Quick Topics
The questions below fall into a handful of buckets. Use the list to jump to the right section, or scroll through all of them. Each answer links to a deeper page on this site for full detail.
- Court case lookup
- Civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, and small claims case searches through the Superior Court portal.
- Criminal and arrest records
- What is public, what is not, how to get a case number, and how to request copies.
- Warrants and jail
- Traffic warrant lookup, clearing a warrant, and finding someone in county jail.
- Vital and life-event records
- Marriage licenses, marriage certificates, divorce records, and probate filings.
- Record clearing and access
- Expungement under Penal Code 1203.4, arrest sealing under Penal Code 851.91, and juvenile rules.
Common Questions About Santa Clara County Court Records
Each entry below pairs a question with a short answer and a link to the page on this site that covers the topic in full. Facts come from the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder, and the Office of the Sheriff.
How do I search Santa Clara County court records?
The main search tool is the Superior Court Case Information Portal. It covers civil, small claims, probate, some family cases, traffic and local ordinance cases, and criminal cases. Enter a name or case number, then open the case detail to see hearings, parties, and disposition. If the document itself is not online, use the portal to find the case number, then ask the clerk for a copy. The full search walkthrough sits on the court records page.
Are all court documents available online?
No. The court says case information is online when available, but most filings are not online. Many records can still be viewed at courthouse public access terminals. California Rule of Court 2.503 limits remote electronic access for certain record types. Sealed, juvenile, confidential family, victim, medical, financial, and probation materials are not in the public portal. Use the public records page for the framework, or visit the courthouse to inspect what is not posted online.
How do I get a criminal case number?
For criminal cases filed in 2004 or later, use the criminal case index by defendant name and date of birth, or defendant name plus filing month and year. For cases filed before 2004, the online index will not include them. Older cases must be searched on microfiche at the Clerk’s Office. Bring the defendant’s name, date of birth, and filing year. Full instructions live on the criminal records page along with the copy-request checklist.
What criminal records are not public?
Santa Clara’s criminal records guidance says the public cannot copy arrest reports, any document with a victim name, address, or phone, probation reports, domestic violence protective orders, O.R. reports, criminal history information, or financial and medical material. Charges and hearings may show in the public docket, but police reports follow law-enforcement disclosure rules under the California Public Records Act. The criminal records page lists the full set of restricted documents.
Where are criminal cases filed by city?
The Hall of Justice handles criminal matters for San Jose, Milpitas, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, and Santa Clara. The South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill handles San Martin, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy. The Palo Alto Courthouse handles Cupertino, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale. A defendant who shows up at the wrong building can miss a calendar call. The Superior Court page lists addresses and phone numbers for each courthouse.
How do I request copies of criminal records?
Once the case number is known, mail or hand-deliver a written request to the Clerk of the Superior Court. Name the documents, the case number, and the defendant’s full name and date of birth. Common requests include a minute order for a specific date, the docket, the sentencing order, and the complaint. Include a check payable to Clerk of the Superior Court and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The Clerk of the Superior Court page has the full mailing address and fee notes.
Does the Clerk-Recorder keep divorce records?
No. The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder FAQ says divorce records are kept by Superior Court. In-person requests go to the Family Justice Center Courthouse at 201 North First Street, San Jose, phone 408-882-2900. Mail requests go to Superior Court, 191 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. The Clerk-Recorder office on Tasman Drive handles marriage records, not divorce. See marriage and divorce records for the full split.
How do I apply for a marriage license?
Both parties must appear in person at the Clerk-Recorder office at 110 West Tasman Drive in San Jose with valid government photo ID. Couples can submit the application online first and bring the confirmation. Both must be single and at least 18. The standard license is $80 and the confidential license is $83. Couples married within the prior 90 days must bring a divorce judgment copy. The marriage and divorce records page lists every fee and step.
How do I buy a marriage certificate?
Santa Clara holds marriage records from 1850 to the present for licenses issued in the county. A certified copy can usually be bought about ten business days after the signed license has been returned and recorded. The certificate fee is $19. Order online, by mail, or in person at 110 West Tasman Drive. Authorized certified copies require a qualifying relationship or legal status. Confidential certificates may be bought only by a party to the marriage or by court order.
Where is probate court?
Probate is at Downtown Superior Court, 191 North First Street, San Jose. The Probate Clerk’s Office is in Room 107. The probate clerk phone is 408-882-2654 and probate examiners are 408-882-2668. The court handles decedent estates, conservatorships, guardianships, trusts, name and gender changes, and stepparent adoption matters. Hearing dates are posted on the Probate Calendar PDFs, not in a searchable case database. The probate records page covers the full filing process.
Must a will be filed if no probate is opened?
Yes. The court’s probate overview says state law requires depositing the will with the superior court in the county where the decedent lived, even when no probate case will be opened. A holder of the original will should bring it to the Probate Clerk’s Office, Room 107 at 191 North First Street, San Jose. There is a small deposit fee. This rule applies even to small estates that use nonprobate transfer procedures. See the probate records page for what the clerk needs.
How do I find out if a traffic warrant exists?
Look up the case in the Traffic Case Info Portal, which is part of the Superior Court Case Information Portal. The case display will show whether a warrant was issued and the date. Watch for language like “Case is delinquent. Warrant issued on [date]. Payment state: Due.” Do not rely on old cached pages or third-party screenshots, since a warrant can be recalled or reissued. The warrant records page lists the full lookup steps.
How do I clear a warrant?
Contact the court that ordered the warrant, in most cases in person. The clerk may set a court date. The defendant must appear on that date. Missing it can lead to a new warrant and added penalties. Some warrants can be cleared by forfeiting bail, but many require an appearance. The traffic court records page covers traffic-specific clearance, and the warrant records page covers other warrant types.
How do I find someone in Santa Clara County jail?
Use the Sheriff’s ATIMS inmate search. The form requires last name, first name, and birth date, or a PFN, or a booking number. A last-name-only search will not return results. Results show booking number, name, PFN, birth date, race, sex, commit date, and custody status. Detail pages add housing location, total bail, visitation link, and next court date. The inmate records page walks through every field.
How do jail visits work?
Main Jail and Elmwood both use the Sheriff’s online visitor registration system. Visitors must register and be approved before scheduling. Main Jail approval can take up to seven business days; Elmwood approval can take two to four business days. Visitors need government photo ID. Penal Code section 4571 requires written consent from the Facility Commander for a visitor with a felony conviction or state prison time. The released inmates page has notes on custody status changes.
What is Santa Clara’s average jail population?
The Sheriff’s Custody Bureau reports an average daily population of about 2,900, annual bookings of about 30,000, and an average length of stay near 292 days. Main Jail is designed to house up to 1,084 inmates. Elmwood holds the rest of the system population across men’s and women’s facilities in Milpitas. The system ranks fifth largest in California and is among the 20 largest jail systems nationwide. Full numbers and facility breakdowns are on the inmate population page.
Who is the Sheriff?
Robert “Bob” Jonsen is the Sheriff of Santa Clara County. His official biography on the Sheriff’s site says he has worked in law enforcement since 1986. He served as Palo Alto Police Chief before being elected the 29th Sheriff of Santa Clara County. The Sheriff oversees the Custody Bureau, court security, civil process, and patrol for unincorporated areas. The inmate records page covers Sheriff custody services in detail.
Can juvenile records be searched?
No, juvenile case files are confidential by default. Welfare and Institutions Code section 827 and California Rule of Court 5.551 limit access to authorized persons or by court order. Parents, attorneys of record, probation officers, and certain agencies may see records that the general public cannot. A petition for access must explain why the records are needed and how confidentiality will be protected. The criminal records page covers juvenile rules in more depth.
Can I get my record expunged?
California offers dismissal relief under Penal Code section 1203.4 after probation and arrest-record sealing under Penal Code section 851.91 when no conviction occurred. Neither erases the record for every purpose. Some convictions remain visible to law enforcement, licensing boards, and certain employers. File in the court of conviction or arrest. The Public Defender helps with eligible record-clearing. See the criminal records page for eligibility and the steps to file.
What is the difference between the Superior Court and Clerk-Recorder?
The Superior Court holds court case files: civil, criminal, family, probate, small claims, traffic, and related filings. The Clerk-Recorder office holds county vital and official records: marriage licenses and certificates, birth and death certificates, fictitious business names, notary filings, and recorded real property deeds. Divorce records are Superior Court records. Marriage certificates are Clerk-Recorder records. A user searching the wrong office wastes a trip. The Clerk of the Superior Court page explains the split.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office, see Clerk of the Superior Court. For broader access rules, see public records. For records-by-topic, browse court records, criminal records, inmate records, warrant records, marriage and divorce, or probate.