This directory lists every courthouse and jail guide on this site by county. To find the court handling a case, check the citation or notice to appear: for a misdemeanor release, Penal Code 853.6 requires the notice to contain "the time when, and place where" the person must appear in court. To find someone in custody, use the official inmate locator, such as the county sheriff's.
Los Angeles County comes first, then Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, then the rest in alphabetical order. Each table starts with any countywide guide, then lists courthouses, jails and other county guides, such as a public defender or DUI program guide. A courthouse marked as hearing no felony or misdemeanor cases has a guide that explains where those cases go instead.
Jump to a county: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Merced, Napa, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Tulare, Ventura or Yolo. The official lookup tools follow the county lists.
Los Angeles County court and jail guides
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County Superior Court | Countywide court guide | Los Angeles County criminal court guide |
| Los Angeles County Superior Court | Which courthouse hears a case | Which Los Angeles County courthouse will hear my criminal case? |
| Airport Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Airport Courthouse guide |
| Alhambra Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Alhambra Courthouse guide |
| Antelope Valley Courthouse (Lancaster) | Criminal courthouse | Antelope Valley Courthouse guide |
| Beverly Hills Courthouse | Courthouse with no felony or misdemeanor cases | Beverly Hills Courthouse guide |
| Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center | Criminal courthouse | Foltz Criminal Justice Center guide |
| Compton Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Compton Courthouse guide |
| Downey Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Downey Courthouse guide |
| El Monte Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | El Monte Courthouse guide |
| Long Beach Courthouse (Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse) | Criminal courthouse | Long Beach Courthouse guide |
| Norwalk Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Norwalk Courthouse guide |
| Pasadena Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Pasadena Courthouse guide |
| Pomona Courthouse South | Criminal courthouse | Pomona Courthouse guide |
| Van Nuys Courthouse West | Criminal courthouse | Van Nuys Courthouse guide |
| West Covina Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | West Covina Courthouse guide |
| Los Angeles County jails | County jail system | LA County jail inmate search guide |
| Los Angeles County jails | Posting bail | How do I post bail for someone booked into Los Angeles County jail? |
| Century Regional Detention Facility | Jail | Century Regional Detention Facility guide |
| Men's Central Jail | Jail | Men's Central Jail guide |
| Pitchess Detention Center | Jail | Pitchess Detention Center guide |
| Twin Towers Correctional Facility | Jail | Twin Towers Correctional Facility guide |
| Van Nuys Area Jail | City police jail (LAPD) | Van Nuys Jail guide |
| Los Angeles County Public Defender | Public defender's office | Los Angeles County Public Defender guide |
Orange County court and jail guides
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Orange County Superior Court | Countywide court guide | Orange County criminal court guide |
| Orange County Superior Court | Which courthouse hears a case | Which Orange County courthouse will hear my criminal case? |
| Harbor Justice Center (Newport Beach) | Criminal courthouse | Harbor Justice Center guide |
| North Justice Center (Fullerton) | Criminal courthouse | North Justice Center guide |
| West Justice Center (Westminster) | Criminal courthouse | West Justice Center guide |
| Orange County jails | County jail system | Orange County Jail guide |
| Orange County Public Defender | Public defender's office | Orange County Public Defender guide |
| Orange County DUI programs | Court-ordered DUI program | Orange County DUI program guide |
Riverside County court and jail guides
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside County Superior Court | Countywide court guide | Riverside County criminal court guide |
| Riverside County Superior Court | Which courthouse hears a case | Which Riverside County courthouse will hear my criminal case? |
| Larson Justice Center (Indio) | Criminal courthouse | Larson Justice Center guide |
| Moreno Valley Courthouse | Courthouse with no felony or misdemeanor cases | Moreno Valley Courthouse guide |
| Riverside Hall of Justice | Criminal courthouse | Riverside Hall of Justice guide |
| Southwest Justice Center (Murrieta) | Criminal courthouse | Southwest Justice Center guide |
| Riverside County jails | County jail system | Riverside County Jail guide |
| Riverside County Public Defender | Public defender's office | Riverside County Public Defender guide |
San Bernardino County court and jail guides
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino County Superior Court | Countywide court guide | San Bernardino County criminal court guide |
| San Bernardino County Superior Court | Which courthouse hears a case | Which San Bernardino County courthouse will hear my criminal case? |
| Fontana District courthouse | Courthouse with no felony or misdemeanor cases | Fontana courthouse guide |
| Victorville District courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Victorville courthouse guide |
| San Bernardino County jails | County jail system | San Bernardino County jail inmate search guide |
| High Desert Detention Center | Jail | High Desert Detention Center guide |
| West Valley Detention Center | Jail | West Valley Detention Center guide |
San Diego County court and jail guides
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego County Superior Court | Which courthouse hears a case | Which San Diego County courthouse will hear my criminal case? |
| Chula Vista Courthouse (South County Regional Center) | Criminal courthouse | Chula Vista Courthouse guide |
| Vista Courthouse (North County Regional Center) | Criminal courthouse | Vista Courthouse guide |
| San Diego County jails | County jail system | San Diego County jail guide |
| Vista Detention Facility | Jail | Vista Detention Facility guide |
| San Diego County Public Defender | Public defender's office | San Diego County Public Defender guide |
Alameda County criminal court guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County Superior Court | Countywide court guide | Alameda County criminal court guide |
Contra Costa County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg courthouse (Richard E. Arnason Justice Center) | Criminal courthouse | Pittsburg courthouse guide |
Fresno County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno County courthouses | Criminal courthouses, countywide | Fresno County courthouse guide |
Kern County criminal court guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Kern County Superior Court | Countywide court guide | Kern County criminal court guide |
Merced County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Merced County courthouses | Criminal courthouses, countywide | Merced County courthouse guide |
Napa County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Napa County Criminal Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Napa County Courthouse guide |
Sacramento County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento County courthouses | Criminal courthouses, countywide | Sacramento County courthouse guide |
San Francisco County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Hall of Justice, Civic Center Courthouse and Community Justice Center | Criminal courthouses, countywide | San Francisco County courthouse guide |
San Luis Obispo County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo County courthouses | Criminal courthouses, countywide | San Luis Obispo County courthouse guide |
San Mateo County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Hall of Justice (Redwood City) and Northern Branch (South San Francisco) | Criminal courthouses, countywide | San Mateo County courthouse guide |
Santa Barbara County court and jail guides
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County courthouses | Criminal courthouses, countywide | Santa Barbara County courthouse guide |
| Santa Maria Courthouse (Miller Division) | Criminal courthouse | Santa Maria Courthouse guide |
| Santa Barbara County jails | County jail system | Santa Barbara County Jail guide |
Santa Clara County court and jail guides
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County Superior Court | Countywide court guide | Santa Clara County criminal court guide |
| Palo Alto Courthouse | Criminal courthouse | Palo Alto Courthouse guide |
| Santa Clara County Main Jail | Jail | Santa Clara County Main Jail guide |
Santa Cruz County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz courthouse (Santa Cruz Division) | Criminal courthouse | Santa Cruz County courthouse guide |
Stanislaus County court guides
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus County courthouse (Modesto) | Criminal courthouse | Stanislaus County courthouse guide |
| Stanislaus County DUI programs | Court-ordered DUI program | Stanislaus County DUI program guide |
Tulare County jail guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Tulare County jails | County jail system | Tulare County Jail guide |
Ventura County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura County courthouses | Criminal courthouses, countywide | Ventura County courthouse guide |
Yolo County courthouse guide
| Facility | What it is | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Yolo County Courthouse (Woodland) | Criminal courthouse | Yolo County Courthouse guide |
Official tools for finding a case or someone in custody
California has 58 trial courts, one in each county. These official pages lead to the right court and case:
- Find my court lists court locations near a California ZIP code or city.
- Find Your Court lists all 58 superior courts, each linked to its own website.
- The California Courts self-help guide on how to look up a court case says the county courts keep all court records, many courts offer an online case lookup, court websites show only limited information about criminal cases, and a court computer or the clerk may help when a case is not online.
To find someone in custody, search the sheriff's lookup for the county where the person was arrested or is held. These are the official tools named in the guides above:
| County | Sheriff's lookup tool |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Inmate Information Center |
| Orange | Inmate Information System |
| Riverside | Inmate Locator |
| San Bernardino | Inmate Locator |
| San Diego | Who's In Jail |
| Fresno | Incarcerated Person Search |
| Kern | Inmate Search |
| Merced | Inmate Search |
| San Francisco | Find a person in jail |
| San Luis Obispo | Who's in Custody |
| San Mateo | Inmate Locator |
| Santa Barbara | Who Is In Custody |
| Santa Clara | Who's in jail |
| Santa Cruz | Jail Inmate Locator |
| Stanislaus | Who's In Jail |
| Tulare | Inmate Search |
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which courthouse handles my case?
Start with the paperwork. A misdemeanor notice to appear must list the time and place to appear in court under Penal Code 853.6. If the paperwork does not settle it, the "which courthouse" answers for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties explain how those courts assign cases, and the California Courts self-help guide says a court clerk may be able to tell you whether something has been filed and when a court date is scheduled.
Can I look up a criminal case online?
In many courts, yes, on the court's own website. California Courts says online case lookups show basic information such as the documents filed and any court dates, but court websites show only limited information about criminal cases, and a court computer or the clerk may have what the website does not. Use Find Your Court to reach the right court's website. If a citation is not showing up, see what to do when a citation does not appear in the court's online case search.
How do I find someone in jail?
Search the sheriff's lookup for the county where the person was arrested, using the table above, then open the jail guide for that county. A new booking may not appear right away: Los Angeles County's Inmate Information Center says records are not available for bookings made within the last 2 hours. Someone held by a city police department may not appear in the sheriff's search; San Diego's Who's In Jail page, for example, points readers to the Chula Vista Police Department for arrests that department makes. For someone serving a state prison sentence, use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's population search, CIRIS.
What happens at the first court date?
It is usually the arraignment, according to the California Courts arraignment guide: the judge tells the defendant the charges and their rights and sets the next court dates. Under Penal Code 987, a defendant who appears for arraignment without a lawyer must be told of the right to counsel, and the court must assign a lawyer if the defendant wants one and cannot afford one. Someone held in custody generally must be brought before a magistrate without unnecessary delay and within 48 hours after arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays, under Penal Code 825. For each step in order, see what happens at a California arraignment, step by step.
Does every courthouse in this directory hear felony and misdemeanor cases?
No. Three do not. The Los Angeles court lists the Beverly Hills Courthouse for civil, small claims and traffic cases; the Riverside court lists the Moreno Valley Courthouse for small claims, unlawful detainer, civil and traffic matters; and the San Bernardino court's filing list sends felony and misdemeanor cases from Fontana to the Rancho Cucamonga District. The guides for those three courthouses explain where criminal cases from each area go.
What if my county is not listed here?
This directory covers only the counties where this site has a court or jail guide. For any other county, Find Your Court links that county's superior court website and its court locations. For custody, check the website of the agency that runs that county's jail, such as the sheriff.