Oakland Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Oakland are filed with the Alameda County Superior Court. Oakland is the county seat and the main courthouse sits right in the city. The Rene C. Davidson Courthouse on Fallon Street handles most criminal case filings for Oakland and the surrounding area. Alameda County offers both online and in-person options for searching criminal court records. The Oakland Police Department keeps its own arrest and incident records, which are handled through a separate process. This page walks through how to search and get criminal records in Oakland.

Search Oakland Criminal Records Online

Alameda County runs an online portal specifically for criminal record requests. Go to criminalrecords.alameda.courts.ca.gov and you can submit a request for criminal records for one or more defendants. The system has information for many criminal cases opened since 1974. That is a long time span and covers most cases you would be looking for.

The court also has a general case portal through their Odyssey system. This is a broader search tool that covers all case types, not just criminal. You can look up cases by name or number. For Oakland criminal court records specifically, the criminal records portal is the better starting point. It was built for this exact purpose and gives you more relevant results.

Keep in mind that while you can search and view basic case information online, the full case file may not be available electronically. Remote access to criminal records is limited by California Rules of Court Rule 2.503. You might be able to see the register of actions and hearing dates, but the actual filings and documents usually need an in-person trip to the courthouse in Oakland.

Oakland Criminal Court Locations

The main courthouse for Oakland criminal cases is the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse. Call (510) 891-6009 for the clerk's office. The Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in Oakland also handles criminal matters and can be reached at (510) 627-4700. Both are in downtown Oakland and within a short distance of each other. Walk in during business hours and the clerk can look up your case.

Alameda County has courthouses outside Oakland too. The Hayward Hall of Justice at (510) 690-2703 handles cases from the southern part of the county. The Fremont Hall of Justice at (510) 818-7501 covers cases from Fremont and nearby cities. The East County Hall of Justice in Dublin at (925) 227-6700 serves the eastern part. If you know where the arrest happened, that can help you figure out which courthouse has the case file. But you can always start at the Oakland courthouse and the clerk will point you to the right place.

Oakland Police Department Criminal Records

The Oakland Police Department keeps arrest records and police reports. These are not the same as court records. An arrest report comes from OPD. A court record comes from the Superior Court. If you need both, you will have to contact each one separately.

For OPD records, you can reach the Records Division at (510) 238-7143 or by email at opdrecordrequest@oaklandca.gov. Their website at oaklandca.gov has more information on how to submit a records request. OPD publishes a daily log of incidents and arrests that anyone can look at. This is a good starting point if you want to see recent activity without filing a formal request.

The image above shows the Oakland Police Department records page. You can start a records request from this site or find the contact info you need for the OPD Records Division.

Fees for Oakland Criminal Court Records

Alameda County has a slightly different fee structure for online document downloads compared to in-person copies. Online, the first 5 pages cost $1 per page. After that, each additional page is $0.50. There is a cap of $50 per document. In person, the standard statewide rate of $0.50 per page applies. Certified copies cost $40 per document plus the per-page fee.

If the clerk needs more than 10 minutes to find your record, a $15 search fee can be added. This is the same across all California courts. For records stored off-site, there is a $10 retrieval fee. Older Oakland criminal court records may have been moved to storage, so factor that in if you are looking for something from decades ago.

Note: The DOJ charges $25 for a personal criminal history check through Live Scan, separate from court copy fees.

Alameda County Booking Records

The Alameda County Sheriff publishes booking logs online at acgov.org. This shows recent arrests across the county, including Oakland. You can see booking dates, charges, and bail amounts. This is useful if you want to check whether someone was recently arrested and booked into the county jail. It does not replace court records, but it gives you a quick look at the arrest side of things.

For people in state prison, the CDCR inmate search covers all California state facilities. Enter a name and you can see if someone sentenced from Oakland or Alameda County is currently serving time. The search shows their CDCR number, facility, and upcoming parole hearing dates.

Criminal Record Laws Affecting Oakland

Criminal court records from Oakland are public records under California law. The state summary criminal history system is governed by Penal Code Section 11105. Local criminal offender record information falls under Penal Code Section 13300. These statutes control who can get criminal history records from the DOJ and from local law enforcement.

Court case files are a different thing. Anyone can walk into the Alameda County courthouse in Oakland and ask to see a criminal case file. Juvenile records are sealed. Mental health documents within criminal cases are restricted. Probation reports are not available to the public. But the main case documents, like the complaint, plea records, and sentencing orders, are generally open. If a conviction was expunged under Penal Code Section 1203.4, the record will still exist but show the dismissal.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Oakland. Most are in Alameda County and share the same Superior Court system for criminal cases.

Alameda County Court

All criminal cases in Oakland go through the Alameda County Superior Court.