Find Lancaster Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records for Lancaster go through the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Lancaster sits in the far north of LA County in the Antelope Valley. The city does not run its own criminal court. All criminal charges from Lancaster are filed in the county system. You can search Lancaster criminal court records online or visit the Lancaster courthouse. The LA County Sheriff provides law enforcement here, and arrest records come from the sheriff's department. This guide covers everything you need to find and get criminal court records in Lancaster.

Lancaster Criminal Cases at LA Superior Court

All criminal cases in Lancaster are handled by the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The LA County DA files charges. The court creates a case record. Lancaster is part of the North District of the Superior Court. Cases from Lancaster and the surrounding Antelope Valley area are typically heard at the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, located at 42011 4th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534.

This courthouse handles criminal, civil, family, and traffic cases for the Antelope Valley. It is the closest full-service courthouse for Lancaster residents. You can visit the clerk's office to look up Lancaster criminal court records, get copies, and check case status. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. You do not need an appointment. Just walk in with the case number or the defendant's name and the clerk will pull up the file.

Plain copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $40 per document, plus the page fee. If the clerk spends more than 10 minutes searching for a record, there is a $15 search fee.

Search Lancaster Criminal Records Online

You can search for Lancaster criminal court records without leaving home. The LA Superior Court has two free online tools. The Criminal Case Summary lets you look up a case by number. You see the charges, hearing dates, and current status. This is good for tracking a specific case.

The Criminal Index Search lets you search by name. It has felony records going back to 1980 and misdemeanor records from 1988 to now. Enter a name and the system shows all matching criminal cases in the LA County system. Lancaster criminal court records appear in these results just like cases from any other city in the county. Results include the case number, the date charges were filed, and which courthouse heard the case.

Neither tool requires an account or a fee. The Case Summary uses reCAPTCHA during business hours. The data is for reference. It is not the official court record. For official copies, visit the courthouse or send a mail request.

Note: Mail requests to the LA Superior Court take 8 to 10 weeks to process.

Lancaster Arrest Records From the Sheriff

Lancaster does not have a city police department. The LA County Sheriff provides law enforcement through the Lancaster Station at 501 West Lancaster Boulevard, Lancaster, CA 93534. All arrests in the city are made by sheriff's deputies. That means arrest records for Lancaster come from the sheriff's department, not a local PD.

The sheriff's Inmate Information Center lets you search for anyone currently in the LA County jail system. If someone was arrested in Lancaster and has not been released, they will show up here. The search shows charges, bail amount, and the facility where they are held. The sheriff also posts a daily booking log that lists recent arrests from across the county, including Lancaster.

Arrest records are separate from criminal court records. The sheriff keeps the booking data. The court keeps the case file. For a full view of a Lancaster criminal record, use both the sheriff's tools and the court's online search portals. If the person ended up in state prison, the CDCR inmate search tool shows their current status and location.

Lancaster Criminal Court Record Resources

The CDCR inmate search covers people who have been sentenced to state prison from Lancaster or anywhere else in California. Access it at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov.

The CDCR database includes the inmate's name, CDCR number, age, current facility, commitment county, and admission date. It also has parole hearing dates and outcomes. This tool covers the corrections side of Lancaster criminal records for cases that resulted in a state prison sentence.

Access Laws for Lancaster Criminal Records

Most criminal court records are public in California. You can request copies of Lancaster criminal court records from the LA Superior Court even if you are not a party to the case. Under Penal Code Section 13300, local law enforcement agencies keep their own criminal history records separate from the court files. So the sheriff has its own records, and the court has its own records.

Juvenile cases are not public. Mental health records in a criminal file are restricted. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, online access to criminal case records is limited. You can see indexes and case summaries online. To view the full case file, visit the Lancaster courthouse. The DOJ also keeps statewide records. You can get your own criminal history for $25 through Live Scan record review. Under Penal Code Section 851.8, arrest records can be sealed if a person is found factually innocent.

Nearby Cities With Criminal Court Records

Palmdale and Santa Clarita are the closest major cities to Lancaster. All three share the LA County Superior Court system.

Los Angeles County Criminal Court Records

For the full county overview, including all courthouses and fee details, visit the Los Angeles County criminal court records page.