San Diego court records are available three ways: a free online case index, paid document downloads for certain case types, and in-person or mail requests for full files and certified copies. Which route works depends on the kind of case and whether you need to see the file, download a document, or get an official certified copy.
Free Online Case Search
The San Diego Superior Court runs a free case index at courtindex.sdcourt.ca.gov covering Civil, Criminal, Family Court, Mental Health, and Probate matters.1Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. Online Case Search You can search by party name, case number, or District Attorney case number. Results include the case title, official case number, case type, filing date, and where the physical file is kept.
The index is good for locating a case and checking status. It is not the official record, and it does not include charges or case outcomes.2Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Court Index For anything beyond the docket-level basics, you need the file itself.
Buying Documents Online
Some case types let you purchase and download individual documents through the online Register of Actions. Civil, Small Claims, and Probate cases filed on or after January 1, 2008, may have documents available this way. Family Law cases filed on or after August 24, 2015, may have select documents online.1Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. Online Case Search
Pricing is $1.00 per page for the first five pages, $0.40 for each additional page, capped at $50.00 per document.3Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. San Diego Superior Court to Reduce Fees for Document Downloads Criminal case documents are not available online. For those, you have to visit the courthouse or mail a request.1Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. Online Case Search
Viewing a File at the Courthouse
When you need the complete file or a certified copy, the courthouse is often the fastest option. San Diego Superior Court operates multiple locations, including the Central Courthouse, Hall of Justice, Juvenile Court, North County, South County, East County, and the Kearny Mesa Traffic facility. Which one you visit depends on where the case was filed and its type.4Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. Court Locations
At the business office, you fill out the required form and show a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license. Bring the case number from the online index to speed things up. Files must be reviewed inside the records section and cannot leave the building.5Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. View a Court File
Older files are often stored off-site. If yours has been moved, the court charges a retrieval fee at the time of the request, and you may not get the file the same day.5Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. View a Court File Call ahead if you’re driving in for an old case.
Copy and Certification Fees
Photocopies at the courthouse are $0.50 per page, and each side of a document counts as a page.6Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. Obtain a Copy of a Court File A certified copy costs $40 per document under California Government Code section 70626. If a court employee spends more than ten minutes searching for your records, a $15 search fee also applies.7California Legislative Information. California Code Government Code 70627
Requesting Copies by Mail
You can skip the trip. For Probate cases, use form PR-189 and submit it by e-filing or mail. For every other case type, send a letter to the court location where the case was heard and include the case number, the party names, the specific documents you want, and your contact information.6Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. Obtain a Copy of a Court File
Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage for the return, plus payment for copy and search fees. If you don’t know the page count, make a check payable to “Superior Court” and write “Not to exceed $___” on the memo line with a ceiling amount you’re comfortable with. Credit card payment is also available. A receipt with the actual charges comes back with your copies.6Superior Court of California – County of San Diego. Obtain a Copy of a Court File
Records the Public Can’t See
California court records are presumed open unless a law or court order says otherwise.8Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 2.550 – Sealed Records Several categories are closed no matter how you approach them.
Juvenile case files are the biggest one. They can be inspected only by a limited list of people: the minor, their parents or guardian, attorneys actively involved, law enforcement officers in related proceedings, and certain child welfare staff.9Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court 5.551 – Confidentiality of a Juvenile Case File The general public has no right of access, and the same restriction applies at the appellate level.10Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court 8.401 – Confidentiality Mental health proceedings also have restricted access, and some Family Law filings involving minors can be sealed by court order. Getting into a restricted record usually means being a party to the case or obtaining a court order.
How Long Records Are Kept
Retention periods after final disposition vary by case type. Most civil cases, including small claims and limited civil matters, are kept for ten years. Family law files are retained for 30 years. Adoption records, parentage determinations, and name changes are permanent. Probate retention depends on the proceeding: court orders in decedent estates and conservatorships are permanent, while other documents may be destroyed after five years.
Civil judgments in unlimited cases are permanent. Judgments in limited and small claims cases are kept for ten years unless renewed. Domestic violence and other protective order cases are held for the duration of the orders plus any renewals, and the orders themselves are preserved permanently as judgments. For older cases, call the clerk’s business office before assuming the file still exists. Once retention expires, the court may destroy records after providing notice.
Federal Cases Are Separate
The Superior Court handles state matters only. Federal bankruptcy, civil rights, immigration, and federal criminal cases in San Diego go through the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California at 333 West Broadway, Suite 420, San Diego, CA 92101.11PACER: Federal Court Records. California Southern District Court
Federal documents live on PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). Registration is free at pacer.uscourts.gov.12PACER: Federal Court Records. Registration Frequently Asked Questions Documents cost $0.10 per page, capped at the equivalent of 30 pages per document. Court opinions are always free, and quarterly charges of $30 or less are waived entirely.13PACER: Federal Court Records. PACER Pricing – How Fees Work Older federal cases may have been transferred to a Federal Records Center; retrieval is $64, and you start that process by contacting the clerk’s office at (619) 557-5600.14United States Courts. Find a Case (PACER)