Los Angeles County, California Public Records

LA County Department of Beaches & Harbors — manages 31 miles of public coastline and 16+ beaches including Zuma, Malibu Surfrider, Will Rogers, Venice, Dockweiler, Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo, Torrance, and Point Dume, plus Marina del Rey small-craft harbor. Interactive map with beach details, parking, fire rings, volleyball courts, ADA access mats & wheelchairs. Programs: 2026 Beach Shuttle, WaterBus (Jun 19–Sep 7), Summer Youth Sailing Camp, Dockweiler RV Park, Beach Eats food trucks. Water-quality grades via Heal the Bay's Beach Report Card (brc.healthebay.org).

Largest unified trial court in the U.S. — 50+ courthouses, ~600 judges. Look up Civil, Criminal, Family Law, Probate, Small Claims and Traffic cases by case number, or search Civil/Small Claims/Family/Probate by litigant name. Public index per Cal. Rule of Court 2.507(b). Free, no registration required; secure portal at lacourt.org/paos.

LA Superior Court Criminal Division — covers all felony, misdemeanor, and infraction filings in LA County, the largest criminal-court operation in the U.S. Look up case status, next hearing date, charges, and disposition by defendant name or case number. Court-document downloads available through the imaged-documents portal (lacourt.ca.gov/paos) for cases not sealed or confidential. Pre-trial hearings, arraignments, and sentencings scheduled at 30+ courthouses (Clara Shortridge Foltz CCB, Compton, Norwalk, Long Beach, Pomona, Van Nuys, etc.). Free name + case-number search; per-document fees apply for downloads.

Online imaged-document portal for LA Superior Court — General Jurisdiction Civil (Stanley Mosk + Central Civil West), Limited Civil/Unlawful Detainer, Probate, Family Law, and Small Claims. Date coverage: Small Claims 1988+, Limited Civil 1970+, Unlimited Civil 03/15/2000+, Family Law 05/01/2000+, Probate 01/01/2001+. Fees per Cal. Rule of Court 2.506 / Gov. Code § 68150(l): $1.00/page for pages 1–5, $0.40/page after; max $40.00 per document. Public-access fee per name search. PDFs viewable in Adobe Reader or Chrome.

LA Superior Court Family Law — handles divorce (dissolution), legal separation, annulment, custody and visitation, child and spousal support, paternity, domestic violence restraining orders, and stepparent adoptions. Self-help portal walks pro se filers through forms (FL-100 Petition, FL-110 Summons, FL-150 Income & Expense Declaration). California filing fee: $435 (with fee-waiver applications available for low-income filers per Form FW-001). Six-month minimum residency required; mandatory 6-month waiting period before judgment. Family Law Self-Help Centers at multiple courthouses; case lookup by name or case number.

Unified LA Superior Court self-service portal (formerly Odyssey) — pay fines and fees, request certified or plain copies of court records, schedule and reschedule hearings, manage traffic citations, access self-help forms, and check case status. Most actions complete without a clerk visit. Login: case number or party name + ZIP.. the legacy odyssey/portal entry URL now 404s — start at lacourt.ca.gov.

Pay or contest LA County traffic citations online — search by driver's license number or ticket number. Sign up for traffic school, request a payment plan, contest the ticket, or ask for an extension without visiting a courthouse. Payment plans available; online services accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Multilingual translation supported.. legacy odyssey/Home/Dashboard/29 URL now 404s — primary portal is lacourt.ca.gov/pages/lp/traffic.

Check jury status, postpone service, request excuse, or report for duty at the LA Superior Court Office of the Jury Commissioner — the largest jury operation in the country (~10 million summonses processed per fiscal year). Per Code of Civil Procedure § 215, jurors are uncompensated for day 1, then $15.00/day + 34¢/mile round-trip starting day 2. Plan a full day (8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.). Log in with juror number, last name, and ZIP.

LA Superior Court Self-Help Center — free guidance for self-represented litigants (no lawyer required, no income limit). Covers civil (small claims, unlawful detainer/eviction, debt collection), family law (divorce, custody, support, DV restraining orders), probate (guardianships, conservatorships, decedents' estates), name change, traffic, and record clearance. Walk-in clinics at multiple courthouses + virtual help via selfhelp.lacourt.org. Workshops, fillable judicial-council forms, "how-to" videos in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Armenian, and Farsi. Companion programs: LAFLA, LA Law Library Lawyers-in-the-Library, DCBA Self-Help Legal Access Centers (SHLAC).

United States District Court, Central District of California — the most populous federal judicial district in the U.S., serving ~19 million residents across LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. Chief Judge Dolly M. Gee; Clerk Brian D. Karth. Three divisions: Western (LA), Southern (Santa Ana), Eastern (Riverside). Case lookup via PACER + CM/ECF (mandatory e-filing). Pro se litigants: prose.cacd.uscourts.gov.

United States Bankruptcy Court — Central District of California (CACB). Five divisions: Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley (Woodland Hills), Santa Ana, Riverside, and Santa Barbara. Serves ~19 million residents — the busiest federal bankruptcy district by population in the U.S. 2025 filings: 29,148 cases (24,653 Chapter 7, 394 Chapter 11, 4,098 Chapter 13, 2 Chapter 12), with consistent year-over-year growth. Case lookup via PACER (CM/ECF); free live chat with customer service for general questions; interactive case-statistics dashboard back to 2010; self-help desks in every division for pro se filers. Strategic Plan 2025–2029 published.

California Court of Appeal, 2nd Appellate District — covers Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties (32 justices across 8 Divisions of 4 each). Divisions 1–5, 7, and 8 sit in Los Angeles and handle all matters from LA Superior Court; Division 6 sits in Ventura for the three northern counties. Administrative Presiding Justice: Elwood Lui. Look up appellate opinions, oral-argument calendars, and case dockets; appellate self-help clinic resources available.

Ventura County Genealogical Society (VCGS) — extensive volunteer-transcribed historical-records archive for the LA / Ventura region. Holdings: Probate Records 1873-1993 (20,000+ records), Guardianships 1873-1993 (~5,000), Land Records 1873-1917 (~40,000), Marriages 1873-1940 (22,000+), Cemetery Records (13,500+), Area Deaths/Obituaries (91,000+). Free database search; site-search button only covers Histories/Biographies + Indexes/Transcriptions — query each collection database directly for best results. For modern Ventura County vital records use the Recorder at (805) 654-3666; for LA vital records use lavote.gov.

LA County Sheriff Court Services — Vehicle Inspection / Certificate of Correction. After a fix-it ticket for mechanical violations (broken light, cracked windshield, missing plate, expired registration, etc.), get inspection and certification at ~20 LASD courthouse branches countywide (Alhambra, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Chatsworth, Compton, Downey, East LA, El Monte, Glendale, Inglewood, Lancaster/Antelope Valley, Long Beach, Metropolitan, Norwalk, Pasadena, San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Torrance, and more). Fee: $25 (cash or check; cash preferred at some branches); typical hours 8:00–4:30 weekdays. Brake + headlight violations require a separate certified inspection station; commercial vehicles must use CHP. Submit the Certificate of Correction to the traffic clerk on the citation.

LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk birth-certificate orders. Covers events in LA County 1876–present (released 90 days after the event). Authorized Certified Copy fee: $34 (first and each additional) — required for passport, Real ID, Social Security, school enrollment; eligible parties only per Cal. Health & Safety Code § 103526 (registrant, parent, child, sibling, spouse, grandparent, attorney/agent, court order, law enforcement). Informational Copies (not valid for ID) available to anyone. Online via VitalChek (extra processing fee, all major credit cards), mail, or in-person at Norwalk HQ + 5 branches. Processing: ~20 business days for online/mail; in-person same-day if eligible.

LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk death-certificate orders. Authorized Certified Copy fee: $26 (first and each additional, nonrefundable); a "No Record Statement" issued if no match found. Per Cal. Health & Safety Code § 103526, Authorized Copies are limited to: spouse/domestic partner, parent or child of the registrant, sibling, grandparent or grandchild, attorney/funeral director representing the family, court order, or law enforcement/government agency. Informational Copies available to the general public (marked "not a valid document for identity"). Online via VitalChek, mail, or in-person at Norwalk HQ + 5 branches. Processing: ~20 business days for online/mail.

LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Marriage License & Ceremony portal. Both parties must appear together, present photo ID + age documents, and pay the fee — Public Marriage License $91, Confidential Marriage License $85, Civil "Express" Ceremony $35 (45-minute appointment, all RR/CC offices, prepaid only). Apply online at marriage.lavote.net, then book at the Norwalk HQ or any of the 5 branch offices. Public licenses become public records; Confidential licenses are restricted to the parties or by court order. License valid 90 days statewide. Marriage Officiant FAQs at lavote.gov.

CityProtect (formerly CrimeReports) — public-safety mapping platform showing recent incidents reported by participating LA-area agencies, including LA County Sheriff's Department and dozens of municipal police departments. Filter by incident type (violent crime, property crime, theft, vehicle, drug, traffic, disorder), date range, and area; pin-point map view with details. Free; data feeds direct from each agency's CAD/RMS system, typically updated daily. Sister sources: LAPD's CompStat (lapdonline.org) and LASD transparency dashboards (lasd.org/transparency/crimeandarrest).

Official LA County Sheriff inmate locator — current custody status, booking number, charges, court date, bail, and housing facility. Search by last name + first name, or by booking number. Records appear ~2 hours after booking. Free. Custody questions: (213) 473-6100. Medical/healthcare urgent: (213) 893-5544.

Official LAPD Most Wanted gallery — photos, charges, and last-known information for fugitives sought by Robbery-Homicide, Major Crimes, Sex Crimes, and divisional detectives. Emergency: 9-1-1. Non-emergency tips: 1-877-ASK-LAPD. Anonymous tips via LA Regional Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-TIPS) — cash rewards offered on qualifying cases. Site also hosts Critical Missing alerts and recent news bulletins.

Official California DOJ sex-offender registry per Penal Code § 290.46 — searchable by name, ZIP, address, county, city, school, park, or map. Free and public; data sourced from local law enforcement and updated as agencies report (note: not all registrants are disclosed under state law). Use is restricted to public protection — harassment of registrants is criminally prosecutable. Errors? Email MegansLaw@doj.ca.gov. Registered offenders accessing the search face up to $1,000 fine + 6 months county jail.

California Incarcerated Records & Information Search (CIRIS) — official CDCR locator for the ~92,000 adults in state prison custody. Search by CDCR number (state ID), last name + first name, or middle name. Returns name, CDCR number, age, current institution, commitment county, and admission date. For housing assignment or CDCR# of a specific incarcerated person, contact the institution's Public Information Officer. Free; adult prisoners currently in custody only (not parole/jail/federal).

VINE (Victim Information & Notification Everyday) — free, anonymous, confidential service letting crime victims and the public register for automatic alerts on inmate custody-status changes (release, transfer, escape, death, court date). Sign up by text, email, phone call, or TTY (1-866-847-1298). Phone enrollment: 1-877-411-5588 or (877) 846-3492. Web: vinelink.com. Mobile app: VINEmobile. Covers California state prisons, county jails, and ICE detention.

Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator — covers all federally incarcerated persons from 1982 to present. Search by Register Number, DCDC#, FBI#, INS#, or BOP#; or by Name (first/last/middle, race, age, sex). Returns facility, age, and release date. First Step Act recalculations may temporarily affect listed release dates — check back periodically. "Released" / "Not in BOP Custody" doesn't preclude parole, supervised release, or custody by another agency.

Official LA County Treasurer & Tax Collector portal for searching uncashed County "warrants" (checks) — covers checks issued and mailed by the County but not cashed by the payee. Inventory includes claimable checks from 6 months to 5 years old. Two paths: Lost or Missing Checks (uncashed warrants) and Stolen Checks (fraudulently cashed — investigated before replacement). Track existing claims by Claim Number. Free; online contact form for help.

LA County Public Defender — the oldest and largest public-defender office in the United States (founded 1914), led by Public Defender Ricardo D. García (11th, sworn in October 2018; first Latino PD). Multidisciplinary team of attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and social workers. Services: adult and juvenile criminal defense, immigration support, mental-health legal aid, treatment-court advocacy, record clearing (expungement), conservatorship, custody/inmate location, and know-your-rights education.

Official California online voter registration via the Secretary of State. Eligibility: U.S. citizen, California resident, 18+ on election day (16/17 may pre-register), not currently in prison for a felony conviction, not found mentally incompetent. Required: California DL/ID number, last 4 of SSN, date of birth (DMV provides your signature). Deadline: 15 days before election day; after that use Same-Day (Conditional) Voter Registration at any LA County Vote Center or your county elections office. Safe at Home participants must use the confidential program — do NOT register online. Voter Hotline: (800) 345-VOTE.

LA County Department of Medical Examiner case-search portal — public-record search of Medical Examiner cases only (not all deaths in LA County). Cases where next-of-kin has not been notified, or cases on security hold, are not displayed. Records are subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Search by decedent name, case number, or date. Free and public access.

LA County Sheriff Concealed Weapon License (CCW) program per Cal. Penal Code § 26150 et seq. — post-Bruen, no "good cause" required. Eligibility: age 21+, own a CA-registered firearm, and reside in an LASD contract city or unincorporated community (other municipalities apply with their local PD; out-of-state residents may apply for the nonresident license). Required: CA DL/ID + birth certificate/naturalization/permanent resident card/passport + matching utility bill. 2026 fees: Standard 2-year $216 ($43 app + $173 issuance), Judicial 3-year $216, Nonresident $309, Renewal 2-year $86. Application tracking: lasd.permitium.com.

Official LA County source for certified birth, death, and marriage certificates. Birth records cover events 1876–present (released 90 days after the event). Order online (VitalChek), by mail, or in-person at the Norwalk HQ. Marriage license fees in 2026: Public $91, Confidential $85, Civil Ceremony $35. Also records real-estate documents and UCC filings.

Genealogical index of Los Angeles County deaths recorded before 1905 — part of the California Birth-Death-Marriage indexes project on RootsWeb (Ancestry-hosted). LA County is one of California's 27 original counties; founded 1850 from territory that once stretched to the Nevada border (now split across Inyo, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura). Free, volunteer-maintained, browsable by year and surname. Useful for pre-statutory-registration genealogy research; complement with CDPH-VR for post-1905 records.

California Department of Public Health — Vital Records (CDPH-VR) — issues certified copies of statewide birth, death, fetal death/still birth, marriage, and divorce records, and registers/amends vital records as authorized by law. Effective Jan 1, 2026, certified-copy fees increased (see CDPH-VR Fees page). All orders shipped USPS First-Class Mail; no cancellations or refunds once processing begins. Authorized copy vs Informational copy distinction governs who can obtain certified records. Fee exemptions: homeless individuals (AB 1733/2490), foster youth (AB 2967). General public info: (916) 558-1784.

Search and request recorded real-estate documents — deeds, mortgages, liens, homesteads, full reconveyances, judgments, and UCC financing statements. Online Request portals for Birth, Death, Marriage, Real Estate, and UCC records. Certified copy fee: $6.00 for the first page, $3.00 each additional page. Credit/debit accepted ($1.75 service fee + 2.25% per Visa/MC/Amex/Discover); money order payable to "Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk."

Official County of Los Angeles main portal — gateway to all 37 county departments, governed by the five-member Board of Supervisors (Hilda L. Solis, Holly J. Mitchell, Lindsey P. Horvath, Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger). Quick access: pay County bills, apply for services, register for programs, report issues/complaints, request important documents (vital records, business filings), find a department A–Z, sign up for emergency alerts (SMS/email), find jobs (hr.lacounty.gov), and stream the County Channel in English and Spanish. Serves ~10 million residents across 4,083 sq mi and 88 cities — the largest, most complex county government in the United States.

Office of the LA City Clerk — Clerk of the 15-member City Council, custodian of all Council proceedings, official city records, and archives; administers all City elections. City Clerk: Patrice Lattimore; Executive Officer: Ruben Viramontes. Online search of Council & Committee Meetings, Council Files, Contracts, Claims for Damage, Neighborhood Council elections + funding, City Records Center, and the City Archives (photographs, maps). 2026 Municipal Primary Nominating Election: June 2, 2026. HQ: 200 N Spring St, Room 360, Los Angeles 90012.

LA City Ethics Commission — independent watchdog created by voters in 1990 (City Charter Article IX), regulating governmental ethics, campaign finance, lobbying, and contractor/developer disclosures across all city and LAUSD races. Public dashboards: Election Totals (amounts raised/spent), Lobbying Clients & Lobbyists Registry, Developer Registrations, Contractor/Bidder Filings, and the Public Data Portal. Voter-approved Measure ER (effective Jan 8, 2025) raised maximum enforcement penalties. File complaints online; whistleblower protections apply.

Official LA County voter portal. Three free lookup tools: lavote.gov/vrstatus (registration status + party + assigned Vote Center), lavote.gov/av_inquiry (Vote-by-Mail ballot tracking — sent, received, counted), and lavote.gov/pbstatus (Provisional ballot status, available 30 days after election). Statewide Direct Primary scheduled for June 2, 2026 — 400+ Official Ballot Drop Boxes open countywide. Voter help: (800) 815-2666.

LA County Vote Center Locator. Per the California Voter's Choice Act, LA County operates as a Vote Center model (no precinct-assigned polling place) — any registered voter may use any of the 600+ Vote Centers countywide. 11-day Vote Centers open 10 days before election day (longer hours, accessibility services, multilingual ballots); 4-day Vote Centers open the Saturday before through election day. Same-day voter registration accepted at every Vote Center (Conditional Voter Registration / provisional ballot). Tool returns nearest centers by ZIP/address with hours, accessibility features, and drop-box locations. Free; powered by locator.lavote.net.

BallotTrax — California Secretary of State's "Where's My Ballot?" mail-ballot tracking service (sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status/wheres-my-ballot). Receive automatic notifications by text/SMS, email, or voice call at each stage: ballot mailed, ballot received by county elections office, ballot accepted/counted, or ballot rejected (with reason and cure instructions). Free; sign up once with name + DOB + ZIP. Data feeds directly from each California county's elections system, including LA County RR/CC. Companion: LA-specific status check at lavote.gov/av_inquiry (updated nightly).

LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk official election-results portal. Semi-official results posted on election night beginning shortly after polls close at 8:00 p.m. PT, with updates every ~30 minutes through completion of vote-by-mail and conditional-voter-registration processing. Contest detail down to precinct, supervisorial district, council district, and city/contest level, plus countywide measures and statewide propositions as reported by LA County. Historical results archived back through prior election cycles. Final certified results typically posted within 30 days of the election per Cal. Elections Code § 15375.

LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Campaign Finance Disclosure portal. Search FPPC-required filings for candidates, controlled committees, ballot-measure committees, PACs, and behested payments by elected officials. Five search paths: Search by Election, by Candidate, by Committee, by County Measure, or by Behested Payments. Companion TRACCER database (efs.lacounty.gov/public_search.cfm) provides full-text searchable archive of campaign filings. FPPC forms and manuals linked. Free public access; data current as of publication (RR/CC reserves right to update without notice).

LA County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) — operates 7 Animal Care Centers (Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Castaic, Downey, Lancaster, Palmdale). Filter adoptable dogs, cats, and other animals by species, age, breed, sex, color, and shelter. Status codes: Ready to Go Home (RTGH), Available Pending Spay/Neuter (AV Pend SN), Pending Assessment (AV BET), Adoption Pending, Stray Wait (state holding period), ID Hold (license/microchip), Quarantine, Rescue Only, and Potentially Dangerous Dog (PDD). Status can change at any time; fewer filters = more results.

LA County Animal Care Centers (ACC) adoption process. 7 Animal Care Centers countywide (Agoura, Baldwin Park, Carson/Gardena, Castaic, Downey, Lancaster, Palmdale). Visitation/adoption hours: Mon-Sat 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sundays & holidays limited services (closed to public viewing, but strays admitted, lost-and-found, and Adoption Partner rescue placements continue). Ready-to-Go-Home (RTGH) animals are already spayed/neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated — available first-come, first-served, same-day with no holds. Each ACC also handles licensing, lost-and-found, cruelty investigations, wildfire/disaster response, and field-officer dispatch. 24/7 Communications Center for emergencies.

LA County District Attorney — Child Abduction & Recovery Section (CARS). Specialized unit prosecuting parental and stranger child-abduction cases under California Penal Code § 277–280 and the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Services include locating abducted children, returning them to lawful custodians, and pursuing criminal charges against abductors. Active alerts and missing-children bulletins published online; tips and case referrals coordinated with LAPD, LASD, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC, 1-800-THE-LOST), and the FBI. Pairs with the DA Bureau of Victim Services for family support.

LA City Department of Building & Safety (LADBS) — issues permits for construction, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and grading work; enforces the LA Municipal Code; investigates code-enforcement complaints. Online tools: PermitLA (simple express permits, no plan check), ePlanLA (full plan-review + permitting web app), preliminary plan checks, and the LADBS Services2 portal for inspection scheduling and permit status by address. Requires a free Angeleno account. Walk-ins served at Development Services Centers (Metro, Van Nuys, West LA, San Pedro, South LA).

Official LA County Department of Public Health Environmental Health portal. Look up inspection results, facility closures, and administrative citations for restaurants, markets, and food facilities countywide (A/B/C letter-grade system). File general complaints (English/Spanish), pay permit fees online, and access Cottage Food Operation Class A self-certification and Class B permitting. Public disclosure, free to search.

California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) — regulates ~285,000 licensed contractors across 44+ classifications (A General Engineering, B General Building, B-2 Residential Remodeling, C-10 Electrical, C-36 Plumbing, C-39 Roofing, etc.). Free public license verification by license number, business name, or personnel name returns license status, classifications, bond + workers'-comp status, and disciplinary history. Statewide consumer protection: contractors cannot collect a residential down payment exceeding $1,000 or 10% of contract (whichever is less) on home improvement, ADU, solar, or disaster-rebuild work.

LA County Treasurer & Tax Collector — Business License Search. Free public lookup of business licenses issued by the County for businesses operating in unincorporated LA County areas (incorporated cities issue their own). Covered regulated categories include adult entertainment, ambulance services, auctioneers, billiard parlors, bingo, carnivals, dance halls, firearms dealers, food vendors, junkyards, massage establishments, pawnbrokers, taxi/livery, and tow truck operators. Search by license number, business name, or address; returns status, address, owner, classification, and expiration.

Official LA County Code of Ordinances hosted by Municode — the complete consolidated body of LA County law covering zoning, building, business licensing, public health, animal control, parks, vehicles, and unincorporated-area regulations. Full-text searchable, browsable by title and chapter, with deep-link permalinks to each section. Includes the County Charter, Administrative Code, and topical codes. Free public access; printable PDFs available; historical versions archived.

Office of LA County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman (28th elected DA, took office Dec 2024). One of the largest prosecutorial offices in the U.S., handling felony, misdemeanor, juvenile, gang, workers'-comp fraud, sex-crimes, and capital cases. Recent 2026 filings include the D4vd capital-murder charge (Apr 20) and a CHP-officer 605-Freeway DUI quadruple-murder case (Mar 16). Bureau of Victim Services, Missing Children Unit, and case-status lookup available.

Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) — provides fire suppression, EMS, ocean lifeguard, hazmat, urban search & rescue, and forestry services across ~2,300 sq mi to 4+ million residents in unincorporated LA County and 59 contract cities. ~4,900 personnel across 177 fire stations. Active programs: Ready! Set! Go! wildfire prep, Defensible Space inspections, Public Safety & Film Unit permits. DICO contact (323) 629-5558. Designated Family-Friendly Department by LA County HR.

Official Police Garages (OPG) — the City of LA's exclusive towing partner for 70+ years, providing 24/7 impound, towing, and storage citywide. Locate your towed vehicle by license plate or VIN to find which of the ~18 OPG facilities is holding it. Standard release requires: registered owner ID, proof of current registration + insurance, payment of accrued towing + daily storage fees, and any LAPD release authorization. Vehicles unclaimed past statutory deadlines proceed to lien sale per Cal. Vehicle Code § 22850.5.

Medical Board of California — Breeze License Verification. Free public lookup of all California-licensed physicians and allied health-care providers (M.D., D.O., podiatrists, midwives, postgraduate trainees, fictitious-name permits, polysomnographers, research psychoanalysts). Each Physician Profile includes license number, status (active/inactive/probation/revoked/suspended), school + graduation year, board certifications, hospital affiliations, malpractice judgments, and administrative actions. Companion License Alert mobile app pushes notifications on any profile change. Consumer Information Unit: (916) 263-2382 (M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. PT).

California Secretary of State — bizfile Online Business Search. Free public lookup of all California Corporations, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), and Limited Partnerships (LPs) by entity name or 7/12-digit entity number. Returns status (Active / Suspended / Dissolved / Cancelled / FTB Forfeited), formation date, registered agent for service of process, principal address, and full filing history with free PDF downloads of articles, statements of information, and certificates. Also: free UCC search & copies, statement of information filing, and certified copies. Companion tools at sos.ca.gov/business-programs.

County of Los Angeles Open Data — countywide portal aggregating datasets from all participating county departments (Assessor, Sheriff, Public Health, Public Works, Auditor-Controller, Children & Family Services, and more). Filter datasets, build visualizations, develop apps, or pull via API. Assessor alone publishes 5 datasets. Downloads available in CSV, JSON, XLSX, KML, Shapefile, and ArcGIS REST API formats. Free, no login required. Maintained by the County's Chief Information Office.

City of Los Angeles GeoHub — the City's public ArcGIS Hub platform for exploring, visualizing, analyzing, and downloading geospatial Open Data. Datasets include Building Footprints (every structure >64 sq ft, captured via LARIAC4 4-inch and 1-foot aerial imagery), Address Points & Road Segments (from the Countywide Address Management System / CAMS), historical city boundary annexations/detachments, parcels, council districts, neighborhood councils, zoning, transportation, public safety, environment, and housing. Downloads in Shapefile, File Geodatabase, KML, CSV, GeoJSON, and ArcGIS REST API. Free; companion: lacity.org Open Data Portal.

Official Assessor Portal covering ~2.5 million LA County parcels. Search by AIN (10-digit Assessor's Identification Number, e.g. 1234-567-890), property address, or map. Returns current and prior assessed values, ownership, legal description, characteristics, and tax-status linkage. Three modes: Basic, Legal, and Map Search. Free, no login.

LA County Assessor Recent Sale Notice portal — published when the Assessor records a property reassessment after a sale or transfer. Look up recent transfers by neighborhood, address, or AIN to see new assessed value, sale price (where disclosed), and transfer date. Helpful for homeowners checking comparable sales, prospective buyers verifying value trends, and Prop 8 (decline-in-value) review. Free; data updates as the Assessor processes new ownership changes (typically within weeks of the recorded deed).

Pay or look up LA County Secured Property Tax bills (mailed by Nov 1 each fiscal year). 1st installment due Nov 1, delinquent after Dec 10; 2nd installment due Feb 1, delinquent after Apr 10 — 10% penalty after each delinquency date. Pay by eCheck (free), credit/debit (service-fee applies), mail, or in-person. Also handles unsecured, supplemental, defaulted, and tax-defaulted public auction sales.

Official LA County Treasurer & Tax Collector page covering tax-defaulted property and public auctions per Cal. Revenue & Taxation Code § 3691. Properties become "defaulted" after 5+ years of unpaid secured taxes and may be auctioned through online public auction (Bid4Assets) or sealed-bid sales. Avoidance paths: pay in full, enter the Five-Pay Plan (5-year, 20% increments + interest), apply for Property Tax Postponement (senior/blind/disabled), or request a hardship hold. Auction listings, redemption amounts, and minimum bids published 30+ days before sale.

LA County Department of Regional Planning — Maps & GIS hub. Free interactive web apps for land use, zoning, parcel data, subdivision activity, aerial imagery, and unincorporated-community features. Map Catalog: downloadable PDFs (community plans, general plan, hillside, coastal). GIS Apps: interactive viewers (Z-NET zoning, GIS-NET parcels). GIS Data: publicly downloadable layers (shapefile, GeoJSON, REST endpoints). Save and print custom PDF maps. Contact: gis@planning.lacounty.gov.

LA County Planning Case & Hearing Search — searchable index of unincorporated-area planning cases by 24+ types: Conditional Use Permit (CUP), Variance, Zone Change, Tentative Tract/Parcel Map, Coastal Development Permit, Oak Tree Permit, General Plan Amendment, Plot Plan, Surface Mining Permit, Renewable Energy, Housing Permit, Environmental Assessment, and more. View Regional Planning Commission (RPC) and Hearing Officer agendas + recordings via the DRP Video Library, plus 15+ committee/commission portals (ALUC, ERB, SEATAC, Subdivision, Housing Advisory). Free; no login.

LADBS Services2 — public-facing portal for City of LA construction-permit lookups and online services. Seven search modes: Single Address Search, Address Range Search, 15-digit Permit/Application Number, 10-digit Plan Check/Job Number, CEIS/311 Service Request Number, Assessor Parcel Number (APN), and Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) number. Returns permit status, inspection history, work description, contractor info, and Certificate of Occupancy. Pay invoices, schedule inspections, look up contractor licenses, and check GPI waiver IDs. No login required for public search. Free.

LA County Department of Public Works — Surplus Property program. Lists County-owned real property declared surplus and offered for sale to the general public by way of public auction. Property types historically include vacant parcels, excess right-of-way slivers, county-acquired tax-defaulted residual lots, and former government-use sites. Free public access to current listings; email registration available to be notified when new auctions are scheduled. (At time of this writing the surplus inventory is empty — register to be alerted when new properties come online.) Managed by the DPW Mapping & Property Management Division.

LA County Assessor Homeowners' Exemption — reduces the taxable value of an owner-occupied principal residence by $7,000 (saving roughly $70/year in property tax at LA's ~1% rate). Eligibility: own and occupy the home as your principal residence on January 1 of the tax year. Filing deadline: February 15 for the full-year benefit (or April 10 for an 80% benefit on a late claim). One-time application: once approved, the exemption renews automatically until ownership/residency changes. Forms available at assessor.lacounty.gov/real-estate-toolkit/apply-for-hox; new property owners are mailed a claim form automatically.

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) — Public License Information. Free search by Last Name + First Name, company name, or License ID number for real estate brokers, salespersons, corporations, and Prepaid Rental Listing Services (PRLS). Address-lookup tool finds licensees by main-office or branch address. Returns license status, expiration date, employing broker, and enforcement/disciplinary actions. Also publishes the Active-Duty Servicemembers/Spouses registry for out-of-state license recognition. DRE consumer alert: verify licensee identity to avoid unlicensed-impersonation scams.