The Court Records Division is open for in-person services by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please click here. Walk-in services are available from 8:00 - 9:00 AM and again from 1:00 - 2:00 PM only.
Court records requests submitted by mail, email, or drop box are being processed in the order of date received. Court staff are working diligently through a backlog of court records requests, however; depending on the nature of your request, it may take up to 6 weeks to complete your request.
Overview
The court has created a centralized office for viewing and copying all public court records and pick-up exhibits after the conclusion of a court case. Active and disposed court records for all non-confidential case types (criminal, civil, family law, probate, small claims, etc.) may be requested for public inspection by contacting the Court Records Division.
Case Records Include all filed documents, such as:
Motions: Written request filed by a party to an action before, during, or after a trial asking the judge to issue a ruling or order in that party's favor.
Pleadings: Written statements filed with the court that describe a party's legal or factual claims about the case and what the party wants from the court.
There is a fee of $0.50 per page for copies of court records.
Court Records can also provide dockets or registers of action, which contain a complete case history with brief chronological summaries of the court proceedings.
- Records Request Form
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Requests for copies or research may be submitted by completing a request form at this link: click here.
Complete the form electronically using Adobe Acrobat Reader, or print the form and complete by hand, then submit according to directions on the form. A Records clerk will contact you for further information if needed. Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing. We apologize for any inconvenience.
- Obtaining Case Information
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Register of Action information for non-confidential civil, probate, and small claims cases is now available online. Please note that current day entries do not appear in the online Register of Actions until the next court business day.
The Court's Public Index provides the case name, case number, names of parties, case type, filing date, disposition date (if no longer active) and other information helpful in locating and identifying the correct case from among the thousands of cases in the Public Index. Individuals may access the Public Index online.
The Court Records Office does not provide case information or conduct research over the telephone or through email.
- Confidential Cases
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Confidential case information may only be provided to authorized parties by providing a notarized copy of their photo ID with the confidential records request.
Confidential cases may not be discussed over the phone or via email as we are not able to verify the identity of the requester of the information.
Do not send confidential records requests via email; either come into the office, use our drop box located outside of the Civil Clerk’s office (Civic Center Room 113) or send requests via postal mail. Be sure to include an original notarized copy of your photo ID with your request.
- Copy Fee Disclaimer
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All copy job deposits and sales are final and non-refundable.
There is a $5 retrieval charge for files that are stored outside of the Civic Center.
- Copies and Certifications of Criminal Records Requested by Government Agencies
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The court may charge government agencies for copies and certifications of criminal records,under Government Code section 70633(b). The charge to certify a record is $40.00 (GC 70626(a)(4)) and the charge for copies is $.50 per page (GC 70627(a)). In addition, the court will require requesting agencies to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with proper postage for the return of the complete copy work. Since most requesting agencies will not know ahead of time how many pages will be copied, they may obtain a quote upon request to Court Records. The copies and certifications will be processed and mailed and the agency will be billed for the service, unless other arrangements have been made.
- Case Exhibits
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The Court Records Division also handles the return and destruction of case exhibits, following the disposition of court cases. For more information about exhibits, please click here.
- Transcripts
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Transcripts are the property of the Court Reporter; costs for transcripts vary but on average are billed at $3 per page. To request copies of transcripts, please click here.