Torrance Criminal Court Records Lookup

Criminal court records from Torrance are filed and maintained at the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Torrance is in the South Bay area of LA County and does not have its own criminal court. Every felony and misdemeanor case from Torrance goes through the county court. The city has its own police department, the Torrance Police Department, which keeps separate arrest and incident records. This page explains how to search for Torrance criminal court records online, get copies from the courthouse, and access local arrest data.

Torrance Cases at the LA Superior Court

All criminal cases originating in Torrance go to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The process starts when Torrance police make an arrest. The case then goes to the LA County District Attorney, who decides whether to file charges. If charges are filed, a criminal court record is created and assigned a case number. The case moves through the court system from there.

Torrance is in the Southwest District of the LA Superior Court. Cases may be heard at the Torrance Courthouse, located at 825 Maple Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503. This courthouse handles criminal, civil, small claims, and traffic cases for the South Bay area. The clerk's office at this location can pull up Torrance criminal court records and make copies. Walk in Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:10 p.m. with the case number or the defendant's name.

Copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $40 per document plus the per-page fee. If you request a certified copy, it comes with the court seal and can be used for legal proceedings. Plain copies are cheaper but do not carry the same weight in court.

Search Torrance Criminal Records Online

Two free online tools let you search for Torrance criminal court records from your computer. The Criminal Case Summary portal works when you have a case number. It pulls up the charges, hearing dates, and current status. This tool uses reCAPTCHA during business hours to manage traffic. The data is for reference only.

The Criminal Index Search is what you use when you have a name but no case number. It covers felony cases from 1980 and misdemeanor cases from 1988 forward. Enter a first and last name and the system shows any matching criminal cases across all of LA County. Torrance criminal court records will appear in these results alongside cases from other cities in the county. Each result includes the case number, filing date, and the courthouse where it was heard.

Neither tool requires payment or an account. The data you see online is not the official record. For the official version, request copies from the courthouse. You can do that by mail, but expect 8 to 10 weeks for the LA Superior Court to process a mail request.

Torrance Police Department Records

The Torrance Police Department runs its own records division. This is where you go for arrest reports, crime reports, and incident reports from Torrance. Police records are not the same as criminal court records. The police report covers what happened during the arrest or incident. The court record covers what happened once the DA filed charges and the case went to court.

The Torrance PD is located at 3300 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, CA 90503. Contact the Records Division to request copies of police reports. The department may charge a fee for copies. These fees are set by the city and are separate from the court's copy fees. If you need both the police report and the court case file for a Torrance criminal case, you deal with two agencies and two fee schedules.

Under Penal Code Section 13300, local law enforcement agencies maintain their own criminal offender record information. This means the Torrance PD has records that the court does not, and the court has records that the PD does not. You may need both sets for the full picture.

Torrance Criminal Record Copy Options

The California DOJ lets individuals request their own criminal history through the Live Scan Record Review process. Learn about it at the DOJ record review page.

The DOJ record review costs $25. You go to a Live Scan site, get fingerprinted, and the DOJ sends you your statewide criminal history. This RAP sheet covers all California arrests and dispositions. It is separate from getting a copy of a specific Torrance criminal court case file from the county Superior Court.

Inmate Records for Torrance Arrests

People arrested by Torrance police may be held at the city jail or transferred to an LA County jail facility. The LA County Sheriff Inmate Information Center shows who is currently in the county jail system. Search by name to find charges, bail, and facility. The sheriff's daily booking log also shows recent arrests across the county.

For inmates in state prison, use the CDCR inmate search. It covers people serving sentences in California state prisons. This tool gives you the inmate's location, admission date, and parole hearing information. Court records, police records, and corrections records each cover a different part of a Torrance criminal case. Using all three gives you the most complete picture.

Criminal Record Access in Torrance

Most criminal court records in Torrance are open to the public. You do not have to be involved in the case to get copies. Under Penal Code Section 11105, the DOJ keeps the statewide criminal history. The court keeps the case files. For Torrance, that means the LA Superior Court.

Juvenile records are sealed. Mental health records in a criminal case are restricted. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, remote access to criminal case records online is limited to case indexes, summaries, and calendars. To see the full case file, you need to visit the Torrance Courthouse in person. Under Penal Code Section 1203.4, a conviction can be dismissed after a person finishes probation. The file stays in the system but the dismissal shows. That changes what you see when you pull up a Torrance criminal court record.

Nearby Cities in LA County

These cities are near Torrance and use the same LA County Superior Court for criminal cases.

Los Angeles County Court Records

For the full county overview of the court system, courthouses, and fees, visit the Los Angeles County criminal court records page.