Sacramento County, California Court Records

Sacramento County Court Records

Sacramento County court records contain information about legal actions filed by residents. Court records provide insight into judicial proceedings that can serve legal or personal purposes. For example, court records can be used as legal proof for remarriage and property division. Law enforcement agencies can retrieve court records as part of an ongoing investigation. A case party can retrieve court records to know the status of their case and better understand how it was handled.

The Sacramento County Superior Court is the custodian of court records in the county. Broadly, the Court provides residents with two types of court records: civil and criminal court records. The Sacramento County Superior Court has the following departments:

The dissemination of the information contained in court records complies with the provisions of the California Rules of Court. Individuals interested in knowing how to find court records on a person can contact the Sacramento County Superior Court. All Sacramento County Public Records, including court records, are subject to public disclosure.

Are Court Records Public in Sacramento County?

Per California Public Records Act (PRA), court records are considered public records. Hence, anyone can inspect or obtain copies of court records in California. However, some court records are restricted to an authorized few. Such records include juvenile, adoption, personnel, investigative records, confidential legal advice, and records on pending litigation.

What Do Sacramento County Court Records Contain?

Court records contain information regarding court proceedings from when the case was filed to when it was closed. Generally, what Sacramento County court records contain depends on the case type. Below is the information that can be found in court records in Sacramento County:

Case information (case title, number, category, type, and filing date)
Participants (name, role, and the name of the person (s) that represents them)
Scheduled hearing (event date, time, type, department, and status)
Register of actions (ROA number and entry, filed date, filed by, and pages)

Where to Conduct a Sacramento County Case Lookup

Court records are generated when individuals file criminal or civil cases with the court. A court case lookup can be conducted at the:

Sacramento County Superior Court
California Courts of Appeal
California Supreme Court

How to Conduct a Sacramento County Case Records Search

A Sacramento County case records search can be conducted online or in person at the Superior Court. Online requests can be made via the Public Case Access System. Depending on the case type, most online searches can be done by name or by case number. Name searches and document downloads typically incur fees that can be paid by credit cards. A requester must create an account before they can conduct a search by name. The fees are as follows:

$1 for one name search
$3.50 for 5 name searches
$25 for 75 name searches
$250 for 30 consecutive days of unlimited name searches

The court does not refund individuals for unused name search credits. Generally, name search credits do not have an expiring date except for the 30-day name search option. Also, the court charges a public access fee for viewing case documents. The fees are as follows:

$1 per page for the first five pages of a document
$0.40 per page for each additional page up to a maximum of $40 per document

Alternatively, requesters can visit the Sacramento County Superior Court to access case records online via the court’s kiosks free of charge. Individuals who want printed copies will pay some fees.

Sacramento County Civil Court Case Records

Civil court case records are legal documents that contain information about non-criminal lawsuits among individuals and/or corporations. Examples of civil court case record in Sacramento County are:

Family law records
Probate records
Small claims records
Juvenile records
Unlawful detainer records
General civil records
Other civil records on elder abuse, name changes, and civil harassment

Generally, civil court case records can be accessed online, by mail, in person, or through a private agency. Online requesters can use the Public Case Access System available on the Sacramento County Superior Court website to find civil court records. Below are the specific online tools for civil case types available on the Public Case Access System database:

A record seeker can conduct a search by name, case number, or filing date via any of the aforementioned online tools. Note that individuals who want to conduct a search by name must first create an account and a public access fee.

Alternatively, a civil court case records search can be done by visiting the courthouse where the case was filed. All visits should be during business hours. Requesters must provide basic information like name, case number, or filing date to obtain the desired record. Copies of court records come at a cost, but a person can view court records for free.

Requesters can request small claims records at the Small Claims clerk’s office by email at scefile@saccourt.ca.gov. Mail applicants must submit request forms alongside appropriate fees to the clerk of the court where the case was heard. Here are the request forms requesters must mail depending o the civil case type:

Sacramento County Criminal Court Case Records

Criminal court case records are legal documents that contain court proceedings regarding a person that committed an infraction, misdemeanor, or felony. The Sacramento County Superior Court has an online tool where requesters can find criminal court case records. A search can be conducted by name or case number. A criminal court case records search by case number is free, but a search by name attracts charges. For traffic records, individuals can use the traffic court records portal. A search can be conducted by driver's license, citation number, case number, or XREF number. Alternatively, requesters can visit the Court to access criminal case information online through one of the court’s kiosks free of charge. Copies of criminal court case records are not free. An inquirer should speak to the court staff if they want copies of court records or place an order over the counter.

How to Get Court Records Online for Free

Individuals can get court records online for free via the Public Case Access System provided by the Sacramento County Superior Court. Free access to court records is available when an individual conducts a search by other search options asides from name search. For instance:

Individuals can get civil court records for free if they conduct a search by case number or filing date
Individuals can get criminal court records for free if they conduct a search by case number
Individuals can get traffic records for free if they conduct a search by driver's license, citation number, case number, or XREF Number.

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 Sacramento County

Sacramento County has about six courthouses that handle different disputes and claims. Below are the addresses of all the courts in Sacramento County:

Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse
720 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 874-5522 (civil); (916) 874-5522 (criminal)

Hall of Justice
813 6th Street, Room 212, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 874-5522

Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice (Sacramento County Main Jail)
651 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 874-6936

William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse
3341 Power Inn Road
Sacramento, CA 95826
Phone: (916) 875-3400

Carol Miller Justice Center
301 Bicentennial Circle
Sacramento, CA 95826
Phone: (916) 875-7746 (landlord/tenant ); (916) 875-7746 (small claims); (916) 669-5712 (traffic)

Juvenile Courthouse
9605 Kiefer Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95827
Phone: (916) 876-7753