| Superior Court | Contra Costa Superior Court — Online Case Information |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553 |
| Phone | (925) 608-1000 |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $0.50 per page (Government Code § 70627) |
| Certified copy fee | $0.50 per page plus a $40 certification fee (Government Code §§ 70626–70627) |
The Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa is the county's single trial court, based at the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez, the county seat. As in every California county, there is one Clerk of the Superior Court and no separate county clerk.
The court's Public Portal provides free online access to unlimited and limited civil case documents and minutes, small-claims documents and minutes, and probate registers of actions (though not probate documents themselves, which require contacting Court Records directly). Notably, limited unlawful detainer (eviction) cases are not available online at all and require a phone call to the clerk's office.
The common mistake is expecting eviction case information to be searchable like other civil cases — it is not, and anyone researching an unlawful detainer case must call the clerk's office directly or visit one of the county's filing locations in Martinez, Pittsburg, or Richmond.
Search Contra Costa County court records online
Superior Court
Contra Costa Superior Court — Online Case Information
- Cost
- Free; documents can be downloaded at no charge from the Public Portal
- Coverage
- Unlimited and limited civil case documents and minutes, small-claims documents and minutes, and probate registers of actions (not probate documents)
- Records
- Civil, Probate
One Clerk of the Superior Court serves the whole county; there is no separate county clerk. Limited unlawful detainer (eviction) cases are not available online; call the clerk's office instead. Probate documents themselves must be requested from Court Records, not the Public Portal.
What is available online
The Public Portal provides no-fee downloads of civil and small-claims documents and minutes, and probate registers of actions, but not probate documents themselves — those require contacting Court Records directly. Limited unlawful detainer (eviction) cases are excluded from the Public Portal entirely; the clerk's office at (925) 608-1000 handles those inquiries by phone, or in person at filing locations in Martinez, Pittsburg, or Richmond. We could not confirm public clerk's-office hours from an official page during this review.
Which clerk has your record
In California, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the California page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Courts (58, one per county) | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Civil lawsuits of any amount, including small claims; Family law, including divorce and custody | Clerk of the Superior Court of the county |
| Appellate Division of the Superior Court | Appeals from misdemeanor, infraction, and limited-jurisdiction civil cases decided in that county's Superior Court | Clerk of the Superior Court of the county |
Request records in person or by mail
Contra Costa County clerk offices
Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (925) 608-1000
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Online. Use the Public Portal linked from the court's Online Case Information page for civil, small claims, and probate registers of actions. Disable pop-up blockers, as the court notes this can prevent case windows from opening.
Unlawful detainer (eviction) cases. These are not available online. Call the clerk's office at (925) 608-1000, or visit a filing location in Martinez, Pittsburg, or Richmond, for case information or copies.
Probate documents. The Public Portal shows only the register of actions for probate cases; contact Court Records directly for the documents themselves.
Certified copies. Certified copies must be requested from the clerk at the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553, or by mail.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in California |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.50 per page (Government Code § 70627) |
| Certified copy | $0.50 per page plus a $40 certification fee (Government Code §§ 70626–70627) |
These are the statewide fees set in the Superior Court fee statutes (Government Code, Title 8, Chapter 5.8). Individual courts may also charge separately for a records search that takes more than ten minutes ($15, Government Code § 70627) or for name searches and document downloads on their online portals, which vary by county. Confirm the total with the specific clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
California court records are presumed open under the common-law right of access and the First Amendment, as applied by the California Supreme Court in NBC Subsidiary (KNBC-TV), Inc. v. Superior Court (1999). California Rules of Court, rules 2.550–2.551, set the standard and procedure a party must meet to have a court seal a record: the court must find an overriding interest that outweighs the public's right of access, a substantial probability that interest will be harmed without sealing, that sealing is narrowly tailored, and that no less restrictive alternative exists. A record is not sealed merely because the parties agree to it.
The California guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find an eviction case in Contra Costa County online?
No. Limited unlawful detainer (eviction) cases are not available on the Public Portal. Call the clerk's office at (925) 608-1000 or visit a filing location in Martinez, Pittsburg, or Richmond.
Are Contra Costa probate documents available online?
Only the register of actions is on the Public Portal. The actual probate documents must be requested from Court Records directly, not downloaded online.
Is it free to download Contra Costa civil case documents?
Yes, unlimited and limited civil case documents and minutes, along with small-claims documents and minutes, can be downloaded from the Public Portal at no fee.
Where is the main Contra Costa County courthouse?
The Wakefield Taylor Courthouse at 725 Court Street in Martinez, the county seat. The county also has filing locations in Pittsburg and Richmond for certain case types.
Sources
- Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa — https://contracosta.courts.ca.gov/
- Online Case Information (Contra Costa Superior Court) — https://contracosta.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil/online-case-information
- Judicial Branch of California — About California Courts — https://courts.ca.gov/about
- California Courts Appellate Court Case Information — https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/
- California Department of Justice — Record Review (Criminal History) — https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/record-review
- California Rules of Court, Rule 2.550 — Sealed Records — https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_550
- California Rules of Court, Rule 2.551 — Procedures for Filing Records Under Seal — https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_551
- Penal Code § 851.91 — Petition to Seal an Arrest Record — https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=851.91
- Penal Code § 1203.4 — Withdrawal of Plea and Dismissal (Expungement) — https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=1203.4
- Government Code § 70626 — Certification Fee — https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=70626
- Government Code § 70627 — Copy and Records-Search Fees — https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=70627
- PACER — Federal court records — https://pacer.uscourts.gov/
See also: all California counties.