Crime Numbers
Tulare County recorded 1,675 violent crimes and 11,722 property crimes in 2017, the most recent year with a complete set of crime data. These figures represent a 2.3% rise in violent crime rate and a1.4% rise in property crime rate compared to the previous year. The most recent five-year crime trend for the county indicates that there were 21.6% fewer violent crimes and 18% fewer property crimes in 2013 compared to 2017.
A breakdown of the 2019 crime statistics for Tulare County shows that there were 9 homicides, 30 rapes, 64 robberies, and 231 aggravated assaults. Incidences of property crimes include 637 burglaries, 1,254 larceny-thefts, 2 motor vehicle thefts, and 0 arsons. The five-year crime trend for the county reveals that rape (88.4%), motor vehicle theft (10.9%), and arson (63.6%) rates increased. On the other hand, homicide (21.4%), robbery (12.6%), aggravated assault (30.3%), burglary (46.9%), and larceny-theft (8.9%) rates dipped between 2013 and 2017.
Tulare County Criminal Records
The Office of the Attorney General of the California Department of Justice provides criminal history records upon request. Residents of California can only request their own criminal history records. To request your own record, download and complete the Request for Live Scan Service form (also available in Spanish). Choose and enter “Record Review” in the spaces for “Type of Application” and “Reason for Application”. Bring the completed form to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office offices at:
2404 W. Burrell
Visalia, CA 93291
Opens Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
379 N. 3rd Street
Porterville, CA 93357
Opens Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The Sheriff’s Office charges $14 for this fingerprinting service. Mail the application and fingerprint card obtained from the Sheriff’s Office as well as a personal check, certified check, or money order for processing fee to:
California Department of Justice
Record Review Unit
P.O. Box 903417
Sacramento, CA 94203-4170
The Department of Justice charges $24 for this service. Make your check or money order payable to the California Department of Justice.
Tulare County Police Records
The various police departments in the cities and towns of Tulare County provide incident and accident reports for events that occurred in their jurisdictions. Contact these law enforcement agencies to obtain police reports for offenses and auto crashes within their municipalities. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office covers unincorporated communities. To obtain police reports for incidents that occurred in these municipalities, contact the Records Division of the Sheriff’s Office by calling (559) 802-9538 or visiting 883 S. Akers Street, Visalia.
Tulare County Sex Offender Information
The California Department of Justice maintains a statewide database of registered sex offenders and makes this information available to the public on the state’s Megan’s Law website. Use the search functions on the website to find registered sex offenders living in Tulare County. You can search by name, street address, city, and zip code. To see the locations of offenders on a map of the county, select Tulare from the County Search drop-down menu.
Tulare County Inmate Records
There are four correctional facilities in Tulare County run by the Sheriff’s Office. These are:
Bob Wiley Detention Facility (BWDF)
36712 Road 112
Visalia, CA 93291
(559) 735-1700
Main Jail
2404 W. Burrel
Visalia, CA 93291
(559) 636-4655
Men's Correctional Facility (MCF)
36008 Road 112
Visalia, CA 93291
(559) 735-1650
Pre-Trial Facility
36650 Road 112
Visalia, CA 93291
(559) 735-1750
The Sheriff’s Office provides a handy inmate search tool to help members of the public find individuals booked into these facilities. Contact these facilities to perform a Tulare County inmate search in person or ask for information about funding inmates’ accounts.
Court Records
Tulare County is home to four Superior Courts as well as a Pretrial Facility and a Family Law Facilitator. The addresses and contact information of these courts are:
Tulare County Superior Court – Visalia (County Civic Center)
221 South Mooney Boulevard
Visalia, CA 93291
Phone: (559) 730-5000
Tulare County Superior Court – Porterville
300 East Olive
Porterville, CA 93257
Phone: (559) 782-3700
Tulare County Superior Court – Dinuba
640 South Alta Avenue
Dinuba, CA 93618
Phone: (559) 595-6400
Tulare County Superior Court – Juvenile Justice Facility
11200 Avenue 368, Room 201
Visalia, CA 93291
Phone: (559) 738-2300
Pretrial Facility
36650 Road 112
Visalia, CA 93291-8940
Phone: (559) 738-2400
Family Law Facilitator
3400 West Mineral King, Suite C
Visalia, CA 93291
Phone: (559) 737-5500
Use the Case Search tool to search for the records of these branches of the California Superior Court in Tulare County. Submit a request for court transcripts by completing the Transcript Request webform. Use a different webform to Request for Electronic Recordings. The court charges $10 per CD of hearings.
Vital Records
The Family Law Division of the Superior Court in Tulare County handles divorce cases. Its records are available from the Clerk of the Court. To request for your divorce record, mail a written request to the Family Law Facilitator’s office at the address above. Include case number, documents requested, and the names of the parties involved in the divorce. Send this along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a check payable to Clerk of the Court. The fee for copies of divorce records is 50 cents per page. There is an additional $25 fee per document for certified records.
The Tulare County Clerk-Recorder provides certified copies of marriage licenses, birth certificates, and death certificates issued in the county. To obtain any of these vital records, download and complete an Application for Birth, Death, or Marriage Record. Make sure to notarize the certificate of identity attached to the form. Include a personal check or money order, for copy fees and payable to Tulare County Clerk-Recorder. Send your mail application to:
Tulare County Clerk-Recorder
221 S Mooney Blvd Room 105
Visalia, CA 93291-4593
The fees for each certified copy of birth, death, and marriage records are $32, $24, and $17 respectively.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Tulare County?
The California Public Records Act provides members of the general public with access to property records in Tulare County. Residents may access these records by submitting formal requests to the county's record custodian. Although most records are public, some property information remains closed to unrelated requestors. Examples of confidential records include:
- Change in ownership statements
- Preliminary change in ownership reports
- Business property statements
- Property appraisal records
- Property sales data
- Property building records, except for property characteristics
- Homeowners' exemption claims
- Exclusion forms
- All related statements and correspondence requested by the Assessor from the property owner
Where and How to Find Property Records in Tulare County
The Tulare County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder's Office handles property records in the county. The county Assessor's Office locates, values, and enrolls all taxable property in Tulare County. The Clerk's Office maintains records and also issues them to interested requestors. The first page of a Tulare County property record costs $3, while additional pages cost $1 each. Persons seeking certified copies are charged an additional $2 fee per document. Interested persons may send mail requests or visit this office on weekdays, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. All copy requests should be submitted using the following details:
Tulare County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder
County Civic Center
Room 105
221 South Mooney Boulevard
Visalia, CA 93291
Phone: (559) 636-5051
Fax: (559) 740-4329
Building structure characteristics are requestable from the Assessor's Office. These records are only available to the public for assessment purposes. The building's actual drawing, or footprint, is considered confidential. Access to the drawing is restricted to the owner of the building or the owner's agent. The agent must present an original letter of authorization carrying the building owner's signature.
How to Look Up Tulare County Property Records
Anyone can access Tulare County property records online through the Clerk-Recorder's Property and Business Name Search. Online access is available for records since 1949. Users may search by entering a name, document type or title, or document number. A search date range is also required. A successful search displays document numbers, document titles, document dates, as well as book and page numbers. Each selected option displays a document ID, recording date, grantors, grantees, and the assessor parcel number. Where available, details may include the number of pages as well as images.
Locations of Tulare County Property Assessors
Tulare County Assessor's Office
County Civic Center
Room 102-E
221 South Mooney Boulevard
Visalia, CA 93291
Phone: (559) 636-5100
Fax: (559) 737-4468
Email: assessor@tularecounty.ca.gov
