San Diego County Court Records
A court record, according to the California Rules of Court, is any report or document filed or generated during a legal action. In San Diego County, the superior court can produce and preserve these records. Members of the public can access these records in any available form (hard copy, electronic copy, photograph, etc.). It is the duty of the county court clerk to maintain these records and disseminate them to those interested in obtaining them.
In San Diego County, court records are important for several reasons:
- They serve as judicial references to law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, researchers, members of the public, and press.
- They provide reliable information about court proceedings and foster openness, justice, and transparency within the legal system.
- They can be used to support a legal claim/argument or challenge a court decision.
Are Court Records Public in San Diego County?
Yes. As stated in the California Rules of Court%20Court%20records%20presumed%20to%20be%20open), court records are accessible to the public unless a law, court order, or court rule restricts access. This means that any member of the public can request and obtain court records maintained within any judicial system in California, including San Diego County Public Records.
Some court records, however, are exempt from public access. These include sealed records, juvenile records, and adoption records.
What Do San Diego County Court Records Contain?
San Diego County court records contain the following information:
- Details about the parties involved in a case (full names and addresses). This includes the attorney and judge's names
- Docket information, including the case title, case type (family, criminal, civil, etc.), case number, case hearing location, filing and hearing dates, case status, and disposition
- Papers filed or created during a case, including the complaint, response, transcript, orders, opinions, and motions
- Evidence
The above details are provided in a court record so that any interested member of the public can obtain complete and accurate information about a court case.
Where to Conduct a San Diego County Case Lookup
Individuals can look up a San Diego County case in the following places:
- Through the online case management site maintained by the San Diego County Superior Court
- At one of the San Diego Superior Court Clerk's Office locations
How to Conduct a San Diego County Case Records Search
Members of the public can conduct a San Diego County case records search online on the county superior court's website as follows:
- Click "Access Case Records" on the homepage of the court's website.
- On the next page, select "Online Case Search – Court Index".
- Next, select one of the search options: A search by party name, case number, or district attorney (DA) number.
A Search by Party Name requires the provision of a case participant's name, the case type, and case location to provide the user with a record match. A Case Number Search requires a case type, case location, and case number to bring up results. A DA Number Search requires only the district attorney's case number. The case records search portal does not give access to certain records or information, including juvenile cases, infractions, dispositions, and charges.
Notably, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office also has a case information system that individuals can use to find information about certain felony and misdemeanor court proceedings. The tool is accessible with a case party's last name or the court case number.
Besides online searches, an individual can send a letter to the presiding courthouse requesting a San Diego County case record search. Requesters must typically include the names of the parties involved in the case, a case number, the documents requested, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Mail requesters should note that a fee applies for this service, and it is assessed based on the time it will take to find a record and the volume of the request. Additional fees also apply to retrieve records stored off-site, earlier records, and to certify copies. Someone who is not certain of the total amount payable for records request can send a check payable to the superior court that includes a fee not to be exceeded. They may also consult the court's fee schedule.
Another way to conduct a case records search in San Diego County, California, is to visit a superior court clerk's office location. This is the best option for old or archived records, as well as traffic and minor offense case records.
At the office location, the inquirer must provide a case number or name of the individuals involved in the case and picture identification. Further, requesters must pay the applicable record fee to the court clerk. A fee applies for any search beyond 10 minutes. Meanwhile, copies of any record cost 50 cents per page.
In-person requesters should note that an order may take more than a day to process. In such instances, a requester will be informed once the record is found and can be picked up from the courthouse.
Court records that have been expunged or destroyed are not retrievable by any means.
San Diego County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court case records are records of court cases that are non-criminal, basically a dispute between persons and/or an organization in regard to a legal right. San Diego civil court records like all other court records are maintained and managed by the county clerk of court.
As has been mentioned, members of the public can obtain civil records online, via mail, or in person. Those seeking to find a civil court case online can visit the San Diego superior court webpage. On the homepage click on the ‘Division’ option and select ‘Civil Division’. Scroll down and choose the ‘view a case file’ option. A page would be displayed where one would need to accept the user agreement disclaimer. Then another page where one would answer a simple question and finally the case system search page would be displayed. One would need to provide the year the case was filed and the case number or search by providing the legacy search number.
An inquirer can also send a mail to the courthouse in the county where the case was handled as has been outlined above or visit in person to make inquiries.
San Diego County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court case records are court records of cases filed by the state against an individual(s) and/or an organization in regard to breaking a law.
Criminal court case records like civil court case records can be obtained from the San Diego Superior Court web page using the online case search provided. They are filed and recorded by the clerk of the county court. An inquirer can follow the guidelines for obtaining a court record as stated earlier. One can do a search by party name, case number, or DA number.
Criminal court case records can also be accessed on the web page maintained by the DA’s office. Searches can be done using a last name or a case number as has been aforementioned. A requester should please note that these records do not include juvenile records, cases in which charges have not been filed, closed cases, cases that have not been submitted to the DA’s office, and misdemeanors within the limits of the county.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
As provided for in the California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, electronic court records are accessible to interested persons. Interested members of the public who want to get court records online for free can check the case search system provided by either the Superior Court in San Diego or the District Attorney’s office provided online. Online searches are generally done for free on these platforms and would only require a fee if one would need to get a copy of the records sorted.
Some third-party sites also provide court records online for free. One would need to provide a name or case number to conduct a search.
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 San Diego County
There are several courthouses in San Diego County that have jurisdiction to hear different cases. Below are their addresses of some of these courthouses.
County Courts
Central Courthouse
1100 Union Street
San Diego, CA 92101
East County Regional Center
250 East Main Street
El Cajon, CA 92020
North County Regional Center
325 South Melrose
Vista, CA 92081
South County Regional Center
500 3rd Avenue
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Juvenile Courthouse
2851 Meadow Lark Drive,
San Diego, CA 92123
Hall of Justice
330 West Broadway,
San Diego, CA 92101
Kearny Mesa Traffic
8950 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard,
San Diego, CA 92123
State Courts
4th District Court of Appeal (Division One)
Symphony Towers
750 B Street, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92101
Federal Courts
Edward J. Schwartz
United States Courthouse
221 West Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
James M. Carter & Judith N. Keep
United States Courthouse
333 West Broadway #420,
San Diego, CA 92101
