Find Family Court Records in Davis County
Davis County family court records are held by the Second Judicial District Court at the Davis County Justice Center in Farmington. One of Utah's fastest-growing counties with roughly 360,000 residents, Davis County handles a significant volume of family law case filings each year. This page explains how to locate Davis County family court records, how to search them online and in person, what those court documents contain, where historical records are archived, and how to get legal help when you need it.
Davis County Quick Facts
Davis County Family Court Records: Access and Search
The main access point for Davis County family court records is the Second Judicial District Court clerk's office at 800 West State Street, Farmington, UT 84025. Phone: (801) 451-4300. The clerk maintains all case files for family law matters filed in Davis County, including divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, adoption, and guardianship proceedings. Walk-in requests for case lookups, plain copies, and certified copies are accepted during regular business hours.
The Davis County Clerk is also at 800 West State Street, Farmington, UT 84025, phone (801) 451-4321. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page; certified copies cost more. Confirm current rates before visiting, as fees can change.
Having a case number or party name ready before your visit reduces time spent at the clerk's counter and speeds up your search.
Noting the case number from a directory reference before your visit reduces time spent at the clerk's counter and speeds up your search.
For online searching, XChange at utcourts.gov covers all Davis County Second District Court family law case records. Remote access requires registration and a subscription or per-search fee. Free public terminals connected to XChange are available at the Davis County Justice Center. Parties with active cases may use the MyCourtCase portal for free access to their own case dockets, documents, and hearing schedules without any subscription.
Written GRAMA requests under Utah Code § 63G-2 may be submitted to the Second District Court clerk's office by mail or in person. The court must respond within 10 business days per Rule 4-202 of the Utah Rules of Judicial Administration. Utah Constitution Article I, Section 11 provides the underlying open courts guarantee that supports public access to Davis County family court records.
Note: Dissolution of marriage case files are classified as private records in Utah. The resulting orders and decrees, however, remain public and may be requested by anyone from the Davis County clerk's office.
Second District Court for Davis County
The Second Judicial District Court serves both Davis County and Weber County. For Davis County residents, the relevant courthouse is the Davis County Justice Center at 800 West State Street, Farmington, UT 84025. This facility handles all general jurisdiction matters for the county, including the full range of family law filings. The court also covers criminal felony cases, major civil disputes, and probate proceedings.
The Davis County Justice Court is also housed at the Justice Center, phone (801) 451-4488, email justicecourt@co.davis.ut.us, hours 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays. The justice court handles misdemeanors, traffic violations, and small claims matters up to $10,000. It does not have jurisdiction over family law cases. Divorce, custody, support, and adoption filings all go to the Second District Court, not the justice court.
The Second Judicial District Court's official page on utcourts.gov lists current courthouse hours, judge assignments, and clerk contact information for both the Davis County and Weber County locations.
Checking the official court page before your visit ensures you have the latest hours and contact details for the Davis County Justice Center.
A juvenile court division also operates within Davis County for cases involving minors, including delinquency, abuse and neglect, and termination of parental rights. Juvenile court records in Davis County are restricted from public access to protect the minors involved. Those case files are kept separately from district court family law filings and are not searchable through XChange by the general public.
Types of Family Court Records in Davis County
The Second District Court in Farmington handles every standard type of family law case for Davis County residents. Divorce, formally dissolution of marriage, generates the most family court filings. The case file grows from the initial petition through the final decree, collecting all motions, orders, financial declarations, and hearing transcripts along the way. The final divorce decree, which addresses property division, spousal support if any, and all child-related arrangements, is a public document that anyone may request from the clerk's office.
Child custody cases arise both inside divorce proceedings and as standalone filings between unmarried parents. Under Title 81 of the Utah Code, effective September 1, 2024, custody is determined by the best interests of the child standard at § 81-9-202. Judges in Davis County consider the strength of each parent's bond with the child, each parent's ability to provide stability and meet daily needs, and the child's own preferences when old enough to express them. The optional parent-time schedule under § 81-9-303 establishes 145 overnights per year for the non-primary parent as a baseline.
Other family law case types in Davis County include paternity actions to establish legal fatherhood, step-parent and agency adoptions, guardianship petitions for minors and adults, child support orders and modifications, protection from abuse orders, and custody modification petitions when circumstances change after an original order. Each type produces its own set of court documents filed with the Second District Court clerk. Orders and final decrees from all these case types are public records in Davis County.
Some documents within a Davis County family court file are restricted. Mental health evaluations ordered by the court are not part of the public file. Adoption case files are sealed by statute once finalized. Records in cases involving domestic violence victims may be protected from public disclosure. Information about minors in any case type is handled with extra care under court rules.
Davis County Historical Family Court Records
Davis County was established in 1852 as one of the original Utah Territory counties. Its court records go back to the territorial period, making it one of the sources for early Utah family law history. These older case files, including divorce records from 1875 to 1886, are not available through the modern XChange system. Researchers looking for historical family case records from Davis County need to contact the Utah State Archives.
The Utah State Archives at 346 South Rio Grande Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 holds a substantial collection of Davis County historical court materials. Their holdings include Davis County Probate Court records, District Court civil and criminal cases, divorce records from 1875 to 1886, Kaysville Cemetery interment records from 1869 to 1982, and naturalization records from 1896 to 1929. Some of these records have been digitized and can be searched online; others require a mail or in-person request.
The Utah State Archives court records page for Davis County describes the available collections and explains how to submit research requests for historical family court filings.
Reviewing the archives collection description before submitting a request saves time and helps you identify whether the specific record type you need has been preserved and indexed.
For records from the mid-1900s onward that are not yet transferred to the archives, the Second District Court clerk in Farmington can direct you to the correct storage location. Older files may be in off-site storage and could require several business days to retrieve. Planning ahead is especially important for researchers working with historical Davis County family court filings from before electronic records began.
Note: The Utah State Archives can confirm whether a specific record exists at no charge before any copy fee applies. Contact the archives research team through their website at archives.utah.gov to begin a historical records inquiry.
How to Request Davis County Family Court Records
There are three main ways to request family court records in Davis County: in person, online through XChange, or by submitting a written GRAMA request. Each method works, and the best choice depends on what you need and how quickly you need it.
In-person requests at the Second District Court clerk's office at 800 West State Street, Farmington are the fastest way to get copies of specific documents. Bring the case number or the full name of one party. Clerks can search for the case, pull the file, and make copies on the spot for standard fees. Certified copies are available for documents you need for legal purposes. If a file is in off-site storage because of its age, the clerk can arrange to retrieve it, though this may take additional time.
Online requests through XChange at utcourts.gov allow you to search case information remotely. Registered users can view docket entries and, for many cases, download document images directly. For documents not available in digital form, an in-person or mail request to the clerk's office is needed. Per-search fees and monthly subscription options are both available for XChange.
Written GRAMA requests may be mailed to the Davis County Second District Court clerk at 800 West State Street, Farmington, UT 84025. Describe the case by party name, case number, and document type as specifically as possible. Include your contact information and preferred delivery method. The clerk has 10 business days to respond. Once approved, copies can be mailed or held for pickup. A fee waiver through a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis is available for qualified low-income requestors, covering both filing fees and copy costs.
Legal Help for Davis County Family Court Cases
Davis County residents navigating family court have access to free and low-cost legal resources in addition to private attorneys.
Utah Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to income-qualifying residents of Davis County. Their attorneys handle family law matters including divorce, custody, and protective orders. Start the intake process at utahlegalservices.org. If you do not qualify for free services, the Utah State Bar's lawyer referral line at (801) 531-9077 can connect you with a licensed family law attorney who handles Davis County cases.
The Utah Courts self-help center at utcourts.gov offers the Online Court Assistance Program (OCAP) at utcourts.gov/forms, which walks users through preparing common family court forms for Davis County filings. The completed forms are accepted at the Second District Court clerk's office in Farmington. For parties who cannot afford fees, a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis is available from the clerk or on the courts forms page. The Open Courts Compendium for Utah explains public access rights to family court records under Utah law and the state constitution, and is a useful reference for anyone researching Davis County case files.
Note: The Davis County Sheriff's Office maintains a publicly accessible inmate roster for currently incarcerated individuals at the county detention facility. This is separate from family court records but may be relevant when researching related criminal matters that intersect with a family law case.
Cities in Davis County
Davis County includes several growing communities, all served by the Second Judicial District Court in Farmington for family law matters.
Nearby Counties
Davis County sits between Salt Lake County to the south and Weber County to the north. File family law cases in the county where you reside.