San Diego County Felony Records

San Diego County felony records are held by the Superior Court and the Sheriff Department. The court keeps case files for all felony charges filed in the county. An online index lets you search for case numbers and basic details from home. Criminal case documents must be viewed in person at the courthouse or requested by mail. The Sheriff runs a Who's In Jail database that shows current inmates and recent bookings. District Attorney case info is also available online. San Diego is the second most populous county in California with over 3 million people.

San Diego Superior Court Case Records

The San Diego Superior Court runs a free online case search at courtindex.sdcourt.ca.gov. You can find case numbers and locations for civil, criminal, family court, mental health, and probate matters. Enter a name to search for criminal cases. The system shows basic case info like case number, filing date, and courthouse location. The search is free with no fees or registration required.

Criminal case documents are not available online. You must view them in person at the courthouse where the case was heard or request copies by mail. Call the criminal division at the courthouse to ask about copy fees and procedures. Civil limited and misdemeanor records may only be available for 10 years at some locations. Juvenile cases, traffic and minor offense cases, and cases from before 1974 are not included in the online index.

The court has multiple branch locations. The main downtown courthouse is at 330 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101. Other criminal courts are in El Cajon, Chula Vista, Vista, and other cities. Each branch handles cases for its region. The online portal shows which courthouse a case is at. Visit sdcourt.ca.gov for contact info and hours. Most courthouses are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Arrest Records and Inmate Lookup

The San Diego County Sheriff runs the Who's In Jail database at apps.sdsheriff.net/wij. Search by name to find current inmates in county jails. The site shows booking date, charges, bail amount, and facility location. Data updates regularly. The website goes offline each Wednesday at noon for maintenance. Use the search at other times to get current custody info.

For local criminal history reports, contact the Sheriff at Booking.Records@sdsheriff.org. You can also visit in person at 9621 Ridgehaven Ct, San Diego, CA 92123 during business hours Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Or mail requests to P.O. Box 939062, San Diego, CA 92193-9062. Local criminal history refers only to arrests compiled by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office under California Penal Code sections 13300 through 13326.

Fees for local criminal history reports are $14.00 plus a credit card transaction fee of $3.00 or debit card fee of $2.50. Processing time is 3 to 10 business days. For general questions, call the main office at (858) 974-2222. The Sheriff provides law enforcement for unincorporated areas and some contract cities in the county. Many cities have their own police departments that handle arrests in their jurisdiction.

District Attorney Felony Case Info

The San Diego County District Attorney prosecutes all felony crimes in the county. They keep a case information portal at caseinformation.sdcda.org. This site provides public access to some case details. For questions about a specific prosecution or case status, contact the DA office through their website. Most felony case records are found through the Superior Court portal, not the DA site. The DA handles prosecution while the court keeps the official case files.

Finding San Diego County Felony Records

Start at the court index. Go to courtindex.sdcourt.ca.gov and enter a name. The system returns case numbers and basic info. Write down the case number and courthouse location. If you need documents, visit that courthouse in person or call to request copies by mail. The clerk will tell you the fees and how long it takes to process your request.

For current inmates, use the Sheriff's Who's In Jail tool. This shows people who are in custody right now. For past arrest records, request a local criminal history report from the Sheriff by email or mail. The report covers arrests made by the Sheriff's office only. City police departments keep their own arrest records. Contact the police department directly for records of arrests they made.

If you know the person was arrested recently, check the booking log or call the jail. Sheriff staff can tell you if someone is in custody and what the charges are. The main phone is (858) 974-2222. For victim notification when an offender is released, register with VINE at (877) 846-3452 or visit vinelink.com. The service is free and works across California.

Major Cities in San Diego County

San Diego County includes the city of San Diego and many other cities. Other cities with populations over 100,000 are Chula Vista and Oceanside. Felony cases from any city in the county are filed in Superior Court. Each city may have its own police department. Arrest records are kept by the agency that made the arrest. Court records are centralized through the Superior Court system.

Nearby Counties

San Diego County borders Orange County to the north and Riverside County to the northeast. Imperial County is to the east. Each county has its own court and sheriff system. If a case was filed in another county, you must search that county's records. Use the links above to access felony records in neighboring counties.