> For AI agents: read the machine-readable documentation index at [https://corpuslaw.us/llms.txt](https://corpuslaw.us/llms.txt) or the single-file full reference at [https://corpuslaw.us/llms-full.txt](https://corpuslaw.us/llms-full.txt).

Case-law access map · checked November 7, 2026

# Where to read court opinions for free, state by state

If you need an opinion and don't know where to look, this map says which free sources hold each state's court opinions, from which years, and where we could not check a site. Corpus doesn't host or search opinions, so every link goes to another site.

Not legal advice. Check the court's own website before relying on any listing.

## At a glance

- 49 states: free and searchable up to today, for the highest court, from some free source.
- 2 states: free sources, with gaps.
- 0 states: limited: no free current source found.
- 11 states (marked on the map with a dot): highest court's own website refused our automated check.

## All states

| State | Status | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| [Alabama](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/alabama) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1820 to today (CourtListener from 1873; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Alaska](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/alaska) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1887 to today (CourtListener from 1959; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Arizona](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/arizona) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1817 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Arkansas](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/arkansas) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1820 to today (CourtListener from 1879; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [California](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/california) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1803 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Colorado](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/colorado) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1864 to today (CourtListener from 1880; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Connecticut](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/connecticut) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1764 to today (CourtListener from 1819; Caselaw Access Project to 2014). |
| [Delaware](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/delaware) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1770 to today (CourtListener from 1793; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [District of Columbia](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/district-of-columbia) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1840 to today (CourtListener from 1862; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Florida](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/florida) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1825 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Georgia](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/georgia) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1805 to today (CourtListener from 1808; Caselaw Access Project to 2018). |
| [Hawaii](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/hawaii) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1847 to today (CourtListener from 1848; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [Idaho](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/idaho) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1866 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Illinois](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/illinois) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1771 to today (CourtListener from 1878; Caselaw Access Project to 2011). |
| [Indiana](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/indiana) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1817 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Iowa](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/iowa) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1839 to today (CourtListener from 1857; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Kansas](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/kansas) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1858 to today (CourtListener from 1864; the court's own site; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [Kentucky](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/kentucky) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1718 to today (CourtListener from 1881; the court's own site from 1996; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Louisiana](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/louisiana) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1809 to today (CourtListener from 1878; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Maine](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/maine) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1820 to today (CourtListener from 1904; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Maryland](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/maryland) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1658 to today (CourtListener from 1771; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [Massachusetts](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/massachusetts) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1671 to today (CourtListener from 1781; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [Michigan](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/michigan) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1805 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Minnesota](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/minnesota) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1830 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Mississippi](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/mississippi) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1818 to today (CourtListener from 1859; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Missouri](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/missouri) | Gaps; website refused our check | Gaps: CourtListener shows no automatic collection of new opinions from Missouri Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Missouri; the website of Supreme Court of Missouri refused our automated check. |
| [Montana](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/montana) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1868 to today (CourtListener from 1885; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [Nebraska](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/nebraska) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1871 to today (the court's own site; CourtListener from 1881). |
| [Nevada](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/nevada) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1865 to today (CourtListener from 1867; Caselaw Access Project to 2013). |
| [New Hampshire](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/new-hampshire) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1796 to today (CourtListener). |
| [New Jersey](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/new-jersey) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1775 to today (CourtListener from 1857; Caselaw Access Project to 2018). |
| [New Mexico](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/new-mexico) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1852 to today (CourtListener from 1867; Caselaw Access Project to 2016). |
| [New York](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/new-york) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1682 to today (CourtListener from 1806; the court's own site from 1847; Caselaw Access Project to 2018). |
| [North Carolina](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/north-carolina) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1778 to today (CourtListener from 1800; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [North Dakota](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/north-dakota) | Gaps; website refused our check | Gaps: CourtListener's newest opinions from North Dakota Supreme Court are out of date; CourtListener shows no automatic collection of new opinions from North Dakota Court of Appeals. |
| [Ohio](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/ohio) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1816 to today (CourtListener from 1825; the court's own site from 1992; Caselaw Access Project to 2018). |
| [Oklahoma](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/oklahoma) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1890 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Oregon](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/oregon) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1847 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Pennsylvania](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/pennsylvania) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1759 to today (CourtListener; the court's own site from 1998). |
| [Rhode Island](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/rhode-island) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1716 to today (CourtListener from 1828; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [South Carolina](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/south-carolina) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1700 to today (CourtListener from 1812; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [South Dakota](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/south-dakota) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1890 to today (CourtListener). |
| [Tennessee](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/tennessee) | Free and searchable; website refused our check | Free and searchable from 1791 to today (CourtListener from 1811; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Texas](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/texas) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1840 to today (CourtListener from 1892; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Utah](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/utah) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1861 to today (CourtListener; the court's own site from 1997). |
| [Vermont](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/vermont) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1780 to today (CourtListener from 1852; Caselaw Access Project to 2016). |
| [Virginia](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/virginia) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1729 to today (CourtListener from 1800; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [Washington](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/washington) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1854 to today (CourtListener from 1889; the court's own site from 2013; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [West Virginia](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/west-virginia) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1864 to today (CourtListener from 1873; Caselaw Access Project to 2017). |
| [Wisconsin](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/wisconsin) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1839 to today (CourtListener from 1842; the court's own site from 1995; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Wyoming](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/wyoming) | Free and searchable | Free and searchable from 1870 to today (CourtListener from 1883; Caselaw Access Project to 2019). |
| [Federal courts](https://corpuslaw.us/case-law/federal) | n/a | The Supreme Court's own website has opinions back to 1991. For the lower federal courts, GovInfo has no opinions from 36 current courts. |

## How we checked

- We opened each court's own opinion pages and four free indexes (CourtListener, the Caselaw Access Project, Google Scholar and GovInfo) with an automated tool on November 7, 2026, and wrote down what it could read: the years listed, whether opinion text can be searched, and whether the site let it in.
- “Free and searchable” means we found, for the highest court, a free source with text search that reaches today: the court's own website, or CourtListener when its court record shows it collecting that court's opinions and, where we measured years, its newest opinion is within 120 days of its bulk snapshot. Years can chain across those sources and the Caselaw Access Project, which holds published opinions only up to about 2017 to 2020.
- “Gaps” means free sources exist but a stretch of years is missing, or none we found is both current and confirmed searchable. “Limited” means we found no free source showing that court's recent opinions.
- A dot on the map marks a state whose highest-court website refused our automated check that day. That does not mean the court hides its opinions, and a person using a browser may well get in. It is a gap in our check, not a verdict.
- Years marked “inferred” come from a description of the site, not from the site itself.
- A site that needs a script-enabled browser to list opinions could not be read by our tool, so its years and search are not measured.
- We did not check trial courts one by one. Our survey lists no free statewide source of trial-court opinions.

## Check it yourself

- [CourtListener](https://www.courtlistener.com/)
- [Caselaw Access Project (Harvard)](https://case.law/)
- [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com/)
- [GovInfo (U.S. Courts Opinions)](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscourts)

Data: [Corpus Open (open source)](https://github.com/teakesdev/corpus-open). CourtListener bulk data (public domain), snapshot Sep 30, 2026.

Corpus doesn't host or search court opinions. It does search statutes and city codes: https://corpuslaw.us/search

Not legal advice. Check the court's own website before relying on any listing.