Yolo County Courthouse: What to Know If You Have a Criminal Case in Woodland

Yolo County has one courthouse for every criminal case: the Yolo Superior Court at 1000 Main Street in Woodland, which hears every felony, misdemeanor and non-traffic infraction filed in the county. In-custody arraignments run Monday through Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Department 1; your citation or release papers give your date and time; the court's portal shows the department.

For other counties, see the firm's California courthouse and jail directory.

Where Yolo County criminal cases are heard

Yolo Superior Court runs out of a single building, so a Yolo criminal case always comes back to the same address and a handful of division phone lines.

The court's own Criminal Division page describes its work plainly: "Criminal Operations handles non-traffic infractions, misdemeanor, and felony criminal matters."

Yolo Superior Court, 1000 Main Street, Woodland, CA 95695.

In-custody arraignments are calendared Monday through Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Department 1, and most in-custody defendants are added to that calendar the same morning, so a name may not yet appear online. Once inside, a scrolling monitor near the first-floor security station lists names alphabetically by last name with the courtroom and time.

How do you look up a Yolo County case online?

The court's own case access portal lets anyone check basic case information from home, without a login, covering fines owed, warrants and the next hearing date.

Yolo Superior Court's public case access portal shows whether fines are owed, whether a warrant exists, and the date, time and department of a hearing; the Yolo County Public Defender's office links the same tool on its own site as the "Yolo Court Docket Finder." For anything the portal cannot answer, the Criminal Division's deputy clerks take calls at (530) 406-6705. See the firm's arraignment guide for what happens once a case is actually called.

What happens at your first Yolo County court appearance?

For a person held in custody, the law sets a hard outer limit of 48 hours, not counting Sundays or court holidays, before a judge must see them.

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." If those 48 hours would run out while the 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," so the clock actually runs through the end of that next session; the same subdivision sends someone arrested on a Wednesday, after that day's session has already closed, to court no later than the following Friday, as long as neither day is a court holiday. This 48-hour rule gets someone in front of a judge; it is not a deadline for filing charges and does not promise release on its own.

At that hearing, the judge must tell the defendant the charge and the right to a lawyer at every later stage (Penal Code 858(a)). From arraignment, Penal Code 1382 sets the statewide trial clock absent a waiver or good cause: a felony trial within 60 days of arraignment on an indictment or information, and a misdemeanor trial within 30 days of arraignment or plea, whichever is later, for a defendant then in custody, or 45 days otherwise.

How does bail work in Yolo County?

Yolo's court posts only a traffic and local-ordinance bail schedule online; the Sheriff's custody line gives an arrested person's bail, which a judge can change at the first appearance.

The court's 2026 Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, covers Vehicle Code infractions and misdemeanors, boating, forestry, fish and game, parks, business licensing and city or county ordinance violations; it does not contain a Penal Code felony or misdemeanor arrest bail table. For a felony or Penal Code misdemeanor arrest, Penal Code 1269b makes bail the amount on the arrest warrant or, without one, in the countywide schedule the judges must adopt for felonies and misdemeanors, until a judge sets an amount at the first appearance; the court's own criminal-division FAQ directs anyone asking about posting bail to the Yolo County Sheriff's Office at (530) 668-5245. When a judge does set or review that amount, In re Humphrey requires weighing the person's ability to pay and whether nonfinancial conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure a return to court, and In re Kowalczyk (2026) adds that any dollar figure the court sets must generally be reasonably attainable, and that in noncapital cases a judge may deny bail only for the offenses in California Constitution article I, section 12(b) and (c). See the firm's how California bail amounts are set answer, or ask about a motion for bail reduction.

Can you appear by video instead of coming to Woodland?

Yolo Superior Court runs its own video system for most departments, but whether a specific hearing can use it depends on the department, the judge and the charge itself.

The court's Video Appearance system covers Department 1, where in-custody arraignments are heard, with a public passcode; Departments 5 and 6 are invite-only. Recording or broadcasting a remote hearing without permission is barred under California Rules of Court, rule 1.150, and the court asks anyone appearing by video to dress as they would in person. Separately, Penal Code 977(a)(1) lets a misdemeanor-only defendant appear through a lawyer and, with consent, handle the first appearance, arraignment and plea remotely, except that a misdemeanor domestic violence case keeps the defendant present for arraignment and sentencing, and a judge may order presence in a misdemeanor DUI case. A felony defendant must be physically present for arraignment, plea, the preliminary hearing, the evidence portion of trial and sentencing unless that right is waived, and even then no jury or court trial is remote, and felony sentencing is remote only for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law.

Hours, parking and interpreters

Yolo Superior Court keeps standard weekday hours, posts several nearby parking options, and provides a court interpreter at no cost to anyone who needs one.

Phone and window hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, for every division. Free public and ADA parking is posted at 525 and 625 6th Street, with loading zones on Main Street in front of the courthouse. If a defendant cannot understand English, the California Constitution guarantees an interpreter throughout a criminal case ("A person unable to understand English who is charged with a crime has a right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings," Cal. Const., art. I, section 14), and the cost falls on the court, not the defendant (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)). Ask the clerk or your attorney as early as possible so the court can arrange one before your hearing date.

Who handles a Yolo County criminal case?

Yolo County keeps its public defender, district attorney and jail custody line in three separate Woodland offices, each with its own address and phone number below.

If a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, asking for one at the first appearance triggers Penal Code 987(a)'s requirement that the court appoint counsel, provided "without expense to the defendant" under Government Code 27706(a).

Yolo County offices a defendant or family member may need to call.

To find out whether someone was booked into the Monroe Detention Center tonight, call that Sheriff's Office number and ask; the Sheriff's own custody FAQ says a caller "may obtain whether or not someone is in custody, charges, bail, court date, arresting agency, when arrested, visiting hours, where he is currently housed, tentative release date, any holds placed by other agencies." That FAQ gives this phone line, not an online search; the Sheriff's VINE page points to the statewide VINE service, 1-877-411-5588, for custody status alerts.

Does Yolo County have collaborative or treatment courts?

Yes. Yolo Superior Court's own calendar lists Addiction Intervention Court, Mental Health Court and Mental Health Diversion in a criminal department, and a separate civil CARE Court calendar.

The court's Judicial Assignments calendar lists Addiction Intervention Court, Mental Health Court and Mental Health Diversion hearings, grouped on the calendar as "AIC/MHC/MHD," on the last Friday of the month, and CARE Court sits on a civil and probate department's Friday calendar. The three criminal calendars are reached through the criminal case itself, so ask your attorney whether a charge and history could qualify; a CARE Act case starts with its own petition (Welfare and Institutions Code 5974).

What happens if you miss a Yolo County court date?

A missed date can trigger a $100 civil assessment or, in a criminal case, a bench warrant, and either one needs quick action to resolve.

Missing a scheduled appearance or a fine payment brings a $100 civil assessment; the court gives 20 days to contact the Criminal Division and get back on calendar, after which the assessment becomes final and can only be undone through a Motion to Vacate Civil Assessment, which carries its own $60 filing fee and is granted only at the judge's discretion. For a misdemeanor warrant, the court's FAQ says to call the Criminal Division at (530) 406-6705 for a one-time "warrant surrender" date or to turn yourself in to local law enforcement; the court grants that request only once, and a second no-show leaves the warrant outstanding with no further date set. Under Penal Code 978.5, a judge may, but need not, issue that warrant when a defendant released on bail or on their own recognizance misses a required appearance; after a signed citation without bail, Penal Code 853.8 says the magistrate "shall issue" a warrant within 20 days of the missed date; a willful no-show meant to dodge the case becomes a separate charge under Penal Code 1320 for an own-recognizance release or Penal Code 1320.5 for a felony bail release. See the firm's what to do about a California bench warrant answer for the options.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Yolo County Courthouse the only place a criminal case is heard?

Yes. Yolo County has one courthouse, at 1000 Main Street in Woodland, and its Criminal Division hears every felony, misdemeanor and non-traffic infraction filed in the county.

How do I check whether I have a warrant in Yolo County?

The court's own case access portal shows whether a warrant exists on a case; the Criminal Division at (530) 406-6705 can also check by phone.

Does Yolo County set a dollar bail amount before I see a judge?

Usually. Before a court appearance, bail is the amount on the arrest warrant or, without one, in the countywide schedule (Penal Code 1269b), and the Sheriff's custody line can give it; a judge can set a different amount once the person appears. The schedule the court posts online covers only traffic and local-ordinance matters.

Can my lawyer appear for me at a Yolo County misdemeanor arraignment?

Often, yes, if the charge is a misdemeanor and the defendant agrees; exceptions apply to misdemeanor domestic violence cases and, at the judge's discretion, misdemeanor DUI cases.

What if my name is not on the Yolo County court calendar yet?

Most in-custody defendants are added to the calendar the morning of the hearing, so a name may be missing until then; call the Criminal Division at (530) 406-6705 to confirm before assuming a case was dismissed.

Do I need a lawyer at my first Yolo County court appearance?

You have the right to one. The judge confirms that right at arraignment under Penal Code 858(a); if you cannot afford a lawyer, ask the court to appoint the Yolo County Public Defender.

Is there a cost for a Spanish interpreter in a Yolo County criminal case?

No. California's Constitution gives anyone charged with a crime who does not understand English the right to an interpreter, and Evidence Code 752(b)(1) makes the cost a charge against the court, not the defendant.

Talk to a lawyer about a Yolo County case

If you or a family member is facing a criminal case at the Yolo County Courthouse, talk to a lawyer before the 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 online. See also the firm's Woodland criminal defense and Woodland DUI pages.