A court record in Teton County may contain a range of documents and data depending on the case type and applicable public-access rules. The following information may appear within a publicly accessible court record:

Case identification: Case number, court name and division, and filing date
Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel of record
Case classification: Case type (civil, criminal, probate, family, traffic) and current status
Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, and court actions
Hearing information: Scheduled and past hearing dates, continuances, and minute entries
Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, briefs, notices, stipulations, and supporting exhibits where not restricted
Court orders and judgments: Temporary orders, final judgments, decrees, sentencing entries, custody rulings, and probate orders
Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, acquittals, and appellate decisions
Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly shown

Certain materials are excluded or restricted from public court records. Sealed filings are withheld by court order. Expunged matters are removed from public access pursuant to statute. Juvenile case files are confidential under Wyoming law. Adoption records are sealed. Protected personal data, including Social Security numbers and financial account numbers, is redacted from publicly accessible documents. Some exhibits, particularly those containing sensitive personal or proprietary information, may be filed under seal or withheld from public terminals.

Types of Courts in Teton County

The court structure serving Teton County operates under the Wyoming Judicial Branch and consists of two primary trial court levels, each with distinct jurisdiction and record-keeping responsibilities.

District Court – Ninth Judicial District. The District Court is Wyoming's court of general jurisdiction and handles the most serious matters filed in Teton County. The Clerk of the District Court maintains official records for all District Court proceedings.

Circuit Court – Ninth Judicial District. The Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial District, Teton County is a court of limited jurisdiction located in Jackson. The Circuit Court clerk maintains records for matters within that court's jurisdiction.

Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial District
250 E. Simpson Ave.
Jackson, WY 83001
Circuit Court – Teton County

What Types of Cases Do Teton County Courts Hear

The District Court hears civil disputes involving amounts exceeding $50,000, felony criminal matters, probate and estate proceedings, family law cases including divorce and child custody, and appeals from the Circuit Court. The Circuit Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, civil disputes involving lesser amounts, small claims, traffic infractions, and preliminary hearings in felony matters. Juvenile matters are heard in District Court but are subject to confidentiality protections under Wyoming Statute § 14-6-203. Federal matters arising in Wyoming are heard by the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, which maintains its own separate records system.

How to Search Teton County Court Records for Free?

Members of the public may inspect publicly accessible court records at no charge through in-person review at the courthouse or through designated public access terminals. The following table summarizes available methods and associated costs:

Method	Cost
In-person inspection at clerk's office	Free
Courthouse public access terminal	Free
Online case name search (District Court portal)	Free
Photocopies (per page)	Fee applies (approx. $1.00/page)
Certified copies	Fee applies
Extensive research by clerk staff	Fee may apply

A case/name search to determine whether a case exists in District Court public records is available through the Teton County official portal. This search functions as a background check against publicly available District Court records and is provided at no charge. Requests for specific case documents in a known case may be subject to per-page copy fees. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee. Members of the public seeking to review records without incurring copy costs may inspect documents in person at the clerk's office or at a courthouse terminal without charge.

How Long Does Teton County Keep Court Records?

Retention periods for court records in Teton County are governed by judicial retention schedules established by the Wyoming Supreme Court and applicable state archival authority. Retention varies by case type and record category.

Permanent retention applies to judgment dockets, final orders in civil and criminal matters, probate decrees, and certain felony case files. These records are maintained indefinitely and may be transferred to the Wyoming State Archives for long-term preservation. The Wyoming State Archives holds county court records including criminal appearance dockets dating from 1869 through 1988, reflecting the historical depth of available records.

Retention periods for other record categories are shorter. Traffic and minor infraction records, misdemeanor case files, and civil matters below jurisdictional thresholds may be subject to destruction after a defined retention period, provided the records have been imaged or microfilmed in accordance with applicable rules. Paper files may be destroyed following imaging without loss of the legal record, as the electronic or microfilm copy constitutes the official record under Wyoming administrative rules.

A distinction exists among destruction, archival retention, sealing, redaction, and expungement. Destruction removes a record from existence after its retention period expires. Archival retention transfers a record to a repository for long-term preservation without public destruction. Sealing restricts access to a record that continues to exist. Redaction removes specific information from a document while preserving the remainder. Expungement, authorized under Wyoming statute, removes a criminal record from public access and, in some circumstances, from the official record entirely. Older records not yet digitized may exist in paper files, microfilm, or county and state archives and may require an in-person request to access.

How To Find a Court Docket in Teton County

A court docket is a chronological index of all actions taken in a specific case, distinct from the full case file, which contains the actual documents filed. The docket records each filing, hearing, order, and status change from case initiation through final disposition. It does not contain the full text of filed documents unless those documents are attached or linked within an electronic docketing system.

Dockets for District Court cases in Teton County may be accessed through the clerk's office in person, through courthouse public access terminals, or through the official county portal's case name search function. The case/name search tool allows members of the public to determine whether a case exists and to identify the associated docket entries. To locate a docket, the requestor should provide the full name of a party or the case number. Partial name searches may return multiple results requiring further identification.

A court docket contains hearing dates and times, continuances, motions filed and their disposition, minute entries summarizing court proceedings, status updates, and references to orders entered. The docket does not include full document images unless the system provides linked electronic filings, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits filed under restriction.

Hearing calendars and upcoming court schedules are separately available through the District Court calendar, which lists scheduled hearings and allows members of the public to identify upcoming proceedings. Judicial assistant contact information for presiding judges is accessible through the same resource. The Wyoming Judicial Branch's eFiling system provides additional access to electronically filed documents through courthouse terminals, consistent with public-access rules applicable to each case type.