Sacramento County Court Records Search
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Sacramento County court records are maintained by the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, which handles civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, traffic, small claims, and unlawful detainer matters through several courthouse locations. For most requests, the key questions are which division handled the case, whether the file is public, and whether the record is available online, at a courthouse kiosk, or only through a clerk-assisted request. Sacramento also uses different online systems for different case types, so the search method depends on the kind of case you are trying to find.
In California, court records may be located through clerk’s offices, courthouse public-access terminals, and the Sacramento Superior Court’s online search tools; the statewide judicial website at courts.ca.gov can also help users identify the proper court and review public-access rules. For Sacramento County specifically, the most useful starting points are the court’s Online Services, the Public Case Access System, and the civil and probate public portal information page.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Sacramento County?
Sacramento County does not operate separate county courts; trial-court records are held by the Sacramento Superior Court. The fastest search method is to match the case type to the correct system or records counter.
| Court / Division | Address | Phone | Hours / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse | 500 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Civil: (916) 874-5522, press 3; Criminal: (916) 874-5522, press 1 | Main civil and criminal courthouse |
| Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice | 651 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 | (916) 874-6936 | 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Mon.-Fri. |
| William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse | 3341 Power Inn Road, Sacramento, CA 95826 | (916) 875-3400 | Business hours 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; building hours 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Carol Miller Justice Center | 301 Bicentennial Circle, Sacramento, CA 95826 | Small Claims / UD: (916) 875-7746; Traffic: (916) 669-5712 | Mon.-Thu. 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; closed Fridays |
| Juvenile Courthouse | 9605 Kiefer Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95827 | (916) 876-7753 | 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Mon.-Fri. |
A practical lookup usually follows these steps:
- Identify the case type.
Use the court’s Online Services page to reach the correct search tool for civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, small claims, unlawful detainer, or juvenile calendars. -
Use the correct online system.
- Criminal and family law: search the Public Case Access System by name, case number, or filing date.
- Civil, probate, small claims, and limited unlawful detainer: use Sacramento Superior Court’s public portal.
- Traffic: online services also connect users to traffic lookup and payment tools.
- If the file is older or not online, go to the records counter or kiosk.
Civil files filed before November 13, 2007 are stored off-site; family and probate records may also require kiosk or counter access depending on age and case type. - Be ready with identifying information.
Helpful details include the case number, party name, filing date, and division. For some in-person file reviews, Sacramento requires valid photo identification.
If you need rule-based filing or records guidance, Sacramento Superior Court posts its Local Rules, with the current PDF effective January 1, 2026; paper copies are sold at designated filing counters for $10.
Are Court Records Public in Sacramento County?
Most Sacramento Superior Court case files are public unless a statute, court rule, or sealing order limits access. For electronic records, California Rule of Court 2.503 governs when the public may have remote access and when access is limited to courthouse viewing. The public generally may view electronic calendars, indexes, and registers of actions remotely if feasible, but many sensitive case records are courthouse-only.
Public remote access is restricted for records in:
- family law matters, including divorce, support, custody, and domestic violence;
- juvenile cases;
- guardianships and conservatorships;
- mental health proceedings;
- criminal cases;
- civil harassment and certain protective-order proceedings;
- minor’s compromise matters; and
- gun violence prevention proceedings.
These categories remain public to the extent allowed by law, but the public usually must inspect fuller electronic records at the courthouse rather than online.
California Rule of Court 2.507 also requires courts to exclude sensitive data from electronic calendars, indexes, and registers of actions, including Social Security numbers, financial information, arrest and search warrant information, victim and witness information, dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers. In extraordinary criminal cases where a judge permits broader remote access, Rule 2.503 requires redaction of sensitive identifiers and bars release of juror identifying information.
Judicial administrative records are handled separately from case files. Sacramento Superior Court accepts written Rule 10.500 requests through its Public Access to Judicial Administrative Records page at the Court Executive Office, 500 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, or by email at PAJAR@saccourt.ca.gov during court business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Faxed 10.500 requests were discontinued effective June 1, 2026.
Sacramento County Criminal Court Records
Sacramento criminal court records can be searched online, at courthouse terminals, or by written request to the court’s Criminal Records Unit. The court’s Criminal Records page is the main official guide. If you already have a case number, you can request copies by mail or in person; if you do not, you can search the Public Case Access System or submit a name-search request. Sacramento states that online search and document-download fees in the Public Case Access System have been discontinued.
Key criminal-record request tools include:
- CR-278A Local Criminal Records Name Search Request
- CR-278A-1 Multiple Name Search Attachment
- CR-278C Local Criminal Records Copy Request
- CR-500B Credit Card Authorization
Important criminal-record rules and fees:
- Name search: $15 per name, or $40 plus the $15 name-search fee for a certified search.
- Copies: $0.50 per page.
- Certification: $40 per certified copy.
- Exemplification: $50.
- Searches longer than 10 minutes: $15.
- Court research by phone is not provided.
- Sacramento will research criminal cases dating from 1989 to present; older matters may require the public microfiche in the Criminal Records Unit or a request to the California Department of Justice.
For case-file viewing and copy requests with a case number, mail or deliver the request to:
Sacramento Superior Court
Attention: Criminal Correspondence Unit
500 G Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Appointments to view files may be made by calling (916) 874-8881. Files ordered from off-site storage can take up to 30 days, and once received they are held for 10 days.
If you need arrest reports, warrant status, or a sheriff-generated report rather than a court case file, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Records and Warrants FAQs are the relevant official source. The public counter is at 4510 Orange Grove Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95841, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; Records & Warrants can be reached at (916) 874-5383. The first report copy is free, additional report copies are $15 each, and Visa clearance letters or criminal history reviews cost $25 plus $10 if notarized.
Sacramento County Civil Court Records
Sacramento civil records are split between online access for newer cases and clerk-assisted retrieval for older files. Public civil cases and documents filed after November 13, 2007 may be viewed through the court’s Public Portal, which is explained on the court’s new portal information page. Sacramento designates the electronic record as the official record for most civil limited and unlimited cases filed after that date, excluding limited unlawful detainer.
For civil records, the court offers these main options:
- Online viewing and printing: newer public civil records may be viewed, saved, and printed from the portal.
- Certified or exemplified copies: request from the Civil Records Unit, 2nd Floor, at the Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse, or submit the CV\E-300 Request for Copies of Civil Records by mail.
- Older files: civil cases filed before November 13, 2007 are not available digitally and must be requested from off-site storage; delivery to the courthouse takes about 10 business days.
- Identification: to inspect a physical civil file, the court requires valid picture identification.
Civil copy costs currently listed by the court are:
- $15 for a search longer than 10 minutes
- $0.50 per page for copies
- $40 per certification, plus copy fees
- $50 per exemplification, plus copy fees
Small claims and limited civil unlawful detainer records are also routed through the newer public portal, but unlawful detainer records are masked and public access requires the name of at least one plaintiff, one defendant, and the premises address. Questions about those records can be directed to (916) 875-7746.
Sacramento County Family Court Records
Family law records are maintained primarily at the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse, 3341 Power Inn Road, Sacramento, CA 95826, telephone (916) 875-3400. If you do not know the case number, you can search the family branch of the Public Case Access System or use the public kiosk in Room 102.
Sacramento’s Family Court Records page gives different retrieval methods depending on the age and storage location of the case:
- Recent courthouse files: case numbers beginning 16FL-25FL, 23DV-25DV, and 19FS-25FS may be requested in person, by mail, or by courthouse drop box.
- Files filed 1937-1974: request online through the Family Court File Request tool, then review or copy them at the courthouse once notified.
- Files before 1937: the court directs requesters to the Center for Sacramento History.
- Other off-site records: request through the file-request tool; retrieval may take up to 7 days.
For in-person viewing, Sacramento requires:
- a service ticket from the information desk;
- a public file request form completed at the courthouse;
- valid state or federal photo identification; and
- payment if the clerk makes copies.
Mail and drop-box requests use the FL-662 Request for Copies of Family Law Records, and card payments may be made with FL-627 Credit Card Authorization. Processing is typically 7 to 10 days after receipt.
Not all family records are open. Sacramento identifies these restrictions:
- parentage cases under the Uniform Parentage Act filed before January 1, 2023 are confidential by operation of law;
- assisted-reproduction petitions are confidential;
- mediation reports, drug-test results, and psychological evaluations may be viewed only by the parties or attorneys of record.
Related family-status records are split between agencies. The Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder’s Divorce Records page states that the Clerk/Recorder does not keep divorce decrees; certified copies must be obtained from the Superior Court where the divorce was filed. Marriage certificates are issued by the Clerk/Recorder, generally for Sacramento County licenses only, with a current fee of $19 per copy. The Clerk/Recorder’s main office is 3636 American River Drive, Suite 110, Sacramento, CA 95864, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., phone (916) 874-6334.
Sacramento County Probate Court Records
Probate records are handled through the court’s probate unit at the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse. Sacramento’s Obtaining Probate Records page states that probate records are public unless they are confidential by law or sealed by court order, and it directs users to the court’s public portal or courthouse kiosks in Room 214. If you do not know the case number, the court says you may create an online account to search the portal or use the public kiosk in person.
The main probate retrieval methods are:
- Online: trust and estate records initiated after February 5, 2007, along with many probate notes and minute orders, may be viewed through the public portal.
- In person: Room 214, 2nd floor, William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse, 3341 Power Inn Road, Sacramento, CA 95826; phone (916) 875-3400.
- By mail or drop box: use the PR-052 Request for Copies of Probate Records, include valid photo ID, applicable fees or fee-waiver documentation, and address it to the Probate Records Clerk.
- Older files: records filed between 1937 and 2006 are digitally available at the courthouse; records filed before 1937 are referred by the court to the Center for Sacramento History.
Probate confidentiality is narrower than in family law, but it is important. Sacramento states that Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) matters are confidential, and documents such as investigation reports, mediation reports, doctor evaluations, and psychological evaluations are restricted to parties and attorneys of record. For guardianship and conservatorship cases, nonparties may see that documents were filed without necessarily being able to view the documents remotely; parties can seek fuller access through the Probate Case Participant Enrollment Form.
Current probate records fees listed by the court are:
- $0.50 per page for standard copies
- $40 per certified copy, plus copy fees
- $50 per exemplified copy, plus copy fees
- $15 records-search fee if no case number is provided
The drop box is available during building hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding court holidays.