What are Long Beach Public Records?
Long Beach public records consist of all information created, used, or maintained by a government agency, in whatever form the records are retained. According to the CPRA, public records should be available to interested persons, except where a court order restricts access. However, the CPRA provides for redactions or complete denial of access for records that contain specific information, including:
- Information received by the government agency, in confidence
- Details of active law enforcement cases or investigation
- Litigation records where the agency is a party
- Records that may constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, including medical and personnel files
- Preliminary notes, drafts, and inter- or interagency communications
- Intelligence information records
Long Beach Crime Statistics
The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) provides information on criminal activity within the city. The LBPD's records show crime rate, the number of cases for each crime, and a five-year average for recorded cases. According to the LBPD's 2019 report, the city experienced 1,765 violent crimes and 8,233 property crimes, bringing this to a total of 9,998 crimes. There were 845 cases of aggravated assault, the most committed violent crime in 2019. With 22 cases, murder was the least committed crime.
There were 1,774 cases of petty theft less than $50, the most-committed property crime. The LPD recorded 83 cases of arson, the smallest number of property crimes in the city. Overall, there was an average of 11,579.6 crimes recorded between 2015 and 2019.
Are Long Beach Criminal Records Public?
Not all persons may access Long Beach criminal records. Access to criminal history records in Los Angeles County is restricted to certain entities, such as employers of labor. While Long Beach allows authorized persons to access these records, there are certain restrictions on how these records may be used. For example, employers may not refuse to offer employment to a qualified potential employee because of information on the person's criminal record. Employers may use the information to make a decision only if the person's record may affect the particular role the employee is to play.
How to Obtain Long Beach Police Reports and Arrest Records
The LBPD allows requestors to access public Long Beach records, including police reports, through its Records Division. Eligible requestors may complete and download a report release application, and deliver the form in person or by mail to the Long Beach Police Department. Eligible persons include affected individuals, attorneys, or legal representatives. Each copy costs $23, payable by check for mail requests. The LBPD also receives cash for in-person requests. Note that the request fee does not apply if the requestor is a victim of the crime. Send the request by mail or visit the LBPD at:
Long Beach Police Department
Attention: Records Division
400 West Broadway
Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone: (562) 570-7381
Eligible requestors may use the report release application for crime reports, arrest reports, and traffic collision reports. Before releasing a crime or arrest report, the LBPD will notify the investigator handling the case, who must approve the release. Attorneys requesting traffic collision reports must present signed authorization from the persons represented. An insurance company must submit a claim or policy number with the application form before obtaining a report.
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Omaha
The California Department of Justice provides free information on all registered sex offenders in Long Beach, and all other parts of the state. Anyone may use the online sex offender search to find records by the offender's name, address, or the provided offender map. Search results display each offender's full name, known aliases, date of birth, physical description, offenses, risk assessment, last known address, and a booking photograph. Note that there may be inaccuracies in the provided information as an offender's address may change. Also, there are rare cases where a sex offender's information is not available on the online database. Requestors are advised to contact the Department of Justice for more information.
How to Find Long Beach Inmate Records
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) provides public information on persons in the Long Beach City Jail and other jails in the county. The LASD allows the general public to find Long Beach inmate records using the Inmate Information Center (IIC). The search platform requires the inmate's last and first names and provides optional queries such as a middle name and birth date. Search results display identifying data and the inmate's charge level. The IIC also provides details on the inmate's arrest, bail, court hearing, case information, and current location. Note that the IIC may not contain records for bookings not older than two hours.
How Do I Visit an inmate in the Long Beach City Jail?
Inmates at the Long Beach City Jail are only allowed one visitation per day. The visitor must schedule the visit in advance and may only visit with a minor if the adult is the child's legal guardian. Each visitor must present a valid government-issued ID and may only spend 15 minutes with the inmate. Visitors to the Long Beach City Jail may not have outstanding warrants.
Persons who were in custody at the jail within the last six months will be denied access. Also, a domestic violence victim will not receive approval to visit a suspect in the same case. Note that the Jail Commander/Supervisor reserves the right to cancel scheduled jail visitations regardless of the visitor's eligibility. Daily visitation hours for inmates at the Long Beach City Jail are as follows:
Misdemeanor – 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Felony – 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Trustee – 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Interested persons may call (562) 570-7260 to schedule a visit or make enquiries.
Court Records
The City of Long Beach seats a Los Angeles Superior Court, which exercises jurisdiction over all criminal and civil matters. The Superior Court has several divisions that handle specific case types. Divisions include Civil, Criminal, Family, Small Claims, Traffic, Juvenile, and Probate. Generally, the Criminal Division handles misdemeanor and felony cases in Long Beach City. The Civil Division is further divided into Unlimited and Limited divisions. Unlimited cases have claims worth over $25,000, while Limited cases have less. The court is located at:
Los Angeles County Superior Court – Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse
275 Magnolia
Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone: (562) 256-3100
Courthouse Hours: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Clerk's Office's Hours 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Are Long Beach Court Records Public?
Long Beach court records are open to public access. However, California law provides exceptions to the general public's access to court records. For instance, the law considers juvenile records confidential and restricts access to the juvenile's parents, legal guardians, and other connected persons as directed by the court. Juvenile cases may include delinquency and dependency matters.
In addition, certain documents or parts of a court record are inaccessible to the general public, even if other parts are not confidential. For example, a fee waiver application is considered private and will be removed or redacted from related documents before issuance.
Can You Look up a Long Beach Court Case Online?
The Los Angeles Superior Court provides online access to Long Beach court records. The general public may use the online case search to find records of cases heard in the city. The platform requires a case number and allows the searcher to select the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse as the filing courthouse.
However, remote access to court records may be limited. Rule 2.503 of the California Rules of Court states that certain criminal, child custody, divorce, guardianship, and civil harassment cases may be unavailable remotely, except a court order states otherwise.
How to Obtain Long Beach Court Case Records
Persons interested in Long Beach court records may access case information by mail or in person. For a mail order, send a written request to the Los Angeles Superior Court in Long Beach. Ensure that the request contains all available details on the case and includes the requestor's personal contact details. Send the request to:
Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse
275 Magnolia
Long Beach, CA 90802
Interested persons may also visit the courthouse to make in-person requests. Alternatively, requestors may search for electronic case information using the public access computers at the courthouse. While the court may charge fees to persons requesting copies of court records via mail or in person, using the public access computers is free of charge.
Los Angeles County court records for cases from 1910 to 2004 are available from the Archives and Records Center. The Archive and Records Center also has public access computers where parties may inspect cases for free. To order by mail or in person, use the following details:
Archives and Records Center
222 North Hill Street
Room 212
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 830-0198
What are Long Beach Vital Records?
Long Beach vital records contain information on life events that occurred within the city. These records include birth certificates, marriage certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates, and divorce records. Long Beach Vital records are obtainable by submitting requests to the applicable custodian agency. Some vital records are also available online.
Where and How to Obtain Long Beach Divorce Records
The Los Angeles Superior Court in Long Beach maintains records of all divorces finalized within the city. Long Beach divorce records are requestable by mail or in person. Mail orders require sending written requests to the courthouse. Each request must contain details of the divorced parties and the date of the divorce. Ensure that the request also contains personal information on the requestor. Send a request by mail or visit:
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse
275 Magnolia
Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone: (562) 256-3100
The Superior Court also provides online access to divorce judgment documents. However, the requestor must provide the court case number to place an order. Each record costs 50 cents per page, an additional $15 for certification, and $50 for exemplification. Online payments require cards from Mastercard, Visa, or Discover, issued to a billing address in the United States.
Where and How to Get Confidential Long Beach Marriage Records
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk entertains requests for certified copies of confidential marriage records. Confidential copies of Long Beach marriage records are not public records and are only available to the married parties, except otherwise ordered by a court. To request by mail, download and complete a marriage record application form. Ensure to have the attached Certificate of Identity signed and notarized. In-person requestors must sign the application form in the cashier's presence. Both methods require valid identification. Visit the County Clerk or mail the request using the following information:
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Birth, Death and Marriage Records Section
P.O. Box 489
Norwalk, CA 90651-0489
Each copy costs a non-refundable $15 fee payable by check or money order made out to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Allow up to 20 working days for processing, from the date the County Clerk receives the request.
Where and How to Get Public Long Beach Marriage Records
Public Long Beach marriage records are available from the Los Angeles County Clerk. Under California law, only the following persons may request an authorized certified copy of a public marriage record:
- One of the registrants
- A parent or legal guardian
- A law enforcement officer or representative of a governmental agency for official duty
- An immediate family member to one of the registrants, including a sibling, spouse, domestic partner, grandparent, child, grandchild
- An attorney or legal representative of one of the registrants
Members of the public may fill the application form for a public Long Beach marriage record. However, unauthorized persons will receive an informational certified copy, not an authorized certified copy. A certified copy of a public marriage record costs $15, payable by money order or check made out to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Persons requesting by mail must submit the form and notarize the attached Certificate of Identity. In-person requestors must sign the form before the cashier. Send the documents to the Los Angeles County Clerk or visit in person. The County Clerk may take up to 20 days for processing, from the day the request is received.
Where and How to Find Long Beach Birth Records
The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) maintains birth records until the child's first birthday. After the first birthday, birth records are only available from the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Requesting a birth certificate from the Health Department requires an in-person visit to obtain an application packet. Alternatively, an interested party may mail a stamped and self-addressed envelope to the Health Department. The office will mail an application to the requestor, along with instructions on filling the forms. Complete and mail the application to the Health Department. Each certified copy costs $28. Send the documents to:
Long Beach Health Department
Attention: Vital Records
2525 Grand Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90815
Phone: (562) 570-4305
The requested birth certificate will be ready within ten days of the application. However, interested persons may pay an extra fee to have the certificates ready on the next business day.
The County Clerk receives requests for birth records after one year of birth. Only the following persons may request an authorized certified copy of a birth record:
- The registrant
- A legal guardian or parent
- A law enforcement agent or other government representative while conducting official duties
- A legal representative or attorney
Persons who do not qualify for authorized certified copies may receive marked informational copies. To order by mail, complete a birth record application form along with the attached Certificate of Identity, which must be signed and notarized. Each copy costs a non-refundable $28 fee payable by money order or check, to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Send the completed form, the preferred means of payment, and a copy of a valid government-issued ID to the County Clerk.
Where and How to Find Long Beach Death Records
The Health Department maintains Long Beach death records within one year of the death date. To request a Long Beach death record, visit the Health Department for an application packet. Alternatively, send a self-addressed and stamped envelope to the Health Department to receive the application packet by mail. Each certified copy costs $21, payable by money order or check.
To order a Long Beach death record after one year of the person's death, complete a death record application form, and have the attached Certificate of Identity notarized. Each authorized certified copy costs $21 for eligible persons. However, ineligible persons may receive an information copy of the record. Eligible persons include:
- The registrant
- An immediate family member such as a sibling, grandchild, grandparent, domestic partner, or spouse
- Legal representative or attorney
- A funeral agent or director, a representative of a funeral establishment requesting on behalf of specific eligible individuals
The fee is non-refundable and payable by check or money order made out to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Requestors may send the check or money order, a copy of a valid government-issued ID, and the completed form to the County Clerk.
