Ventura County's criminal cases are heard at the Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue in Ventura, or the East County Courthouse, 3855-F Alamo Street in Simi Valley. Your citation, notice to appear, or arrest paperwork states which one applies, and the court's case lookup confirms it once a case number exists.
Ventura County's two criminal courthouses and what each hears
The court lists criminal cases at the Ventura Hall of Justice and the Simi Valley East County Courthouse, but not at the Juvenile Justice Center in Oxnard.
Ventura County courthouse locations and what each hears, from the Superior Court's own Courthouse Locations and Criminal/Traffic Information pages
| Courthouse | Address | Phone | Hears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hall of Justice (Government Center) | 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009 | (805) 289-8545 | Criminal, traffic and other case types; walk-up payment windows open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| East County Courthouse | 3855-F Alamo Street, Simi Valley, CA 93063 | (805) 289-8545 | Criminal and traffic cases; walk-up payment windows open Monday and Tuesday only, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Juvenile Justice Center | 4353 E. Vineyard Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93036 | (805) 289-8820 | Juvenile delinquency and dependency matters, not adult criminal cases |
The court's Courthouse Locations and Criminal/Traffic Information pages list these three addresses; the Hall of Justice and East County Courthouse share one criminal/traffic phone line, with telephone hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except holidays at all three locations. Already have the Public Defender? The court asks that you "contact your assigned attorney for instructions BEFORE coming to court" instead of appearing alone. Someone held before their first date? The Sheriff's inmate search finds them by name or booking number; our Ventura County Jail guide covers bail and visiting.
How do you find your case and court date?
The court's Case Inquiry tool finds a criminal case by name or case number; to schedule a criminal matter, the court now requires form VN279, filed in person.
Open the court's Case Inquiry system, part of its Online Public Access tools, and search by name or case number. The court's own Terms of Use state that "the website and the content do not constitute the official record of the court." California Rule of Court 2.503(c)(5) limits a court's criminal case records, other than its register of actions, calendar and index, to access at the courthouse itself rather than public remote access, which is why an online lookup works more like a docket than a full case file. Effective July 13, 2026, the court stopped accepting or scheduling criminal matters by telephone: everyone, including attorneys, must submit form VN279 in person to the appropriate Criminal Business Office. Records can also be requested through the courthouse's Records Department for a fee the court sets. Our answer on Ventura County arraignments and collaborative courts covers the VN279 process and the county's specialty court calendars in more depth.
What happens at arraignment, the first court date?
If you are held in custody, state law requires a judge within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays; cited and released instead, your first date is on your paperwork.
If you are held in custody, Penal Code 825(a)(1) requires that you be taken before a magistrate "without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays." Saturdays count toward the 48 hours. When that period would end while court is not in session, Penal Code 825(a)(2) extends 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 court session has ended, and the Wednesday is not a court holiday, the same subdivision requires you be brought before the magistrate "not later than the following Friday, if the Friday is not a court holiday." This is a deadline for your first appearance before a judge, not a promise of release and not a charging deadline; if you were cited and released rather than held, your first court date is the one printed on your citation or notice to appear.
The judge opens arraignment by telling you the charge and reminding you of your right to counsel; show up without a lawyer, want one and cannot pay for one, and the court must assign you one (Penal Code 987(a)). For a misdemeanor, you are entitled to own-recognizance release unless the judge finds on the record that it would compromise public safety or would not reasonably assure your return (Penal Code 1270(a)).
How does bail and release work in Ventura County?
Until a judge looks at your case, bail defaults to the arrest warrant's figure or, with none, the county's printed schedule; a judge can change that number later.
Ventura County's own bail schedule, titled the "2024 Bail Schedule", is the version currently posted on the Superior Court's Fee & Bail Schedules page. It sets the presumptive, warrantless-arrest amount under Penal Code 1269b(c), which the county's superior court judges must adopt and revise every year. A sample of its presumptive amounts:
Sample presumptive bail amounts, Ventura County's current Bail Schedule; a judge can set a different amount at your first appearance
| Arrest | Presumptive bail |
|---|---|
| Felony not specifically listed | $10,000 |
| Misdemeanor not specifically listed | $2,500 |
| Misdemeanor DUI, Vehicle Code 23152 | $5,000 |
| Domestic battery, non-cohabitating person, Penal Code 243(e) | $10,000 |
| Corporal injury on a spouse, Penal Code 273.5 | $20,000 |
| Grand theft auto or firearm, Penal Code 487(d) | $20,000 |
| Violating felony probation, arrested without a warrant | No bail |
Nobody has to wait for a judge to pay it off the schedule: jail staff, an assigned deputy, or the clerk will take that amount in cash or a certified surety bond and let you go (Penal Code 1269b(a)). Short of that, you, your lawyer, a friend or relative can petition a magistrate for a lower number or own recognizance before the first appearance, unless the charge is one Penal Code 1270.1 names (Penal Code 1269c); silence for eight hours after booking lets you walk on the scheduled figure instead. That 1270.1 list, serious or violent felonies outside residential burglary, felony corporal injury on a spouse, felony criminal threats, stalking, misdemeanor domestic battery and some protective-order violations, gets no shortcut: an open-court hearing, two court days' notice to both sides, comes before the schedule moves down or gives way to own recognizance.
Two rulings govern what that judge can actually do. In re Humphrey (2021) 11 Cal.5th 135 (opinion) forbids locking someone up purely for lacking cash: the court has to weigh what you can pay and whether something short of money could "reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the arrestee's presence at trial." In re Kowalczyk (Cal. Supreme Ct., Apr. 30, 2026, S277910, opinion) went further in 2026: 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 Constitution, and any dollar figure the court does set "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable." For the mechanics behind these two rulings and what a missed date costs you, see our pages on how California bail amounts are set and a California bench warrant; on the defense side, bail hearings and a motion for bail reduction are the tools a lawyer uses to revisit whatever number the judge picked at arraignment.
Can you appear in court remotely?
Ventura's own remote-appearance program covers civil, probate, family and juvenile cases; criminal and traffic cases are not on that list.
Ventura's own Remote Appearances page limits the program by case type: it "offers the opportunity to appear remotely for civil, probate, family and juvenile (non criminal) cases," built on "California Rules of Court, rule 3.672 and California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75," and two of its courtrooms add that "remote appearance is not permitted for traffic or truancy matters." The page also lists Zoom links for criminal courtrooms without saying when a defendant may use them, so ask your lawyer or the clerk first. Under state law, a misdemeanor defendant may appear through counsel and, if willing, take part remotely in everything except trial, though a domestic violence defendant must be present for arraignment and sentencing and the court may order a DUI defendant to be present (Penal Code 977(a)); a felony defendant must be physically present at arraignment, plea, the preliminary hearing and evidence-taking unless a waiver allows a remote appearance, and may not appear remotely for a jury or court trial or, except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law, at sentencing (Penal Code 977(b), (c)).
What should you bring, and how do you get there?
Bring a photo ID and your case paperwork; the addresses above, from the court's own Courthouse Locations page, are the court's current contact points for directions.
Pack photo identification along with whatever paper the arrest generated, a citation, a notice to appear, booking documents, and a bail receipt if one applies. The court's site stops short of posting parking or entry specifics, so a quick call to the criminal and traffic line above before you leave the house settles anything it does not cover.
Where are the public defender, district attorney and probation offices?
Three separate county offices handle these roles, each with its own Ventura address; asking the judge for a public defender happens the moment your case is first called.
- Cannot afford a lawyer: the court must appoint counsel at arraignment (Penal Code 987(a)); ask for the Ventura County Public Defender's Office when your case is called. Its Hall of Justice location is 800 S. Victoria Ave., Room 207, Ventura, CA 93009, (805) 654-2201 for adult cases. Our answer on the public defender compared with a private attorney explains how the two roles differ.
- District Attorney: 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Suite 314, Ventura, CA 93009, (805) 654-2500, with branch offices at the Juvenile Justice Center and the East County Courthouse.
- Probation Agency (presentence investigation and supervision after sentencing): 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009, (805) 654-2106 administration, (805) 654-2132 Adult Court Services; other field offices are on the Agency's Locations page.
Does Ventura County have a collaborative court?
Yes. The court lists several collaborative justice programs, including Adult Drug Court, Domestic Violence Court, Mental Health Court and a Veterans Court.
The Superior Court's Collaborative Justice Court Programs page names ten programs, including Adult Drug Court, Dependency Drug Court, Community Intervention Court, Domestic Violence Court, Elder Law Court, Homeless Court, Mental Health Court and Veterans Court, each run with named county agencies and community partners. Domestic Violence Court, for example, uses "a single judge" who "monitors offenders to confirm that they are enrolled in a 52-week anger management program and meeting with their probation officer."
Frequently asked questions
What if my citation or notice to appear does not say which Ventura County courthouse to go to?
Call the criminal and traffic line the Hall of Justice and East County Courthouse share, (805) 289-8545, or the Juvenile Justice Center at (805) 289-8820 for a juvenile matter; the court's own case lookup can also confirm where your case is set.
Can the court reschedule my criminal hearing by phone?
No. Since July 13, 2026 the court no longer schedules criminal matters by telephone; everyone, including attorneys, must submit form VN279 in person to the Criminal Business Office.
Does the schedule set what I actually end up paying?
No, think of it as a placeholder number. Penal Code 1275 puts the real decision in the judge's hands at your first appearance, guided by In re Humphrey and In re Kowalczyk, and the judge can raise it, lower it or grant own-recognizance release.
What if I skip a court date I was supposed to make?
Expect a bench warrant. Willfully staying away to evade the court is a separate crime after an own-recognizance release (Penal Code 1320) or felony bail (1320.5), and willfully breaking a citation's written promise to appear is one too (853.7); see our California bench warrant answer for next steps.
Does a non-English speaker have to pay for a court interpreter?
No. The California Constitution gives a defendant who cannot understand English the right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings (article I, section 14), and Evidence Code 752(b)(1) makes the court pay for it; raise the need with the clerk, the judge or defense counsel as soon as you can.
Talk to a lawyer about a Ventura County case
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free consultation, is available 24/7, and offers payment plans and Spanish service. Call (800) 755-5174 or use our online contact form to talk with a lawyer about a Ventura County criminal case. For the firm's Ventura practice, see our Ventura criminal defense lawyer page.