Modesto Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records from Modesto are filed at the Stanislaus County Superior Court. Modesto is the county seat, so the main courthouse sits in the city. All felony and misdemeanor cases that start with an arrest in Modesto go through the county court system. The court runs an online portal powered by Tyler Technologies where you can look up cases. This page explains how to search for Modesto criminal court records, what you can find online, the fees involved, and how to get official copies from the clerk.

Stanislaus County Court for Modesto Cases

Every criminal case from Modesto is processed by the Stanislaus County Superior Court. California does not give cities their own criminal courts. The Modesto Police Department handles arrests within city limits. After an arrest, the Stanislaus County District Attorney reviews the case and decides whether to file criminal charges. When charges are filed, the case enters the court system and a criminal court record is created.

Modesto is the county seat and the largest city in Stanislaus County. The courthouse is located in downtown Modesto. Cases from Modesto make up a large portion of the criminal caseload for the county. The court uses Tyler Technologies for case management, which provides a web-based portal for public searches. Cases from Modesto show up in the same database as cases from Turlock, Ceres, Riverbank, and the rest of Stanislaus County.

Search Modesto Criminal Records Online

The Stanislaus County court portal lets you search for Modesto criminal court records online. You can search by name or case number. The portal covers criminal, civil, and other case types filed in Stanislaus County. Enter a defendant's name to see if there are any criminal cases on file. Results show the case number, charges, and filing date.

The Stanislaus County court portal gives you access to search for Modesto criminal court records online.

You can view the register of actions for each case. This is a timeline that shows every event in the case, from the initial filing through hearings, motions, and the final disposition. It tells you what happened and when. California Rules of Court Rule 2.503 limits what can be viewed remotely for criminal cases. Things like police reports and probation reports are not available online. For the full case file, visit the clerk's office at the Stanislaus County courthouse in Modesto.

Note: Portal data is for informational purposes and may not reflect the complete official court file.

Modesto Criminal Record Copy Fees

Plain copies of Modesto criminal court records cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $40 per document plus the per-page charge. These are the standard California court fees set by Government Code Section 70627. Every Superior Court in the state charges the same rates.

The clerk can add a $15 search fee when it takes more than 10 minutes to locate a record. Off-site retrieval for older cases adds $10 to the cost. If you have the case number ready, the clerk can usually find the file fast and you avoid the search fee. For Modesto criminal court records that are recent and active, copies are generally straightforward to get. Older cases may take more effort and cost a bit more.

Modesto Police Records

The Modesto Police Department keeps its own records. These include arrest reports, crime reports, and incident reports. Police records are separate from court records. A Modesto police report covers the arrest and the events that led up to it. A criminal court record covers what happened after charges were filed in the Stanislaus County court system.

If you need a police report for a Modesto case, contact the Modesto PD records division. The court clerk does not provide police reports to the public as part of criminal case files. The Stanislaus County Sheriff handles law enforcement in unincorporated areas and some smaller cities in the county. For arrests outside Modesto city limits, the sheriff may hold the police records. The criminal court records for all cases in the county still go through the same Stanislaus County Superior Court, no matter which agency made the arrest.

Criminal Record Access in Modesto

Most Modesto criminal court records are open to the public. You can request copies without being part of the case. Juvenile cases are sealed. Mental health evaluations in a criminal file are restricted. Some documents in domestic violence cases may have limited access too. But the majority of criminal case information can be viewed by anyone.

The California DOJ maintains a statewide criminal history database under Penal Code Section 11105. This is different from the court case files at the Stanislaus County Superior Court. The DOJ database tracks arrests and dispositions across the whole state. Court files have the actual documents for specific Modesto cases. To get your own record from the state database, the DOJ Record Review costs $25 through Live Scan.

Convictions can be dismissed under Penal Code Section 1203.4 after probation is done. The record still exists but shows the dismissal. A person found factually innocent can petition under Penal Code Section 851.8 to have their arrest record sealed and destroyed. These laws apply to all Modesto criminal court records held at the Stanislaus County court.

Get Modesto Criminal Court Record Copies

The easiest way is to go to the courthouse in person. The Stanislaus County Superior Court clerk's office is in downtown Modesto. Give the clerk the case number or defendant name. They pull the file and print copies. You pay at the counter.

Mail requests are also accepted. Send a letter to the Stanislaus County Superior Court clerk with the case number, defendant name, documents requested, and payment by check or money order. Mail requests take longer, sometimes a few weeks. For state prison records, use the CDCR inmate search. The California Courts self-help guide at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov has a good overview of the general steps for getting court record copies anywhere in the state.

Modesto Criminal Records and the State System

California's court system has 58 Superior Courts, one per county. The California Courts public records page explains how public access works across the whole state.

Each court is independently responsible for its own records. The Judicial Council sets statewide policies, but the Stanislaus County Superior Court manages the actual Modesto criminal court records. If you are confused about where to start, the state's public records page can point you in the right direction for any county in California.

Nearby Cities With Criminal Court Records

Stockton is the closest major city. It is in San Joaquin County, which has a separate court system from Stanislaus County.

Stanislaus County Criminal Records

For full county court details, courthouse addresses, and all resources, see the Stanislaus County criminal court records page.