A California court case lookup starts with identifying which court handled the matter, because the state has no single statewide database for trial court records. California’s 58 Superior Courts each run their own search portal, while appellate and federal cases live on separate centralized systems. Once you know which court to use, you can usually search online by case number or party name and view at least the basic case history for free.
Figure Out Which Court Has the Case
Criminal cases are filed in the county where the alleged crime occurred. Civil lawsuits go to the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute arose. Family law cases are handled in the county where either spouse lives. If you don’t know which county to try, the California Courts site at courts.ca.gov/find-my-court lists every Superior Court with a link to its own website.
Not every case is in a Superior Court. Appeals go to one of six District Courts of Appeal, and the biggest cases reach the California Supreme Court. Those courts have their own online system. Federal cases filed in California use a completely different system again.
Searching a Superior Court Online
Each county Superior Court runs its own public search portal. The interfaces vary. Some are polished and let you filter by courthouse, case type, and year. Others are bare. You work with whatever the county offers.
To search, you need at least one of three things: the case number, a party’s full name, or the approximate year the case was filed. Name searches are the usual starting point, but a common name will return a long list. You can narrow results by selecting the case type (civil, criminal, family, probate) and a year range. In larger counties, filtering by courthouse location helps a lot.
What you can actually see online depends on the case type. For most civil and probate cases, you can view the register of actions, which is the chronological log of every filing, hearing, and order, along with the calendar and the case index listing the parties.1Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 2.503 – Application and Scope For criminal and family law cases, remote access is limited to the register of actions, calendar, and index. The actual filed documents, including motions, declarations, and evidence, can only be viewed electronically at the courthouse itself.2Judicial Branch of California. Who Where How Viewing a Courts Electronic Case Records
Even when documents are available online, courts usually charge to view or download the full file. Fees run from roughly $0.50 to $1.00 per page depending on the county.3California Courts. How to Get a Copy of a Court Record Cases filed before the early 2000s may not be fully digitized, so the portal will confirm the case exists and show its procedural history without necessarily giving you every document. Once you find the case, write down the full case number. It’s the single most reliable way to pull up the file in any subsequent search.
Appellate and Supreme Court Searches
California’s appellate courts share a central system that works the same statewide. You can look up Court of Appeal and Supreme Court cases through the Appellate Courts Case Information portal by case number, case name, or party name.4Judicial Branch of California. Public Records Published opinions are freely searchable at courts.ca.gov/opinions.
The California Supreme Court also runs its own case information page with docket searches, oral argument webcasts, weekly conference results, and summaries of pending cases, updated throughout each business day.5Judicial Branch of California. Case Information For briefs, exhibits, and other documents not posted online, contact the specific appellate court directly.
Federal Cases Filed in California
Federal crimes, lawsuits between citizens of different states, bankruptcies, and disputes over federal law are usually filed in one of California’s four federal judicial districts: Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 84 – California These are separate from the state courts and use a different search system.
Federal records are accessed through PACER at pacer.uscourts.gov. You create a free account to search. Charges are $0.10 per page with a $3.00 cap per document, and fees are waived if you stay at or below $30 in a quarter.7U.S. Courts. Public Access to Court Electronic Records PACER’s coverage is broader than most state portals; nearly every document filed in a federal case since the mid-2000s is available electronically.
Getting Documents That Aren’t Online
When something you need isn’t in the online portal, go through the Clerk’s Office of the relevant Superior Court. You can request records in person, by mail, or by fax in some counties. Give the clerk the case number and the specific documents you want. If you don’t have the case number, provide the parties’ names, the case type, and the approximate filing year. If the clerk spends more than ten minutes finding the file, the court can charge a $15.00 search fee.3California Courts. How to Get a Copy of a Court Record
Viewing a court file in person at the courthouse is generally free. You only pay when you want copies. Uncertified copies cost $0.50 per page, and certified copies run $40.00 per document.3California Courts. How to Get a Copy of a Court Record If you only need to read a file and take notes, go in person and pay nothing.
For mail requests, send a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order payable to the court that covers the estimated cost. Don’t send cash.8Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Mail Requests for Copies and Case Numbers
Older cases, particularly those from before the 1980s, are often stored in off-site archive facilities rather than at the courthouse.9Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Archives and Records Center Retrieving an archived file typically takes one to several weeks on top of standard copy fees.
If you can’t afford copy fees, California courts offer fee waivers. You qualify if you receive certain public benefits like Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs, SSI, or unemployment; if your household income falls below the threshold on form FW-001; or if you can show the court you can’t cover both basic living expenses and court fees.10California Courts. Ask for a Fee Waiver You only need to meet one of the three. Parties in certain case types, such as restraining order cases, can also get copies of their own orders at no charge.
Cases You Won’t Find
Some records won’t come up no matter how carefully you search. If a case you expect to find isn’t appearing, one of the following may be the reason.
Sealed Records
A judge can seal any record, but the standard is high. The court must find that an overriding interest outweighs the public’s right of access, that the interest would be substantially harmed without sealing, that the sealing is narrowly tailored, and that no less restrictive option exists.11Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 2.550 – Sealed Records Sealed records don’t appear in public searches at all.
Juvenile Records
Juvenile court files are confidential by statute. Access is limited to a narrow list of people, including the child who is the subject of the case and their parent or guardian. The general public cannot inspect juvenile case files.12California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 827
Case Types Restricted to Courthouse-Only Access
Even when a record is public, remote electronic access is restricted for sensitive case types. Criminal cases, family law matters (divorce, custody, support, domestic violence), and civil harassment cases are limited to courthouse-only electronic viewing for anything past the register of actions and calendar.1Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 2.503 – Application and Scope A bare-bones docket on a criminal or divorce case isn’t a bug; it’s by design, and the filings themselves are at the courthouse.
Dismissed and Automatically Sealed Criminal Records
A criminal case dismissed after a successful petition under Penal Code 1203.4 still shows up in court records. The record isn’t erased; a new entry notes the dismissal, and the original case remains visible.
Automatic sealing works differently and removes more from view. Under California’s Clean Slate laws, the Department of Justice reviews criminal records monthly and automatically seals eligible arrest and conviction records without the person filing anything.13California Legislative Information. AB 1076 Criminal Records Automatic Relief SB 731 expanded automatic sealing to cover most felony convictions, excluding serious, violent, and sex offenses, for people who completed their sentence and stayed conviction-free for four years.14California Board of Psychology. SB 731 Criminal Records Relief If a criminal case you expected to find isn’t showing up, automatic sealing may be why. Those records are not available to the general public.