San Luis Obispo County criminal cases are heard at the San Luis Obispo Courthouse, where the Criminal Branch is at 1050 Monterey Street, Room 220. Under the court's local rules, every felony and misdemeanor arraignment, in custody or not, happens there, wherever the offense occurred. Your citation or release papers give the date and time.
Where San Luis Obispo County criminal cases are heard
The court's judicial assignments place every Criminal Division department in the San Luis Obispo Courthouse; the Paso Robles courthouse hears family law, civil and traffic matters.
San Luis Obispo Superior Court counters and hours
| Location | Address and phone | Counter hours |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Branch | 1050 Monterey Street, Room 220, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408; (805) 706-3600 | Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to noon |
| Paso Robles Branch | 901 Park Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446; (805) 706-3600 | Wednesday and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon |
| Grover Beach Branch | 214 South 16th Street, Grover Beach, CA 93433; (805) 706-3600 | Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to noon |
The court's own Location & Contact Info page posts a notice that "due to budget cuts, our counter and phone hours have changed," and phone lines at all three locations are staffed Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon only. Local Rule 10.03, as amended July 1, 2026, holds the first appearance or arraignment of every felony or misdemeanor defendant, in custody or out, at the San Luis Obispo location, and the court's judicial assignments list every Criminal Division department there. If your paperwork does not name a building, call (805) 706-3600 before you drive over. For broader San Luis Obispo criminal defense topics beyond this specific courthouse, see the firm's San Luis Obispo criminal defense page; its California courthouse and jail directory covers other counties.
How do you find your case and court date?
San Luis Obispo was the first county in California to adopt a statewide case-search platform called re:SearchCA, though looking something up remotely takes a free account.
The court's own Online Case Lookup page states that this "public access site requires registration if accessing remotely," while "kiosks are available in the courthouse that do not require registration." An attorney of record on a case can request expanded portal access to their own cases, typically granted within a business day. Separately, since July 1, 2026 the court no longer provides case summaries in response to third-party requests; its Request for Case Information page says copies cost $0.50 per page, a case summary is free to the defendant, the attorney of record or the victim with identification, and a certified case summary costs $40.
What happens at arraignment, the first court date?
At arraignment the court reads the charge, covers your right to a lawyer, and takes your plea; being held in custody triggers a strict legal deadline to reach that hearing.
Penal Code 825(a)(1) requires that someone held in custody "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," counting Saturdays toward that total. If the 48 hours would run out while court is not in session, Penal Code 825(a)(2) pushes the deadline "to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following," and when the arrest happens on a Wednesday after that day's session already ended, the same subdivision moves the deadline to "not later than the following Friday, if the Friday is not a court holiday." If you were cited and released instead of held, your own paperwork controls the date, and under the court's Local Rule 10.03 the arresting agency must set that date within four weeks for a felony or 90 days for anything else.
How does bail and release work in San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo's own bail schedule only sets a starting figure; everything changes once an actual judge looks at your case.
Under Penal Code 1269b(c), the county's superior court judges must adopt and revise a uniform bail schedule every year, and the current 2026 Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule took effect June 15, 2026 (a separate schedule for infractions took effect August 18, 2026). A sample of the county's own listed figures:
Sample San Luis Obispo County 2026 Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule amounts
| Arrest | Bail |
|---|---|
| Felony not specifically listed in the schedule | $20,000 until arraignment |
| Misdemeanor not specifically listed in the schedule | $0 until arraignment |
| DUI, Vehicle Code 23152, cited under 23536 (first offense, misdemeanor) | $0 |
| DUI with one prior conviction (23152/23540, misdemeanor) | $10,000 |
| DUI with three or more prior convictions within 10 years (23152/23550, misdemeanor) | $25,000 (felony tier: $100,000) |
| Corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, Penal Code 273.5(a) | $15,000 misdemeanor, $50,000 felony (with a prior conviction, $25,000 misdemeanor or $100,000 felony) |
Some charges carry extra rules before a judge can depart from that schedule. Serious and violent felonies (residential burglary excluded), dissuading a witness punished under Penal Code 136.1(c), domestic battery under 243(e)(1), corporal injury under 273.5 or criminal threats under 422 punished as a felony, stalking under 646.9, and a 273.6 order violation where the person threatened to kill or harm the protected party, was violent toward them, or went to their home or workplace all fall under Penal Code 1270.1, which requires a hearing in open court, two court days' notice to each side, before bail is set above or below the schedule or before own recognizance release; the same statute lets a judge raise bail above the schedule without a hearing, on a sworn peace officer's declaration of facts, but only for a bailable felony or a misdemeanor violation of a domestic violence order (Penal Code 1270.1(e)). For a misdemeanor-only arraignment, Penal Code 1270(a) still gives a presumptive right to own recognizance release, unless the court enters specific findings on the record under Penal Code 1275 that release would endanger public safety or fail to reasonably guarantee your return, with public safety outranking every other factor. The California Supreme Court's In re Humphrey (2021) 11 Cal.5th 135 further requires weighing your actual ability to pay and whether nonfinancial conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure your appearance in court, rather than jailing someone purely for lack of funds. In re Kowalczyk (Cal. Supreme Ct., Apr. 30, 2026, S277910) then narrowed when bail may be denied outright, holding that in a noncapital case a court "has the authority to deny bail only as to offenses specified in [Constitution article I,] section 12, subdivisions (b) and (c)," and that any money bail imposed "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable." For the arguments a defense lawyer makes for a lower figure, see how bail amounts are set in California and the firm's bail hearings page.
Can you appear in court remotely?
In a San Luis Obispo criminal case, a video appearance happens when a judicial officer sets the hearing that way under Local Rule 2.09, within Penal Code 977's limits.
The court's Local Rule 3.04, which lets attorneys and self-represented parties choose to appear remotely at non-evidentiary hearings, "applies to all civil cases, which includes all cases except criminal cases." In a criminal case, Local Rule 2.09 applies instead: "A judicial officer may set a hearing to be conducted by a remote court appearance via videoconferencing," as the law permits, and the court then sends instructions for joining. Penal Code 977 decides who may appear remotely and for which hearings, so unless your hearing has been set for video, you or your lawyer should plan to appear in person.
What should you bring, and how do you get into the courthouse?
San Luis Obispo's local rules keep weapons and certain attire out of every courtroom, and security at all three locations is run by the Sheriff's Office.
Local Rule 2.08 bars any weapon in a courtroom except for a currently employed peace officer or court personnel the presiding judge has specifically authorized, and even an authorized person must disclose the weapon to the bailiff before entering. The same rule bars appearing in court "without a shirt, or barefoot or wearing a tank top (or tube top or crop top), shorts or a hat." Bring only what you need: photo identification, the citation or release papers that set your date, and any bail receipt.
Where are the public defender, district attorney and probation offices?
The District Attorney, San Luis Obispo Defenders and Probation's Adult Services all have San Luis Obispo offices, on Palm, Osos and Bishop Streets respectively.
- Cannot afford a lawyer: the court must appoint counsel at arraignment (Penal Code 987(a)); the county's contracted primary provider is San Luis Obispo Defenders, 991 Osos Street, Suite A, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, (805) 541-5715. If you are choosing between appointed counsel and hiring a lawyer, the firm's answer on public defenders and private attorneys lays out the difference.
- The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office, Main Office, 1035 Palm Street, 4th Floor, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408, (805) 781-5800, prosecutes felony and misdemeanor cases countywide.
- The San Luis Obispo County Probation Department's Adult Services office, 1710 Bishop Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, (805) 781-5300, makes sentencing recommendations and supervises probation; before sentencing, its Adult Services Division works with the court on the Pretrial Services Program and supports the Mental Health Diversion Program.
Does San Luis Obispo County have collaborative or treatment courts?
The court references a Veterans treatment program on its own criminal division page, along with the statewide CARE Act for untreated serious mental illness, though no single consolidated list exists.
San Luis Obispo's Criminal Division page links a "Veterans' Treatment Video" among its public resources, and the court's CARE Act page describes the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act as aiming "to provide mental health services, support, and accountability for persons living with untreated schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders," built in partnership with the County of San Luis Obispo Behavioral Health Department; Welfare and Institutions Code 5972(b) now also covers bipolar I disorder with psychotic features. Ask the court or your attorney whether either program, or any other calendar not listed here, applies to your specific case.
Frequently asked questions
What if my citation or paperwork does not say which San Luis Obispo County branch to go to?
Under the court's local rules every felony and misdemeanor arraignment is held in San Luis Obispo; to confirm the time and courtroom, call (805) 706-3600 during phone hours once your case is on file.
Is the San Luis Obispo bail schedule the final amount I will have to pay?
No. The schedule only supplies a starting figure before any judge has reviewed your case; at arraignment the judge applies Penal Code 1275 together with the Humphrey and Kowalczyk standards and can set an entirely different amount.
What happens if I miss a scheduled San Luis Obispo County court date?
A bench warrant generally follows; you may clear it by posting bail, turning yourself in to the jail or any California law enforcement agency, or asking the court to calendar a hearing without first recalling the warrant. Our answer on a California bench warrant covers each option.
Who answers warrant questions for a San Luis Obispo County case?
The Criminal Division's clerk's office, by email at slocrim@slo.courts.ca.gov or by phone at (805) 706-3600, option 3.
Where can I check whether someone is in the San Luis Obispo County Jail tonight?
Search the Sheriff's Office Who's in Custody lookup by first and last name; it is separate from the court's case records, and the Sheriff's page gives the jail's number, (805) 781-4600, for more information.
Talk to a lawyer about a San Luis Obispo County case
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free consultation, is available 24/7, and offers payment plans. Se habla español. Call (800) 755-5174 or use our online contact form to talk with a lawyer about a San Luis Obispo County criminal case. For the firm's San Luis Obispo DUI practice, see our San Luis Obispo DUI lawyer page.