Santa Clara County Court Records

A Santa Clara County court record is any paper, document, exhibit, order, or judgment maintained by the court during the judicial process (California Rules of Court Rule 2.502(3)). These records exclude statutorily mandated reporting between or within government entities, personal notes or preliminary memoranda of judges, and judicial administrative records. The Santa Clara County Superior Court is the custodian of court records and maintains them electronically and physically at the courthouse locations.

Court records often integrate, reference, or build upon other public records such as vital records, arrest information, and federal case files. Vital records supply key evidence in civil and family cases, arrest information can develop into criminal case files, and federal case records serve as a specialized body of court records that may rely on both state and local documentation.

Are Santa Clara County Court Records Public?

Yes. The California Public Records Act (CPRA) and Rules of Court, Rule 2.400(a), permit public inspection and copying of court records. According to California Rules of Court, Rule 2.550(a), all court records in Santa Clara County are open to the public unless sealed or confidential. This guarantees the release of public court documents by the Santa Clara County Superior Court during regular business hours. However, the court will not release the following court records to the public:

• Probation reports
• Civil harassment records
• Criminal history information
• Own Recognizance (O.R.) reports
• Juvenile and family court proceedings
• Domestic violence protective orders
• Workplace violence prevention records
• Guardianship or conservatorship proceedings
• Financial, medical, or mental health information
• An arrest report listing a victim's name, address, or telephone number
• Proceedings to compromise the claims of a minor or a person with a disability
• Elder or dependent adult abuse and private postsecondary school violence prevention proceedings

What Information is Available in Santa Clara County Court Records?

Most information in Santa Clara County court records is public. Therefore, anyone can access them online, by mail, or in person at the courthouse. The court information below is publicly available to individuals online:

• Case information (case type, number, title, and status, filing date, and court location)
• Case parties' names and type, and attorneys' full names
• Events (file date, type, documents, comments, and the name of the person who filed it)
• Hearings (department, type, date, time, result, and document)

Santa Clara County Court Records Search

The Santa Clara County Superior Court provides several means by which residents can search and access court records. The most common methods are:

• Online: Requesters can use the Case Information Portal to find criminal, civil, traffic, probate, small claims, and some family cases. To perform a search, provide the appropriate information under the case number, party, business, or filing date search tab. This service is free.
• In-Person: Record seekers can visit the court where a case was heard during business hours to obtain copies of court records. The record staff will need a case number, title of the document(s) requested, case name, and file date of the document(s) to locate the record. Individuals who cannot provide this basic information must pay a search fee. The court clerk charges $.50 per page for copies of court records.
• Mail: Individuals can also request a court record by sending a letter to the court where the case was heard. The letter must contain the full names of the case parties, case number, title(s) of the document(s) requested, and the filing date to facilitate the search. Include a check and a self-addressed stamped envelope to return the documents in the mail package.

Fees for Court Records in Santa Clara County

Obtaining plain copies of court records costs $.50 per page, while certified copies cost $40. Individuals who want a copy compared with an original on file will have to pay $1 per page. The search fee for court records that take more than 10 minutes to search is $15. Record seekers can also obtain vital records, like a divorce certificate, at the Santa Clara County Superior Court for $15. However, other vital records like birth certificates ($32), death certificates ($24), and marriage certificates ($17) are maintained by the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder.

Santa Clara County Courthouse Locations

The Santa Clara County Superior Court operates multiple facilities across the county:

• The Downtown Superior Court (DTS) handles civil, probate, and small claims cases.
• The Family Justice Center Courthouse (FJCC) hears family law, juvenile dependency, drug, and traffic cases.
• The Hall of Justice (HOJ) only hears criminal cases, while the Juvenile Justice Courthouse hears juvenile justice cases.
• The Old Courthouse handles civil cases, while the Palo Alto Courthouse only hears criminal cases.
• The South County Morgan Hill Courthouse hears criminal and traffic cases.

The addresses and contact information of these courthouses are as follows:

Criminal Records Access in Santa Clara County

Interested persons cannot find criminal history records at the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Such documents are confidential and are only available to subjects of records at the California Department of Justice (DOJ). Eligible individuals should complete a Live Scan Form (English or Spanish) and take it to any Live Scan site for fingerprinting services in Santa Clara County. Local criminal history records are available by appointment at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. Individuals must provide a valid ID and a personal check or money order of $25.00 to get it.

Criminal records available through the Santa Clara County Superior Court Criminal Division can be viewed or copied online, by mail, or in person at the Hall of Justice, South County Courthouse, or Palo Alto Courthouse during business hours. Online users must locate the criminal case index search portal on the court's website and conduct a search by case number, name, or filing date. Mail requesters must write a letter stating what they want, including the defendant's full name, date of birth, case number, and the name of the desired document.

Santa Clara County Probate Records

The Probate Division of Santa Clara County Superior Court handles various issues involving adults and children. The Division hears adoption cases, trusts, estates, guardianship, name changes, and conservatorship cases. Individuals can obtain plain or certified copies of these probate records in person at the Record Division at the Downtown Superior Courthouse or by phone at (408) 882-2100 ext. 2450. The Case Information Portal is also suitable for finding probate information without charges. A case number, name, or filing date is required for the search.

Santa Clara County Family Court Records

The Santa Clara County Superior Court Family Division handles family law cases such as establishing parentage, child custody and visitation, divorce, legal separation, nullity, restraining orders/domestic violence orders, child support/spousal support/family support, and mediation and arbitration.

Most family court records are sealed from public view and can only be viewed or copied with a court order. However, public family court records are available to anyone after showing a picture ID. Requests can be made by mail or in person at the Family Justice Center Courthouse during business hours. Individuals asking for a copy of family records by mail must send a completed Family Records Copy Request Form, a check for the appropriate fees, and a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage to the courthouse. Those who do not know the case number of the desired record will have to pay a $15.00 search fee in addition to the copy and certification fees. Also, the Case Information Portal contains information on family law cases that are not sealed or confidential. Users will need a case number, party name, or filing date to perform a search.

Federal Court Records in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County is under the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Individuals who want to view or retrieve documents kept by the court must provide a case number or the full names of one of the case parties. Those who do not know the case number can obtain it on the PACER system on a public terminal at any Clerk's Office location. Requests for federal court records can be made online, by phone at (415) 522-2009, by email at records@cand.uscourts.gov, or in person. Record seekers can view and print E-filed documents from the electronic filing system via PACER.

The Clerk's Office staff can assist in printing e-filed documents from Pacer for a charge of $.10 per page. These documents are also available at no charge online at GovInfo.gov. Those who want to get hard copies of federal court records must visit the Clerk's Office location where the case was handled with a valid government-issued picture identification card. In-person requesters can use the coin-operated copy machines in the viewing rooms of each of the three divisional offices to make copies of records. The clerk charges $.25 per page for records. A Clerk's Office staff can assist in copying documents on a time-available basis for $.50 per page, searches cost $32.00 per case, send locally via fax for $ 1.00, and send long distance via fax for $ 1.00 per page.