Los Angeles County Court Records
Rule 2.502 of the California Rules of Court describes a "court record" as any paper, document, or exhibit generated or filed in an action or proceeding. The legal authority to create and preserve court records is given to the trial courts in California (such as the Los Angeles Superior Court) under Cal. Gov. Code §§ 68150 through 68153. Per the law, these courts may preserve records for the cases brought to them in "any form or representation," including paper, electronic, microfilm, and photographic media, as long as it aligns with relevant court rules and the law. The official custodian of court records in Los Angeles County is the Clerk of the Court's Office. These records are considered a part of Los Angeles County Public Records unless otherwise determined by law or court order.
Court records are essential judicial documents in the Los Angeles County court system for various reasons. For one, a court record ensures fairness, transparency, and integrity in the legal system. The record provides an accurate account of judicial proceedings. One that citizens, researchers, journalists, and other parties can reference to learn how courts work or hold judges and attorneys accountable. Secondly, court records establish legal precedents or models that can be used to decide subsequent cases with similar issues. Court records also offer insight into the evolution of the law and legal processes, and they can be used as evidence in future proceedings. An example is when someone appeals a trial court judgment to a higher court. In this scenario, the higher court will review the trial court's records to determine whether to release the appellant from the consequences of the judgment.
Are Court Records Public in Los Angeles County?
Yes. Under the California Public Records Law (CPRA), court records maintained within the California court system are open to the public. For this reason, anyone can request to view or copy court records held by a California court, including the superior court in Los Angeles County.
Notwithstanding, some court records are exempt from the CPRA because public release would jeopardize a person's safety, interfere with judicial proceedings, or violate a person's right to privacy. Examples include juvenile delinquency, mental health, juvenile dependency, and adoption court records.
What Do Los Angeles County Court Records Contain?
Los Angeles County court records contain details about legal proceedings that took place in the county, including:
- Case information, such as the names and addresses of parties involved in a court case, the case status, case number, filing date, and type of case
- Case documents: All filed case documents and papers in a court proceeding, including orders and judgments, motions, pleadings, and answers
- Exhibits (photographs, videos, audio recordings, expert witness statements, documents, and other items presented as evidence in a court of law)
- Dockets and calendars
- Indices for actions or proceedings
- Minute entries
- Transcripts
- Depositions
There are many reasons why a person would want to obtain a Los Angeles County court record. An example is a background check. Nonetheless, anyone looking to research a past or pending case filed in a Los Angeles courthouse will often find ample information about the case proceedings in a court record.
Where to Conduct a Los Angeles County Case Lookup
Members of the public can conduct a court case lookup in Los Angeles County at the following places:
- The Los Angeles County courthouse where a case was filed.
- The LASC's Archives and Records Center (ARC).
These agencies provide access to paper and electronic (paperless) court case records.
How to Conduct a Los Angeles County Case Records Search
Here's how to conduct a case records search in Los Angeles County, California, through the superior court and Archives and Records Center (ARC):
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles (LASC)
Individuals can search case records maintained by the Los Angeles County Superior Court in person or online. In-person requesters should visit the courthouse of filing during working hours to access public terminals or computers. The primary search criteria used at the courthouse kiosks are a case party's name or a case number. There is no fee to find and view electronic case records at the public terminals.
Online inquirers, on the other hand, can use case access systems maintained on the court's website. The court provides case access tools for seven of its nine divisions (civil, criminal, small claims, appellate, family law, probate, and traffic, except mental health and juvenile). By selecting the appropriate web application, a person can search for court case records in a particular division. However, a fee may apply, which varies by division.
Individuals who require more details on how to find court records in person or online can contact a court clerk's office.
Archives and Records Center (ARC)
The court case records available at the ARC are earlier records filed before 2004 (specifically 1910 to 2004), including records of criminal felony, probate, juvenile, civil, and family law cases. Individuals performing a court case search for these records in Los Angeles County can visit the Archives and Records Center at the following address:
222 North Hill Street, Room 212
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 830-0198
Public inspections of case records take place in Room 212 on public computers. Individuals can search and view images of case records at no cost.
Alternatively, a person may mail a written correspondence for a case record search. The ARC accepts mail-in requests for case number searches, case record copies, and certification of copies. Mail requesters should note the following:
- The written request should contain at least the case number and approximate year of filing. A case participant's name and type of case can also be included to narrow down the search.
- A requester must include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check payable to "Los Angeles Superior Court" with "Not to Exceed $X.XX" written on the memo line. The amount should be greater than or equal to the estimated processing fee. Otherwise, the ARC will return the mail to the sender. Mail requests have a processing time of 8 to 10 weeks.
Below is the ARC's mailing address:
Archives and Records Center
222 North Hill Street, Room 212
Los Angeles, CA 90012
In addition to open case records, the ARC maintains confidential case records. Only case parties who present an acceptable valid government-issued ID (e.g., a driver's license) can access these records.
Los Angeles County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court case records include any paper, information, exhibit, or other material created, filed, or maintained because of civil court proceedings (non-criminal court proceedings initiated to protect or enforce a legal right).
The civil courthouses in Los Angeles County preserve records of civil case proceedings heard in the Los Angeles County Superior Court - specifically the courthouse that tried a civil case. Individuals can obtain these records as follows:
- Go to the presiding courthouse to obtain a paper civil case record from the court clerk's office.
- Access the Civil Case Management System on the Los Angeles County Superior Court's website with a civil case number. On the site, individuals can download case document images related to the case for a fee. The Los Angeles County Superior Court provides a list of available civil case documents, which include small claims, family law, probate, and unlimited civil (general jurisdiction) cases within a range of years. A person can find the applicable fees for purchasing civil case documents online on the court's Q&A page.
- Visit or mail the Archives and Records Center to obtain copies of civil case records for a fee.
Los Angeles County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court case records refer to all documents and information generated, collected, or received by courts in relation to criminal offenses.
In Los Angeles County, each criminal court division maintains criminal case records (also called criminal court records) for each matter brought before it. As the public is granted access to court records in California, anyone can request a criminal case record from its custodian (a court clerk's office). Often, obtaining a criminal case record in Los Angeles County is a two-step process:
- Identify the presiding court: Los Angeles County has several criminal courthouses that receive criminal complaints. One way for an outsider (a non-participant of a court case) to determine the court with a record is to search the LASC's Criminal Case Summary database with a case number. The presiding court's name will be listed in the search results. A person who does not have the case number can use the court's Search for Case Number by Defendant Name tool. This tool can search felony cases filed from 1980 to the present and misdemeanor cases filed from 1988 to the present with a defendant's name, but it is a fee-based service. (Review the court's Q&A page for pricing.) Notably, a person can also determine a presiding court from news reports, especially if the case is of public interest.
- Go to the courthouse: Individuals should stop by the relevant courthouse during its open hours to query the clerk's office for paper case records (fees apply for copies). Before visiting the courthouse, one may contact the clerk's office to verify if a document is on file.
In compliance with Rule 2.503(c) of the California Rules of Court, the Los Angeles Superior Court does not disseminate documents from criminal court proceedings online.
Note: To obtain older criminal case records (before 2004), members of the public can send a written request to the LASC's Archives and Records Center or visit the center on weekdays to purchase paper, microfilm, or scanned copies of criminal case records.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
According to Rule 2.503 (Access to Electronic Court Records) of the California Rules of Court, courts in California can provide remote access to court records, but a court may charge for this access or offer it for a fee.
Case in point: the Los Angeles County Superior Court provides digital images of court records to interested persons on its official website. However, requesters must pay the related charge for public access, which varies based on the number of pages a user downloads.
In some cases, members of the public may find free court records online on private aggregate websites. These sites can usually be searched with a case party's first and last name. However, a charge may apply to obtain court records from an independent provider.
Considered open to citizens of the United States, court records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:
- The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
- The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.
While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.
Courts in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County has one court: the Los Angeles County Superior Court. This court is subdivided into 12 districts, each hearing legal matters at different locations. The following is a list (which includes the court clerks' contact numbers and courthouse website links) of the 36 courthouse locations in Los Angeles County:
Airport Courthouse
11701 South La Cienega
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: (310) 725-3000
Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center Courthouse
1040 West Avenue J
Lancaster, CA 93534
Phone: (661) 483-5924
Alhambra Courthouse
150 West Commonwealth
Alhambra, CA 91801
Phone: (626) 293-2100
Bellflower Courthouse
10025 East Flower Street
Bellflower, CA 90706
Phone: (562) 345-3300
Beverly Hills Courthouse
9355 Burton Way
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: (310) 281-2400
Burbank Courthouse
300 East Olive
Burbank, CA 91502
Phone: (818) 260-8400
Catalina Courthouse
215 Sumner Avenue
Avalon, CA 90704
Phone: (562) 256-3100
Central Arraignment Courthouse
429 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 617-5600
Chatsworth Courthouse
9425 Penfield Avenue
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Phone: (818) 407-2200
Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
210 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 628-7700
Compton Courthouse
200 West Compton Boulevard
Compton, CA 90220
Phone: (310) 761-4300
Downey Courthouse
7500 East Imperial Highway
Downey, CA 90242
Phone: (562) 658-0500
East Los Angeles Courthouse
4848 E. Civic Center Way
Los Angeles, CA 90022
Phone: (323) 881-5800
Edmund D. Edelman Children's Courthouse
201 Centre Plaza Drive
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Phone: (323) 307-8000
El Monte Courthouse
11234 East Valley Boulevard
El Monte, CA 91731
Phone: (626) 401-2200
Glendale Courthouse
600 East Broadway
Glendale, CA 91206
Phone: (818) 265-6400
Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse
275 Magnolia
Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone: (562) 256-3100
Hollywood Courthouse
5925 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 441-1800
Inglewood Courthouse
One Regent Street
Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 419-1300
Inglewood Juvenile Courthouse
110 Regent Street
Inglewood, CA 90301
Phone: (310) 412-8301
Metropolitan Courthouse
1945 South Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: (213) 745-3200
Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse
42011 4th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93534
Phone: (661) 483-5500
Norwalk Courthouse
12720 Norwalk Boulevard
Norwalk, CA 90650
Phone: (562) 345-3700
Pasadena Courthouse
300 East Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: (626) 396-3300
Pomona Courthouse South
400 Civic Center Plaza
Pomona, CA 91766
Phone: (909) 802-1100
San Fernando Courthouse
900 Third Street
San Fernando, CA 91340
Phone: (818) 256-1800
Santa Clarita Courthouse
23747 West Valencia Boulevard
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Phone: (661) 253-5600
Santa Monica Courthouse
1725 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 255-1840
Spring Street Courthouse
312 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 310-7000
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
111 North Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 830-0800
Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse
16350 Filbert Street
Sylmar, CA 91342
Phone: (818) 256-1180
Torrance Courthouse
825 Maple Avenue
Torrance, CA 90503
Phone: (310) 787-3700
Van Nuys Courthouse East
6230 Sylmar Avenue
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Phone: (818) 901-4600
Van Nuys Courthouse West
14400 Erwin Street Mall
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Phone: (818) 989-6900
West Covina Courthouse
1427 West Covina Parkway
West Covina, CA 91790
Phone: (626) 430-2600
Whittier Courthouse
7339 South Painter Avenue
Whittier, CA 90602
Phone: (562) 968-2699
Interested persons can access the LASC's Filing Court Locator to determine which district and courthouse has jurisdiction over their case. When uncertain about the proper filing location, it is advised to query a court clerk's office during regular business hours.
