---
title: "Start Docket Search"
method: POST
path: "/docket_searches"
tags: ["Litigation & Bankruptcy"]
---

# Start Docket Search

`POST /docket_searches`

Starts a new docket search for the given business UUID or person UUID.

By default, this endpoint executes synchronously and returns the completed
result. Send ``Prefer: respond-async`` to opt into asynchronous execution,
which returns ``202 Accepted`` immediately and delivers results via
webhooks or polling.

## Headers

- `Prefer` string, nullable — Request execution preference (RFC 7240). Use ``respond-async`` for asynchronous execution, ``wait=N`` to specify a synchronous timeout hint in seconds, or ``priority=low`` to route the task to the low-priority queue.

## Request body

- union — The request object containing the business ID or person ID of the entity the litigation/bankruptcy search is going to be performed for
  - V1BusinessDocketSearchRequest — Represents a docket business search request.
    - `type` 'Business'
    - `business_id` string, uuid, required — ID of the business to search for.
    - `options` DocketSearchOptions[] — Options controlling which types of docket searches to run. Defaults to both civil litigations and bankruptcy. Use ['Order.Litigations'] for civil dockets only, or ['Order.Bankruptcy'] for bankruptcy only.
  - V1PersonDocketSearchRequest — Represents a docket person search request.
    - `type` 'Person'
    - `person_id` string, uuid, required — ID of the person to search for.
    - `options` DocketSearchOptions[] — Options controlling which types of docket searches to run. Defaults to both civil litigations and bankruptcy. Use ['Order.Litigations'] for civil dockets only, or ['Order.Bankruptcy'] for bankruptcy only.
  - V1BusinessSearchDocketSearchRequest — Represents a business search docket search request
    - `type` 'BusinessSearch'
    - `business_search_id` string, uuid, required — The ID of the completed business search the docket search task should be run against.
    - `options` DocketSearchOptions[] — Options controlling which types of docket searches to run. Defaults to both civil litigations and bankruptcy. Use ['Order.Litigations'] for civil dockets only, or ['Order.Bankruptcy'] for bankruptcy only.
    - `additional_search_entities` V1AdditionalDocketSearchEntityRequest[], nullable — A list of additional entities to be searched along with the business search in the docket search.
      - `name` string, required — The name of the entity to search for.
      - `type` 'Business' | 'Person', required

## Response `201`

Response

- V1DocketSearchResponse — Represents a docket search response.
  - `id` string, uuid, required — ID of the docket search request
  - `search_entities` V1AdditionalDocketSearchEntityResponse[], required — A list of entities searched in the docket search.
    - `name` string, required — The name of the entity to search for.
    - `type` 'Business' | 'Person', required
    - `normalized_name` string, required
  - `business_id` string, uuid, nullable — ID of the business the search was performed for
  - `person_id` string, uuid, nullable — ID of the person the search was performed for
  - `business_search_id` string, uuid, nullable — ID of the business search the docket search was performed for
  - `state` 'PENDING' | 'EXECUTING' | 'COMPLETED' | 'FAILED' | 'CANCELLED', required
  - `error` string, nullable — Any errors that occurred during the docket search request.
  - `last_updated_at` string, date, required — Date the search was last updated
  - `dockets` V1DocketResponse[], required — A list of dockets associated with the search request.
    - `id` string, uuid, required — ID of the docket
    - `docket_number` string, required — Unique identifier for the Docket in the given court system
    - `court` string, required — Court in which the docket was filed
    - `state` 'US' | 'AL' | 'AK' | 'AZ' | 'AR' | 'CA' | 'CO' | 'CT' | 'DE' | 'DC' | 'FL' | 'GA' | 'HI' | 'ID' | 'IL' | 'IN' | 'IA' | 'KS' | 'KY' | 'LA' | 'ME' | 'MD' | 'MA' | 'MI' | 'MN' | 'MS' | 'MO' | 'MT' | 'NE' | 'NV' | 'NH' | 'NJ' | 'NM' | 'NY' | 'NC' | 'ND' | 'OH' | 'OK' | 'OR' | 'PA' | 'RI' | 'SC' | 'SD' | 'TN' | 'TX' | 'UT' | 'VT' | 'VA' | 'WA' | 'WV' | 'WI' | 'WY' | 'PR' | 'CN' | 'VI' | 'AE' | 'AA' | 'AP' | 'MX'
    - `division` string, nullable — Which court division
    - `judges` string[] — List of judges assigned to the docket
    - `title` string, required — Title of the docket
    - `case_type` string, nullable — Type of case
    - `status` string, nullable — Status of the case
    - `is_bankruptcy` boolean, required — Is the case a bankruptcy
    - `bankruptcy_type` 'Chapter 7' | 'Chapter 11' | 'Chapter 12' | 'Chapter 13' | 'Chapter 15'
    - `date_filed` string, date — Date the case was filed. In cases where the date is not provided, this will be set to 1900-01-01.
    - `last_synced_at` string, date-time, nullable — Datetime the case was last refreshed
    - `parties` V1DocketParty[] — List of parties involved in the docket
      - `id` string, uuid, required — The unique identifier of the docket party.
      - `name` string, required — The name of the docket party.
      - `party_type` string, nullable — Type of party
      - `counsel` string[] — List of counsel representing the party
    - `updates` V1DocketUpdate[] — List of updates to the docket
      - `id` string, uuid, required — ID of the litigation
      - `title` string, nullable — Update title
      - `contents` string, nullable — Update contents
      - `date` string, date, nullable — Update date
      - `exhibits` V1DocketExhibit[] — List of exhibits
        - `id` string, uuid, required — ID of the litigation
        - `title` string, required — Exhibit title
        - `is_available` boolean — Is the exhibit available
        - `document_url` string, nullable, required — The document_url is a string that represents Docket Exhibit's document URL.
    - `match_level` 'NO_MATCH' | 'SIMILAR' | 'EXACT'
    - `search_entity_name` string, nullable — The name of the entity that the docket matched to
    - `search_entity_type` 'Business' | 'Person'
    - `risk_level` 'high' | 'medium' | 'low' | 'no_risk'
    - `normalized_status` 'open' | 'closed'

## Other responses

- `422` — Validation Error

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/baselayer/apis/baselayer-api-service.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/baselayer/apis/baselayer-api-service/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/baselayer/baselayer-api-service/versions/0cc89938bc26/schema)