How to Obtain Juvenile Records in California: Forms and Court Orders

To obtain juvenile records in California, first check whether you’re on the statutory access list in Welfare and Institutions Code section 827. If you are, you can request the file directly from the court clerk or the holding agency. If you aren’t, you must petition the juvenile court on Judicial Council Form JV-570, serve every required party at least 10 days before the petition goes to the judge, and show that the specific records you want are necessary and substantially relevant to a legitimate purpose. Copies cost $0.50 per page, or $40 for a certified copy.

Who Can Request Records Directly

Section 827 gives a defined group the right to inspect a juvenile case file without a court order. That group is broader than most people assume. It includes:

The minor who is the subject of the proceeding
The minor’s parent or guardian
The district attorney, city attorney, or city prosecutor authorized to prosecute criminal or juvenile cases
Attorneys for the parties, judges, referees, other hearing officers, probation officers, and law enforcement officers actively participating in criminal or juvenile proceedings involving the minor
County counsel or any attorney representing the petitioning agency in a dependency action
The superintendent or designee of the school district where the minor is enrolled or attends school
Members of child protective agencies as described in Penal Code section 11165.9

If you’re on this list, skip the petition process entirely. Contact the clerk of the superior court in the county where the case was heard, or the agency holding the records, and ask what identification and case information they need to release the file. Direct access takes days; the petition process takes weeks or months.

When You Need a Court Order

Everyone else has to petition. That includes crime victims pursuing civil claims, family members who aren’t the parent or guardian, researchers, journalists, and any other third party with a reason to want the file. The court starts from the presumption that juvenile records stay confidential, and you carry the burden of showing by a preponderance of the evidence that the records are necessary and have substantial relevance to a legitimate need.¹

Vague reasons won’t clear that bar. You need to identify the specific records you want, tie them to a specific proceeding or purpose, and explain why other sources of information won’t do the job. A judge who reads the petition and sees only general interest can deny it without setting a hearing.

Which Form to File

Two Judicial Council forms cover most requests:

Form JV-570, Petition for Access to Juvenile Delinquency Case File or a Living Child’s Juvenile Dependency Case File. This is the form for the court file itself, meaning petitions, orders, probation reports, and related court documents.²
Form JV-575, Petition to Obtain Report of Law Enforcement Agency. Use this if you only need the police or law enforcement report about a child taken to juvenile hall, not the full court file.³

On the JV-570 you’ll list the child’s name, date of birth if you know it, and the case number if you have one.² Without a case number, call the clerk in the county where the case was heard; they can often locate it from other identifying information. The petition also asks you to describe your reasons in detail and explain how the records connect to your purpose.¹ This is the section most petitions fail on. Be concrete.

You’ll need three companion forms for service: JV-571 (Notice of Petition), JV-572 (a blank objection form you give to the other parties), and JV-569 (Proof of Service). All of these are free downloads from the California Courts website.

Filing and Serving the Petition

File the completed petition with the clerk of the superior court in the county where the juvenile case was heard. Bring extra copies for yourself. Juvenile petitions are generally free to file, but confirm with the clerk before you go.

Rule 5.552 requires you to serve every relevant party at least 10 days before the petition is submitted to the judge, either by personal delivery or first-class mail.¹ Each recipient gets a copy of the JV-570, the JV-571 notice, and a blank JV-572 so they can object. The required list of recipients:

The district attorney (for delinquency cases under sections 601 or 602)
County counsel or the agency’s attorney (for dependency cases under section 300)
The child, if 10 or older
The child’s attorney of record
The child’s parents (if the child is under 18, or in dependency cases)
The child’s guardians, on the same conditions
The probation department or child welfare agency
The child’s tribe, if the child is an Indian child
The child’s CASA volunteer, if one is assigned
Anyone with a surviving interest protected by other state or federal confidentiality law

After service is complete, file the JV-569 Proof of Service so the court can confirm everyone was notified.² The 10-day window is the objection window. The minor’s attorney, the DA, or another served party can file a JV-572 arguing against release, for instance on the ground that disclosure would interfere with rehabilitation.

What Happens After You File

The judge reviews the petition and any objections on paper first. A petition that fails to show good cause can be denied outright, with no hearing set.¹ You’ll get the order by mail. If the judge wants more information, or a party has filed an objection worth arguing, the court will set a hearing and notify you of the date. Other served parties can appear and argue against release.

If the petition is granted, the order will spell out which records you may inspect or copy. A judge can grant full access or narrow the release to particular documents. The clerk then arranges viewing or copying. Plan on several weeks at a minimum, and longer if a hearing is required.

If the Judge Denies Your Petition

You can file a notice of appeal on Form JV-800 within 60 days of the order. If you aren’t one of the primary parties (the child, parent, guardian, county welfare department, or district attorney), appellate rights are narrow, and the court directs non-parties to Form JV-291-INFO for guidance on when a challenge is available.

What It Costs

Filing the petition itself is generally free. The cost lands after access is granted: California courts charge $0.50 per page for standard copies, and $40 for a certified copy of a document.⁴ A long juvenile file can run into real money at that rate.

If you can’t afford the copy fees, apply for a fee waiver. Copies are free once the court has an approved fee waiver on file.⁴

The Record May Be Sealed

Being entitled to a juvenile file doesn’t guarantee there is one to view. Under Welfare and Institutions Code section 786, when a person satisfactorily completes informal supervision, probation, or another term of court supervision, the court must dismiss the petition and seal the related records. Sealing happens automatically. Satisfactory completion means no new felony or misdemeanor convictions involving moral turpitude during supervision and substantial compliance with the court’s orders. Unpaid restitution alone doesn’t block sealing. Automatic sealing does not apply to the serious offenses listed in section 707(b).⁵

Once sealed, the case “no longer exists for most purposes.” A handful of agencies keep limited access for narrow purposes (prosecutors evaluating diversion eligibility, DOJ enforcing firearm restrictions, courts checking foster care applications), and if the original offense was a 707(b) offense and the person is later charged with a felony, the prosecution can petition to unseal.⁶ For a third-party petitioner, though, a sealed file is functionally unavailable.

Federal Juvenile Cases Follow Different Rules

The section 827 process only reaches California state juvenile cases. If the proceeding was in federal court, 18 U.S.C. § 5038 controls. Federal juvenile records are protected from disclosure to unauthorized persons but can be released to other courts, law enforcement investigating a crime, agencies preparing presentence reports, and victims seeking the final disposition. Federal law also bars release of federal juvenile record information for employment, licensing, bonding, or civil-right applications, and requires that responses to such inquiries match responses given for someone never involved in a delinquency proceeding.⁷

1
Judicial Branch of California. Rule 5.552 – Procedure for Requesting Any Juvenile Delinquency Case File and a Living Child’s Juvenile Dependency Case File
2
California Courts. JV-570 Petition for Access to Juvenile Delinquency Case File or a Living Child’s Juvenile Dependency Case File
3
California Courts. Petition to Obtain Report of Law Enforcement Agency (JV-575)
4
Judicial Branch of California. How to Get a Copy of a Court Record
5
California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 786
6
Judicial Branch of California. Guide to Sealing Juvenile Court Records
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 5038 – Use of Juvenile Records