Case File Numbering System

The County Clerk has used a numerical filing system since the recording of file #1 for each filing beginning in the 1880s and we progressed in numerical sequence through June 30, 1978 for the juvenile files and through December 31, 1978, for other files.

Numbering System


Our numbering system was divided into 3 sections being criminal, civil/domestic and probate/guardianships/adoption/mental illness. Commencing July 1, 1978 and January 1, 1979, we converted our system to computer docketing and the 9-digit numbering system, which is set up as follows:
Case Numbering Example
The first 2 digits of the case number are used to indicate the year the case was filed. The third digit is used to designate the case type. The next series of digits is the actual sequential number of the case beginning from "00001" in that particular year. The last digit of the case number is called the "check-digit" and is used to verify the correctness of the previous digits and year.

Case Types


Our office started with 3 case types: criminal, civil, and probate. The criminal case types contained all criminal actions and also contained paternity actions from April 6, 1891, to June 17, 1974. The civil case types contained all civil matters. It also contained all domestic and paternity matters up until 1980. In 1980 the civil and domestic cases were separated. Paternity cases remained a part of domestic cases from 1980 to 1982. Probate case types contained all probate, guardianship, adoption, and mental illness matters. Juvenile matters were set apart and were later separated into juvenile dependency and juvenile offender.
Case Type
 Number
Criminal 1
Civil 2
Domestic 3
Probate/Guardianship 4
Adoption/Paternity 5
Civil Commitment
 6
Juvenile Dependency
 7
Juvenile Offender
 8
Execution (judgment, lien, receivership)
 9
Prior to 1982, judgments were listed under the case type of 5 and juvenile matters were listed under the case type of 0.