What a clerk of court does
Which clerk keeps court files, divorces and probate cases in each state.
What the office does
The clerk of court keeps a court's case files, dockets, judgments and exhibits, issues certified copies and collects court fees. Some states have one clerk per county for all courts; others have separate clerks for general and limited courts, and some give probate to a separate court. In Texas, for example, the district clerk keeps felony, civil and divorce files while the county clerk keeps county court and probate files. In Virginia and Florida the clerk of the circuit court also records deeds. The table gives each state's arrangement.
Clerks give access to records but do not give legal advice. For a specific case, the court records guide explains how to find the right court.
The office in each state
| State | Court files | Divorce | Probate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Circuit Clerk (circuit and district courts) | — | Judge of Probate (Probate Court) |
| Alaska | Clerk of Court / records department, Alaska Court System (Superior and District Courts, four judicial districts) | Superior Court (decree); Health Analytics & Vital Records (divorce certificate) | Superior Court (Alaska Court System) |
| Arizona | Clerk of the Superior Court (Superior Court); justice and municipal courts for limited jurisdiction | Clerk of the Superior Court | Clerk of the Superior Court |
| Arkansas | Circuit Clerk | — | County Clerk (clerk for probate court) in many counties; Circuit Court, probate division |
| California | Clerk of the Superior Court (Superior Court of California, County of X) | — | Superior Court (probate) |
| Colorado | Clerk of the District Court / County Court (Colorado Judicial Branch); Denver County Court separate | Clerk of the District Court | District Court; Denver Probate Court in Denver |
| Connecticut | Clerk of the Superior Court (Judicial Branch) | — | Probate Court (54 regional districts) |
| Delaware | Prothonotary (Superior Court, per county); Clerks of the Family Court, Court of Common Pleas, JP Court | Family Court (county location) | Register of Wills (county; clerk of the Court of Chancery) |
| District of Columbia | Clerk of the Court, DC Superior Court | — | Register of Wills |
| Florida | Clerk of the Circuit Court | — | Clerk of the Circuit Court |
| Georgia | Clerk of Superior Court | — | Probate Court (Probate Judge) |
| Hawaii | Legal Documents Branch of the Circuit/Family/District Court (Hawaii State Judiciary, four circuits) | Family Court (Legal Documents Branch) of the circuit | Circuit Court |
| Idaho | Clerk of the District Court (county clerk); District Court and Magistrate Division (Idaho Judicial Branch) | Clerk of the District Court (decree); DHW Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (certificate) | Magistrate Division of the District Court |
| Illinois | Clerk of the Circuit Court | — | — |
| Indiana | Clerk of the Circuit Court | — | Clerk of the Circuit Court |
| Iowa | Clerk of District Court | Clerk of District Court | Clerk of District Court (district court sitting in probate) |
| Kansas | Clerk of the District Court | — | District Court (probate docket) |
| Kentucky | Circuit Court Clerk | Circuit Court Clerk (Circuit/Family Court) | District Court (Circuit Court Clerk); wills recorded by County Clerk |
| Louisiana | Clerk of Court (Clerk of the District Court); Orleans: Clerk of Civil District Court / Clerk of Criminal District Court | — | Clerk of Court (district court successions) |
| Maine | Clerk of the Superior Court; Clerk of the District Court | — | Register of Probate (county Probate Court) |
| Maryland | Clerk of the Circuit Court; District Court clerk | — | Register of Wills (clerk to the Orphans' Court) |
| Massachusetts | — | — | Register of Probate (Probate and Family Court) |
| Michigan | County Clerk (Clerk of the Circuit Court) | — | Probate Register |
| Minnesota | Court Administrator | — | Court Administrator (district court) |
| Mississippi | Circuit Clerk (circuit/county courts); Chancery Clerk (chancery) | Chancery Clerk | Chancery Clerk (Chancery Court) |
| Missouri | Circuit Clerk (Clerk of the Circuit Court) | Circuit Clerk | Probate Division of the Circuit Court (clerk) |
| Montana | Clerk of the District Court | — | Clerk of the District Court |
| Nebraska | Clerk of the District Court; County Court clerk magistrate | Clerk of the District Court | County Court |
| Nevada | County Clerk (ex officio Clerk of the District Court); Clark County: Clerk of the Court, Eighth Judicial District Court | — | District Court (clerk of the district court) |
| New Hampshire | Superior Court; Circuit Court - District Division (smaller civil, small claims, landlord/tenant) | — | Circuit Court - Probate Division |
| New Jersey | Superior Court of New Jersey (Clerk of the Superior Court / vicinage offices); Superior Court Records Center for divorce judgments | — | County Surrogate |
| New Mexico | District Court Clerk | — | Clerk of the Probate Court (county clerk) or District Court Clerk |
| New York | County Clerk (Supreme/County Court files); Clerk of the Court for other courts | — | Surrogate's Court |
| North Carolina | Clerk of Superior Court | — | — |
| North Dakota | Clerk of District Court | Clerk of District Court or County Recorder as listed by HHS | Clerk of District Court |
| Ohio | Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas | Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas (Domestic Relations Division) | Probate Court |
| Oklahoma | Court Clerk (clerk of the district court) | — | District Court / Court Clerk |
| Oregon | Circuit Court (Oregon Judicial Department, state-run); trial court administrator/records staff | Circuit Court; Center for Health Statistics (certificates) | Circuit Court (probate); County Court in Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Sherman, Wheeler |
| Pennsylvania | Prothonotary | — | Register of Wills |
| Rhode Island | Clerk of the Superior/District/Family Court (Rhode Island Judiciary) | — | Municipal Probate Court (city/town clerk) |
| South Carolina | Clerk of Court | — | Probate Judge / Probate Court |
| South Dakota | Clerk of Courts (circuit court) | — | Clerk of Courts (circuit court) |
| Tennessee | Circuit Court Clerk (circuit/general sessions); Clerk and Master (chancery); Criminal Court Clerk in some counties | — | Clerk and Master (Chancery Court) or Probate Court clerk where one exists |
| Texas | District Clerk (district courts); County Clerk (county courts, county courts at law, probate) | District Clerk | County Clerk |
| Utah | District Court clerk (state courts; Administrative Office of the Courts); Justice Court for limited-jurisdiction cases | District Court | District Court |
| Vermont | Civil Division, Vermont Superior Court (county unit) | — | Probate Division, Vermont Superior Court (county unit) |
| Virginia | Clerk of the Circuit Court | — | Clerk of the Circuit Court |
| Washington | County Clerk (clerk of the superior court); district/municipal court administrators for limited-jurisdiction courts | County Clerk (superior court) | County Clerk (superior court) |
| West Virginia | Circuit Clerk (clerk of the circuit court) | — | County Clerk (Clerk of the County Commission) |
| Wisconsin | Clerk of Circuit Court | Clerk of Circuit Court (judgment); State Vital Records Office / Register of Deeds (certificate) | Register in Probate |
| Wyoming | Clerk of District Court; Circuit Court clerk (Wyoming Judicial Branch) | Clerk of District Court (decree); WDH Vital Statistics Services (certificate) | District Court (Clerk of District Court) |
Each state links to its guide, where every office and fee carries its official source and check date. Fees shown are the state’s fee for a copy; the state guide lists the others.