How to Look Up Criminal Records in California

Why Looking Up Criminal Records in California Is More Complicated Than It Sounds

California has some of the most privacy-protective public records laws in the country. Unlike states that maintain open, searchable online criminal databases, California distributes its criminal records across multiple systems - the state Department of Justice, 58 separate county superior courts, county sheriff offices, and local police departments. There's no single portal where you can type a name and get a complete criminal history.

That means the method you choose matters a lot. Looking up your own record is a completely different process than running a background check on a contractor, a tenant, or someone you met online. This guide walks through every major channel - who can access what, what it costs, how long it takes, and where third-party tools like Galadon's Criminal Records Search fill the gaps the official system leaves open.

The Three Main Types of Criminal Records in California

Before you start, it helps to understand what you're actually looking for. California criminal records fall into three distinct categories, each maintained by a different agency:

• DOJ RAP Sheets (Records of Arrest and Prosecution): The most comprehensive state-level record. The California Department of Justice compiles arrests, charges, court outcomes, and convictions reported by law enforcement and courts across all 58 counties. This is the official "criminal history summary" - sometimes called a CII record - and it's fingerprint-tied.
• Court Records: Case-by-case files maintained by each county's Superior Court. These include everything from the initial filing of charges to the final disposition. Court records are generally public in California - you don't need to give a reason to request them - but each court runs its own search system.
• Arrest Records: Documentation created when police take someone into custody, even if charges were never filed. California does not maintain a centralized, publicly searchable arrest database. To access arrest records, you typically need to contact the specific law enforcement agency that made the arrest.

Method 1: Request Your Own California DOJ Criminal Record

If you want to see your own state-level criminal history, the official path runs through the California DOJ's Record Review process. Here's exactly how it works:

1. Download Form BCIA 8016RR ("Application to Obtain Your Own Criminal Record") from the California DOJ website. Make sure "Record Review" is selected as both the type and reason for application.
2. Go to a Live Scan location. Bring the completed form and a valid photo ID. The operator captures your fingerprints electronically and transmits them - along with your application - directly to the DOJ. Police stations, UPS Stores, community colleges, and private fingerprint shops all run Live Scan sites across California's 58 counties. Most visits take about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Pay the fees. The DOJ charges a flat $25 processing fee regardless of which Live Scan location you use. On top of that, the operator charges a separate "rolling fee" for taking your prints - these typically range from $20 to $50 depending on location.
4. Wait for results by mail. The DOJ processes most requests within two to three business days, though records with more extensive histories can take up to two weeks. Results arrive by U.S. mail at the address you provided on the form. There is no rush option.

Out of state? If you no longer live in California, use Form BCIA 8705 instead and submit it with ink fingerprints on an FBI fingerprint card (Form FD-258), which you can get from a local law enforcement agency. Mail everything to: California DOJ, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Analysis, PO Box 160207, Sacramento, CA 95816-0207.

Can't afford the fee? Low-income residents can apply for a DOJ fee waiver under California Penal Code Section 11123. If you receive CalFresh, Medi-Cal, disability benefits, or other government assistance, you may qualify to have the $25 DOJ fee waived entirely. Note: the waiver covers only the DOJ fee - you'll still owe the Live Scan operator's rolling fee.

One important legal note: Under Penal Code 11142, you cannot share your California DOJ criminal history record with an employer or any third party once you receive it. It is for your personal review only. Additionally, criminal history records requested for personal review cannot be used for Visa or immigration transactions - those require a separate process.

Method 2: Search County Superior Court Records

Court records in California are public. Most adult criminal cases are open for anyone to view, and you do not need to provide a reason or prove any special eligibility to look at them. This makes county superior courts one of the most accessible paths for looking up someone else's criminal case history.

California has 58 trial courts - one per county - and each runs its own search portal. You can use the California Courts website at courts.ca.gov/find-my-court to locate the right courthouse for your search. Many courts offer online case lookups; others require an in-person visit or a formal written request.

Typical fees at California courts:

• Name search (over 10 minutes of staff time): $15
• Regular copies: $0.50 per page
• Certified copies: $40

Some courts have dropped online search fees altogether - Sacramento Superior Court, for example, no longer charges for online criminal case searches. Check the specific county court's website for current fee schedules before you go.

What do court records actually contain? California criminal court records compile all documents and files created during a criminal court case. They track a case from start to finish, including initial charges, motions filed by attorneys, plea bargains, and the final verdict and sentencing details. Note that trial transcripts are a separate matter - in California, trial transcripts are not filed as part of the main court record. To obtain a transcript, you need to contact the court reporter who worked on the case, the defense attorney, or the prosecutor directly.

Pro tip: If someone has lived in multiple California counties, search each county separately. Court records are county-specific - a conviction in San Bernardino won't show up in a San Diego court search. For federal criminal cases, those are maintained separately by the U.S. District Court for the relevant region, and you can access them through the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system at pacer.uscourts.gov.

Method 3: Access Arrest Records Through Local Law Enforcement

California does not maintain a publicly accessible statewide arrest database. To access arrest records, you need to work directly with the agency that made the arrest - whether that's a city police department, a county sheriff, or a state-level agency like the California Bureau of Investigation.

For most searches, start locally. If you know which city or county the arrest occurred in, contact that city's police department or the county sheriff's office directly. Most California counties have an online inmate search tool for people currently in custody, updated anywhere from every few hours to once per day.

Local sheriff offices process these requests differently. For example, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office charges $14.00 for a local criminal history report and aims to process requests within 3 to 10 business days. Fees vary by county and agency. You'll typically need a valid government-issued photo ID and the subject's full name, date of birth, and any other identifying information you have available.

For statewide prison inmates, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) operates an electronic inmate locator - searchable by last name or CDCR number - which shows an inmate's full name, age, current location, and admission date. County jails are separate and run by each county sheriff independently.

Method 4: Check the California Sex Offender Registry (Megan's Law)

The California Attorney General's office maintains a publicly accessible sex offender registry under Megan's Law. You can search by name or by address with city or ZIP code, and the registry is updated daily based on information provided by local law enforcement agencies statewide. This is one of the few California criminal record sources that is genuinely free and open to the public without any formal request process. Search it directly at meganslaw.ca.gov.

Method 5: Juvenile Court Records - What the Public Can and Cannot Access

Juvenile records are treated very differently from adult criminal records in California, and this is one area where many people get caught off guard. Unlike adult court records, juvenile court records are confidential and not open to the general public.

Under California Rule of Court 5.552 and Welfare and Institutions Code Section 827, access to juvenile records is restricted to specific categories of people: the minor themselves, parents or legal guardians, attorneys of record, law enforcement, and certain government agencies. The primary reason for this restriction is the rehabilitative goal of the juvenile justice system - shielding young people from lasting social and professional stigma. Anyone outside of those authorized categories must file a formal petition - known as an "827 Petition" - to request court access to juvenile case files.

There is one important exception: if a juvenile offense was serious enough to be transferred to adult criminal court, those records are not covered by the standard confidentiality rules. Offenses that may result in an adult court transfer include first-degree murder, forcible rape, arson, robbery, and kidnapping. Records of those proceedings appear in regular adult court databases and may show up on background checks.

Also worth noting: it is a common misconception that juvenile records are automatically sealed when a person turns 18. In reality, juvenile record confidentiality rules may continue well into adulthood unless a formal sealing petition is granted. California law under Welfare and Institutions Code Section 786 does allow for automatic sealing of certain juvenile delinquency records upon successful completion of probation - but that applies specifically to eligible cases, not all juvenile records universally.

If you are conducting a background check and need to understand whether juvenile records might surface, Galadon's Background Checker pulls from a wide range of public databases and can help identify what is and isn't visible in standard searches.

Understanding the California Clean Slate Act

One relatively recent development that affects criminal record searches in California is the Clean Slate Act (Senate Bill 731). This law makes it easier to seal or dismiss certain criminal records, with full automatic relief provisions now in effect. Under this law, eligible misdemeanor arrest records can be automatically sealed, and many non-serious, non-violent, and non-sexual felony convictions can be dismissed once a person completes their sentence and remains crime-free for four years.

The practical effect for anyone running a background check: some records that previously would have appeared in court searches may now be sealed or dismissed without the subject having taken any action. However, the Clean Slate Act does not erase records entirely - certain agencies can still access them, and they still appear in law enforcement databases. For the purposes of employment background checks and tenant screening, sealed records generally will not appear through standard commercial searches.

If you are the subject of a criminal record and believe you qualify for relief under the Clean Slate Act, start by contacting the Superior Court in the county where your case was filed. There is no filing fee for sealing petitions under this provision.

What California Criminal Records Actually Include

A full California DOJ criminal history record (RAP sheet) typically contains:

• The subject's full legal name and any known aliases
• Date of birth, race/ethnicity, and fingerprint data
• All arrests in California and the agency that made each arrest
• Charges filed and court disposition (conviction, dismissal, acquittal)
• Sentences - including fines, probation terms, and incarceration
• Any expungements or record modifications (these still appear, but show as "dismissed")

One thing worth knowing: California DOJ RAP sheets frequently contain errors. Cases reclassified as misdemeanors sometimes still show as felonies. Dismissed or expunged cases sometimes aren't updated. If you're reviewing your own record and spot inaccuracies, you can challenge them using Form BCIA 8706 ("Claim of Alleged Inaccuracy or Incompleteness"), which should be included with your criminal history report. If the errors are significant, consulting an attorney experienced in expungement and record-clearing is often the most effective path - most general criminal defense attorneys don't specialize in this area, so look for someone with specific experience handling record challenges.

Understanding Sealed and Expunged Records in California

Two terms that come up constantly in California criminal record searches:

• Sealed records still exist but are hidden from public view. Third parties typically need a court order to access them. The subject can request access to their own sealed records. Importantly, once a record is sealed, the subject may generally represent that they have no criminal history in most civil and employment contexts.
• Expunged records (technically "dismissed" under California law via Penal Code Section 1203.4) are removed from public view and treated as though a conviction never occurred - at least for most purposes. They still appear on DOJ RAP sheets with a notation of "dismissed per PC 1203.4," but generally don't appear on standard employment background checks.

Arrest record sealing under Penal Code Section 851.87 applies when no conviction resulted from an arrest. Sealed arrest records generally won't appear on most background checks, which matters significantly for people seeking housing or employment in California.

To petition for expungement in California, you file a "Petition for Relief" with the Superior Court in the county where the conviction occurred. Filing fees are $60 for a misdemeanor or infraction and $120 for a felony, though the court may waive these fees for indigent petitioners. After filing, it typically takes the court at least 8 to 10 weeks to decide on the petition.

The Faster Alternative: Galadon's Free Criminal Records Search

The official California channels are authoritative - but they're also slow, fragmented, and built for different use cases than most people actually have. If you're a landlord screening a tenant, a recruiter doing basic due diligence, a business owner vetting a contractor, or someone trying to verify who they're dealing with, waiting weeks for a DOJ RAP sheet isn't practical.

Galadon's Criminal Records Search pulls from sex offender registries, corrections records, arrest records, and court records nationwide - including California - without the fingerprinting requirement or multi-week wait. It's built for exactly the situations where you need real information quickly, not a certified government document for a court proceeding.

The tool is particularly useful when you need to screen across multiple counties or states at once. Because California's official records are siloed by county, manually checking 58 different court systems isn't realistic. A comprehensive third-party search aggregates those sources into a single report, saving hours of work.

For professionals who need to run these checks regularly - property managers, hiring teams, sales reps doing prospect research - pairing the Criminal Records Search with Galadon's Background Checker gives you a more complete picture that includes trust scores and additional identity verification layers.

If you're screening someone in a real estate context - for example, vetting a buyer, seller, or property manager before a transaction - Galadon's Property Search tool can surface owner names, contact information, and address history for any U.S. address, which pairs well with a criminal records search for full due diligence.

Common Mistakes People Make When Searching California Criminal Records

Even experienced researchers make avoidable errors when navigating California's criminal records system. Here are the most common ones:

• Searching only one county. If the person has lived in multiple California counties, each county's court system is independent. A felony conviction in Riverside will not appear in a Los Angeles County court search. Always search every county where the person has lived or worked.
• Assuming online records are complete. Many California courts only have digitized records going back a certain number of years. Older cases may exist only in paper files at the courthouse. If you're doing thorough due diligence, an in-person visit or written request may be necessary for historical records.
• Confusing arrest records with convictions. An arrest record does not mean someone was convicted. California arrest records may include incidents where charges were never filed or where the person was acquitted. Treating an arrest as equivalent to a conviction is both legally risky and factually inaccurate - especially in an employment or housing context where California's Fair Employment and Housing Act places specific restrictions on how arrest records can be used.
• Forgetting about federal criminal records. California Superior Courts only handle state-law violations. If someone has a federal criminal history - for fraud, drug trafficking, or other federal offenses - those records are maintained by the U.S. District Court system, not the state courts. You need to search PACER separately for federal case records.
• Not verifying identity before running a check. Common names produce multiple results. Without a date of birth, middle name, or other identifying details, you risk confusing two people with the same name. Always confirm identity before acting on any search result.

Quick Reference: Which Method to Use

• Need your own official record for immigration or licensing? - California DOJ Live Scan process (Form BCIA 8016RR)
• Looking up a specific court case? - County Superior Court search portal
• Checking on a known incarcerated person? - CDCR inmate locator (state prison) or county sheriff website (county jail)
• Screening for sex offenses? - California Megan's Law registry at meganslaw.ca.gov
• Researching a juvenile case? - File an 827 Petition with the relevant Juvenile Court (authorized parties only)
• Looking for federal criminal records? - PACER system at pacer.uscourts.gov
• Running a fast, multi-source check for business or personal due diligence? - Galadon Criminal Records Search
• Need full background including trust scores? - Galadon Background Checker

California's criminal record system is decentralized by design. For one-off official requests, working through the DOJ or county courts is the right call. For everything else - ongoing screening, quick lookups, multi-county searches, or national checks - a tool that aggregates those sources without the paperwork is the more practical option. The key is knowing which channel matches your actual use case before you spend time and money going down the wrong path.