> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.docketlayer.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Case ID format

> US federal case number format reference. State and Canadian case ID formats vary by court — see /v2/status for each court's pattern and example.

US federal case numbers follow a standard format across all district and bankruptcy courts. Understanding the format helps you construct valid `case_id` values for DocketLayer queries.

For state and Canadian courts, case ID formats vary by court. Each court's expected format and an example are available in the `case_id_format` field of the `/v2/status` response.

## US federal standard format

```
division:year-type-number
```

| Component  | Description                       | Example          |
| ---------- | --------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| `division` | Division number within the court  | `1`              |
| `year`     | Two-digit year the case was filed | `24`             |
| `type`     | Case type code                    | `cv`, `bk`, `cr` |
| `number`   | Sequential case number            | `01234`          |

## Case type codes

| Code | Type                              |
| ---- | --------------------------------- |
| `cv` | Civil                             |
| `bk` | Bankruptcy                        |
| `cr` | Criminal                          |
| `mc` | Miscellaneous                     |
| `ap` | Adversary proceeding (bankruptcy) |

## Examples

| Case ID         | Court | Type       | Description                             |
| --------------- | ----- | ---------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `1:24-cv-01234` | nysd  | Civil      | Civil case filed in 2024, SDNY          |
| `1:22-bk-11068` | deb   | Bankruptcy | Bankruptcy case filed in 2022, Delaware |
| `5:20-cv-03010` | cand  | Civil      | Civil case filed in 2020, NDCA          |
| `2:23-cr-00456` | cacd  | Criminal   | Criminal case filed in 2023, CDCA       |

## Finding a case number

Case numbers appear on all court filings and on the PACER docket sheet. You can look up case numbers on [PACER](https://pacer.uscourts.gov) using party name, attorney, or other search criteria.

## Validation

DocketLayer validates case ID format on receipt. A malformed case ID returns a 400 error and no charge. Common mistakes:

* Missing the colon separator between division and year: `124-cv-01234` is wrong, `1:24-cv-01234` is correct
* Using a four-digit year: `1:2024-cv-01234` is wrong, `1:24-cv-01234` is correct
* Including spaces or special characters other than the colon and hyphen separators