Find Sunnyvale Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records for Sunnyvale are managed through the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Sunnyvale sits in the heart of Silicon Valley and all criminal cases from the city are filed at the county level. You can search for Sunnyvale criminal case records using the court's online search portal or visit the Hall of Justice in San Jose for in-person access. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety handles local policing and keeps separate arrest records. This page covers the ways to search for and get criminal court records in Sunnyvale, California.

Sunnyvale Criminal Records Online Search

The Santa Clara County Superior Court operates a case information portal at portal.scscourt.org/search. Enter a name or case number and the system searches all criminal cases filed in the county. Since Sunnyvale cases go through this court, your search will cover cases from the city. Results show the case number, charges, hearing dates, and which courthouse is handling the case.

There are limits to what you can find online. Not all documents in a Sunnyvale criminal case are public. The court specifically notes that arrest reports, probation reports, domestic violence protective orders, O.R. reports, and criminal history information are not available through the portal. You can see the register of actions and basic case details, but for the full set of documents you typically need to visit the courthouse in person. This is because California Rules of Court Rule 2.503 restricts remote access to certain criminal case records.

The Santa Clara County case search portal shown above is where you begin searching for Sunnyvale criminal records online. It covers felonies and misdemeanors across the county.

Courthouses for Sunnyvale Criminal Cases

Most Sunnyvale criminal cases are heard at the Hall of Justice, 190 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95110. This is the main criminal courthouse for Santa Clara County. The clerk's office there can look up any case and provide copies. It is about a 15-minute drive from Sunnyvale. Go in during business hours with a case number or defendant name and the clerk will pull up the record for you.

Santa Clara County also has the Palo Alto Courthouse at 270 Grant Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306. Some Sunnyvale cases may be heard there depending on how the court assigns them. The South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill is farther away and handles cases from the southern part of the county. If you are not sure which courthouse has your Sunnyvale criminal case, check the online portal first or call the court.

Sunnyvale Public Safety Records

Sunnyvale is one of the few cities in California that runs a combined police and fire department called the Department of Public Safety. They handle all law enforcement in the city. Arrest records and police reports come from this department, not the court. If someone was arrested in Sunnyvale, the DPS has the arrest record.

Contact the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety for copies of police reports and arrest records. They process records requests during business hours. The department charges fees for copies, and processing times vary. For a standard police report, you can often get it within a few business days. More involved requests or older records take longer. Keep in mind that police records and court records serve different purposes and are kept by different agencies.

Note: The Santa Clara County Sheriff runs an inmate locator at eservices.sccgov.org for current jail bookings.

Criminal Court Record Costs in Sunnyvale

Fees for copies of Sunnyvale criminal court records follow the statewide schedule. Plain copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $40 per document plus the per-page fee. The clerk can charge a $15 search fee if looking up a record takes more than 10 minutes. These fees come from California Government Code and are the same at every Superior Court.

If the record you need is in off-site storage, add a $10 retrieval fee. Older cases are more likely to be archived. For your own criminal history from the California DOJ, the cost is $25 through the Live Scan process. You can learn more about that at the DOJ record review page. The DOJ record covers your entire state history, not just Santa Clara County.

Criminal Record Laws for Sunnyvale Cases

Criminal court records in Sunnyvale are public records. Anyone can ask for copies. Under Penal Code Section 11105, the California DOJ maintains state criminal history data that is only released to authorized agencies and individuals checking their own records. Court case files are a separate matter. They are open to the public with a few exceptions.

Juvenile cases are sealed. Mental health evaluations within criminal cases are restricted. Probation reports are not available for public viewing. The register of actions, which lists the key events in a case, is generally available both online and in person. But the full set of court filings in a Sunnyvale criminal case usually requires a visit to the courthouse. Starting January 1, 2026, California law (AB 1524) allows people to photograph court records at the courthouse with their own devices. This applies to Sunnyvale cases viewed at any Santa Clara County courthouse.

Under Penal Code Section 1203.4, a person can petition to have a conviction dismissed after finishing probation. The record stays on file but shows the dismissal.

Statewide Criminal Record Search Tools

The CDCR inmate search shows anyone serving time in a California state prison, including people sentenced from Sunnyvale cases. The California courts website helps you find the correct Superior Court for any county. For Sunnyvale, that is Santa Clara County. The state self-help guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough of how to get court record copies anywhere in the state.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Sunnyvale. Santa Clara and San Jose are in the same county and share the same Superior Court.

Santa Clara County Court

All criminal cases from Sunnyvale go through the Santa Clara County Superior Court.