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    "original_url": "https:\/\/reason.com\/2026\/09\/28\/feds-hike-fees-for-court-records\/?mc_eid=d824ab4cc6&utm_source=Reason%2BMagazine&utm_campaign=d2f189372c-reason_brand%7Cnew_at_reason%7C2026_09_28b&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_31d7ef7f57-d2f189372c-589886052",
    "parsed_content": "Public records\nFederal Courts Are Running a Surplus Charging for Public Records\nThe Public Access to Court Electronic Records system rakes in about $145 million per year but only costs a fraction of that to operate.\nC.J. Ciaramella\n|\nFrom the October 2026 issue\nShare on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL\n Add Reason to Google\nMedia Contact & Reprint Requests\n (Photo: Photovs\/Dreamstime)\n Listen to this article 3 min For years, members of Congress and advocates of open government have been urging the federal court system to eliminate fees for its electronic records. In June, the federal judiciary took a look at the problem\u2014and decided to hike the fees.\nThe Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts\u00a0announced\u00a0that it was temporarily raising the search and download fees for its Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database. Temporary fees tend to be like \"temporary\" emergency measures, but the judiciary says the extra revenue will cover the cost of completing a long-awaited modernization of the clunky and frustrating system, which it estimates will require $700 million to $800 million over six years. That project, which was spurred by two serious data breaches, is welcome news to the many lawyers, reporters, and researchers who rely on PACER to follow federal cases. But it ignores a central problem: The court system\u00a0overcharged\u00a0PACER users for years while letting its database deteriorate.\nPowered By10 SecPanetta Calls Trump-Xi Summit a 'Missed Opportunity' NextStayUnder the E-Government Act of 2002, the federal judiciary is supposed to collect only enough revenue from PACER users to cover the costs of maintaining the database. But for years, PACER raked in about $145 million annually while incurring about $3 million a year in operating costs.\nPACER currently charges 10 cents per page for court records and searches. There is a $3 cap on large documents, and users pay nothing if their bill is less than $15 per quarter. Most casual users pay nothing, but costs can quickly add up for news organizations, researchers, and legal professionals.\nEven the Justice Department pays to search PACER, to the tune of\u00a0about $5 million\u00a0a year. That's right: The government shuffles money between branches so government employees can look at court records that the government already owns.\n\"Distribution of documents on the internet at costs that resemble 1970s copyshop fees is ridiculous in today's day and age,\" Carl Malamud, a prominent public domain advocate,\u00a0told\u00a0me in 2019. The situation also strikes many legislators as ridiculous. In 2020, the House\u00a0passed\u00a0the Open Courts Act, which would eliminate PACER's paywall. The bill failed to pass the Senate, but Sens. Ron Wyden (D\u2013Ore.) and John Kennedy (R\u2013La.)\u00a0reintroduced\u00a0it this year.\n\"Americans should not have to sell plasma or wrestle with clunky government websites just to read public court records,\" Kennedy\u00a0said\u00a0in a press release. \"PACER is old, very expensive and extremely burdensome to use. The Open Courts Act would drag this outdated system into the 21st century, protect court records from hackers and give taxpayers a better deal. Government services ought to serve the American people\u2014not make them want to put their head through a wall.\"\nThis article originally appeared in print under the headline \"Feds Hike Fees for Court Records.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-09-28T10:30:54+00:00",
    "author_name": "C.J. Ciaramella",
    "site_name": "Reason",
    "section": "Public records",
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    "ai_headline": "Federal Courts Are Running a Surplus Charging for Public Records",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Federal Courts Hike Fees for Public Records",
    "ai_excerpt": "The federal judiciary has increased fees for its PACER database, despite running a significant surplus for years. This move aims to fund a modernization project, but critics argue it ignores the system's history of overcharging and deterioration.",
    "ai_subject_tags": [
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        "Government Transparency",
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