Search Placer County Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Placer County are managed by the Superior Court of California, County of Placer. The court uses a Journal Technologies eCourt system for its public portal where you can search cases online. Placer County sits in the Sacramento metro area and stretches from the valley floor up into the Sierra Nevada. The county seat is in Auburn, and that is where the main courthouse handles most criminal cases. This guide covers the ways you can search for and get copies of Placer County criminal court records, both online and at the courthouse.

Placer County Criminal Records Online Portal

The Placer County Superior Court offers an online case search through its eCourt public portal. The system is built on Journal Technologies, which is the same platform used by several other California courts. You can access it at webportal.placerco.org/ecourtpublic. The portal lets you search by defendant name, case number, or date range. Results show basic case data like charges, hearing dates, and case status.

The California courts system provides a self-help guide for getting court records at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov, which applies to all counties including Placer.

The eCourt portal is a good first step for basic info. But like all California courts, the online data for criminal cases is limited. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, certain criminal case documents can only be viewed at the courthouse. The register of actions and court calendars are generally available online, but motions, reports, and other sensitive filings usually need an in-person visit. If you see a case on the Placer County portal and need more detail, you will have to go to the courthouse or request copies by mail.

Note: The eCourt portal may not include all older cases or cases that were sealed by court order.

Placer County Criminal Court Locations

The main courthouse for Placer County criminal cases is the Historic Courthouse in Auburn. That is where most felony and misdemeanor cases are heard. Auburn is the county seat and has been the center of court operations in Placer County for a long time. The courthouse sits right in Old Town Auburn, and the clerk's office handles record requests there during business hours.

Placer County also has a courthouse in Roseville that handles some criminal matters. Roseville is the largest city in the county and has grown fast over the past two decades. If a case was assigned to the Roseville courthouse, that is where the physical file is kept. Always check which location has your case before making a trip. The eCourt portal usually shows the assigned courthouse in the case details.

Both courthouses are open Monday through Friday. The clerk's office typically operates from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call ahead to confirm hours, especially around holidays or if there are any closures. You can reach the Placer County Superior Court through their main line for general questions about criminal court records.

Fees for Placer County Criminal Court Records

Record copy fees in Placer County follow the statewide schedule set by California law. Plain copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $40 per document, plus the per-page fee on top of that. These rates come from Government Code Section 70627 and apply to all 58 Superior Courts in the state.

If the clerk spends more than 10 minutes searching for your record, they can charge a $15 search fee. Records stored off-site carry a $10 retrieval fee. These extra charges are not common for recent cases, but they can come up with older filings. When you request records by mail, include a check or money order made out to the Placer County Superior Court. Overpaying by a small amount is usually safer than underpaying, since the court can refund the difference. If you underpay, the request gets delayed while they contact you for more money.

Criminal Record Laws for Placer County

Criminal court records in Placer County are public records. California law gives anyone the right to request copies of court case files. You do not need to be the defendant or have any connection to the case. The public access rule covers most criminal filings, including complaints, plea agreements, sentencing documents, and the register of actions.

There are exceptions. Juvenile cases are confidential under California law. Mental health records inside a criminal case file are restricted. Protective orders in domestic violence cases may have limited access too. Under Penal Code Section 1203.4, a defendant who finishes probation can petition to have the conviction dismissed. The record stays in the system but gets updated to show the dismissal. Expunged records in Placer County are not erased. They just reflect the changed status.

The statewide criminal history database is kept by the California DOJ under Penal Code Section 11105. That is a summary record, not the full case file. For the complete set of documents in a criminal case, the Placer County Superior Court is the source. The DOJ record and the court record serve different purposes and come from different places.

Getting Copies of Placer County Criminal Records

You can get copies of Placer County criminal court records in person, by mail, or through the online portal for limited documents. In person is the fastest. Go to the clerk's office at the courthouse where the case was filed. Bring the case number or the defendant's name. The clerk can pull up the file and make copies while you wait. Pay the per-page fee at the counter.

By mail, send a written request that includes the case number or defendant name, what documents you want, and a check or money order for the fees. Mail it to the Placer County Superior Court clerk's office in Auburn. Processing time for mail requests varies, but most California courts take a few weeks. If the court has questions about your request, it takes longer. Be specific about what you need to avoid back and forth.

For your own state criminal history, that is a separate process. The California DOJ handles those requests through the Record Review program. You submit fingerprints via Live Scan and pay a $25 fee. The DOJ sends back your RAP sheet, which is a summary of all arrests and court dispositions across the state. It is not the same thing as getting the full case file from the Placer County Superior Court.

The CDCR inmate search (CIRIS) is another state tool that can help if a Placer County case led to a state prison sentence. It shows current inmates, their location, and parole hearing dates.

Arrest Records in Placer County

Arrest records and criminal court records are two different things. The court file comes from the Superior Court. Arrest records come from the law enforcement agency that made the arrest. In Placer County, that could be the Placer County Sheriff, the Roseville Police Department, the Auburn Police, or another local agency. Each one has its own records division.

If you need an arrest report or booking info, contact the agency that handled the arrest. The sheriff covers unincorporated areas and runs the county jail. City police departments handle arrests within their city limits. Booking data for people currently in the Placer County jail may be available through the sheriff's website. Court records, on the other hand, start after charges are filed and the case enters the court system. Both types of records paint a different part of the picture for any Placer County criminal matter.

Placer County Cities

Roseville is the largest city in Placer County. All criminal cases from cities in the county go through the Placer County Superior Court system.

Nearby Counties

These counties are next to Placer County. Each one has its own Superior Court for criminal cases.