Access San Francisco Criminal Court Records

San Francisco County criminal court records work differently than most other California counties. Criminal records are not available online here. If you need to look up a criminal case or get copies of court documents, you have to go through the clerk's office at the Hall of Justice or start by getting a RAP sheet from the San Francisco Police Department. This page explains the process from start to finish, including what you need, where to go, what it costs, and how the laws around criminal record access apply in San Francisco County.

San Francisco Criminal Records Are Not Online

Unlike many California counties, San Francisco does not offer online access to criminal court records. There is no public portal where you can type in a name and pull up criminal case details. The court has a case information system at webapps.sftc.org, but it is limited in scope for criminal matters. If you want criminal court records in San Francisco County, you need to go to the courthouse in person or send a written request by mail.

The court makes this clear on its website. The San Francisco Superior Court criminal records page states that criminal records are not available online. It also notes that if you do not have a case number, you should first get a RAP sheet from the San Francisco Police Department before going to the court clerk. That extra step is unique to San Francisco County.

The screenshot above shows the San Francisco Superior Court page explaining how to get criminal records. It lays out the steps clearly. Start with the police, then go to the court. This two-step process can be frustrating if you are used to counties where everything is a few clicks away, but it is how San Francisco County handles criminal court records.

Getting a RAP Sheet in San Francisco

The San Francisco Police Department maintains local RAP sheets. RAP stands for Record of Arrests and Prosecutions. If you want to look up a criminal case in San Francisco County but do not have the case number, the court tells you to get the RAP sheet first. Visit the SFPD Identification Bureau at Room 475 on the 4th floor of the Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. The RAP sheet will list case numbers tied to a person's arrest history in San Francisco.

Once you have case numbers from the RAP sheet, take those to the criminal clerk's office downstairs in Room 101. The clerk can then pull the actual court files. Without a case number, the clerk cannot easily look up San Francisco County criminal court records. That is why the court pushes people to the SFPD first. The SFPD non-emergency line is (415) 553-0123, and the records division can be reached at (415) 575-7230.

San Francisco Criminal Court Clerk Office

The criminal clerk's office for San Francisco County is in Room 101 of the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street. The phone number is (415) 551-0651. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office closes for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Plan your visit around that break. This is the only location where you can get criminal court records in San Francisco County.

When you visit, bring the case number if you have it. The clerk will pull the file and you can view it at the courthouse. If you need copies, they will make them for you on the spot. San Francisco County criminal court records are handled by the same Superior Court that manages civil, family, and probate cases, but the criminal division has its own clerk window and its own set of fees.

Note: The Hall of Justice has security screening, so allow extra time when visiting for San Francisco County criminal court records.

San Francisco Criminal Record Fees

San Francisco County has a somewhat different fee structure for criminal court records compared to other California counties. A Certificate of the Record costs $40 per court number. This is the official document that certifies a criminal case record exists and summarizes it. Certified copies are $25 per copy plus $0.50 per page. Regular uncertified copies follow the standard California rate of $0.50 per page.

If the clerk spends more than 10 minutes searching for your record, there is a $15 search fee. Older records stored off-site may carry a $10 retrieval fee under Government Code Section 70631. For your own criminal history from the state database, the California DOJ charges $25 through the Live Scan fingerprint process. That covers records from across the entire state, not just San Francisco County. The SFPD may have its own fee for RAP sheets, so ask about costs when you visit the Identification Bureau.

• Certificate of the Record: $40 per court number
• Certified copy: $25 per copy plus $0.50 per page
• Plain copies: $0.50 per page
• Search fee (over 10 minutes): $15
• Off-site retrieval: $10

Criminal Record Access Laws in San Francisco

Criminal court records in San Francisco County are public. You do not have to be a party to the case to request copies. The process is just more hands-on here than in counties with online portals. Under Penal Code Section 11105, the California DOJ maintains the statewide criminal history database. That is separate from the court files kept by the San Francisco Superior Court. The DOJ record is a summary. The court file has the actual documents filed in the case.

Some San Francisco County criminal court records are restricted. Juvenile cases are sealed. Mental health records tied to a criminal case are not public. Some domestic violence case documents may be limited. California Rules of Court Rule 2.503 governs remote electronic access to court records. Since San Francisco already keeps most criminal records offline, this rule has less practical effect here than in counties with online portals. You are going to the courthouse regardless.

San Francisco County residents convicted of crimes can seek expungement under Penal Code Section 1203.4 after completing probation. The record stays in the system but shows the conviction was dismissed. Under Penal Code Section 851.8, a factually innocent person can petition to have their arrest record sealed and destroyed. The SFPD incident data portal at data.sfgov.org provides a different angle by showing police incident reports, though that is not the same as court records.

State Resources for San Francisco County

State-level tools can help fill gaps when San Francisco County criminal court records are hard to access online. The CDCR Incarcerated Records Search covers anyone in state prison, including people convicted in San Francisco County. The California Courts directory links to the San Francisco Superior Court and its contact details.

The state self-help page explains the general process for getting court record copies across California. It is especially useful for San Francisco County because the local process has extra steps that other counties do not require. The Judicial Council of California, which is actually based in San Francisco at 455 Golden Gate Avenue, handles policy questions about court records statewide. Their Public Access unit can be reached at PAJAR@jud.ca.gov or (415) 865-7796.

San Francisco County Cities

San Francisco is both a city and a county. There is only one city here. All criminal cases go through the San Francisco County Superior Court at the Hall of Justice.

Nearby Counties

These counties are next to San Francisco County. Each has its own Superior Court for criminal matters.