Alaska courts now send free text reminders before hearings to anyone with a case number

Anyone with an Alaska state court case number can now get a free text reminder at 4 pm the day before a hearing. The Alaska Court System launched the service, called Court Guide Text Hearing Reminders, statewide Sept. 15, according to its press release.

To sign up, text a case number to 575-222-8484 or scan the QR code on official court flyers, then reply yes to the first message, according to the service's FAQ. You don't have to be a party or a lawyer in the case, and there's no limit on how many cases you can follow. Each reminder links to a page showing the case name and number, hearing type, date, time, judge, courtroom and a map.

To drop one case, text its number to the same line and reply DELETE. Texting STOP to that number ends all hearing reminders.

The court system says the service is meant to help people remember court dates and reduce missed appearances. The texts are a courtesy, the FAQ says, and people are still responsible for attending their hearings.

The court's sample reminder starts with "AKCOURTS" and links to an akcourts.gov page. The court system has warned about fake court texts demanding payment for unpaid tickets and advises people to contact their local court before paying.

Criminal defendants have a separate reminder program. Court staff can sign them up in court, or they can file the Defendant Contact Information form, CR-202, to get reminders by text or email. Those texts arrive 48 hours before each hearing, according to the court system.

The court system first tested text reminders in Ketchikan in 2018. Research reviewed by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that court date reminders improved appearance rates in 11 of 12 studies.