How Many Cases—and What Kind—Do State and Local Courts Handle?

State courts in the United States handle approximately 66 million cases each year spanning a diverse array of legal matters, from family disputes to traffic tickets. In 2024, The Pew Charitable Trusts published an issue brief exploring the number and types of cases heard in state courts and the effect that those matters have on courts and communities.

This interactive chart, which is based on data reported by states and compiled by the National Center for State Courts, shows the breakdown of cases across four categories:

• Traffic, which includes both noncriminal violations, such as speeding tickets, and criminal charges, including driving with a suspended license.
• Community and business, which covers civil cases involving money or property.
• Public safety, which includes felony and misdemeanor criminal matters.
• Family, including divorce, child custody, and similar cases.

Click on each category to navigate through the case types and view the percentage of cases by case type and the total number of cases in each category.