Sacramento County Public Criminal Records

Use Sacramento’s current criminal portal

These instructions concern Sacramento County, California Superior Court criminal files. The court implemented a new criminal case-management system on August 10, 2026 and provides a new public portal linked in Sources. Search by party name or case number. Save the complete case number and compare the person and filing details; a shared name alone does not establish a match.

Use the court’s Criminal Portal Public Users Guide if the search controls are unfamiliar. A case listing is a starting reference, not a promise that every underlying document can be downloaded. If you need a judgment, sentencing record or dismissal, identify the exact document after locating the case rather than relying on the search-results label.

Inspect the file or use courthouse kiosks

The criminal-records page places public access kiosks in the Criminal Records lobby on the second floor of the Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse, 500 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. This is the current page’s address; older downloadable forms still show 720 9th Street. Confirm the destination on the current page before mailing or travelling.

If you cannot locate the number, request a staff search

Use Local Criminal Records Name Search Request CR-278A in person, by mail or by email to [email protected]. The court states a $15 charge per name, due with the request. For multiple names, add CR-278A-1. Staff research covers Sacramento criminal cases from 1989 onward; older cases may require the unit’s public microfiche. Provide precise names and dates instead of requesting an undefined nationwide history.

If you also want the documents from cases found, submit CR-278C with the search request and applicable copy fees. Selecting the search alone does not order every file. An incomplete request or missing payment may be returned. If no case is located, recheck spelling, years and jurisdiction before drawing a conclusion about the person.

With a case number, order only the needed documents

CR-278C distinguishes ordinary and certified copies and lets you identify the complaint, disposition, judgment and sentencing, abstract of judgment, probation orders, minute orders or another named document. Supply the case number, defendant and your return/contact information. Choose the actual proof required by the receiving organization; the complaint and the final disposition establish different things.

Known-number requests can be sent by mail or to [email protected]. Address mail to the Criminal Records Unit at 500 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope or expect added postage. Public and nongovernment fax requests are not accepted. Duplicate requests for the same records can cause delay and additional charges.

Resolve the certification-rate conflict before payment

The current criminal-records page lists non-certified copies at $0.50 per page, certified copies at $1 per page plus $40 per document certification, exemplification at $50, and a $15 search fee for research exceeding ten minutes. Its CR-278A instructions separately state $15 for each staff name search. Fee-waiver information is available through the court’s Forms & Fees route if you cannot afford the charges.

The older CR-278C form instead prints $40 per case plus $0.50 per page for certified copies. Because both the rate unit and courthouse address differ from the current page, do not calculate a final payment from that old form alone. Ask Criminal Records to confirm the page count, number of certifications and correct total for the requested documents.

Follow the payment instructions and allow for storage retrieval

The court’s current mail instructions use a check or money order payable to Sacramento Superior Court, with the amount left for the clerk and a memo limit of “NOT TO EXCEED” $35 for regular copies or $50 for certified copies. These are authorization ceilings, not flat prices. If the expected cost is higher, obtain instructions before sending payment. Credit-card requests use CR-500B; do not mail cash or place card details in an ordinary email message.

For a known-number file ordered by phone, call 916-874-8881 to check arrival. Offsite files may take up to 30 days, and received files are held at the courthouse for ten days. The court does not perform telephone name research or confirm personal identifiers by phone. Copy requests are processed in receipt order; the published material does not guarantee every copy order a fixed completion date.

Separate court records, custody and statewide history

For current incarceration information, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Inmate Information service searches by name or XREF number. That is a custody tool, not a complete record of the court’s final disposition. A release from custody does not itself establish dismissal, and a jail listing does not establish a conviction. Use the Superior Court file for the case outcome.

California DOJ summary criminal history is restricted, but individuals can request their own record for accuracy review with fingerprints and a $25 DOJ processing fee; fingerprint-rolling costs may be additional. The personal-review process is separate from public court access and is not a general search of someone else. The DOJ instructions also provide a correction route for a disputed personal record.

Check the final order and correct the right record

Read the judgment or dismissal and any later relevant order before reporting the outcome. A missing online item may require clerk assistance or reflect restricted access; do not assume the entire file is public. If a court entry appears wrong, identify the case and exact document for the clerk. For a DOJ-history error, use DOJ record review; for a commercial screening error, dispute the entry with the reporting company and retain the court documents.