Access Colusa County Criminal Records

Criminal court records in Colusa County are housed at the Colusa County Superior Court in the city of Colusa, California. This is one of the smaller counties in the state, with about 22,000 residents in the Sacramento Valley. The court offers an online search tool at search.colusa.courts.ca.gov for looking up case information. All criminal cases in the county, from minor misdemeanors to serious felonies, run through this single courthouse. Below you will find the details on searching for and getting copies of criminal court records from Colusa County.

Colusa County Criminal Records Online Portal

The Colusa County Superior Court runs a case search tool at search.colusa.courts.ca.gov. This lets you look up cases by name or number. Type in a defendant's name and the system returns any criminal cases tied to that person in the Colusa County court. You can see the case number, the charges filed, hearing dates, and the disposition if the case has been resolved.

The online portal is a good starting point. It tells you whether a criminal case exists and gives you enough detail to decide if you need to request the full file. But the portal has the same limits that apply across California. Under Rules of Court Rule 2.503, some criminal case documents can only be viewed at the courthouse. The online version shows the case index and register of actions. The actual filed documents, such as the complaint, plea paperwork, or sentencing order, often require an in-person visit or a formal copy request to the Colusa County clerk.

For a county this small, the online tool covers the basics well. The criminal caseload in Colusa County is light compared to urban areas, so the records in the system tend to be well organized.

Request Criminal Court Records in Colusa County

Getting copies of criminal court records from Colusa County is straightforward. You have a few options. In person is the easiest. Walk into the courthouse in Colusa and ask the clerk for the records you need. Have the case number ready, or at minimum the defendant's full name. The clerk pulls the file and copies what you request. You pay at the window.

Mail is the other route. Send a letter to the Colusa County Superior Court clerk. Include the case number, the defendant name, the specific documents you need, and a check or money order for the fees. The clerk will process it and mail the copies back. Small counties like Colusa tend to have quicker mail turnarounds than big courts with huge backlogs, though it still takes some time.

Criminal Record Copy Fees in Colusa County

Colusa County charges the same fees as every other Superior Court in California. The rates come from state law. Plain copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $40 per document. If the clerk takes more than 10 minutes to find the file, a $15 search fee kicks in. Records that have been moved to off-site storage may cost an extra $10 to retrieve.

These fees are set by California Government Code sections 70626 and 70627. The county has no ability to charge more or less than what the code allows. If you qualify for a fee waiver based on your income, the court must waive the copy fees. Ask the clerk for the fee waiver application if you think you might be eligible. This applies to all types of court records, including criminal case files in Colusa County.

Note: Certified copies carry a court seal and are accepted for legal proceedings.

State Criminal Record Resources for Colusa County

Beyond the Colusa County courthouse, state databases can help with criminal record searches. The California Department of Justice runs the statewide criminal history repository. Under Penal Code Section 11105, the DOJ collects arrest and disposition data from every law enforcement agency and court in the state. If someone was arrested in Colusa County, that information feeds into the DOJ system.

To check your own criminal record at the state level, use the DOJ record review. It costs $25 and requires Live Scan fingerprinting. The result is your RAP sheet, which lists every arrest and court outcome on file with the state. This is broader than what you get from a single county court. It covers all of California, not just Colusa County.

The CIRIS inmate search from CDCR shows who is currently in state prison. A case that started in Colusa County and ended with a prison sentence will appear in this database. It is free and open to the public. For help understanding the record request process, the California Courts self-help page lays out the steps for getting court record copies anywhere in the state.

Colusa County Criminal Record Privacy Rules

Most criminal court records in Colusa County are open to the public. That is the default under California law. Court filings, hearing records, judgments, and sentencing orders are generally available. There are categories that stay sealed or restricted, though. Juvenile cases are not public. Mental health records within a criminal file are off-limits. Documents like probation reports and arrest reports within the court file have restricted access under Penal Code Section 13300.

California also provides ways to clear a criminal record. Under Penal Code Section 1203.4, a person who finishes probation can petition the court to dismiss the conviction. This is sometimes called expungement, though the record itself does not get deleted. It gets marked as dismissed. In Colusa County, you file the petition with the Superior Court. The judge decides whether to grant it based on the facts of the case and the person's record since conviction.

Colusa County Court Location

The city of Colusa is the county seat. It sits along the Sacramento River in the northern part of the Sacramento Valley. The courthouse is the only court facility in the county. All criminal matters for Colusa County go through this one location. The court's criminal division handles everything from DUI cases to felony drug charges to violent crimes. For a small county, the range of case types is the same as anywhere else in California. Only the volume is smaller.

The California Courts directory shown above lists the Colusa County Superior Court address and contact information for criminal record requests.

Nearby Counties

Colusa County does not have any cities over 100,000 in population. For criminal court records from the surrounding area, visit these neighboring county pages.