---
kind: "section"
citation: "28 U.S.C. § 481"
title: "28"
title_heading: "Judiciary and Judicial Procedure"
number: "481"
heading: "Automated case information"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/28/481"
units:
  - "Part I — Organization of Courts"
  - "Chapter 23 — Civil Justice Expense and Delay Reduction Plans"
---

# §481. Automated case information

- (a) The Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall ensure that each United States [district court](/usc/28/451.md) has the automated capability readily to retrieve information about the status of each case in such court.
- (b)
  - (1) In carrying out [subsection (a)](#a), the Director shall prescribe—
    - (A) the information to be recorded in [district court](/usc/28/451.md) automated systems; and
    - (B) standards for uniform categorization or characterization of judicial actions for the purpose of recording information on judicial actions in the [district court](/usc/28/451.md) automated systems.
  - (2) The uniform standards prescribed under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection shall include a definition of what constitutes a dismissal of a case and standards for measuring the period for which a motion has been pending.
- (c) Each United States [district court](/usc/28/451.md) shall record information as prescribed pursuant to [subsection (b)](#b) of this section.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 101–650, title I, § 103(a), Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5095.)