Which San Francisco County courthouse hears your case?

San Francisco County's criminal cases are heard mainly at the Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, with some matters assigned instead to the Civic Center Courthouse or the Community Justice Center. A citation, notice to appear, or release paperwork from an actual arrest names the court and the date and time to appear.

This guide is part of the firm's California courthouse and jail directory. For whether someone was just arrested and booked, the court sends people to the Sheriff, who runs the San Francisco County Jail: call (415) 553-1430 or use the lookup covered below.

Which courthouses hear a San Francisco criminal case?

Most San Francisco criminal cases are heard at the Hall of Justice, with some matters assigned instead to the Civic Center Courthouse or the Community Justice Center.

The Criminal Division states plainly that "criminal cases are heard in the Hall of Justice Building, 850 Bryant St. (between 6th and 7th Streets)," and that "some criminal cases are heard in the Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister St., and the Community Justice Center, 575 Polk St." The Community Justice Center, run from the Polk Street Annex, is one of the court's collaborative courts: it hears criminal cases from the Tenderloin, Civic Center, Union Square, and South of Market neighborhoods through a restorative-justice approach rather than a standard criminal calendar.

San Francisco's three criminal court locations.

To confirm exactly which department hears a specific case, the Criminal Division directs people to "review the Daily Calendar for criminal and traffic hearings, which is displayed on an electronic wall monitor outside Room 101, Monday-Friday," or to call the Clerk's Office at (415) 551-0651.

How do you find your case and court date in San Francisco?

The Superior Court's own Criminal Case Query tool looks up a case by number or by the defendant's or attorney's name, and a separate Case Calendar shows scheduled hearings.

San Francisco's Online Services page offers a "Criminal Case Query," described as a way to "Search for Criminal Cases by Case Number, Defendant Name and Attorney Name," and a "Case Calendar" that covers scheduled hearings "up to 120 calendar days from today." A third tool, the weekly-updated Case Index, covers the cumulative criminal index. The Criminal Clerk's Office, Room 101 at the Hall of Justice, answers general questions at (415) 551-0651.

Whether someone is actually in county custody is a separate check. The Sheriff's Office, not the court, runs San Francisco's jails, and its own Find a Person in Jail tool is the way to check that, separate from looking up the case itself.

What happens at your first San Francisco court appearance?

At arraignment, the judge states the charge and your right to counsel on the record, and a person held in custody must be brought there within a strict deadline.

For a person held in custody, Penal Code section 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." It does not apply to someone already cited and released, and it is a deadline for reaching a judge, not a charging deadline or a promise of release. When those 48 hours would expire while court is not in session, section 825(a)(2) extends that time "to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following." The same subdivision adds a specific Wednesday rule: "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 that first appearance, the judge must tell you the charge and your right to counsel at every stage (Penal Code section 858(a)); on a felony, you also get a copy of the complaint, a direct question about whether you want a lawyer, and reasonable time to arrange one (Penal Code section 859). Arraignment itself is the court reading the charging document, handing over a copy (on a misdemeanor complaint, only if you ask), and taking your plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest (Penal Code section 988). For a fuller walkthrough that applies anywhere in California, see the firm's answer on what happens at a California arraignment.

How does bail work in a San Francisco criminal case?

San Francisco Superior Court publishes its own felony and misdemeanor bail schedule, but once a judge actually sets bail, that judge's own amount controls instead.

The court's current document, the Felony & Misdemeanor Bail Index and Schedule, effective July 1, 2026, is one of several local fee and bail schedules it posts, alongside the statewide schedule and earlier years' editions. Before a person appears before a judge, bail is the amount on the arrest warrant or, absent a warrant, that county schedule; once a judge sets bail at an appearance, the judge's own amount controls instead (Penal Code section 1269b(b)). The schedule amount is only ever a starting point: under In re Humphrey (2021), a judge who requires money bail must also consider the person's ability to pay and whether a nonfinancial condition could reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the person's appearance in court. In re Kowalczyk, decided by the California Supreme Court in April 2026, adds that in a noncapital case a judge may deny bail outright only for the offenses California Constitution article I, section 12(b) and (c) describe, and that when money bail is required it "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable."

Can you appear remotely in a San Francisco criminal case?

The court's Criminal Division page sets no remote-appearance rule of its own, so Penal Code section 977 and the judge handling the case decide whether video is allowed.

Under section 977, a misdemeanor defendant may appear through a lawyer alone, and with the defendant's own agreement most proceedings, other than a jury or court trial, may be conducted remotely; a misdemeanor domestic violence case and certain protective-order violations still require the defendant's presence at arraignment and sentencing, and a judge may order presence in a misdemeanor DUI case. A felony defendant must be physically present at arraignment, plea, the preliminary hearing, the evidence portion of trial, and sentencing, unless that right is waived; even then, there is no remote jury or court trial, and no remote felony sentencing apart from postconviction relief and as otherwise provided by law. Ask the Clerk's Office or your attorney whether a specific hearing can be done by video.

What should you expect when you get to the courthouse?

Every person entering a San Francisco courthouse goes through security screening, and the court's own rules set a dress code and a list of items that are never allowed inside.

The Criminal Clerk's Office at the Hall of Justice answers phones Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a drop box open until 4:00 p.m. The court's Court Etiquette and Security page requires everyone entering to clear a metal detector and have bags screened by x-ray, bars sunglasses and tank tops in the courtroom, and lists firearms, stun guns, knives longer than two inches, pepper spray, and large tools among items security never allows inside. Cell phones and recording devices must be off before you enter a courtroom.

Who handles a San Francisco criminal case?

San Francisco's District Attorney prosecutes criminal charges countywide, the Public Defender's Office represents people who cannot afford a lawyer, and the Adult Probation Department supervises people on probation.

San Francisco offices in a criminal case.

Someone who cannot pay for a lawyer can ask for one at the arraignment. California law requires a court to appoint counsel for someone who wants one and cannot afford it (Penal Code section 987(a)), and the Public Defender represents that person "without expense to the defendant" (Government Code section 27706(a)). See the firm's answer on a public defender versus a private attorney for how the two compare.

Does San Francisco have collaborative or treatment courts?

Yes, San Francisco Superior Court runs several collaborative court calendars built around treatment for qualifying defendants rather than a standard criminal docket.

The court's own Collaborative Courts page names a Behavioral Health Court, the Community Justice Center described above, a Drug Court, a Family Treatment Court, a Juvenile Reentry Court, statutory Mental Health Diversion, a Veterans Justice Court, and a Young Adult Court for people 18 to 25. Each program has its own eligibility rules; ask your attorney whether a specific charge could qualify.

What if you miss a San Francisco court date?

Missing a required court date can lead to a bench warrant, and in some cases to a separate charge of its own.

After a bail or own-recognizance release, a judge may, but does not have to, issue a bench warrant when a defendant fails to appear as required (Penal Code section 978.5(a)); after a signed citation without bail, Penal Code section 853.8 says the magistrate "shall issue" a warrant within 20 days of the missed date. Willfully breaking a written promise to appear is itself a separate misdemeanor, regardless of what happens with the original charge (Penal Code section 853.7), and a judge handling a bail case must declare the bail forfeited in open court when a defendant fails to appear without a sufficient excuse (Penal Code section 1305(a)(1)).

Talk to a lawyer about your San Francisco case

Once a judge takes up a San Francisco criminal charge, the judge decides bail and the conditions of release, so talk to a lawyer before that hearing. 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 online. See also the firm's San Francisco criminal defense page.

Frequently asked questions

Which courthouse hears a felony case from San Francisco?

Most felony cases are heard at the Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant Street. Your citation, notice to appear, or release paperwork from the actual arrest names the court and the date and time to appear.

How much is bail in San Francisco?

San Francisco's current bail schedule is the "Felony & Misdemeanor Bail Index and Schedule, effective July 1, 2026." A judge can set a different amount at an actual appearance, and money bail must generally be reasonably attainable for that person.

Do I need a lawyer at my first San Francisco court appearance?

You have the right to one. The judge must tell you about your right to counsel at every stage (Penal Code section 858(a)), and if you want a lawyer and cannot afford one, the court must appoint counsel (Penal Code section 987(a)).

Can my San Francisco public defender appear for me without me being there?

In a misdemeanor-only case, a defendant may appear through counsel alone under Penal Code section 977(a)(1), with limited exceptions such as arraignment and sentencing in a domestic violence case. A felony defendant cannot simply send a lawyer to the key stages: they must attend in person, or by video after waiving physical presence where Penal Code section 977 allows it.

What happens if I miss my San Francisco court date?

A judge may issue a bench warrant (Penal Code section 978.5(a)), and after a signed citation without bail the magistrate must issue one within 20 days (Penal Code section 853.8). Willfully breaking a written promise to appear is a separate misdemeanor (Penal Code section 853.7). Contact your attorney immediately rather than waiting.

Is there a cost to have an interpreter in a San Francisco criminal case?

California's Constitution gives a person who cannot understand English a right to an interpreter throughout a criminal case (Cal. Const., art. I, section 14), and in a criminal action the cost is a charge against the court, not the defendant (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)).