Search Santa Cruz Court Records

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Santa Cruz County, California Court Records

Santa Cruz County court records are official documents generated during a court proceeding and preserved as reliable proof of crucial case events and outcomes. These include pleadings, motions, affidavits, exhibits, court orders, the final judgment, and other legal documents presented during a court action.

In Santa Cruz County, the Superior Court serves as the court of first instance for most legal disputes. After a case ends, all of the documents filed and submitted in a Superior Court case must be received, processed, and preserved by the Clerk of Court. The handling and organization of these records follow the California Rules of Court.

Although officially categorized as court records, court documents are often linked to public records held by other government authorities in so many ways. They may serve to support or counter their validity in certain instances. For instance, a divorce record may serve as evidence that a marriage for which a license was issued by the Santa Cruz County Recorder’s Office has officially been dissolved.

Are Santa Cruz County Court Records Public?

Santa Cruz County court records are generally considered public documents. Members of the public may access most court documents, but not all of them. Per the California Public Records Act, some records (or some details in the record) are confidential and therefore not open to the public. These include sensitive medical and health history, trade secrets, details relating to juveniles, and financial account information.

In addition, court rules restrict how and where certain records are to be viewed. According to California Rules of Court 2.503(c), the following records are not permitted to be viewed online except at the courthouse:

  • Family law cases
  • Guardianship and conservatorship
  • Criminal proceedings
  • Mental health proceedings
  • Gun violence
  • Restraining order cases
  • Elder or dependent adult cases under Welfare and Institutions Code section 15657.03; and
  • Civil harassment proceedings.

What Information is Available in Santa Cruz County Court Records?

Santa Cruz County court records usually contain the following information:

Criminal Records include:

  • Defendant’s full name and any known aliases
  • Docket number and mugshot
  • List of charges filed
  • Arrest and bench warrants
  • Dates of arraignments, pretrial hearings, and trial dates.
  • Sentencing, conviction, and court verdict.

Civil Records include:

  • Full names of the plaintiffs and defendants;
  • Petitions filed by the parties;
  • Details of the dispute or personal injury;
  • Amount of damages asked by the plaintiff ;
  • Services of the petition on the defendant;
  • Judgment of the Court.

Family Records Includes:

  • Petition for dissolution of marriage;
  • Marriage Certificates;
  • Certificate on marriage reconciliation;
  • Court orders on child custody schedules and maintenance;
  • Evidence on Domestic Violence or Adultery;
  • Court restraining Orders;
  • Certificates for co-parenting classes.

Probate Records Include:

  • Valid will of a testator;
  • Inventory of their property;
  • A letter of administration or Probate.
  • Details of the Executors appointed;
  • Filings on Assent, management, and distribution of the asset.

Santa Cruz County Court Records Search

There are several reliable resources for viewing and obtaining copies of Santa Cruz County court records.

Online

Santa Cruz County court records can be viewed from anywhere with an internet connection using the Santa Cruz Court Portal. Registration is required. While searches can still be conducted by unregistered users, search results may return limited information. The Portal allows users to search for specific court records by entering the full or partial name of a party to the case in the search field. They can also search by entering the case number.

In-Person

Individuals seeking court records may visit the courthouse to look up information on the public access terminal (a court-provided computer stationed at the courthouse lobby) or submit a Research and Copy Request Form. Records opened prior to 1985 can only be viewed through the microfiche in person.

The courthouse address is:

Santa Cruz Branch
701 Ocean Street,
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Watsonville Branch
1 Second Street Watsonville,
CA 95076

Email and Phone: A written enquiry on any records can be sent to the court email at courtrecords@sabtacruzcourt.org, or the court can be contacted for further assistance at (831)420-2200

Fees for Court Records in Santa Cruz County

Record copies and certain services rendered by the court staff are fee-based:

  • Copy per page - 50 cents
  • Certified copy of a divorce judgment - $15.00 (in addition to the 50 cents per page copy fees)
  • Certification fee - $40.00 (in addition to 50 cents per page per copy fees)
  • Search for records of files over 10 minutes - $15.00
  • Cost Recovery Fee - $1.00 invoice
  • Credit card surcharge - 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction for Visa, Mastercard, Discover

Santa Cruz County Courthouse Locations

The court locations in Santa Cruz County are listed below:

Santa Cruz County Superior Court - Main Courthouse

701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Phone: 831-420-2200

The Main Courthouse of Santa Cruz Superior Court hears civil, criminal, probate, and traffic cases.

Santa Cruz County Superior Court - Watsonville Court

1 Second Street, Watsonville, CA 95076

Phone: 831-786-7200

The Santa Cruz County Superior Court in Watsonville hears limited civil, family law, juvenile, and small claims cases.

Criminal Records Access in Santa Cruz County Courthouse Locations

State-wide criminal background checks fall within the jurisdiction of the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ maintains the California Criminal History System, a centralized criminal record repository that contains arrest, booking, and jail information submitted by the police, Sheriff’s offices, and courts in counties across the state.

If an individual wishes to find out whether a potential business partner, tenant, or employee has a prior criminal history, the DOJ can assist by comparing fingerprint information with its own extensive fingerprint information database. Applicants will need to visit a certified live scan location where their fingerprint impression will be collected and then transmitted to the DOJ for processing. To do this, they will need to complete a BCIA 8016, Request for Live Scan Service form.

The DOJ will send the result back to the authorized requester named in the form.

For county criminal records, contact the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Records Bureau:

5200 Soquel Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Phone:
(831) 454-7600

Santa Cruz County Probate Records

Santa Cruz probate records document how a person’s estate was managed after death, according to the person’s will or if no will exists, under California law. When a person dies, personal representatives, usually the executors named in the will, must seek the court’s authority to manage the deceased’s estate, including their property, finances, and debt. The process begins with the court validating the will and issuing legal authority for the estate to be administered.

In Santa Cruz County, wills and probate-related filings are handled by the Superior Court Probate Division. Common probate filings include;

  • Petition for probate (the initial filing that starts the Probate process)
  • Letters testamentary or letters of administration
  • Inventory and appraisal (the heirs must file an inventory of the deceased person’s estate)
  • Creditor claims/accounting filings
  • Petition for final distribution
  • Guardianship for minors
  • Conservatorship

Santa Cruz County probate records are public records, and can be accessed online through the Santa Cruz County Court Portal or by submitting the Research and Copy Request Form to Room 110 at the courthouse. However, per the California Rules of Court, guardianship and conservatorship records can only be viewed online at the courthouse.

Note: Some records are confidential, and others may be sealed in compliance with a court order. Restricted records cannot be viewed without a corresponding court order permitting access.

Santa Cruz County Family Court Records

In Santa Cruz County, the Family Division of the Superior Court oversees a variety of family law-related matters such as divorce, identifying a child’s legal parents, determining custody and visitation rules, establishing or enforcing child and spousal support, dealing with domestic violence issues, adoptions, and restraining orders.

Santa Cruz County family court records are public, but court rules determine where and how they may be viewed. Family law court records cannot be viewed online except through public access terminals at the courthouse or by submitting a Research and Copy Request Form.

The completed form can be delivered in person to Room 110 or sent by email or postal mail to:

Family Division:

Superior Court of California,

County of Santa Cruz,

701 Ocean Street, Room 110,

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Federal Court Records in Santa Cruz County

Federal courts have jurisdiction over certain cases, such as bankruptcy, intellectual property, counterfeiting, mail fraud, and immigration offenses. Records of these cases are typically not available in any county or state case search tool, because they are handled by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Nonetheless, the records of these cases and other specified cases are public documents, subject to federal laws such as the Freedom of Information Act, which restrict access to sensitive or confidential records or information.

How to Access Federal Records

The Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system serves as an online search tool for non-confidential federal court records. Through this system, individuals can search, view, and print federal case documents, dockets, and opinions online.

  • Those interested in viewing federal court records must register at pacer.uscourts.gov. The PACER Case Locator tool provides search options for appellate, district, and bankruptcy cases. Specific records can be identified by case number or the full names of a party to the case.
  • In-Person (Courthouse): The District Court Clerk’s Office also accepts in-person requests. In addition, there are Public Access computers at the courthouse location that allow users to view and print records by themselves.

Note: PACER is a fee-based service, though fees may be waived if a user earns less than $30.00 a quarter. Some records may be sealed or restricted for privacy reasons.

Santa Cruz County Court