Santa Clarita Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records from Santa Clarita are kept by the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Santa Clarita is in LA County and does not have its own criminal court system. All criminal cases from the city are filed and tracked through the county court. You can search Santa Clarita criminal court records using the county's online portals or visit the nearest courthouse. The LA County Sheriff handles law enforcement in Santa Clarita, so arrest records also come through the sheriff's department rather than a local police force.

Santa Clarita Criminal Cases in LA County Court

The Los Angeles County Superior Court handles all criminal cases from Santa Clarita. When someone is arrested in the city, the LA County District Attorney reviews the case and decides whether to file charges. If charges are filed, a criminal court record is created in the county system. That record stays with the Superior Court for the life of the case.

Santa Clarita cases are typically heard at the Santa Clarita Courthouse, located at 23747 West Valencia Boulevard, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. This courthouse is part of the North District of the LA Superior Court. It handles criminal, civil, and traffic matters from the Santa Clarita Valley area. The clerk's office at this location can pull up criminal court records for cases heard there. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.

Search Santa Clarita Court Records Online

Two online tools let you search for Santa Clarita criminal court records from home. The Criminal Case Summary tool works when you have a case number. Enter it and you get the charges, dates, and status. The tool is free to use but shows reference data only. The official file is at the courthouse.

If you do not have a case number, use the Criminal Index Search. It lets you look up cases by name. The index covers felony cases from 1980 and misdemeanor cases from 1988. Type in a first and last name. Any matching cases show up with the case number and filing date. Santa Clarita criminal court records will appear here alongside cases from other LA County cities because they all share the same court system. Once you find a case, use the number in the Case Summary tool to get the full details.

Note: The Case Summary portal uses reCAPTCHA from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

LA County Sheriff Records in Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita contracts with the LA County Sheriff for law enforcement. The city does not have its own police department. This means arrest records for Santa Clarita go through the sheriff's department rather than a city PD. The sheriff's Santa Clarita Valley Station handles patrol and investigations in the area.

For arrest records, contact the LA County Sheriff's Records Bureau. You can also search the Inmate Information Center online to see if someone is currently in custody at an LA County jail. The sheriff's daily booking log lists recent arrests across the county, including those from Santa Clarita. Both tools are free and open to the public. They show booking data, charges, and bail amounts for people who have been recently arrested.

The sheriff keeps arrest records separate from the court's criminal case records. An arrest record shows what happened during the encounter with law enforcement. A criminal court record shows the legal proceedings that followed. For a full picture of a Santa Clarita criminal case, you may need to check both sources. The court has the case file. The sheriff has the booking and arrest data.

Find Santa Clarita Criminal Record Resources

The California DOJ provides background check services for those who need their own criminal history. You can learn about the process at the DOJ background checks page.

The DOJ process uses Live Scan fingerprinting and costs $25. It gives you a statewide RAP sheet covering all arrests and dispositions in California. This is different from getting Santa Clarita criminal court records from the county court, which only covers the case file for a specific matter.

Santa Clarita Criminal Record Copies and Fees

Copies of criminal court records from the LA Superior Court cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $40 per document plus the page fee. If the clerk takes more than 10 minutes to locate a record, a $15 search fee may apply. These fees are set by California state law under Government Code Section 70627 and apply to all county courts, including the one handling Santa Clarita criminal cases.

Mail requests to the LA Superior Court take 8 to 10 weeks. That is the standard processing time for the county. In-person requests at the Santa Clarita Courthouse are faster. You can walk in, ask the clerk to look up the case, and get copies printed while you wait. Bring the case number if you have it. If not, the clerk can search by name.

Under Penal Code Section 1203.4, a person can petition to dismiss a conviction after completing probation. If a case has been dismissed through this process, the record still exists but reflects the change. The clerk can tell you the current status of any Santa Clarita criminal court record.

Who Can Access Santa Clarita Criminal Records

Most criminal court records are public in California. Anyone can request copies of Santa Clarita criminal court records from the LA Superior Court. You do not need to be named in the case. Juvenile records are sealed. Mental health records in criminal cases are restricted. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, remote access to criminal records online is limited to indexes and calendars. The full case file requires a trip to the courthouse.

Nearby Cities With Court Records

These cities are near Santa Clarita. Lancaster and Palmdale are in the north part of LA County and share the same court system.

Los Angeles County Criminal Records

See the full Los Angeles County criminal court records page for details on the county court system, all courthouses, and fee schedules.