State of California Public Criminal Records

Where to Search California Public Criminal Records

There is no single unrestricted statewide online search that returns every California criminal court case, arrest, conviction, inmate record and federal proceeding. Choose the source that holds the type of record you need.

How to Look Up California Criminal Court Records Online

California’s court system provides a statewide directory of courts, but the individual Superior Courts maintain their own trial-level criminal case files. This means a felony case in Los Angeles may require a different search portal from a misdemeanor case in San Diego or Riverside.

1. Identify the county where the case was filed.

   Use the court notice, citation, case number, arrest location or other reliable information. The filing county is more useful than where the person currently lives.

2. Open the California Superior Court directory.

   Visit Find Your Court, select the county and follow the official court website link.

3. Find the criminal case search.

   Look for headings such as Criminal Case Search, Case Access, Public Portal, Criminal Case Summary, Court Index or Online Services.

4. Check the portal’s rules and fees.

   Some California courts offer free case-number searches but charge for defendant-name searches. Others require a registered account or distinguish public case information from document access.

5. Search using the strongest available information.

   Enter the case number if known. Otherwise use the legally available defendant-name search. Narrow by court location, filing year or case type where those filters are offered.

6. Confirm the correct case.

   Compare the court, case number, filing date, case type and publicly available party details. A matching name does not necessarily identify the correct person.

7. Review the register of actions or case summary.

   Look for charges, arraignment dates, hearings, plea entries, judgment, sentencing and the final disposition. Court terminology and the amount of information displayed vary by county.

8. Contact the court clerk for the underlying record.

   If you need a signed judgment, certified disposition, charging document or another permitted record, follow the court’s in-person or written records-request procedure.

California Criminal Records Search by County

These examples show why knowing the county matters. Each court has its own search features, available date ranges, payment requirements and records-request procedures.

Can You View Actual California Criminal Court Documents Online?

California Rules of Court distinguish between case information and the electronic documents filed in criminal proceedings.

Under Rule 2.503, courts maintaining electronic records generally must make eligible calendars, indexes and registers of actions remotely available when feasible. However, members of the public ordinarily cannot remotely access the underlying electronic criminal case documents.

Those otherwise public records may be accessed at the courthouse, subject to restrictions, court resources and applicable procedures.

Examples of the difference

How to request a certified criminal record

1. Identify the court and case number.

   Search the official county portal or consult your summons, attorney, disposition paperwork or other known case documentation.

2. Find the court’s criminal records department.

   Use the official Superior Court website and locate its Records, Criminal Clerk or Copy Requests page.

3. Specify what you need.

   Request a particular judgment, dismissal, sentencing order, docket or other publicly accessible document rather than asking for a vague criminal-history search.

4. Check fees and identity requirements.

   Some records can be inspected without purchasing copies. Copies, certification, research and mailing may carry charges.

5. Follow the court’s submission process.

   Depending on the court, this may require visiting the courthouse or sending a written, mailed or electronic records request.

Read the Judicial Council’s electronic court-record access explanation and California Rule of Court 2.503.

California DOJ Criminal Records: How to Request Your Own History

The California Department of Justice maintains statewide summary criminal-history records. These records are commonly called RAP sheets or Records of Arrest and Prosecution.

Unlike public court case indexes, state summary criminal-history records are confidential under California law.

The DOJ makes these records available for authorized law-enforcement, applicant or regulatory purposes and permits an individual to request their own record for review.

How California residents request their own records

1. Open California DOJ Record Review.

   Visit the official DOJ website and read the current instructions.

2. Use Live Scan form BCIA 8016RR.

   California residents must submit fingerprints through an approved Live Scan provider for personal criminal-history record review.

3. Enter Record Review as the application purpose.

   Follow the DOJ form instructions for the application type and reason.

4. Visit a public Live Scan provider.

   Bring the completed form and appropriate identification. Check the provider’s appointment procedure and fingerprint-rolling fee.

5. Pay the DOJ fee or request an eligible waiver.

   The DOJ lists a $25 state processing fee. A Live Scan provider may charge an additional rolling fee.

6. Review the response for accuracy.

   If the record contains an error, follow the DOJ’s challenge instructions using Form BCIA 8706 and supporting documentation.

What if you live outside California?

The DOJ provides a separate procedure for applicants living outside California or outside the United States.

Instead of using California Live Scan, those applicants generally use an FD-258 fingerprint card with the DOJ’s application form BCIA 8705 and follow the official mailing and payment instructions.

The DOJ lists the Record Review and Challenge Section mailing address as:

California Department of Justice
Bureau of Criminal Identification and Analysis
Record Review & Challenge Section
P.O. Box 160207
Sacramento, CA 95816-0207

Always confirm the mailing address and accepted payment method on the official DOJ page before sending an application.

Can an employer ask for your personal DOJ RAP sheet?

California law restricts an employer or other unauthorized party from requiring a person to obtain and provide their personal record-review copy.

Employment and licensing background checks must follow the applicable authorized process rather than improperly using a personal DOJ record-review report.

Read the DOJ’s personal criminal-history review FAQ for information about those restrictions.

How to Find Public California Arrest Records

An arrest record is different from a court conviction record. It generally originates with the police or sheriff department that made the arrest, not the county Superior Court.

California Government Code section 7923.610 requires law-enforcement agencies to make specified information about arrests public, subject to statutory conditions and exceptions where disclosure would endanger an individual or interfere with an investigation.

Information that may be disclosed

• The arrested person’s name and certain identifying descriptions.
• The date and time of the arrest.
• The arrest and booking location.
• Specified factual circumstances surrounding the arrest.
• Certain bail, release and booking information where required by law.

The requirement to disclose specified arrest information is not the same as a right to every police investigation report, witness statement, photograph or confidential investigative document.

Steps to request arrest information

1. Identify the arresting agency.

   Determine whether it was a city police department, county sheriff or another law-enforcement agency.

2. Check the agency’s public records section.

   Look for Arrest Records, Records Unit, Public Information, Police Reports or Public Records Requests.

3. Provide appropriate search details.

   An incident or report number, approximate date, name or arrest location may help the agency identify the requested information.

4. Ask for the specific publicly disclosable record.

   Avoid requesting confidential investigative material or another person’s restricted criminal-history report.

5. Verify the later court result separately.

   If charges were filed, search the county Superior Court for the outcome. Arrest alone does not establish that a person was convicted.

For California government’s public records principles, review the California DOJ Public Records guidance.

Search California State Prison Records Using CDCR CIRIS

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation operates the California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS).

CIRIS replaced the older state Inmate Locator and provides selected public information about people currently incarcerated within CDCR institutions.

Available information may include:

• Incarcerated person’s name.
• CDCR identification number.
• Age.
• Current state institution.
• Date of admission.
• County or counties of commitment.
• Eligible parole information where available.

How to search CDCR records

1. Open the official CDCR CIRIS service.

   Use the CIRIS link provided through the Department’s official contact page.

2. Read the disclaimer.

   Understand that the information is a public search tool and not an official certified correctional record.

3. Search by name or identification number.

   Use the available search criteria and compare possible matches.

4. Check institution and commitment details.

   Available information may help identify the proper sentencing county or current state institution.

5. Use the sentencing court for the conviction record.

   CDCR inmate information is not a replacement for an original certified criminal judgment.

For assistance with locating an incarcerated person, CDCR identifies its Identification Unit at 916-445-6713.

California Megan’s Law Sex Offender Search

The California Department of Justice operates the official Megan’s Law website for information about registered sex offenders that California law permits to be disclosed publicly.

The public website contains a disclaimer and search conditions that users must acknowledge before using its search features.

The public can use the available search features to research legally disclosed registry information. However, not every registered person appears on the website, because public disclosure depends on statutory restrictions.

California Criminal Appeals and Supreme Court Case Search

If a criminal conviction was appealed, the original trial record remains associated with the county Superior Court, while appellate proceedings are maintained through the relevant California Court of Appeal or Supreme Court.

The official California Appellate Courts Case Information System permits searches by:

• Court of Appeal or Supreme Court case number.
• Original trial court case number.
• Party name.
• Case caption.
• Attorney information.

Depending on the case, users can find appellate docket entries, scheduled actions, case status, dispositions and available opinions.

Are State of California Public Criminal Records Free?

California court case research is sometimes free, but not every online criminal-records service is free. Costs depend on the county court, whether the search uses a name or case number, and whether you need physical copies or certification.

These figures are based on the agencies’ published schedules reviewed for this guide. Fees can change, and other California counties may charge different amounts.

California Sealed, Dismissed and Expunged Criminal Records

A California criminal record may not appear online because it is confidential, sealed, restricted or outside the public portal’s scope.

California also has several record-cleaning procedures, and the terms used in everyday conversation do not always match the legal effect of the relief.

Arrest without a conviction

Under Penal Code section 851.91, qualifying arrests that did not result in conviction may be eligible for sealing.

This may involve a case where no charges were filed, charges were dismissed, diversion was successfully completed or the defendant was found not guilty.

The California Courts Self-Help Guide identifies Form CR-409 for petitions to seal qualifying arrest and related records.

Some eligible arrests may already have been automatically sealed under Penal Code section 851.93.

Official guidance: California Courts — Arrest Without Conviction.

Conviction dismissal

For certain convictions, California provides post-conviction dismissal procedures under applicable Penal Code provisions, including section 1203.4.

A dismissal under such a provision does not necessarily erase the historical court case. The public record and authorized agency information can reflect that the court granted dismissal relief.

Official guidance: California Courts — Felony Record Cleaning.

Why an old record may still appear

California DOJ explains that many forms of record relief change disclosure permissions or record status without physically deleting every entry from the state’s criminal-history repository.

Private websites and old publications may also retain previously obtained information, subject to applicable correction and privacy laws.

Read the California DOJ Sealing Orders guidance.

Why a California Criminal Records Search May Show No Results

California’s four federal judicial districts

California federal criminal matters are handled through the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts, depending on where the federal proceeding was filed.

These federal records are separate from county Superior Court cases. Use PACER or PACER Case Locator if you do not know the federal district.

Can Employers Use California Public Criminal Records for Background Checks?

Employers must consider California’s Fair Chance Act and other applicable laws when requesting or using applicants’ criminal-history information.

The Fair Chance Act generally applies to employers with five or more employees and restricts criminal-history inquiries before a conditional job offer, subject to statutory exceptions.

It also limits the consideration of certain arrests not followed by conviction, diversion participation and records that have been sealed, dismissed, expunged or otherwise legally cleared.

After a conditional offer, employers considering disqualification based on legally usable conviction history may have to conduct an individualized assessment and provide appropriate notices and an opportunity to respond.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act and additional California screening laws may also apply when a background-report company is involved.

Official resource: California Civil Rights Department — Fair Chance Act.

Official California Public Criminal Records Sources

These resources are maintained by California courts and government agencies. Use them to access case searches, request records or verify the legal access rules described above.

• California Judicial Branch — Find Your Court
• California Courts — How to Look Up a Court Case
• California Rule of Court 2.503 — Electronic Criminal Records Access
• California Judicial Branch — Viewing Electronic Court Case Records
• Los Angeles Superior Court — Criminal Defendant Name Search
• San Diego Superior Court — Criminal Case Index
• Orange County Superior Court — Case Access
• Riverside Superior Court — Public Access and Name Search Fees
• Sacramento Superior Court — Criminal Case Search
• San Francisco Superior Court — Criminal Division
• Kern County Superior Court — Case Information Search
• California DOJ — Request Your Own Criminal Record
• California DOJ — Criminal-History Access FAQ
• California Department of Corrections — CIRIS Access and Assistance
• California DOJ — Megan’s Law Registry
• California Appellate Courts — Case Information
• California Courts — Sealing Arrests Without Conviction
• California Civil Rights Department — Fair Chance Act
• PACER — Federal Court Records