What criminal cases does the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse hear?

The Rancho Cucamonga District, 8303 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730, is the San Bernardino County Superior Court's felony and misdemeanor courthouse for the western valley, including Fontana, Rialto, Ontario, Upland, Chino, Chino Hills and Rancho Cucamonga itself. Its criminal line is (909) 350-9764.

Which criminal cases does Rancho Cucamonga District hear?

The court's own filing list sends felony and misdemeanor cases from the western valley's cities and communities here, including Fontana, whose courthouse takes no felony or misdemeanor filings.

The Superior Court's "Where Can I File?" page states plainly: "Felony" and "Misdemeanors" are "Filings Accepted" at the Rancho Cucamonga District, with an "Areas Served" list naming "Alta Loma, Chino and Chino Hills, Etiwanda, Guasti, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, parts of Pomona and unincorporated area of Mt. Baldy, Fontana, Rialto, Crestmore, Bloomington, and unincorporated areas of Lytle Creek." A separate Civil Division sits in the same building for limited and unlimited civil matters, CEQA cases, labor board appeals and writs of mandate, so the building is not exclusively criminal even though this district's criminal filing list is. Exactly which courthouse applies to a given arrest is ultimately controlled by the citation, notice to appear or release paperwork in hand; the firm's San Bernardino County courthouse assignment guide walks through how the county's four main criminal courthouses divide up the rest of the county.

Which department hears a Rancho Cucamonga case?

The building splits its criminal calendar across roughly a dozen departments by custody status, case number and hearing type, as the court's own schedule of assignments lays it out.

Caption: Criminal department assignments at the Rancho Cucamonga District, from the court's own schedule of assignments.

The split above comes from the Superior Court's own schedule of assignments, dated November 2, 2026, and case-number ranges can change between revisions, so the department on a specific citation, notice to appear or court minute order controls over this table.

How do you find your case and court date?

The court's Case Information tool takes a case or citation number directly from the paperwork, and its own FAQ and instructional videos page explains the portal's other features.

Start with the number printed on the citation, notice to appear, arrest paperwork or bail receipt and enter it in the Superior Court's Court Access Portal. A person still in San Bernardino County custody can also be looked up through the Sheriff's Inmate Locator, though that tool's own results page warns it may not show the current court date. For general county-wide steps rather than this one building, see the firm's San Bernardino County criminal court guide.

What happens at arraignment, and what deadline comes first?

A person held in custody must be brought before a judge within 48 hours, Sundays and holidays excluded; cited and released defendants instead follow the date on their own paperwork.

Penal Code 825(a)(1) requires that "the defendant shall in all cases be taken before the magistrate without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays," and that clock runs only for someone held in custody, not for a person who was cited and released. When the 48 hours would expire while court is closed, subdivision (a)(2) carries the deadline "to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following," with a further rule that "when the defendant's arrest occurs on a Wednesday after the conclusion of the day's court session, and if the Wednesday is not a court holiday, the defendant shall be taken before the magistrate not later than the following Friday, if the Friday is not a court holiday." At arraignment itself, the charges are read, the right to counsel is addressed, and a plea is entered. After that, a felony defendant has a right to a preliminary hearing within 10 court days of arraignment or plea, whichever is later, absent a waiver or good cause (Penal Code 859b), and trial must begin within 60 days of arraignment on a felony information or indictment, or, for a misdemeanor, within 30 days after arraignment or plea, whichever is later, for someone in custody and 45 days for everyone else, again absent a waiver or good cause (Penal Code 1382). A fuller walk-through of the hearing itself is in the firm's step by step guide to a California arraignment.

Bail at Rancho Cucamonga District

Before a first court appearance, bail is the arrest warrant's amount or, without a warrant, San Bernardino County's written schedule; after that appearance, a judge sets it individually.

The county's Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026 and revised June 4, 2026, states it is "to be used as a guideline" and that "all bailable offenses are subject to an individualized determination by a magistrate," adding that "pre-arraignment bail amounts are not binding on judicial officers at arraignment." At that hearing, the California Supreme Court's decision in In re Kowalczyk (April 30, 2026) controls: in a noncapital case a judge "has the authority to deny bail only as to offenses specified in section 12, subdivisions (b) and (c)" of the state Constitution, and otherwise "bail must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable," building on In re Humphrey's 2021 requirement that a judge consider a defendant's ability to pay and nonfinancial release conditions before setting a money bail amount. The firm's how California bail amounts are set answer covers how a defense lawyer can ask the court to change the figure once it has been set.

Can you appear remotely at Rancho Cucamonga District?

Sometimes: after a waiver, Penal Code 977 lets many criminal hearings proceed remotely, with limits on trials and felony sentencing, and the court's Remote Access page lists no criminal option.

Whether a defendant personally must appear for a particular hearing is a matter of Penal Code 977, not of a general court technology page: a misdemeanor defendant may appear through counsel alone for most hearings, subject to exceptions for domestic violence charges, protective order violations and a DUI judge's own order, while a felony defendant must be physically present at arraignment, the plea, the preliminary hearing, the evidence portions of trial and sentencing, though a waiver can move the steps before trial to remote technology. Two things that waiver cannot do: "a defendant charged with a felony or misdemeanor shall not appear remotely for a jury trial or court trial," and "a defendant charged with a felony shall not appear remotely at sentencing, except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law" (Penal Code 977(c)(1)(D), (E)). The Remote Access page sends people to CourtCall, 888-882-6878, to schedule a remote appearance "for matters scheduled on participating calendars"; confirm directly with the assigned department, or through defense counsel, before counting on a remote appearance in a criminal matter at this building.

Getting into Rancho Cucamonga District

The clerk's office keeps 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekday hours, except court holidays, and every visitor passes through weapons screening at the door.

The Superior Court's weapons screening policy applies here as at its other buildings: visitors "will be required to pass through weapons screening and have all loose and hand-carried items x-rayed," and the prohibited list reaches past firearms and knives to pepper spray, scissors, laser pointers and multiple other everyday items, with narrow exceptions for law enforcement and authorized construction or repair work. A drop box at the front entrance takes properly completed documents, proof of program completion and fine payments by check or money order, not cash, and any document deposited before 4:00 p.m. is received the same day. From the I-10 at Haven Avenue, go north to Civic Center Drive and turn right; from the I-15 at Foothill Boulevard, go west to Aspen, turn left and go about two blocks to the entrance on the right. Public parking sits on the courthouse's south, east and west sides.

Who prosecutes and defends a case here?

The District Attorney's West Valley Division, the Public Defender's Rancho Cucamonga/West Valley Division and a Probation Department unit all keep offices inside this same courthouse.

Caption: Prosecution, defense and probation offices at the Rancho Cucamonga District.

A defendant who appears at arraignment without a lawyer and cannot afford one is entitled to have counsel appointed (Penal Code 987(a)), and the Public Defender's office represents that person "without expense to the defendant" under Government Code 27706(a). The firm's San Bernardino County public defender guide covers how appointment and eligibility work in more detail.

Collaborative calendars at Rancho Cucamonga

Department R-11 hears the court's Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Veteran's Treatment Court and P.R.I.D.E. calendars on set days, alongside a separate Fontana-area drug court session.

By the court's own November 2, 2026 schedule of assignments, Department R-11 runs Drug Court Screenings on Monday, a Fontana Drug Court session on Tuesday, Mental Health Court Screenings every Wednesday with the Mental Health Court calendar on the first and third Wednesday, Veteran's Treatment Court Screenings and sessions on the second and fourth Wednesday, a P.R.I.D.E. calendar and the Redlands and San Bernardino Drug Court sessions on Thursday, and a Rancho Drug Court session on Friday. Drug Court, Mental Health Court and Veteran's Treatment Court each have their own screening calendar, so a case is screened before it joins one of them.

Talk to a lawyer about a Rancho Cucamonga case

If you or a family member has a case at Rancho Cucamonga District, talk to a lawyer before the next court date. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, available 24 hours a day, with payment plans and service in Spanish. Call (800) 755-5174 or request a free consultation. The firm's Rancho Cucamonga office, 8333 Foothill Boulevard, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730, (909) 748-5272, is on its Rancho Cucamonga criminal defense page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Rancho Cucamonga District only for criminal cases?

No. Its own case list names felony and misdemeanor matters, but the court's schedule of assignments shows several civil departments, including civil limited and unlimited matters and CEQA cases, operating in the same building.

What if my court papers say Fontana but I was told to come to Rancho Cucamonga?

Go where the paperwork says. The court's filing list gives the Fontana courthouse traffic, infraction and several civil matters but no felony or misdemeanor filings, so felony and misdemeanor cases from Fontana and Rialto are filed here; call the criminal line, (909) 350-9764, if the papers seem wrong.

Does a Drug Court or Mental Health Court spot happen automatically?

No. The court's schedule lists screening calendars for Drug Court, Mental Health Court and Veteran's Treatment Court, so a case is screened in the criminal case before it joins one; defense counsel can ask about eligibility.

Can a family member find out if someone is in county jail tonight?

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Inmate Locator is the starting point for custody status; the firm's countywide San Bernardino County jails guide covers lookup, booking and release in more depth.

What happens if someone misses a court date here?

The Superior Court's own Criminal Division page warns that "if you don't show up in court, a warrant may be issued for your arrest," and Penal Code 978.5 allows a bench warrant after a missed date following release on bail, own recognizance or a signed citation. The firm's what to do about a California bench warrant answer sets out the options once one has issued.

Is there a fee to look up a case online?

The court's own site does not post a search fee for its Court Access Portal; call the Rancho Cucamonga criminal line at (909) 350-9764 if a specific case cannot be located.