Alameda County Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Alameda County are held by the Alameda County Superior Court, which runs five courthouses across the East Bay region. The court keeps criminal case data going back to 1974, and it offers two separate online portals for searching records. One is the Odyssey public portal for general case lookups. The other is a dedicated Criminal Record Requests portal built for requesting copies of criminal case files. Whether you need to check a case status, pull court documents, or look up booking info through the sheriff, Alameda County provides several paths to get these records.

Alameda County Criminal Records Online Search

Alameda County runs two distinct online search tools for criminal court records. The first is the Tyler Odyssey public portal. This system lets you search by party name or case number to pull up case details, hearing dates, and charges. It covers a range of case types filed in the Alameda County Superior Court. The second tool is more focused. The Criminal Record Requests portal is built just for criminal case files. It lets you electronically submit requests for records on one or more defendants at a time.

The Criminal Record Requests portal is where most people start when they need actual copies of Alameda County criminal court records. The system shows case information for criminal matters opened since 1974. That is a long stretch of data. You can search by defendant name and get back a list of cases tied to that person in the Alameda County court system.

Below is a screenshot of the Alameda County Criminal Record Requests portal where you can look up and request criminal case files.

This portal lets you submit your request online and pay fees electronically. It is one of the more user-friendly criminal records systems in the state. You do not need to go to the courthouse to start the process, though you can still do that if you prefer.

Alameda County Court Locations

The Alameda County Superior Court operates five courthouses. Each one handles criminal cases for its part of the county. Which courthouse you visit depends on where the case was filed or where the crime took place. Here are the court locations and their phone numbers:

• Rene C. Davidson Courthouse, Oakland: (510) 891-6009
• Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, Oakland: (510) 627-4700
• Hayward Hall of Justice: (510) 690-2703
• Fremont Hall of Justice: (510) 818-7501
• East County Hall of Justice, Dublin: (925) 227-6700

The Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland is the main criminal court for the county. Major felony trials often take place there. The Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse is also in Oakland and handles a mix of criminal and civil cases. For cases in the southern part of the county, the Hayward and Fremont courthouses are the ones to contact. Dublin serves the eastern part of Alameda County, including the Tri-Valley area. Call ahead to confirm which courthouse has the criminal court records you need.

Criminal Record Fees in Alameda County

Alameda County charges a tiered rate for copies of criminal court records. The first five pages of any document cost $1 per page. After that, each page drops to $0.50. There is a cap of $50 per document, so you will not pay more than that even for a long file. These fees apply whether you get copies in person or through the online portal.

Certified copies run $40 per document, which is the standard rate set by California Government Code. If the clerk needs more than 10 minutes to find your Alameda County criminal court records, there is also a $15 search fee on top of the copy costs. The state charges a separate $25 fee if you want to review your own criminal history through the California DOJ Live Scan process. That is a different system from the court records kept in Alameda County. For old files stored off-site, the court may add a $10 retrieval fee under Government Code Section 70631.

Note: Fee waivers are available for those who qualify based on income.

Alameda County Sheriff Booking Records

The Alameda County Sheriff maintains a separate set of records from the court system. The sheriff's office tracks arrests, bookings, and jail custody data. This information is useful if you want to see recent arrests or check if someone is in custody. It does not replace the court record, but it adds context to a criminal case in Alameda County.

You can view the daily booking log at the Alameda County Sheriff booking docket. This shows who was booked into the Santa Rita Jail and other county facilities. The log lists the name, booking date, charges, and bail amount. It gets updated regularly. If you are looking for someone who was recently arrested in Alameda County, this is the fastest way to check. The information you find in the booking log often corresponds to a criminal case that will show up in the Superior Court system within a few days of the arrest.

Alameda County Criminal Record Access Rules

Most criminal court records in Alameda County are public. You do not need to be part of the case to request copies. Under Penal Code Section 11105, the California DOJ maintains the statewide criminal history database. But individual court case files are kept at the county level. In Alameda County, the Superior Court is the keeper of those records.

There are limits to what you can see. Juvenile cases are sealed from the public. Some documents in domestic violence and mental health cases are restricted. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, courts can limit remote access to certain electronic records in criminal cases. For most Alameda County criminal court records, you can view the register of actions and calendar info online, but the full file might only be available at the courthouse.

California also has laws for clearing records. Penal Code Section 1203.4 allows people to petition for dismissal of a conviction after finishing probation. If granted, the Alameda County criminal record still exists but shows the case was dismissed. Under Penal Code Section 851.8, a person found factually innocent can petition to have their arrest record sealed and destroyed. These laws affect what shows up when you search Alameda County criminal court records.

State Criminal Record Resources for Alameda County

Beyond the county court system, there are state-level tools that can help with criminal records searches in Alameda County. The California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS) lets you look up anyone in state prison custody. This covers people convicted in Alameda County who are serving time in a CDCR facility. The search shows the inmate's name, CDCR number, age, current location, and admission date.

The California Courts website has a tool for finding your local Superior Court. For Alameda County, this links to the court's main site and its online portals. The state self-help page at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov explains the general process for getting copies of any court record in California, including criminal case files from Alameda County.

Alameda County Cities

These major cities are in Alameda County. All criminal cases from these cities are handled by the Alameda County Superior Court. Select a city for local criminal court record details.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Alameda County. Each runs its own Superior Court for criminal cases.