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Court Records

California Court Records

How California's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.

California runs the largest court system in the nation, handling millions of cases a year. Its trial courts were unified in 2000, so every county has one Superior Court that hears everything from parking tickets to murder trials and complex civil suits.

There is no statewide search of trial court records. Each of the 58 Superior Courts runs its own online system, and the rules for what can be seen online are stricter than in many states, especially for criminal and family cases. Appellate cases, by contrast, are searchable statewide for free.

How California's courts are organized

California has a three-tier court system: one high court, regional courts of appeal and a single trial court in each county.

Supreme Court of California

Seven justices decide which cases to review from the Courts of Appeal and hear all death penalty appeals automatically.

Courts of Appeal

Six appellate districts, some divided into divisions, hear appeals from the Superior Courts. Each appeal gets a new case number.

Superior Courts

The single trial court in each county, hearing civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, traffic and small claims cases. Each court keeps its own records through its clerk's office. Appeals from small claims and limited cases go to the court's appellate division.

Searching California court records online

Search the appellate courts statewide, then go to the website of the Superior Court in the county where a case was filed.

Getting records from the clerk's office

To see a full case file, request it from the Superior Court clerk in the county where the case was filed. Many courts let you view public files for free at a courthouse kiosk or records window and charge a per-page fee for copies, plus a set fee for certification. Older files may be stored off-site and take extra time to retrieve.

Some Superior Courts, including Los Angeles, offer paid online access to documents in civil cases. Others only show a case index online and require a visit or written request for documents.

What is public, and what is not

California court records are generally public, but the California Rules of Court (rules 2.500 to 2.507) limit what trial courts can put online. Courts may give remote access to civil case records, but for criminal, family, juvenile, mental health and guardianship cases, remote access is generally limited to an index or registry of actions, and documents are available at the courthouse.

A judge may seal a record only by making specific findings under rules 2.550 and 2.551. Juvenile, adoption and many mental health records are confidential by law. For people with convictions, California offers dismissal under Penal Code section 1203.4 and, under its Clean Slate laws, automatic relief for many eligible arrests and convictions. Courts' own administrative records are covered by rule 10.500, not the California Public Records Act.

Older and archived records

Each Superior Court keeps closed files for the period set by state law; some records, such as felony judgments and probate files, are kept permanently, often on microfilm. Historical case files from the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal, and some early county court records, are held by the California State Archives.

Criminal history and background records

A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.

California's criminal history records are kept by the Department of Justice. They are not open to the public: you can request your own record, and employers and licensing agencies run checks under specific laws. To learn about another person's criminal case, search the Superior Court records instead.

Federal court records in California

Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in California's state courts. California is divided into 4 federal judicial districts, and each has its own clerk's office:

Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from California's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Tips for a faster search

  • Superior Court case number formats vary by county, and many courts changed formats when they moved to new case systems. Search by name if a number does not work.
  • For criminal and family cases, plan on a courthouse visit or written request to see documents.
  • Los Angeles Superior Court is the largest trial court in the country, with dozens of courthouses. Its website lets you search by case number and party name.
  • Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
  • Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.

Legal help and law libraries

Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:

This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.