Sacramento County court records, California, are maintained by the Superior Court Clerk's Office and are accessible through online tools, official court portals, and directly at the clerk's office. SacramentoCourt.us will help you find public information about court records in this county. Additional resources include the Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder portal, sheriff's offices, and the California Department of Justice.
Sacramento Court System Overview
Sacramento County is served by the California Superior Court, Sacramento County. California uses a unified trial court system—all cases are heard by the Superior Court, divided into divisions. At the federal level, the county is part of the Eastern District of California (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California). The main courthouse is located in downtown Sacramento.
The court has several branches throughout the county, including the Carol Miller Justice Center and the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse. Each branch specializes in certain categories of cases.
Courts Serving Sacramento
| Court | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento County Superior Court — Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse | 720 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 | (916) 874-5522 |
| Carol Miller Justice Center | 301 Bicentennial Circle, Sacramento, CA 95826 | (916) 874-5522 |
| William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse | 3341 Power Inn Road, Sacramento, CA 95826 | (916) 874-5522 |
| U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California | 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 | (916) 930-4000 |
| U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of California | 501 I Street, Suite 3-200, Sacramento, CA 95814 | (916) 930-4400 |
What Types of Cases Sacramento Courts Hear
The Sacramento County Superior Court hears a wide range of cases. Criminal: felonies, misdemeanors, infractions. Civil: claims of any amount, including small claims. The court also handles family law, divorce, custody, probate, inheritance, adoption, juvenile justice, and traffic matters.
District Court Cases in Sacramento
The Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California hears cases under federal jurisdiction: violations of federal law, civil suits between residents of different states over $75,000, bankruptcy cases, and claims against the federal government. Cases enter the court through the filing of a complaint or indictment. They are assigned to judges randomly. The PACER system is used to search federal court cases.
Magistrate Court Cases in Sacramento
At the state level, the Superior Court serves as the sole trial court. The misdemeanor and infraction division handles minor criminal cases, traffic violations, and DUI cases. Civil cases up to $12,500 are handled in a simplified manner (limited civil). Small claims are accepted up to $10,000 for individuals. Preliminary hearings in felony cases also occur in this division before the case proceeds to trial.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Sacramento
Family Law. Divorce, child custody, alimony, protective orders, and paternity establishment are all handled by the family law division of the Superior Court. The main venue is the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse. Certified copies of divorce decrees are issued exclusively by the Superior Court of the county where the case was filed.
Probate and Inheritance. Probate cases, guardianship, conservatorship, and trust management are handled by the probate division at the Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse.
Juvenile Justice. Juvenile cases, including child protection and offenses, are confidential. They are handled by a separate juvenile division of the court.
How Cases Move Through the Sacramento Court System
- Filing a Case: criminal charges, civil lawsuits, or petitions are filed at the court clerk's office.
- Judge Assignment: the case is assigned to a judge based on category and workload.
- Initial Hearing: for criminal cases — arraignment; for civil cases — initial planning conference.
- Pre-trial Phase: filing motions, exchanging evidence (discovery), plea negotiations, or settlement discussions.
- Trial: jury or bench trial, plea acceptance, settlement, or default judgment.
- Post-judgment: sentencing, appeal to the California Court of Appeal (Third Appellate District), or enforcement of the judgment.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Sacramento
The administration of the Sacramento County Superior Court is overseen by the Presiding Judge in collaboration with the Court Executive Officer. Local court rules are published on the official Sacramento County Superior Court website.
Under the California Public Records Act and state court administrative rules, most court records are public. Exceptions include juvenile cases, sealed records, and certain family cases. To obtain public records, contact the court clerk's office in person or through the online portal. Hearings are generally open to the public; some are held remotely via video — check the court's website or call (916) 874-5522 for availability.
For state-level public records requests, contact the California Department of Justice.
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Sacramento
- Case Search: the Sacramento Superior Court online portal allows case searches by number or party name. SacramentoCourt.us is also available.
- Recorded County Documents: the online index of recorded documents contains records from 1849 — property deeds, mortgages, powers of attorney.
- Birth and Marriage Certificates: issued by the Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder.
- Property Assessment: the Sacramento County Assessor's Office provides access to property assessment data.
- Criminal History: to obtain a copy of your own criminal record, submit fingerprints and pay $25 through the California Department of Justice.
- County Inmate Search: the Sacramento County Sheriff's inmate search tool operates in real-time.
- State Inmate Search: CIRIS (California Incarcerated Records & Information Search) allows you to find individuals under CDCR custody.
- Police Reports: requests for police reports are submitted through the Sacramento Police Department.
- Sheriff's Public Records: the Sacramento County Sheriff's public records request portal allows online submissions.
- Crime Statistics: the California Department of Justice's OpenJustice data portal publishes statewide criminal justice statistics.
- Sex Offender Registry: Megan's Law California provides public access to the state-level registry.