Look up California court dates and hearing schedules for all 58 counties. Find arraignment dates, trial dates, and which courthouse handles a case.
Calls may be answered by a licensed bail bond agent.California Superior Court case search is available free at each county court website. Find arraignment dates, hearing schedules, and case status using the defendant's name or case number, no account required at most courts.
California court records and hearing schedules are managed by the California Courts system under the Judicial Council. Each of California's 58 counties has its own Superior Court with its own case management system. Most counties provide online case lookup tools through their Superior Court websites.
Most California Superior Courts offer free online case lookup at the court's website. Search by case number, defendant name, or citation number to find upcoming hearing dates.
The court clerk's office can provide hearing dates and case status over the phone. Have the full legal name, date of birth, and case or booking number if available.
In California, arraignment must occur within 48 hours of arrest (excluding weekends and holidays). This is typically the first scheduled court appearance after booking.
Many California counties use eCourt or a similar system. Cases filed after the launch date are searchable online. Older cases may require an in-person records request.
Use the links below to access the official court case lookup for major California counties. For smaller counties not listed, call our free line and an agent will find the right court contact for you.
LA Superior Court case search at lacourt.org covers all LA County courthouses.
San Diego Superior Court at sdcourt.ca.gov handles all divisions including criminal, family, and civil.
Sacramento Superior Court at saccourt.ca.gov with online case lookup for criminal matters.
Call our free line at (916) 633-2220 for help locating the right court and case information for any California county.
California criminal cases move through several types of court hearings. Knowing which hearing is scheduled and what it means helps families plan and understand what is happening with the case.
The first court appearance, which must occur within 48 hours of arrest (excluding weekends and holidays). At arraignment, the defendant is formally read the charges, enters a plea (guilty, not guilty, or no contest), and bail is reviewed. This is the most important early hearing for families to attend or be aware of.
In felony cases, a preliminary hearing is held to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. The judge reviews the prosecution's evidence and decides whether probable cause exists. This usually occurs within 10 days of arraignment if the defendant is in custody.
Between arraignment and trial, both sides meet for pre-trial conferences to discuss evidence, potential plea deals, and other procedural matters. These hearings are administrative in nature and may occur multiple times before a case resolves.
If the case is not resolved through a plea agreement, it proceeds to trial. The vast majority of California criminal cases -- approximately 97% -- are resolved through a plea bargain before trial. If a plea is entered, sentencing typically follows within weeks.
If the defendant pleads guilty or is convicted at trial, sentencing follows. The judge reviews a probation report and any statements from the prosecution, defense, and victim before imposing a sentence. Sentencing can occur on the same day as a plea or weeks later.
Every California county Superior Court maintains a public case search system. Most are free and require only the defendant's name or case number. Below are the major county court systems with direct links and instructions.
Website: lacourt.org
Case Search: Search by name, case number, or citation. All criminal divisions are included including felony, misdemeanor, and traffic. Covers all LA County courthouses.
Phone: (213) 830-0803
Website: sdcourt.ca.gov
Case Search: Online case lookup covers criminal, civil, family, and probate. Search by name, case number, or citation number. Includes upcoming hearing dates and judge assignments.
Phone: (619) 450-7070
Website: occourts.org
Case Search: Search criminal cases by name or case number. Includes hearing schedules for all Orange County courthouses including Harbor, North, Central, and West Justice Centers.
Phone: (657) 622-8585
Website: saccourt.ca.gov
Case Search: Online case access covers criminal, civil, and family cases. Search by name, case number, or attorney. Hearing dates and courtroom assignments are included.
Phone: (916) 875-3400
Website: riverside.courts.ca.gov
Case Search: Covers all Riverside County courthouses. Criminal case search includes hearing dates and next appearance information. Search by name or case number.
Phone: (951) 777-3147
Website: sb-court.org
Case Search: Online case lookup includes all criminal divisions. Search by name, case number, or citation. Covers all courthouses including Rancho Cucamonga, Victorville, and Big Bear.
Phone: (909) 708-8678
Website: scscourt.org
Case Search: Online access to criminal and civil cases. Search by name or case number. Includes calendar and hearing information. Covers all courthouses in Santa Clara County.
Phone: (408) 882-2100
Website: alameda.courts.ca.gov
Case Search: Criminal case search by name or case number. Covers Oakland, Hayward, Fremont, and Berkeley courthouses. Includes future hearing dates and case status.
Phone: (510) 891-6000
All 58 California county Superior Courts maintain a public website. Visit courts.ca.gov and click your county to find the direct link to your county's case search system. If the online system doesn't have what you need, call the court clerk's office directly.
If a case number lookup in the California court system returns no results, there are several common explanations. Understanding them prevents unnecessary panic.
A California Superior Court case number is not assigned until arraignment, which occurs within 48 hours of arrest. If the arrest is recent, the case may not yet exist in the court system. Check the county jail inmate roster first to confirm the person is in custody, then allow 48 to 72 hours for the case to appear after arraignment.
Even after arraignment, some county court systems have a 1 to 3 business day lag before new cases appear in the online public search. The case exists on the court's internal system but has not yet been indexed for public search. Call the court clerk directly with the defendant's name and date of birth to confirm filing status.
Criminal cases are filed in the Superior Court of the county where the crime occurred, not necessarily where the defendant lives. For arrests near county borders or involving multiple jurisdictions, the case may be in a neighboring county's court system. Common crossover situations: city limits that straddle county lines, crimes involving highway patrol (CHP), or incidents near county borders.
Court case search systems are exact-match sensitive. Try searching by date of birth alone if the system supports it. Try alternate spellings, the person's middle name, or nicknames. Hispanic surnames with or without hyphens, names with apostrophes (O'Brien), and names with common transpositions are frequent sources of failed searches.
Juvenile cases, certain sex offense cases, and cases involving minors as victims are often sealed from public access. Mental health diversion cases (PC 1001.36) may also be restricted. If the person is under 18, their case is in juvenile court and will not appear in the adult Superior Court case search system.
If online search fails, call the criminal division clerk at the relevant county Superior Court directly. Provide the defendant's full name and date of birth. The clerk can confirm whether a case has been filed and provide the case number, which you can then use to track hearings and outcomes online. See our county pages for each court's direct phone number.
In California, all criminal court hearings are presumptively open to the public unless the judge specifically orders a closure, which is rare. Family members may sit in the gallery. You do not need to be listed on any document to attend as an observer. Bring a valid photo ID for courthouse security.
Arraignment is typically brief, lasting 5 to 15 minutes. The judge will read the charges, ask for a plea, and address bail. If the defendant is in custody and bail was set at booking, the judge may modify bail upward or downward. This is the best opportunity to argue for bail reduction. If a private attorney is not present, a public defender will be appointed.
California criminal cases routinely involve many continuances. Pre-trial conferences may be continued 5 to 10 times over months or years before trial. These continuances are largely procedural and do not indicate anything unusual about the case. If you see a new court date appear in the case search, it may be a routine continuation, not a new development.
Missing a scheduled court appearance in California results in the judge issuing a bench warrant for the defendant's arrest. If they are out on bail, the bail is typically forfeited. Being arrested on a bench warrant usually means the defendant will be held without bail or at significantly higher bail for the original charges.
Yes, through a formal process called a continuance. Either the defense or prosecution can request a continuance, and the judge may grant it for valid reasons such as the need for more time to prepare or attorney scheduling conflicts. Continuances are common in California courts and cases often take months or years to resolve.
Most criminal court proceedings in California are open to the public and family members. Some hearings involving juveniles, certain sex offenses, or cases with particular public interest may be closed or restricted. You do not need any special permission to attend a regular criminal court hearing as a member of the public.
Cases are filed in the Superior Court of the county where the crime occurred. In large counties like Los Angeles and San Diego, there are multiple courthouses and cases are assigned to a specific branch based on the city or region. Call our free line and an agent can help identify the correct courthouse and courtroom for your case.
The most common reasons: (1) The arraignment has not yet occurred and no case number has been assigned. (2) The case was filed in a different county's court than expected. (3) The name was entered differently in the court system (middle name, suffix, or spelling variation). (4) The court system has a lag time for new filings, typically 1 to 3 business days. Try searching by date of birth if the system allows it.
A booking number is assigned by the jail at the time of arrest and is used to track the person in the jail system. A criminal case number is assigned by the court when charges are filed, which may be days after the arrest. You need the case number to search court records. The booking number will not return results in court case search systems.
The courtroom is usually assigned and visible in the court case search system under the next hearing entry. If it is not listed online, call the court clerk's office the day before the hearing. Many courthouses also post the day's calendar on lobby boards near the entrance, grouped by department or courtroom number.
Missing a court date in California typically results in the judge issuing a bench warrant for the person's arrest and forfeiting any bail that was posted. This is called a Failure to Appear (FTA). A bail bond will be forfeited, and the bail bondsman has a limited time to return the defendant to custody before being required to pay the full bail amount to the court.
Call our free line and get connected with a licensed California bail specialist who can assist you 24 hours a day.