Access Fullerton Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records for Fullerton cases go through the Orange County Superior Court. Fullerton sits in northern Orange County and has a population of about 139,000. The city has its own police department that handles local arrests. But once charges are filed, the case moves to the county court. All criminal court records from Fullerton are kept by the Superior Court clerk's office. You can look them up online, visit the courthouse, or send a mail request. Here is how to search and get copies of Fullerton criminal court records.

Search Fullerton Criminal Records Online

Vision Public is the online case search tool for the Orange County Superior Court. It covers all criminal cases from Fullerton and the rest of the county. To use it, go to visionpublic.occourts.org and enter a name or case number. The search is free. You do not need a login. Results show the charges, court dates, current case status, and which courthouse location is handling the matter.

For Fullerton cases specifically, the results will point you to whichever Orange County courthouse was assigned. The court has several locations. If you plan to go in person, check the search results first to confirm you are heading to the right building. You can also call the court at (657) 622-6878 to ask where a particular case is filed. The automated line at (657) 622-8459 handles basic questions and payment processing around the clock.

Get Copies of Fullerton Criminal Court Records

There are a few ways to get physical copies of criminal court records from Fullerton cases. In person is fastest. Go to the courthouse where the case was heard. Ask the clerk for the file by case number or defendant name. They can print copies at the window while you wait. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

By mail, use the court's Form L-3009. That is the official record search request. Fill it out, include a check or money order for the estimated fees, and mail it to the courthouse that has the case. The court fills mail requests within 7 to 10 working days. If you are not sure which location has your Fullerton case, search on Vision Public first or call the court.

Some records are also available through the court's online services page, though criminal case documents have more access restrictions than civil files. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, only certain types of criminal case information can be viewed remotely. The register of actions and calendar entries are usually available online. Full documents often are not.

Fullerton Criminal Record Copy Fees

Plain copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $40 per document plus the per-page charge. A $15 search fee applies when the clerk spends more than 10 minutes looking for the file. Off-site storage records carry a $10 retrieval charge on top of everything else. These rates are set by state law under Government Code Section 70627 and apply to all Fullerton criminal court records.

Certified copies are what you need for legal proceedings, like submitting a record to another court or using it in an official application. For personal use or a background check, plain copies work. If you have a fee waiver on file with the court, copies may be free. Ask the clerk for details.

Note: Call ahead to confirm the total fee before mailing a request so your payment covers everything.

Fullerton Police Arrest Records

The Fullerton Police Department handles law enforcement in the city. If someone is arrested in Fullerton, the police create an arrest report. That report stays with the police department. It is not part of the criminal court record at the Superior Court. To get a copy of an arrest report, you need to contact Fullerton PD records directly. They have their own procedures and fees.

After an arrest, the person may be booked into county jail. At that point, the Orange County Sheriff's Inmate Information System shows their custody status. You can search by name to see booking charges, bail, and facility location. This tool only covers people currently in jail. Once someone is released or transferred, they leave the system. For ongoing case information after that, the court record is what you need.

Fullerton Criminal Record Access and Expungement

Most criminal court records from Fullerton cases are public. California law allows anyone to request copies. You do not have to be the defendant or have a connection to the case. Juvenile records are the main exception. They are sealed by law. Within an adult criminal file, documents like mental health evaluations and some protective orders may be restricted too.

Under Penal Code Section 1203.4, someone who completes probation for a Fullerton criminal case can ask the court to dismiss the conviction. This is often called expungement, though the record does not actually disappear. It stays at the Superior Court but gets updated to show the dismissal. Under Penal Code Section 851.8, a person found factually innocent can petition to seal and destroy their arrest record entirely.

The California DOJ keeps a separate statewide criminal history database under Penal Code Section 11105. Your own RAP sheet costs $25 through the DOJ Record Review using Live Scan fingerprinting. That is a statewide summary. It is not the same as the Fullerton case file at the Orange County court.

The DOJ background checks page above outlines the statewide process for obtaining criminal history records through fingerprint-based checks, separate from the court file system that holds Fullerton criminal court records.

Nearby Cities

These cities border Fullerton in Orange County. Criminal cases from all of them are handled by the same Superior Court.

Orange County Criminal Records

Fullerton is in Orange County. The county page covers the full court system, including Vision Public, courthouse addresses, and county-wide fee details.