Fresno Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records for cases in Fresno are held by the Fresno County Superior Court. The city of Fresno does not run its own criminal court. Every felony and misdemeanor case from Fresno goes through the county court system, which uses the Tyler Odyssey platform for online case access. You can search for Fresno criminal records by name or case number through the court's public portal. This page covers how to find and get copies of criminal court records for Fresno cases, what tools are available online, and what to expect when it comes to fees and access.

Fresno County Court for Criminal Cases

All criminal cases from the city of Fresno are handled by the Fresno County Superior Court. This includes everything from low-level misdemeanors to serious felonies. The Fresno Police Department makes arrests within city limits, and those cases are filed by the Fresno County District Attorney. Once charges are filed, the case enters the court system and a criminal court record is created. The main courthouse for Fresno criminal cases is the B.F. Sisk Federal Building and Courthouse area downtown, though the county runs several court locations.

The Fresno County Superior Court uses the Tyler Odyssey case management system. This means you can search for criminal court records through their public portal. The system lets you look up cases by name, case number, or date range. Not every document in a case file is viewable online, but you can get basic case info, hearing dates, and charges from the portal. For full documents, you may need to visit the clerk's office in person.

Search Fresno Criminal Records Online

The Fresno County Superior Court portal is the main tool for searching Fresno criminal court records online. It runs on Tyler Odyssey and provides case information for criminal, civil, and family law cases. To search for a criminal case, go to the portal and select the criminal case type. You can enter a name to see if someone has cases on file, or use a case number if you already have one.

The Fresno County Superior Court portal lets you search criminal case records by name or case number for free.

Search results show the case number, filing date, charges, and court dates. You can click into a case to see the register of actions, which lists every filing and hearing in that case. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, remote access to criminal case records is limited to indexes, calendars, and registers of actions. This means things like police reports, probation reports, and certain sealed documents will not show up online. If you want to see the full case file, you need to go to the courthouse and ask the clerk.

Note: The portal data is for reference and may not match the official court file exactly.

Fresno Criminal Court Record Fees

Copies of Fresno criminal court records cost $0.50 per page. This is the standard rate set by California Government Code Section 70627. Certified copies are $40 per document, plus the per-page fee. If you need a certified copy of a judgment or a disposition for legal use, expect to pay more than for a plain copy. The clerk can tell you the exact cost once they pull the file.

There is also a $15 search fee that the clerk can charge if it takes more than 10 minutes to find a record. For older cases stored off-site, the court may add a $10 retrieval fee on top of everything else. These fees apply whether you request records in person or by mail. In-person requests are faster. Mail requests can take several weeks depending on the court's backlog.

Fresno Police Department Records

The Fresno Police Department handles arrests within city limits. Their records are separate from the court records. Police reports, arrest reports, and incident reports are held by the police department, not the Superior Court. If you need a police report for a Fresno case, you have to contact the Fresno PD records division directly.

Arrest records and police reports give you a different piece of the picture than court records. A police report shows what happened at the time of the arrest. A court record shows what happened after charges were filed. Someone arrested in Fresno would have a police record with the Fresno PD and a court record with the Fresno County Superior Court, assuming charges were filed. Not every arrest leads to charges. If the DA declines to prosecute, there may be a police record but no court case.

For your own criminal history from the state level, you can use the California DOJ Record Review process. This costs $25 and goes through Live Scan fingerprinting. It gives you a RAP sheet from the state database, which is different from getting copies of Fresno court files.

Criminal Record Access in Fresno

Most criminal court records in Fresno are public. Anyone can request copies. You do not have to be involved in the case. The court treats criminal case files as public records, though some items in the file are restricted. Juvenile cases are sealed. Mental health records in a criminal file are not available to the public. Certain documents in domestic violence cases may also be limited.

Under Penal Code Section 11105, the California DOJ keeps the statewide criminal history database. But the actual case files for Fresno criminal cases sit with the Fresno County Superior Court. If you want the official court documents, go to the court, not the DOJ. The DOJ database is useful for checking if someone has a criminal record across the state. The court files give you the details on specific Fresno cases.

Under Penal Code Section 1203.4, a person can petition to dismiss a conviction after completing probation. The record still exists but will show the dismissal. If you are searching Fresno criminal court records and a case shows a 1203.4 dismissal, the conviction was set aside by the court.

Get Copies of Fresno Court Records

The fastest way to get copies of Fresno criminal court records is to go to the courthouse in person. Visit the clerk's office, give them the case number or defendant name, and they will pull the file. You can get copies printed while you wait. Pay the per-page fee at the counter. Bring cash or a check.

For mail requests, send a written letter to the Fresno County Superior Court clerk. Include the case number, defendant name, the documents you need, and a check or money order for the fees. Mail requests can take several weeks. If you are not sure about the fees, call ahead and the clerk can give you an estimate. You can also check the CDCR inmate search for state prison records if the person was sentenced to state prison from a Fresno case. That is a separate system from the local court records but can give you sentencing and location info.

Fresno Criminal Records and State Resources

Beyond the county court, California runs several state-level tools that apply to Fresno criminal records. The California Courts website can help you find the right courthouse for any case in the state.

Use the court finder to locate the Fresno County Superior Court and get contact details, hours, and directions. This is helpful if you are looking for a specific courthouse location in the Fresno area. The state also runs a self-help guide at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov that walks you through how to get copies of court records, including criminal cases.

Nearby Cities With Court Records

Clovis is the other major city in Fresno County. Criminal cases from Clovis also go through the Fresno County Superior Court.

Fresno County Criminal Records

For full details on the county court system, all courthouse locations, and complete fee schedules, see the Fresno County criminal court records page.