What are Santa Clara County Arrest Records?
Santa Clara County arrest records are official documents that give information about arrests carried out following criminal activity in the county. They also provide details about the circumstances that led to arrests. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is the local law enforcement agency that processes arrest records for the county. To obtain a Santa Clara arrest record, query the Records Division of the Sheriff’s Office at:
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office
55 West Younger Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110-1721
Phone: (408) 808-4705 (Records Division)
Phone: (408) 808-4400
Fax: (408) 294-2467
Email: so.website@shf.sccgov.org
Crime Statistics
The California Department of Justice makes available the crime statistics for all the counties in the state through its Open Justice portal. In 2019, Santa Clara reported a total number of 54,220 crimes. A breakdown of crime data for the county shows that there were 6,361 violent crimes and 47,859 property crimes. The violent crimes include 45 murders, 918 rapes, 1,836 robberies, and 3,562 aggravated assaults. The property crimes include 6,827 burglaries, 32,695 larcenies, 8,084 motor vehicle thefts, and 253 arson incidents. Compared with the 2015 figures, there was an overall increase in the county's crime rate. Murder (2%), rape (62%), robbery (18%), aggravated assault (36%), larceny (19%), arson (31%) rates increased. There was a 20% and 12% decline in burglary and motor vehicle theft rates.
What are Santa Clara County Criminal Records?
Santa Clara County criminal records are official documents that contain in-depth information about local criminal activities. These criminal records are also called rap sheets. Information contained includes the record owner’s names, Santa Clara arrests records or reports, indictments, convictions, and sentences. Interested individuals have the option of getting criminal records either at the county or from a state department. At the county level, the Santa Clara Sheriff Office processes requests for criminal records. At the same time, the California Department of Justice is the state department that does background checks. It should be noted that individuals can only obtain their own criminal records. Law enforcement agencies and employers can however carry out background checks for residents.
How Do I Get Santa Clara County Criminal Records?
Residents of Santa Clara County may request their local criminal record for a fixed fee. To process a request, interested residents will need visit the Sheriff’s Office in person, with a valid ID. They will be required to provide information by completing certain relevant forms. The Sheriff’s Office will also carry out a fingerprint scan to verify that the requester is the record’s subject. Once this is done, it takes an average of 4 weeks to process a request, then the result will be mailed to the requester. For persons residing outside Santa Clara County, submit the following:
- A completed fingerprint card from a law enforcement agency
- A notarized letter stating a request to obtain criminal history for personal use, with the following details:
- Aliases (if any) and any other information for identifying the record’s subject, like a California driver’s license number
- A valid return mailing address
- Phone number
- Email address
- A photocopy of a valid photo ID
- Payment of $25 to the Santa Clara County Sheriff (SCCSO) with a personal check or money order.
To request criminal records from the California Department of Justice, fill out the Live Scan Form (also in Spanish). Tick off and write “Record Review” under “Type of Application” and “Reason for Application”. Take the filled-out form to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office or any of the other Live Scan Locations in Santa Clara County for fingerprinting. All fingerprint scan appointments at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office are scheduled online. Below are the addresses, contact information, and acceptable payment options of the Sheriff’s Office and its branches where fingerprint scan services are available:
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office
55 West Younger Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110
Monday to Friday; between 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Phone: (408) 808-4760
Payment: Cash or Check
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office West Valley Substation
1601 South De Anza Boulevard
Cupertino, CA 95014
Monday to Friday; between 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Phone: (408) 868-6614
Payment: Cash or Check
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office South County Substation
80 Highland Avenue
Building K
San Martin, CA 95046
Monday to Friday; between 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Phone: (408) 686-3651
Payment: Cash or Check
Stanford University Department of Public Safety
711 Serra Street
Stanford, CA 94305
Monday to Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Phone: (650) 725-2499
Payment: Cash or Check
Note: DOJ/FBI fees apply based on the type of background check processed.
How to Find Santa Clara County Sex Offender Information?
The California Department of Justice is responsible for maintaining a registry of sex offenders currently residing in the state. In accordance with the state’s Megan’s Law, sex offender information is made publicly available. To access it, visit the California Megan’s Law website. The search tool on the homepage allows visitors to conduct name and map searches for sex offenders. For a list of sex offenders living in Santa Clara County, visit the county search page and select Santa Clara from the drop-down menu.
Santa Clara County also provides other resources for citizens to find sex offender information. They can contact the SAFE (Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement) Task Force at (408) 808-4300, or the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office at (408) 808-4500, or the San Jose Police Department at (408) 277-4290.
How do I Visit an Inmate in Santa Clara County Jail?
Santa Clara County has two jail facilities situated at:
Main Jail
150 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110
Elmwood Facility
701 South Abel Street
Milpitas, CA 95035
To visit an inmate, follow the instructions provided online to visit inmates at the Main Jail Facility or the Elmwood Correctional Facility.
Where and How to Find Santa Clara County Inmate Information?
The Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office keeps Santa Clara Inmate Records for all the jails in the county. It provides a handy inmate finder tool on the county’s website. Visitors can use it to find specific inmates by providing their booking numbers, personal file numbers, or names.
What are Santa Clara County Court Records?
The Supreme Court of California, Santa Clara County makes all court cases available online except for closed hearings and the proceedings of Juvenile Justice Court and Juvenile Dependency Court. Use the Case Information Portal to view records for civil, criminal, small claims, and probate cases. Records for cases heard in the county’s traffic court are available on a dedicated Public Portal.
Note that case documents are not available online. The Court accepts in-person and mail requests to obtain copies of these records. To request for them, or any other Santa Clara County Court Records, visit or send a request to the Court Clerk at:
Superior Court of California
County of Santa Clara
191 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95113
For copies of pleadings, visit the courthouse where the case was heard. The Clerk’s Office charges 50 cents per page to prepare copies of records and another $1 per page to compare copies with original records on file. There is a $25 fee per document for certified copies. Enquirers also have to pay a $10 fee for a record search conducted by the staff of the Clerk’s Office that takes longer than 10 minutes. The Clerk accepts cash for in-person requests and checks for mail requests.
Location of all Courts in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara has one Superior Court, with eight courthouses handling different subject matters. The locations and contact information of the courthouses of the Santa Clara County Superior Court are below:
Santa Clara County Superior Court - Downtown Superior Court
191 North 1st Street
San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 882-210
Santa Clara County Superior Court - Family Justice Center
Physical: 201 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Mailing: 191 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 792-4200
Santa Clara County Superior Court - Hall of Justice
Physical: 190-200 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95110
Mailing: 191 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 808-6600
Santa Clara County Superior Court - Juvenile Justice Courthouse
Physical: 840 Guadalupe Parkway, San Jose, CA 95110
Mailing: 191 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 808-6200
Santa Clara County Superior Court - Old Courthouse
Physical: 161 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Mailing: 191 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 882-2100
Santa Clara County Superior Court - Palo Alto Courthouse
270 Grant Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: (650) 462-3800
Santa Clara County Superior Court - Santa Clara Courthouse
Physical: 1095 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, CA 95050
Mailing: 191 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 556-3000
Santa Clara County Superior Court - South County Courthouse
301 Diana Avenue
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Phone: (408) 695-5000
Also available is a PDF document containing the list of addresses and contact information.
What are Santa Clara County Vital Records?
Santa Clara County vital records provide official documentation of vital events that took place within the county’s borders. These vital records include divorce records, marriage records, birth records, and death records. The Family Justice Center of the Santa Clara County Superior Court provides records of divorces. The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder keeps and processes requests for marriage, birth, and death records in Santa Clara County. Generally, Santa Clara County vital records are not open to the public.
Where and How to Get Santa Clara County Divorce Records?
The Family Justice Center of the Superior Court primarily maintains the divorce records of the county. To request a divorce record, provide a written request with information relevant to the divorce. Send the written request with a valid ID in person or by mail to:
Santa Clara County Superior Court - Family Justice Center
Physical: 201 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Mailing: 191 North 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 792-4200
Where and How to Get Santa Clara County Marriage Records?
Certified Authorized and informational copies of Santa Clara County marriage records are maintained by the Clerk-Recorder’s Office. In-person and mail requests can be made to obtain marriage records. The Clerk charges $15 for each marriage certificate.
Complete the Marriage Certificate Order Form, the sworn statement, and notarize the form. Attach a copy of a valid ID, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the completed form and submit to:
Clerk-Recorder’s Office
70 West Hedding Street
First Floor East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110
Where and How to Get Santa Clara County Birth Records?
Birth records for Santa Clara County are available at the Office of the Clerk-Recorder. Access to birth records is restricted to:
- The record owner
- Their parent(s)
- Their child(ren)
- Their grandparent(s)
- Their grandchild(ren)
- Their sibling(s)
- Their spouse or domestic partner
- Their legal guardian
To obtain a birth certificate, the following information is needed:
- First and last names of the record owner
- Date of birth
- City of birth
- Gender
- Parent’s birth names
Complete the Birth/Death Order Form, specify the relationship to the record owner, and sign the sworn statement, and notarize the form. The completed and notarized for, along with a valid ID and payment should be sent to:
Clerk-Recorder’s Office
70 West Hedding Street
First Floor East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110
The Clerk-Recorder’s Office charges $28 for each birth certificate. It accepts cash, check, and credit/debit cards (including a $2.50 convenience fee). All mail-in requests should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Where and How to Get Santa Clara County Death Records?
All Santa Clara County death records are at the Office of the County Clerk-Recorder. To request a death record, fill out the Birth/Death Order Form. Notarize the filled-out form. Enclose payment, a copy of a valid ID, and a self-addressed envelope and submit to:
Clerk-Recorder’s Office
70 West Hedding Street
First Floor East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110
The Clerk-Recorder’s Office collects $21 for each death certificate. Payments are made in cash, check, and credit/debit cards (include $2.50 convenience fee).
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Santa Clara County?
Santa Clara County property records are open to the public, as provided by the California Public Records Act. To inspect or obtain copies of property records, applicants may have to submit a request to the office with the responsibility of maintaining the relevant document.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Santa Clara County
The Office of the County Clerk-Recorder maintains the records of real properties located in Santa Clara County. The County Clerk recorder registers official documents and information on properties such as deeds, statutory liens, and abstracts of judgments. The County Clerk only records information on Santa Clara County properties that are authorized or required by law to be registered and comply with state and local laws. The law requires the payment of proper fees and applicable taxes on all property documents before the County Clerk can record them. Requesters can obtain copies of Santa Clara property records via mail, and will need to provide a written request with the following information:
- Requester's Name, Address, and Phone Number
- Recording date
- Name on the document, the title of the document, or Map type
- Document number / Instrument Number / Book # and Page #
- Assessor's Parcel Number
- Type of copy requested, plain or certified
The mailing address is:
Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder's Office
ATTN: Business Division
70 W. Hedding Street
First Floor
East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110
Interested parties who wish to purchase copies should note that the Clerk charges $4 for the first page requested and $2 for additional pages. Certified copies cost $2. All certified copies must contain all the pages of the record. Payments should be made via Check, money order, or Credit Card. A Credit Card transaction incurs an additional $6 charge as a processing fee. The Clerk may take up to 5 business days to process requests. The Clerk does not process online orders for certified or plain copies.
Interested parties may also order copies via e-mail or by faxing (408) 280–1768.
How to Look Up Santa Clara County Property Records
The Office of the Assessor, County of Santa Clara, maintains a searchable database of properties within the county. Through the online database, residents can request Santa Clara County Property Records or find information on Santa Clara County properties such as assessed value, assessor's parcel number (APN), document number, property address, Assessor parcel maps, and other information. The County of Santa Clara Assessor’s office is open weekdays, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Assessor's office is at:
West Hedding Street
East Wing 5th Floor
San Jose, CA 95110
Applicants will have to pay prescribed fees for the information, and will also have to provide either the property address or the Assessor's parcel number.
Location of Santa Clara County Property Assessor
The office of the Assessor of Santa Clara County is at:
70 West Hedding St
East Wing 5th Floor
San Jose, CA 95110
Phone: (408) 299-5500
