Using DocketLayer with Claude

Guides · AI Agents

The DocketLayer MCP server lets Claude query court dockets, check court coverage, and monitor cases directly within a conversation. Once configured, Claude calls DocketLayer tools autonomously — you describe what you need, and Claude decides when and how to query.

Configure Claude Desktop

Open your Claude Desktop configuration file and add DocketLayer to the mcpServers block. The configuration file is at:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

// Free tools only — no payment required
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docketlayer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@docketlayer/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

// All tools — paid queries settled via x402
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docketlayer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@docketlayer/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "DOCKETLAYER_WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY": "your_base58_private_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving. The DocketLayer tools will appear in the tools panel on next launch.

Your private key stays local

The wallet private key is set as an environment variable passed to the local subprocess. It never leaves your machine or passes through DocketLayer's servers. The MCP server signs Solana transactions locally before sending the x402 payment header to the API.

Free Tools

Three tools require no wallet and no payment:

docketlayer_status — Returns current API status and the full list of covered courts with their codes and coverage levels. Useful before querying an unfamiliar court to verify it's active.
docketlayer_court_list — Lists all courts with court_code, name, jurisdiction, and expected case ID format. Accepts an optional include_planned flag to include courts with pending coverage. The right starting point for any jurisdiction-aware workflow.
docketlayer_pricing — Returns the current pricing model and payment protocol details.

These tools work without DOCKETLAYER_WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY configured. Use them to explore coverage and confirm court codes before connecting a funded wallet.

Paid Tools

Four tools require a funded Solana wallet with USDC. Payment is handled automatically — the MCP server signs and submits the x402 transaction, and Claude receives the result without any manual payment step.

docketlayer_case_query — Queries a case for current context and recent docket activity. Requires case_id and court_code. Pass last_checked as an ISO-8601 timestamp to receive only activity since that point — the response includes a delta block showing what changed. Costs $0.99.
docketlayer_case_monitor — Checks whether a case has changed since a given timestamp without returning the full docket payload. Requires last_checked. Use this in high-frequency monitoring loops where you only need to know whether to fetch a full update. Costs $0.99.
docketlayer_case_batch — Queries up to 50 cases in a single call. Each case that returns a result costs $0.99; cases that return errors are not billed. Useful for sweeping a docket portfolio in one operation. See the batch querying guide for implementation details.
docketlayer_wallet_info — Returns the signing-key state for the configured wallet and recent callback delivery history. Costs $0.99.

Court code and case ID are both required

Every paid query requires both court_code and case_id. There is no party name or attorney search. Use docketlayer_court_list to confirm the right court code and the expected case ID format before querying.

Configuration Options

Optional environment variables for the env block:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docketlayer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@docketlayer/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "DOCKETLAYER_WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY": "your_base58_private_key",
        "DOCKETLAYER_DEFAULT_CONTEXT": "full",
        "DOCKETLAYER_DEFAULT_LANGUAGE": "en",
        "DOCKETLAYER_TIMEOUT_SECONDS": "60"
      }
    }
  }
}

DOCKETLAYER_DEFAULT_CONTEXT — basic or full. Controls the default context depth for case_query. Defaults to basic.
DOCKETLAYER_DEFAULT_LANGUAGE — en or fr. Sets the preferred response language for bilingual jurisdictions, primarily Canadian courts. Defaults to en.
DOCKETLAYER_TIMEOUT_SECONDS — Request timeout in seconds. Defaults to 30. Increase this when querying courts with slower portal response times.