San Mateo Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records for cases in San Mateo are managed by the San Mateo County Superior Court. The city of San Mateo is the county seat, so the main courthouse is right in town. All criminal charges that come out of San Mateo go through the county court system. The court runs an online index search called MIDX where you can look up criminal case info. You can also visit the clerk's office for copies or send a mail request. This page covers the main ways to find and get criminal court records from San Mateo, California.

Search San Mateo Criminal Cases with MIDX

The San Mateo County Superior Court runs an online case index system called MIDX. You can access it at web.sanmateocourt.org/midx. MIDX lets you search by name or case number to find criminal cases filed in San Mateo County. The results show basic case info including the charges, court dates, and case status. It is free to use and does not need an account.

MIDX is the primary online tool for looking up San Mateo criminal court records. It pulls from the Tyler Odyssey case management system used by the court. The index covers cases from across the county, so you will see results from San Mateo, Daly City, Redwood City, and other cities all in one place. Use the case number for the most accurate results. A name search works too but may return multiple matches if the name is common.

The San Mateo County MIDX system provides an online index for searching criminal court records.

Like every other California court, remote access to criminal case documents has limits. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, the online portal shows the case index and register of actions. Full documents like probation reports and sealed filings are restricted to in-person viewing at the courthouse. MIDX tells you a case exists and where it stands. For the complete file on a San Mateo criminal case, visit the clerk's office.

San Mateo Courthouse Criminal Records

The San Mateo County Superior Court's main location is at 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063. Despite the city of San Mateo being the county seat, the main courthouse complex is in Redwood City. That is where the criminal division operates. Criminal cases from San Mateo and across the county are heard at this location.

To get copies of a San Mateo criminal court record in person, go to the criminal clerk's office at the Redwood City courthouse. Bring the case number or the defendant's name. The clerk looks it up, pulls the file, and prints what you need. You pay at the window. In-person requests are the quickest way to get records. Hours are Monday through Friday, typically 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Check the San Mateo County Superior Court website for current hours.

Note: Some cases may be handled at branch locations, so check MIDX first to find out which courthouse has the case file.

San Mateo Criminal Court Record Fees

Fees for San Mateo criminal court records follow the statewide schedule. Plain copies are $0.50 per page under Government Code Section 70627. Certified copies cost $40 per document plus the per-page charge. You need a certified copy for most legal proceedings and formal requests. A plain copy is fine for personal reference.

The $15 search fee applies when the clerk needs more than 10 minutes to locate a record. Old records in off-site storage carry a $10 retrieval charge. Mail requests should include a check or money order payable to Clerk of the Court. Include the case number, defendant name, and a list of documents you want. Allow a few weeks for the court to process the request and return copies by mail.

Get Criminal Court Records in San Mateo

There are a few ways to get copies of criminal court records from a San Mateo case. The quickest is visiting the courthouse in Redwood City. The clerk prints copies and you pay on the spot. If you cannot go in person, send a written request by mail with payment. The court processes it and mails the copies back to you.

For a statewide criminal history rather than a specific San Mateo court case, use the California DOJ. The Record Review process costs $25 and requires Live Scan fingerprints. You get a RAP sheet that covers arrests and case outcomes across all California counties. This is a different record than the case file at the San Mateo County Superior Court. The DOJ record is a statewide summary. The court file has the actual filings, orders, and documents from a specific case.

If you are also looking for records from nearby San Francisco, that is a different court system. San Francisco County has its own Superior Court, and criminal records there are handled separately. See the San Francisco court's criminal records page for their process.

State Criminal Record Tools for San Mateo

The CIRIS inmate search from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation covers everyone in state prison. If a San Mateo criminal case resulted in a prison sentence, you can look up the person's status, location, and hearing dates through this free online tool.

Under Penal Code Section 1203.4, a defendant who completes probation on a San Mateo case can petition for the conviction to be dismissed. The court record stays in the file but gets updated. Under Penal Code Section 851.8, a person found factually innocent can have the arrest record sealed and destroyed. These changes may affect what shows up when you search for San Mateo criminal court records.

Effective January 1, 2026, California law AB 1524 lets members of the public use their own devices to photograph electronic court records at the courthouse. This applies at the San Mateo County Superior Court and every other California court. It gives people another way to copy records they are viewing in person.

Nearby Cities

Daly City is also in San Mateo County. San Francisco is just to the north but has its own county court system.

San Mateo County Criminal Records

San Mateo is the county seat of San Mateo County. Visit the county page for complete details on the court system and county-wide criminal record access.