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Quick, Easy and Free Warrant search and Case Lookup in CA!

I have to give it to California; the state is liberal to the core. And, they do let those views on openness and transparency trickle down to several facets of governance. I can tell you from personal experience that this is fantastic news for people who are interested in details on arrest warrants, criminal records, court docket and other such information, which would otherwise be considered too sensitive for public consumption.

These guys may have one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country, but when it comes to arrest records, warrants information and a criminal check, I have always managed to get the meaty bits of information without paying a dime for them. And that is what we are going to talk about today. In this article, I am going to tell you all you need to know about how to find a criminal docket, data on recent arrests in California and courts records from different counties of the state. Without further preamble, let me get to the first question du jour-

 

Who should I approach for California arrest records?

The good folks who make those arrests, of course! Yes, I am talking about the local law enforcement agency. In the majority of cases, unless active warrants are sought before the arrests, cops will be the first to prepare a file on the detention and the detainee.

 

In other words, police reports are often the first write-up about arrests in any area. After an accused/suspect is taken into custody, he/she is housed in the county jail, which is also under the jurisdiction of the local sheriff’s office. So, this agency is the keeper of jail records as well.

The next agency to enter this loop is the office of the clerk of court. The person who has been arrested will be taken to court, and that is when the court clerk creates the judicial records pertaining to the matter. So, you can approach either agency for your arrest inquiry.

 

What is the easiest way to look for an arrest report in CA?

If you are interested in an arrest log, you don’t always have to drive down to the sheriff’s office. In fact, I would suggest that you visit the website of the sheriff’s department. The one thing I have to tell you here is that the information on offer can vary significantly from one agency to another.

 

For instance, a few offices do open up their police blotter for public viewing, but most agencies only offer their jail records on their websites. This can be used to compile an arrest list if required but it is hardly a replacement for a warrant search or a formal arrest report. Some agencies offer even less while others provide bit more. Let me explain this with a few examples:

 

• Riverside County arrest records: Although the Sheriff’s Department of Riverside does not offer their arrest list or the police reports online, you can find their most wanted list and more at http://www.riversidesheriff.org/. For jail records, you can go to http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/.
• Arrests in Sacramento County: You can find the inmate locator tool of Sacramento SD at https://www.sacsheriff.com/inmate_information/. You initiate the arrest inquiry by name or by the inmate number. You will also find a database of crime reports at https://www.sacsheriff.com/Pages/Services/CrimeReport.aspx.
• Fresno County arrest records: You can find out about DUI arrests and other detentions in this area by using the tool at https://www.fresnosheriff.org/jail/locator/inmate-bookings.html.
• Alameda County arrests: You can find information on recent arrests in Alameda by using the inmate tool at https://www.acgov.org/sheriff_app/.
• Arrests records from Orange County:  The Sheriff’s Department offers the arrest log for Orange County at http://ws.ocsd.org/ArrestLog/. You can find recent arrests from this list as well as those that date back to a maximum of 30 days.
• Los Angeles arrest records: Unfortunately, the Sheriff’s Office is not very generous when it comes to sharing information on Los Angeles County arrests or warrants, with the public. At the time of writing this article, the agency was only offering jail records on their website. These could be accessed by using the name-based arrests search tool at http://tylerpaw.co.fort-bend.tx.us/PublicAccess/default.aspx.
• Arrests in San Bernardino: To access the jail records for San Bernardino, you can use the inmate locator app on the sheriff’s website at http://wp.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/corrections/inmate-locator/. While the agency does not provide information on arrest warrants, you can get details on the county’s most wanted on the Facebook page of the agency at https://www.facebook.com/sbcountysheriff/.
• Santa Clara County jail records:  Like most other counties in California, you cannot find information on Santa Clara arrest warrants on the website of the sheriff’s department. However, the law enforcement agency does offer the tool to conduct an inmate search at https://eservices.sccgov.org/OVR/FindInmate/Find. Those interested in an arrest report or a warrant search can also visit the agency office at 55 West Younger Avenue, San Jose, California 95110-1721.
• Recent arrests in Contra Costa: In a striking shift from what appears to be the norm in the state, you can actually find a lot of information on Contra Costa arrests from the website of the sheriff. Your arrest inquiry will not just get you details on who is currently being held in the detention facility but also get you information on the charges against him/her. This information can be accessed by using the facilities at http://63.192.159.75/PublicReport/.
• Kern County arrest log: For accessing the jail records for Kern County, you can use the tool at https://www.kerncounty.com/apps/detentions/display_inmate/inmate_srch.asp. This is a combined tool that gets you information on the detainees in the under-trial facility as well as those being held in the minimum and maximum security prisons. Those of you interested in a warrant search for Kern County should look through the court records at  https://www.kern.courts.ca.gov/.
• Arrest inquiry for San Francisco County: You cannot perform a San Francisco warrant check on third parties or access the criminal records of incidents that do not involve you. However, the local police do allow you access to their arrest log. This information can be procured by using the tool at http://apps.sfgov.org/InmateInfo/.
• Ventura County arrest log: You can get details on Ventura County arrests by using their jail records search app at https://www.venturasheriff.org/inmate-information/.  At this time, you cannot do a warrant search for Ventura County through the Sheriff’s Office. However, it is possible to initiate a criminal case search by using the app at http://www.ventura.courts.ca.gov/case-inquiry.html.
• San Mateo County arrests records: The inmate finder on the website of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is available at https://smc-inmatelocator.org/. You can use the name of the detainee, last as well as the first, to initiate the arrest inquiry. Although you cannot access their warrant database, you can find information on the area’s most wanted at https://northerncaliforniamostwanted.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1.
• San Joaquin arrest inquiry: The arrest log for San Joaquin County is available at https://wic.sjgov.org/WhosInCustody/BookingLog/24. This page offers one of the quickest way to find out who just got busted because it offers details on the most recent arrests in San Joaquin, including those that go back to just one hour. In addition to this, you can also find an arrest report by using the name of the detainee. For this facility, go to https://wic.sjgov.org/WhosInCustody/SearchByName.

 

What if I am interested in a city-specific arrest inquiry in CA?

Usually, you will find some amount of information on the website of the police department of the city. But, it all depends on the agency that handles the law and order situation locally. If the city PD has little to offer online, you can always gather some amount of information from the website of the County Sheriff’s Office, which does receive information of all arrests and criminal occurrences from all areas in its jurisdiction. Here are a few examples that will help to clarify things.

 

• Arrests in Taft: The City of Taft PD offers a crime mapping tool on its website, which can be used to track arrests, incident calls, most wanted persons, the daily bulletin of police reports and more at http://www.cityoftaft.org/pView.aspx?id=5675&catid=562. Alternatively, you can access the inmate lookup tool of Kern County Sheriff’s Office at http://www.kernsheriff.org/inmate_search.aspx. A search by name or inmate number will help you to get details on arrests (last 24 hours and last 5 days).
• Delano arrest records: Unlike Taft Police, you won’t get anything from the website of the Delano law enforcement office. This means that you can only rely on the inmate locator tool of Kern County Sheriff’s Department for the arrests log.
• Arrest report from Lancaster: Similarly, for information pertaining to arrest records of Lancaster, CA, you will have to rely on the website of the Los Angeles County Sheriff at https://app5.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm.
• Glendale arrests: In contrast, Glendale City offers a wealth of information on its website, including the arrest booking reports at https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/police-department/crime-prevention-crime-statistics/crime-statistics.
• Arrest records from Stockton: If you are interested in an arrest search through the Stockton PD, you will have to rely on the facilities provided by the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office at https://wic.sjgov.org/login.

 

Where will I find arrests records from the Department of Corrections of California?

The tool at https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/ will help you to know about convicts who are currently serving time in state prisons. You can use the inmate number or name for the search. Your inquiry will only get you the full name of the prisoner along with his/her CDCR inmate number, age, date of admission, current location and parole eligibility date.

 

Notice, how you won’t get any information pertaining to the offense committed by the inmate. Also, you won’t be told about inmates who have been released on parole or probation or have been released after doing their time.

 

Arrest warrants

Unlike an arrest inquiry, a warrant search can be a difficult undertaking as law enforcement agencies are none too keen on releasing details pertaining to suspects, who they intend to apprehend. That said, I have always used the most wanted list as a starting point, particularly when I did not have a lot of information on the subject. But, a most wanted list won’t always get you the subject-specific details that you are looking for.

 

So, will I not get any information on arrest warrants from the local sheriff’s department?

Now, I have to admit that to say all law enforcement offices are reluctant to offer details on warrants would be an unfair generalization. At the end of the day, it all depends on the agency in question. I mean, I have found agencies that post their warrant list on their website as well as those that play it safe and keep even the arrest mugshots of their most wanted offenders away from public view.

 

Then, there are those that figure in the middle of this information spectrum. I’d say many of these police departments are comfortable divulging details on arrest warrants over the phone or if you visit the agency office in person. Finally, there are agencies that only produce information on bench warrants. This brings me to a question that I often get asked about arrest warrants.

 

What is the difference between bench warrants and active warrants?

Simply put, active warrants are linked to serious criminal matters, while bench warrants are connected with municipal ordinance and minor traffic violations, non-appearance in court and non-payment of court ordered monies. The most important things to know here are:

 

• Warrants in California do not expire. They will be in the system till the accused is arrested, regardless of the type of violation or crime that led to their issue.
• These orders are always issued by the court. However, as their name suggests, bench warrants come from the bench or the judiciary without the active involvement of the police in the process.
• When a crime is committed and the accused cannot or is not immediately detained, the police approach the magistrate’s court with a request for an arrest warrant.
• In both cases, the actual serving of the warrants is left to the law enforcement agency.

 

How do I launch a warrants search in California?

There is no statewide warrant database that you can tap into. So, whether you are seeking information on traffic warrants or felony warrants, you should turn to the local police for information, unless there is an outstanding warrant in your name. Take a look at how you can get details on active warrants from local law enforcement agencies in the state.

 

1. Arrest warrants from Fresno County: As mentioned above, these guys do offer jail records on their website. But if you are looking for details on outstanding warrants or even bench warrants, you will have to call the agency on 559-600-8402. The officer from the warrant division will ask you to provide your subject’s name and date of birth to initiate the inquiry.

 

In response, you will get the court case number, the date of issue of the arrest warrant, name of the issuing authority and the bail. The law enforcement agency will only provide information on arrest warrants issued by Fresno courts.

 

2. Sacramento County warrants search: Although the Sheriff’s office of Sacramento does not offer a warrant list on its website, you can get limited information on outstanding warrants from their most wanted lists. This is available at https://www.sacsheriff.com/Mostwanted/.

 

3. Warrant check in Orange County: The local police offer the facility to launch a warrant inquiry through their website at http://ws.ocsd.org/ArrestWarrants/. You will need the first and the last name of your subject to use this tool to find active warrants against him/her.

 

4. Tulare warrant lookup: If the most wanted list offered by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department does not help, you will have to contact the agency headquarters at 833 S. Akers St, Visalia, CA 93277 for the warrant inquiry. Again, this is one of those agencies that provide inmate information online but don’t offers details on arrest warrants. The most wanted list and the inmate lookup tool are available at https://tularecounty.ca.gov/sheriff/.

 

5. Details on San Diego warrants: The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office offers a tool to scour the agency’s warrant database at https://apps.sdsheriff.net/warrant/waar.aspx. The first and the last name of the subject is enough to initiate the inquiry and the date of birth can be used to narrow down the results.

 

6. City of Santa Barbara arrest warrants: Although the local police department does not offer information on active warrants through their website, you can call them for this information. Get in touch with Santa Barbara PD at 805-681-4330 and pick the option for warrants from the IVR menu.

 

7. Warrant check in Humboldt County: The warrant list for this area is available on the website of the Sheriff’s Department at http://publicapps.lakecountyca.gov/lcsoMobile/Warrants. The warrant information only includes the charge number. So, you will have to go through the California Criminal Code to learn more about the nature of the offense that the suspect is being accused of.

 

How can I get information on California warrant roundup?

To the best of my knowledge, a statewide warrant roundup has never been done in California, despite the thousands of felony outstanding warrants in their systems. Although an annual or biannual warrant roundup is the norm in some other states, I don’t think California has any such procedure.

 

In fact, I can’t think of a time when I have read about a warrant roundup being initiated in California. Now, even if this were to happen in the future, details on such operations are never released to the media or the public. So, the only way to find out about a warrant roundup is after the operation has been completed and the news about the arrests is reported by media outlets.

 

Court records

In my opinion, as far as California is concerned, court records are the easiest to find. And, I am not just talking about civil judicial records here. Information on criminal court cases is just as easy to come by as long as you know who to approach for the data.

 

In this section, I am going to tell you what kind of information you can find, how much it is going to cost you and where you should go to find the court docket you need. So, let us start with the first question.

 

Can I simply go to the local courthouse for a case search?

You can, but why bother making the trip when you can often find the details you need online? But if you are in the area and want to do a case search, you can visit the court of clerk’s office.  I am sure at least some of you are wondering, why go to the court clerk and not directly to the court that has dealt with a particular case?

 

Well, the office of the clerk of court is the keeper of all courthouse public records. This agency gets involved in both criminal and civil matters from the get go. So, in case of a criminal case search, the clerk of court will be able to tell you about:

 

• The arrest warrants issued
• The charges filed
• The verdict
• The judgment
• Sentencing
• Incarceration
• Release on parole or otherwise

 

As far as civil case records are concerned, you will be able to find out about the litigants, the dispute, the verdict and awards of monies, if involved. Except for details pertaining to the medical history of a person, financial matters, domestic violence matters and incidents involving minors, you will get just about all other case information from the office of the clerk of court.

 

Will I able to do a case lookup in California through the website of the court clerk?

While some agencies do offer public court records online, others expect people to show up at their office to access the court repository. There are also variations in terms of fees and the amount of information offered. Generally, you will find public service terminals at the office of the court clerk, and these can be used to find information on court cases for free.

 

However, if you need to take printouts of the case information, you will end up paying a few cents per sheet. Let me give you a detailed explanation with the help of a few examples:

 

San Diego court records:

You can find judicial records for San Diego from the websites of the Superior Court of CA and the County District Attorney. The case search tools are available at http://courtindex.sdcourt.ca.gov/CISPublic/enter and http://caseinformation.sdcda.org/CaseSearch.aspx. Both sources offer the facility to find case records by using the name of the parties or the court case number. However, the information offered is limited to the name of the defendant/litigant, case type, filing date, current status and location of case records.

 

San Bernardino case lookup:

The Superior Court of San Bernardino County offers in-depth information pertaining to both civil and criminal actions through its website. The facility is available at https://www.sb-court.org/divisions/civil-general-information/court-case-information-and-document-sales. If you scroll down the page, you will find the options for civil and criminal case search.

 

Santa Clara case search:

The public court records portal from Santa Clara Superior Court is available at https://portal.scscourt.org/search. This is a relatively new website that allows you to search through the court repository by using the name of the party, case number, name of the business and filing date. The local judiciary also has an older version of the site at https://cmportal.scscourt.org/Portal.

 

Orange County court records:

The case search facility offered on the website of Orange County Superior Court is available at https://ocapps.occourts.org/CourtIndex/ . The tool only allows you to use the case number to find a court docket if you are an unregistered user. If you want to find court cases by the name of the litigant/defendant, you will have to enroll for a free account at https://apps.occourts.org/Account/Register.

 

Solano case lookup:

The courts public access system for Solano County is available online at http://courtconnect.solano.courts.ca.gov/cconnect/public/ck_public_qry_main.cp_main_idx.  You can search for case information by using the name of a person/business and case type. You also get the option of searching for judgments and accessing details on case activities.

 

Fresno judicial records:

You can use the Court Access facility offered by the judicial agencies of Fresno at https://publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov/FRESNOPORTAL/. The website not only offers the facility to find case information and details on hearings but also provides the option to pay court and traffic fines online.

 

Sacramento court records:

Access to public court records in Sacramento is a paid service offered by the Superior Court of the area. You can find a court docket by using the case number if you have it. But, if you want to do a docket search by name, you will have to register an account and buy credits for the service. The charges are nominal at $1 or less/inquiry. For the fee structure and to register an account, go to https://services.saccourt.ca.gov/PublicCaseAccess/.

 

Los Angeles case lookup:

This is another California County that charges a fee for courts public access. You can initiate a civil or criminal case search as a guest or register an account. In both cases, you will be charged for the case lookup but the fees will vary.

 

The various tools for online search of judicial records are listed on http://www.lacourt.org/onlineservices/ON0001.aspx. Scroll down to find the option that reads “Search for case number by defendant name-criminal”. In addition to this, you can also use the court calendar for details pertaining to ongoing cases. This service is offered at http://www.lacourt.org/criminalcalendar/ui/.

 

Can I use the California Courts Open Access System for a docket search?

The state’s Court Access portal can be used to find information on cases handled by the Appellate and the Supreme Court of California. You will find this facility at https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/index.cfm. Choose the name of the court from the filter options given on your right.

 

Criminal records

I am going to assume that you have already read all or at least some of the information given above, and it must have given you the impression that finding criminal records in California is not a hard task. Well here’s what I have to say on that, “only till you are dealing with the local judiciary or police and as long as the information you need is limited to arrest records, warrants data and case information.”

 

Things change drastically when you go out looking for a complete criminal background check. As with other records, you get 3 options for a criminal check.

 

• The local sheriff’s office
• The court clerk
• The California Department of Justice

 

The first thing to know is that you are only allowed to access your own criminal history report, regardless of who is approached for the criminal search. Plus, not all county level agencies offer this facility. Also, even if you were to find public criminal records through a local law enforcement or judicial agency, the details you get will be limited to their jurisdiction.

 

For instance, if you approach the Court Clerk or the Sheriff’s Office of Kern County, you will only get information on the criminal actions initiated against the subject in Kern County and not in any other area of California. Moreover, you cannot find such criminal records online. You will have to approach the agency in person or through mail for the criminal case search.

 

So, where should I go for a criminal check?

The office of the sheriff should always be your first stop when looking for criminal records. After all, this is the agency that handles all criminal investigations and arrests in the area. In fact, only the sheriff’s office is allowed to provide a clearance letter or a local criminal check.

 

The requirements for initiating the criminal search are the same for most counties, but the fee structure can vary.Let me give you a few examples here:

 

1. San Diego criminal search: For a criminal history report or a background check from San Diego Sheriff’s Office, you will have to go to the agency office at 9621 Ridgehaven Ct, San Diego, CA 92123. Alternatively, you can write to them at San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, ATTN:  Records & ID Division, Booking Section, P.O. Box 939063, San Diego, CA 92193.

 

If submitting the request in person, carry a government issued photo ID along. If requesting the criminal background check through mail, send a copy of the document. You will be charged $14 for the criminal case search and it will take 3-10 days to receive the report.

 

2. Criminal court records from Santa Clara: Approach the headquarters of the local law enforcement agency at 55 West Younger Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110 for a local criminal docket report. Residents are required to visit the agency office in person for the criminal background search. Those living outside the county/state can request the information by mail. You will be charged $25 for the criminal check and as above, you will have to provide proof of identity.

 

3. Santa Barbara County criminal court docket:  Use the form at https://www.sbsheriff.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Request-for-Criminal-History-Clearance-Letter_copy.pdf for filing your criminal search request in Santa Barbara County. The Sheriff’s Office charges $25 for a criminal background search report and $17 for a clearance letter. You can take this form (duly filled) along with a photo ID (government issued) to the law enforcement agency office at 4434 Calle Real Santa Barbara, CA 93110.

 

4. Criminal background search in Yuba County: You will have to get in touch with the Records Unit of the Sheriff’s Office for local criminal history searches. They charge $25 for the facility and you will have to file the request in person by visiting the agency office at 720 Yuba St, Marysville, CA 95901, during business hours, Monday through Friday.

 

5. El Dorado County public criminal records: Obtaining a criminal history report from the local police will set you back by $10, while you will have to pay $30 for a clearance letter. In both cases, you will have to show up at the agency office in person and pay the fees in cash or through money order before the request is processed.

 

A government issued photo-Id will be required and you can use the form at https://www.edcgov.us/government/sheriff/forms/documents/EDSO_Local_CORI%20_Request.pdf to submit the request. The Sheriff’s Office works out of 300 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 but you can also visit them at their South Lake Tahoe Office at 1360 Johnson Blvd. #100, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.

 

strong>6. Orange County criminal case search: The Sheriff’s Office provides a clearance letter/local criminal history records for $11. All other requirements are as above. Use the form at http://www.ocsd.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=7398 for requesting the report. The mailing address and document copies required are listed in the PDF.

 

You may have noticed that in all the above examples, you have to connect with the local law enforcement agency and not the court clerk for the criminal lookup. So, why does the judicial office figure in the list of sources? Simple, this is the agency to approach when you need a specific criminal court docket that is not a part of public criminal records. If you are a victim or defendant or a legal representative of either of the parties, you will be allowed to access this information through the office of the judiciary.

 

What if I need a statewide criminal court records search in CA?

Once again, you won’t find the criminal records online, but you can file the request for the inquiry by writing to the California Department of Justice. Remember, you are only allowed to request a copy of your own criminal history report and not those of third parties.

 

Moreover, this is a fingerprint based criminal search. So, you will need to provide the fingerprint cards required for processing the request. Fingerprinting can be done at the local sheriff’s office but you will have to pay for the service. You will find a list of public Live Scan sites at http://ag.ca.gov/fingerprints/publications/contact.php. Typically, you will be charged around $20 to $50 for fingerprinting.

 

Use the form on https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/fingerprints/forms/bcia_8016RR.pdf at the Live Scan site. You will be charged $25 for the background search in addition to fingerprinting fees. More information about the process is available at https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/fingerprints/instructions.pdf.

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