How to Search California Criminal Records
California criminal records are maintained by the state law enforcement agency (typically a State Police, Department of Public Safety, or Bureau of Investigation). Court-level criminal cases are searchable through the state judiciary.
- Statewide criminal record check: through the California state law enforcement agency — typically a fingerprint-based search with a fee.
- Sex offender registry: every state operates a public sex offender registry searchable by name and ZIP code.
- Inmate locator: the California Department of Corrections offender lookup covers all state prisons.
- Court criminal cases: free name search via state judiciary public portals.
- Federal criminal cases: PACER.
Population
39,128,162
Households
13,217,000
Median Income
$91,905
Median Home Value
$684,800
Criminal Records Databases
86 official California criminal records sources.
Criminal Records
California Supreme Court & Appeals Archives
Official Free
Browse the California Supreme Court & Court of Appeals archives by jurisdiction.
Criminal Records | Applicant Agencies
Official Free
Criminal records by law in California are NOT available to the public, but are available to qualified Applicant Agencies.
Criminal Records | Your records
Official Free
Information on how to obtain your criminal history from the California Department of Justice.
Inmates | California Department of Corrections
Official Free
California inmate search from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Inmates | Executions in California
Official Free
Browse this California Department of Corrections list by name for California condemned inmates who have died since 1978 by execution as well as.
California Criminal Records Inmates
Official Free
L.A. County Sheriff Department inmate roster by name and date of birth.
California Criminal Records Superior Court | Criminal
Official Free
California Criminal Records Superior Court criminal defendant index, calendar search, and case summaries.
Registered Offenders in California
Official Free
General Megan's Law offender registry from the California Office of the Attorney General.
Alameda County Inmate Locator
Official Free
Search this Alameda County Inmate Locator database by name, date of birth or PFN number for current inmates.
Alameda County | Court Records
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Alameda County Superior Court criminal case hearings and records.
Amador County Criminal Court Records
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Search for superior court criminal filings by name, case number, citation number, date of birth, and drivers license number in Amador County.
Butte County | Court Records
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Superior Court of California, County of Butte online case records.
Colusa County Criminal Court Records
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Search for Colusa County criminal cases by name number, date, or case type.
El Dorado County Arrests
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List of inmates arrested and booked into El Dorado County jails in the previous 48 hours.
El Dorado County Court Records
Official Free
Search the Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado civil, criminal and traffic court records by name, case number or date.
Glenn County Criminal & Traffic Court Records
Official Free
Use this Superior Court of Glenn County service to search for civil, family law, criminal, and/or traffic court filings by name, file date, and case.
Imperial County Calendars
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Obtain Calendar information provided by the Imperial County Superior Court. These calendars are updated daily with descriptions of civil and.
Kern County Inmates
Official Free
Use this service provided by the Kern County Sheriff to search the current inmates of the Kern County Jail by inmate number or name.
Kings County | Court Records
Official Free
Kings County Superior Court criminal and traffic case records.
Marin County Inmates & Booking Report
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Current inmates and those booked in the last 48 hours into the Marin County Jail.
Mendocino County | Criminal Court Records
Official Free
Civil, criminal, and traffic case records from the Superior Court of Mendocino County.
Monterey County | Court Records
Official Free
Monterey County Superior Court records, including criminal and traffic cases.
Napa County Court Records - Criminal
Official Free
Click on Case Lookup at the top of the page to search the Superior Court of California County of Napa for criminal records by case number; or click.
Napa County Inmates/Offenders
Official Free
Napa County, California Department of Corrections search for offenders / inmates.
Orange County Arrest Log
Official Free
Browse the Orange County, California Sheriff's arrest log for the past 30 days.
Orange County Court Calendars
Official Free
Superior Court of California, County of Orange criminal, civil, small claims, traffic, family law, and probate case calendars.
Orange County Court Records
Official Free
Orange County Superior Court access to criminal, small claims, civil, traffic, family law, and probate case records.
Placer County
Official Free
Placer County Superior Court criminal, traffic, civil, and family law case records.
Placer County | Arrests, Inmates, Releases
Official Free
Inmates currently in custody at the Placer County jails, also the daily booking release report.
Riverside County Inmates
Official Free
Use this service provided by the Sheriff to search the current inmate population of the Riverside County Jail by name or booking number.
Riverside County | Criminal Court
Official Free
Search for Criminal Court Case filings in Riverside County, California.
Sacramento County | Court Index
Official Free
Sacramento County criminal court case search. Fee required for name searches.
San Bernardino County | Court Records
Official Free
Traffic and criminal case search from the San Bernardino County Superior Court.
San Diego County Criminal Court Records
Official Free
Enter and select Criminal in the Select Case Type field to search Superior Court of San Diego County criminal case records by party name, case.
San Diego County | New Criminal Court Case Filings
Official Free
Click on CRIMINAL to view the Superior Court of San Diego County alphabetical listing of recent criminal case filings.
San Joaquin County | Booking Log
Official Free
24-hour arrest log from the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.
San Mateo County Criminal Court Records
Official Free
Search this San Mateo County Superior Court database of Civil, Family Law, Probate, Small Claims and Criminal cases by name or case number.
Santa Clara County Criminal Case Numbers
Official Free
Find criminal case numbers in the Santa Clara County Superior Court. The 5-year index is searchable by name and birthdate, name and filing date, or.
Shasta County Criminal Court Records
Official Free
Search for Shasta County criminal court records by name, case, or date.
Solano County Inmate Booking Log
Official Free
View the most recent detention facility booking logs in pdf format. Provided by Solano County.
Sonoma County Criminal Court Daily Calendar
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Search by case number, party, or attorney for today's Sonoma County Superior Court criminal court cases.
Tehama County Inmates
Official Free
The Tehama County Sheriff provides this listing of current inmates, with information including inmate name, DOB, physical description, charge.
Tuolumne County Superior Court
Official Free
Tuolumne County Superior Court criminal division records by case number or drivers license number.
Ventura County Inmate Records
Official Free
Use this Ventura County Sheriff's Department service to search for current and released inmates by name and optionally by date of birth.
🌐 vcsd.org
Yolo County | Court Calendar
Official Free
Superior Court of California in Yolo County criminal court schedules.
El Dorado County Inmates
Official Free
Search the El Dorado County, California Sheriff's Office listing of current inmates in El Dorado County jails or search the database by phrase or key word.
Kings County | Inmates
Official Free
Inmate locator and recent bookings search from the Kings County Sheriff's Office.
Madera County | Inmates
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Inmate search from the Madera County Department of Corrections.
Sacramento County Inmates
Official Free
Use this Sacramento County service to search for current inmates by name, XREF number, or browse by last name.
San Diego County Inmate Roster
Official Free
Search the San Diego County jail inmate roster by name or number.
San Luis Obispo County Traffic Citation Lookup
Official Free
Search for your traffic citation in San Luis Obispo County by docket number or last name and driver's license number.
Santa Clara | Inmates
Official Free
Inmate roster search from the Santa Clara County Department of Correction.
Santa Cruz Crime Maps
Official Free
Provided by: City of Santa Cruz Police Department. Browse this system by month and type of crime to view crime maps.
Yolo County Inmate Bookings
Official Free
Inmate booking records by month from the Yolo County Sheriff.
Norfolk | Crime Map
Official Free
One of the better interactive crime maps available. This one is from the Norfolk Police Department and plots out crime incidents in the last 90 days.
Chico Arrests
Official Free
View a list of arrests made in Chico in the past 30 days. Tip: Click on the WEEKLY ARRESTS link on the right side of their page.
Corning Crime Mapping
Official Free
Search or browse service calls to the Corning Police Department using this interactive crime mapping service.
Paradise | Crime Reports
Official Free
Paradise Police Department crime incidents, stolen vehicle search, arrests, and most wanted.
Inmates | Federal Bureau of Prisons
Official Free
Federal Bureau of Prisons records of inmates from or in California.
🌐 bop.gov
PACER U.S. District Criminal Court Records
Official Free
Go here for information on and access to PACER United States District Court criminal records for the Northern, Central, Eastern, or Southern Districts of California.
California Counties
All 58 California counties. Click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free California criminal records search?▼
Free name searches exist through the state judiciary court portal for criminal case dockets, but a comprehensive criminal history requires a state-level background check from California law enforcement, which typically has a fee.
How do I run a California background check?▼
Submit a request through the California state law enforcement agency (typically a State Police or DPS Bureau of Identification). Fees range $15–$50. Some states require fingerprints.
Where is the California sex offender registry?▼
The California state law enforcement agency operates a public sex offender registry searchable by name and ZIP code.
How do I find an inmate?▼
Use the California Department of Corrections offender locator, which covers all state correctional facilities.
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