Santa Cruz County Arrest, Court, and Public Records

Criminal Records

How to Find the Sex Offender Registry

Information on registered sex offenders can be obtained from California’s Megan Law Website or the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office at:

Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office,
5200 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz,
CA 95062,
(Records Office (831) 454-7600)

Access to the data is restricted to non-sex offenders. Registered offenders who enter the website or attempt to access the sex offender registry are punishable by fine and/or imprisonment.

How to Obtain Inmate and Jail Information

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office provides public access to relevant information concerning inmates booked into the local County jail. Interested parties may access data through the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office jail viewer.

Court Records

Where and How to Get Court Records

In compliance with state laws, the county of Santa Cruz provides public access to most court records. Members of the public can search for records using a case number (if known), the name of the registrant(s) and the year of filing.

The Santa Cruz Superior Court provides online access to court records via an online portal. It contains records of most cases from 1985 till date. Cases filed prior to June 1985 can only be accessed by searching the microfiche in person or with the help of court staff for a search fee. Court records and documents can also be viewed or copied in person at the court clerk's office.

To access documents, querying parties must visit the location where the specific case type is handled. Records of ongoing cases may be retrieved and viewed immediately. However, older records often require a research and copy form. Requesters will also be expected to pay a search fee before the record is retrieved from storage. This process will not likely be completed in a day.

How to Get Criminal Court Records

The Criminal Division of the Superior Court of the County of Santa Cruz provides access to records of cases prosecuted within its jurisdiction. Interested parties may request relevant records by sending a completed Research & Copy Request Form along with a stamped self-addressed envelope and a not to exceed $50 cheque to cover search and copy fees.

Requests may then be sent via mail to:

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz
Criminal Division
701 Ocean Street, Room 120
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 420-2200

Or submitted in person to:

Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz
701 Ocean Street, Room 120
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Location of all Courts in the County

Querying parties are typically required to visit the location where their case of interest is handled. Santa Cruz County has two Superior court locations, both of which manage different case types:

The Santa Cruz Superior court main courthouse manages traffic, criminal, civil and probate cases at:

Santa Cruz County Superior Court - Main Courthouse
701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 420-2200

The Watsonville court of Santa Cruz Superior court hears small claims, juvenile, limited civil and family law cases at.

Santa Cruz Superior Court - Watsonville Court
1 Second Street, Watsonville, CA 95076
Phone: (831) 786-7200

Below is a directory of Santa Cruz County mailing addresses for various case types:

Civil Division:
Superior Court of California,
County of Santa Cruz
701 Ocean Street, Room 110
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Criminal Division:
Superior Court of California,
County of Santa Cruz
701 Ocean Street, Room 120
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Family Law Division:
Superior Court of California,
County of Santa Cruz
1 Second Street, Room 300
Watsonville, CA 95076

Probate Division:
Superior Court of California,
County of Santa Cruz
701 Ocean Street, Room 110
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Small Claims Division
Superior Court of California,
County of Santa Cruz
1 Second Street, Room 300
Watsonville, CA 95076

Vital Statistics

Where and How to Get Marriage Records

The County of Santa Cruz Recorders office processes requests for copies of marriage licenses and certificates only if the original documentation was issued in Santa Cruz. Interested parties are required to provide the full name of persons named on the document, the date/year of the marriage as well as a non-refundable search fee of $15. If requested records are not found, applicants will be issued a Certificate of No Record by the office.

In-person queries can be made during working hours at the County of Santa Cruz Recorder’s Office. This is mandatory for confidential marriage licenses, otherwise, copies may be obtained via mail, provided the application is accompanied by the required information and a postal/bank money order or cashiers check for the stated search fee. Overseas requests require payment via international money order made payable to:

Santa Cruz County Recorder
Vitals Department
701 Ocean Street, Room 230
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Where and How to Get Divorce Records

Records concerning divorce and family-related matters are handled by the Family Division of the Santa Cruz Superior court. To find the relevant record, querying persons are requested to provide the case number of the record and/or the names of the parties involved as well as the approximate year of filing. Cases opened prior to June 1985 can be accessed by filling out the Research and Copy Request Form in person or by mail. For subsequently dated cases, interested parties may find records online at https://portal.santacruzcourt.org/portal or opt to pay a search fee for court staff to undertake the task.

Completed Research and Copy Request Forms must be accompanied by the payment of any applicable fees in order to be processed. Cheque payments are to be made out to the Santa Cruz Superior court, with a not-to-exceed memo indicated on said check. Completed requests may then be mailed to the indicated address of requesting persons or held for pick up in Room 110 of the Santa Cruz Courthouse. In-person submissions should be made during office hours at:

Room 300,
1 Second St,
Watsonville Courthouse

or via mail to:

Room 110,
701 Ocean Street,
Santa Cruz Courthouse
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Where and How to Get Birth & Death Records

Requests for birth and death certificate are processed by the County of Santa Cruz Recorders office. Access to these records is limited to authorized persons who may include:

The registrant, their legal guardian, sibling, spouse, child/grandchild or domestic partner.
A law enforcement agent or duly certified individuals on official assignment.
An attorney or estate executor or funeral director on behalf of any of the above-stated persons.

To access a certified copy of a birth certificate interested parties are required to send a completed purchase form, a cheque or money order payment of $28 made payable to the Santa Cruz County Recorder and relevant information of the registrant including:

Their full name.
Date of birth.
Mothers full maiden name & fathers full name.
A mailing address.

Similarly, certified copies of a death certificate may be made available to authorized persons if requests are accompanied by purchase form, a cheque or money order payment of $21 made payable to the Santa Cruz County Recorder and relevant information of the deceased including:

Their full name at time of death.
The place and date of birth.
Their date of birth if disclosed.

For unauthorized persons requesting access to certified copies, the documents will be watermarked with the disclaimer; ‘INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY’

Requests for birth or death certificates may be made in person or via mail at:

Santa Cruz County Recorder
Vitals Department
701 Ocean Street, Room 230
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

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 Cruz County?

Per the California Public Records Act, property records in Santa Cruz County are available to the general public. The county record custodian is required by law to provide access to interested persons upon request.

Where and How to Find Property Records in Santa Cruz County?

Property records are obtainable from the Santa Cruz County Recorder's Office. Interested persons may request desired property records by providing the document type, recording year, document number, and at least one party named on the record. Copies cost $1 for each page plus an extra $3 per certified document.

Requestors may visit the Recorder's Office for in-person requests or send mail applications. Each mail request should include a cashier's check, postal money order, or bank money order. Personal checks are not allowed for mail applications. If the requestor is outside the US, payment may be processed via an International Money Order. All requests should be submitted using the following details:

Santa Cruz County Recorder's Office
701 Ocean Street
Room 230
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Photo: (831) 454-2800
Fax: (831) 454-3169
Email: rcd.web@santacruzcounty.us

Property records are also available at the Santa Cruz County Assessor's Office. This office determines values for real properties in Santa Cruz County and issues copies to the public. Interested persons may visit the Assessor's Office or send mail requests. Individuals may submit requests to the:

Santa Cruz County Assessor's Office
701 Ocean Street
Room 130
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 454-2002
Fax: (831) 454-2495
Email: asrwebmail@co.santa-cruz.ca.us
Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday

How to Look Up Santa Cruz County Property Records

The Santa Cruz Assessor's Office provides an online search function for county property records. Persons interested in viewing parcel information may search by providing the property address or the Assessor's Parcel Number (AIN). When using the address search, searchers should omit titles such as Street, Avenue, Boulevard, etc.

Requestors must note that state law prevents agencies from making certain information available online. According to California State Government Code Section 6254.21, the home address or telephone numbers of appointed or elected officials cannot be posted online unless the individual first provides written permission.

The County Recorder also maintains a Public Access page that anyone can use to find property records recorded since 1978. Residents may provide a party's full name and party type, filing date range, instrument number, book and page number, document type, and APN. Accessible information includes general document details, legal description, and related documents where applicable.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS