Ontario Criminal Court Records Lookup

Criminal court records from Ontario, California are managed by the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Ontario sits in the southwest part of the county and has its own police department that handles arrests within city limits. Once charges get filed, the case moves to the county court system. You can search Ontario criminal court records through the county's online portal or visit a courthouse for copies. This page covers the tools, fees, and steps for finding criminal case records that come out of Ontario.

Ontario Criminal Records Online Portal

The San Bernardino County Superior Court provides the Court Access Portal for online case searches. You can look up Ontario criminal cases by entering a defendant's name or a case number. The system pulls up matching records from across San Bernardino County. Results include the case type, charges, hearing dates, and current status. It is free and open to anyone.

The portal gives you a good overview of a case, but it does not show everything. California law under Rule 2.503 limits remote electronic access to criminal case files. Courts generally make only the register of actions and calendar info available online. The actual filed documents, like the complaint, motions, and sentencing papers, are usually only accessible at the courthouse. This is true for Ontario criminal court records and all other criminal cases in California.

If you find a case on the portal, note the case number and courthouse location. That tells you exactly where to go for the full file.

Where Ontario Criminal Cases Are Filed

Criminal cases from Ontario can be handled at the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse at 8303 North Haven Avenue or the main San Bernardino Justice Center at 247 West Third Street. The assignment depends on the type of case and how the court manages its calendar. Check the Court Access Portal to see which courthouse has your specific case before making the trip.

At the clerk's office, you ask for copies of the records you need. Give them the case number if you have it. That speeds things up. Without a case number, the clerk can search by name, but if the search takes more than 10 minutes, a $15 fee applies. Copy fees are $0.50 per page for plain copies and $40 per document for certified copies, per Government Code Section 70627. Records stored off-site cost an extra $10 to retrieve.

Mail requests are another option. Send a written request to the clerk at the correct courthouse with the case details and payment by check or money order. The California Courts self-help page outlines how to do this. Expect to wait several weeks for mail requests to be processed.

The self-help guide above from the California Courts website breaks down the process for getting copies of court records, including criminal case files from Ontario.

Ontario Police Department Records

Ontario has its own police department. Arrests within city limits are made by Ontario PD officers. When someone gets arrested, the police create an arrest and booking record. This happens before any court case is filed. The arrest record lives with the police department. The court record starts when the DA files charges with the San Bernardino County Superior Court.

To request an arrest report from the Ontario Police Department, contact their records division. You may need to visit in person or submit a request by mail. The department can tell you the process and fees for getting copies of arrest reports. For current jail booking info, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's inmate locator shows people in county custody. After an Ontario arrest, the person typically goes to a county jail facility for booking.

Note: Arrest records and court records serve different purposes. An arrest does not mean someone was charged or convicted.

California DOJ Criminal History

The California Department of Justice keeps statewide criminal history data separate from the courts. Under Penal Code Section 11105, the DOJ collects arrest and conviction records from every county. If you want your own criminal history, you can get it through the DOJ Record Review process. It costs $25 and requires fingerprinting at a Live Scan site. There are Live Scan locations in and around Ontario.

The DOJ record is a summary of your criminal history across all of California. It is not the same as a court case file from Ontario. For the actual documents in a case, you go to the San Bernardino County Superior Court. For a statewide summary, you go to the DOJ. Third parties cannot request someone else's DOJ record for personal use. Only law enforcement and authorized agencies have that access.

Clearing an Ontario Criminal Record

California lets people petition to have a conviction dismissed after completing probation. Penal Code Section 1203.4 governs this process. If you were convicted in an Ontario case and finished your probation, you file the petition with the San Bernardino County Superior Court. The judge reviews it. If granted, the case is marked as dismissed. The file does not get destroyed. But the outcome changes, which helps on background checks.

Arrest records from Ontario can also be dealt with in some cases. Under Penal Code Section 851.8, if you were arrested but found to be factually innocent, you can petition to seal and destroy the arrest record. This is a higher bar than expungement. Legal aid programs in San Bernardino County may be able to help with these petitions if you meet their income guidelines.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Ontario. Some are in San Bernardino County, while Pomona is across the border in LA County.

Ontario's County

All Ontario criminal court records go through the San Bernardino County Superior Court.