# PACER MCP Server & Agent Skill > Source: https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/pacer Connector · U.S. federal court records system Last updated: October 20, 2026 **ibl.ai publishes a free PACER agent skill: a SKILL.md that teaches an AI agent to read PACER data and expose it as an MCP tool. Download it, connect your own PACER credentials, and run the agent on ibl.ai Agentic OS, where you own all the code and the data.** PACER gives public access to U.S. federal court records (district, bankruptcy, appellate) kept in each court's CM/ECF system. The PACER Case Locator (PCL) is a nationwide index of federal cases and parties. ## What is the PACER API, and what can an agent read from it? The PCL API searches the national index for cases and parties (immediate or batch) in XML or JSON, returning case details and links to the court's CM/ECF. It does not file documents or download docket sheets. - API: PACER Authentication API and PACER Case Locator (PCL) API (REST) - Access: Public, self-serve - Base URL: https://pcl.uscourts.gov/pcl-public-api/rest/ (QA: https://qa-pcl.uscourts.gov/pcl-public-api/rest/) - Authentication: PACER username/password exchanged for a session token Anyone can register a PACER account at pacer.uscourts.gov and use it with the API. A separate free QA account (qa-pacer.uscourts.gov) gives a non-billable test environment with sample data. POST username, password (and a one-time passcode if enrolled in MFA) to https://pacer.login.uscourts.gov/services/cso-auth; send the returned nextGenCSO token in the X-NEXT-GEN-CSO header. Filers must also send the redaction flag. ### What can an agent read from PACER? - **Case search** — POST /pcl-public-api/rest/cases/find with criteria such as case number, court, dates or nature of suit. - **Party search** — POST /pcl-public-api/rest/parties/find by party name and other filters. - **Batch case and party reports** — POST /cases/download, poll /cases/download/status/{reportId}, then GET /cases/download/{reportId}. - **Court links** — Results include caseLink URLs into the specific court's CM/ECF docket. ### What can an agent write to PACER? This skill only reads PACER data; it documents no write calls, so an agent built on it cannot change a PACER record. Limits: Immediate searches return 54 results per page, up to 100 pages (5,400 items); batch searches up to 108,000 items. Production searches cost $0.10 per page, even with no matches. Run large pulls 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Central. Court records are public, but sealed filings, redaction rules and client litigation strategy still apply; search fees bill to the PACER account holder. ## How do I connect PACER to an AI agent over MCP? As of October 2026 we found no MCP server published by Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts itself. The practical path is to host a small MCP server that wraps the PACER Authentication API and PACER Case Locator (PCL) API, or to give the agent the calls directly with the SKILL.md below. On ibl.ai an MCP connection is three records, and a working integration always needs all three: 1. **Register the server** — `POST …/mcp-servers/` with its URL, a transport (`sse`, `websocket` or `streamable_http`) and an `auth_type` of `none`, `token` or `oauth2`. 2. **Create a connection** that holds the credential, scoped to the whole organization (`platform`), to a single agent, or to each user (`user`). 3. **Enable it on the agent** — `mcp-tool` in `tool_slugs` and the server id in `mcp_servers`. Both lists are replaced, not merged, so read the settings first. For an API key or a service credential, one `token` connection at `platform` scope serves the whole organization; scope a connection to a single agent when that agent needs narrower access than the rest. The field reference is in [MCP server connections](https://ibl.ai/developer/platform/mcp/mcp-connections), and the [/iblai-api-agent-mcp](https://ibl.ai/developer/skills/iblai-api-agent-mcp) skill runs all three steps from a coding agent. ## What does the PACER agent skill do? The PACER skill is one SKILL.md file named `iblai-connect-pacer`. It gives an agent the auth conventions, what to read, which writes need a person's confirmation, the ibl.ai MCP wiring, example prompts and guardrails. [Download the PACER SKILL.md](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/pacer/SKILL.md) Save it as `.claude/skills/iblai-connect-pacer/SKILL.md`, or in your agent's skills folder. The ibl.ai platform skills it calls come from one install: ``` npx skills add iblai/vibe --all ``` This connector skill is a starting point maintained on ibl.ai, not part of the iblai/vibe repository. It was checked against Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts' documentation on October 20, 2026. Test it against your own PACER setup before you rely on it. ### What can I ask a PACER agent to do? - “Find all federal cases where Acme Corp is a party filed since January” - “Look up case 1:24-cv-01234 in the Northern District of Illinois” - “List new patent cases filed in the District of Delaware last week” - “Run a batch search of every bankruptcy filing by Beta LLC” ## How do I run a PACER agent on ibl.ai? [Agentic OS](https://ibl.ai/product/agentic-os) is where the agent runs on ibl.ai: it holds the PACER MCP connection, the model the agent uses, its instructions and its conversation history. On ibl.ai you own all the code and the data, run it model-agnostic across any LLM, and pay with no per-seat pricing — so you can deploy anywhere, from your own cloud to a fully air-gapped network. - [AI agents for Legal](https://ibl.ai/solutions/legal) — what ibl.ai deploys in this sector - [AI agents for Government](https://ibl.ai/solutions/government) — what ibl.ai deploys in this sector ### Which ibl.ai agents work with PACER data? - [Docket Management](https://ibl.ai/solutions/legal/agent/docket-management-agent) — Legal - [Case Research](https://ibl.ai/solutions/legal/agent/case-research-agent) — Legal ### Which ibl.ai platform skills does a PACER agent use? - [/iblai-api-agent-mcp](https://ibl.ai/developer/skills/iblai-api-agent-mcp) — MCP connectors for ibl.ai agents, end to end - [/iblai-vibe-agent-mcp](https://ibl.ai/developer/skills/iblai-vibe-agent-mcp) — Add the agent MCP tab (Model Context Protocol connector management with featured connectors, custom connectors, OAuth,… - [/iblai-api-agent-tool](https://ibl.ai/developer/skills/iblai-api-agent-tool) — Enable or disable an ibl.ai agent's tools via the platform API ## What else should I know before connecting PACER to an AI agent? ### Is there an official PACER MCP server? Not that we found as of October 20, 2026: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts documents the PACER Authentication API and PACER Case Locator (PCL) API, not an MCP server of its own. The SKILL.md on this page gives an agent the integration directly, and any MCP server you host can be registered on ibl.ai. ### Who can get PACER API credentials? Anyone can register a PACER account at pacer.uscourts.gov and use it with the API. A separate free QA account (qa-pacer.uscourts.gov) gives a non-billable test environment with sample data. ### Does PACER data leave my infrastructure when an ibl.ai agent uses it? On ibl.ai, you own all the code and the data. Self-hosted in your cloud or data center, the agent, its MCP connections and its conversation logs stay inside your perimeter. Because the platform is model-agnostic, you can point the agent at a model you host, so PACER records need not reach a third-party model provider. ### Is the PACER agent skill free to use? Yes. The SKILL.md is a free download with no sign-up. It assumes you already have PACER credentials, and your agreement with Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts still governs how you use its API. ## Which other data sources can an AI agent connect to alongside PACER? ### Which other Legal systems have a connector? - [Clio Manage](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/clio) — Legal practice management system - [Docusign eSignature](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/docusign) — Electronic signature platform - [iManage Work](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/imanage) — Legal document and email management system - [Ironclad](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/ironclad) — Contract lifecycle management system - [LexisNexis](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/lexisnexis) — Legal research content and AI API - [NetDocuments](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/netdocuments) — Cloud legal document management system - [RelativityOne](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/relativity) — E-discovery and legal review platform - [Westlaw](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/westlaw) — Legal research platform ### Which other Government systems have a connector? - [Accela Civic Platform](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/accela) — Permitting, licensing and code enforcement platform - [Esri ArcGIS](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/esri-arcgis) — Geographic information system (GIS) - [Granicus govDelivery](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/granicus) — Government communications platform - [Salesforce Government Cloud](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/salesforce-government-cloud) — Government CRM and case management platform - [SAM.gov](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/sam-gov) — Federal contracting and entity registration data - [ServiceNow](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/servicenow) — IT service management and workflow platform - [Tyler Data & Insights (Socrata)](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/socrata) — Open data and government data platform - [Tyler Technologies](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/tyler-technologies) — Public sector ERP, permitting and courts software - [USAspending.gov](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors/usaspending) — Federal spending data Every connector, grouped by sector, is on the [connectors hub](https://ibl.ai/developer/connectors).