San Mateo County Court Records
According to rule 2.502 of the California Rules of Court, a San Mateo county court record is any document, exhibit, or paper filed in a court proceeding or action. These include orders, judgments, and any other document that might be created or filed during a court case. All San Mateo County court records are created and managed by the clerks of the different courts in which cases are filed. These offices also make the records available upon request via mail or in person at the courthouse. Some custodians make San Mateo County Public Records available via search tools on their websites.
Court records help the court and members of the public, to track the progress of any ongoing court case. Furthermore, they help to maintain transparency and accountability in the conduct of the San Mateo County judiciary.
While court records are public, the commercial use of the documents obtained is prohibited. However, court records can be used in publications or for academic research. Also, they can be used by members of the public to learn how the judicial system operates and for reference purposes. Furthermore, these records provide a framework for the establishment of legal models that can be applied if a similar case arises in the future.
Are Court Records Public in San Mateo County?
Yes. All court records are public documents and can be accessed by anyone. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the California Public Records Act make provision for this. Despite the legal provisions for the public availability of court records, certain documents and court case types may not be found during a court record search. Examples of documents exempt from public view are:
- Court proceedings involving juveniles
- Paternity and child adoption proceedings
- Drug and alcohol treatment records
- Psychological evaluation records
- Domestic violence protection order files.
Also, San Mateo County courts reserve the right to withhold certain details from publicly available court records. Typical reasons why this is done are:
- The disclosed information amounts to an unsolicited intrusion into a person's privacy
- It places a person's safety or wellbeing at risk.
Personal details, such as social security numbers and account information, are generally excluded from public records. In cases where the record custodian must provide access to documents containing sensitive information, those details are usually redacted.
What Do San Mateo County Court Records Contain?
San Mateo County Court records contain all documents, both electronic and paper, filed in a case folder. This includes every piece of information, such as exhibits or supportive paperwork related to a case, that was submitted in court. A court record also includes all administrative documentation, depositions, preliminary transcripts or any other type of transcripts, and electronic recordings created, lodged, filed, or maintained throughout the life of a court case.
Electronic recordings in this context include audio recordings, videos, photographs, and more. A court record also contains specific information about the case in question, such as the case number, date of filing, verdict, or appeal status.
Note that certain documents are not admissible amongst court records if they are not in line with the state or federal laws regulating the availability of public records. Examples include preliminary memoranda of judges or judicial personnel, personal notes, court administrative records, and data retrieved from court records that are not related to the case in question.
Where to Conduct a San Mateo County Case Lookup
The Office of the San Mateo Superior Court Clerk is the main custodian of records for all court cases handled in the county. It is also responsible for making non-confidential records available to members of the public upon request at the courthouse or online.
Similarly, numerous private and government-owned websites provide online databases where people can look up any court case of interest. The San Mateo Superior Court has three court locations where people can conduct their case searches in person.
- The Southern branch located in Redwood city
- The Northern branch located in South San Francisco
- The Juvenile Court located in San Mateo.
The courts are open Mondays through Fridays, 8 A.M. to 5 P.M.
How to Conduct a San Mateo County Case Records Search
Individuals looking for court case records must know the specific court in San Mateo County that handled the case in question. Finding court records is generally easier if the searcher has specific details about the case that help facilitate the search. These include the case number, the litigants’ names, the filing date, the names of the attorneys, and the names of the presiding judges.
In-person court records searches can be done at the court clerk's office during working hours, Mondays through Fridays, except on public holidays. While the records are typically available for free, visitors get to pay fees for printing or reproduction of any kind. Such fees vary with the volume of documents to be reproduced or printed.
The San Mateo Superior Court clerk also maintains an online repository where people can conduct case record searches via a tool on the clerk's website.
Note that online case search only applies to civil, criminal, probate, family law, traffic, traffic cases, and small claims. Records pertaining to juvenile, mental health, and adoption are not available to the public online. In such cases, the requestor must obtain copies of the record in person at the clerk's office.
San Mateo County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court case records are documents created in the course of civil lawsuits, and they are usually public in nature. However, courts may decide to withhold civil case records from public view if it deem it confidential by court rule or by law. Publicly available civil case records typically include damage to property disputes, probate issues, family disputes, divorce cases, landlord and tenant disputes, juvenile misconduct, and unpaid personal loans.
The office of the clerk of the San Mateo Superior Court is the main custodian of civil case records. Interested persons may obtain these court records by visiting the clerk’s office in person during business hours. Alternatively, they may perform an online case record search.
San Mateo County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court case records are those created during a court proceeding involving a person who has been accused of committing a crime. The criminal division of the San Mateo Superior Court handles all criminal court cases, and the Clerk’s Office maintains records pertaining to criminal proceedings.
Criminal case court records are generally available to the public upon request. However, the records will not be available to the public if the accused was adjudicated not guilty or the charges against them were dropped. To obtain records for a particular criminal case, interested persons may visit the court clerk’s office or look up the case online.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
The San Mateo Superior Court grants free online access to court records via its online case repository. Similarly, certain independent third-party service providers also offer free online search for court records. While searchers can view records for free on most of these sites, printing or downloading pages of records usually incurs a fee.
That said, as these service providers are not affiliated with the government, the accuracy, currency, or integrity of the records obtained cannot be guaranteed. In any way, persons looking to find court records online must provide the necessary details to facilitate a search. These include the case number or the names of the parties involved.
Courts in San Mateo County
The San Mateo County Superior Court has three courthouses located at three different locations. Two of the courthouses - the Southern branch and the Northern branch - are situated geographically for convenience and they handle both criminal and civil cases. The third courthouse - the juvenile branch - handles all cases involving minors.
San Mateo County Superior Court - Southern Branch
Hall of Justice and Records
400 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063
Phone: (650) 261-5100
San Mateo County Superior Court - Northern Branch
1050 Mission Road
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Phone: (650) 261-5100
San Mateo County Superior Court - Juvenile Branch
222 Paul Scannell Drive
San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: (650) 261-5100
