| Superior Court | Riverside Superior Court — Public Access |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Riverside Hall of Justice, 4100 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 |
| Phone | (951) 777-3147 |
| 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 Riverside is the county's single trial court. The Riverside Hall of Justice, near the historic Riverside Courthouse in downtown Riverside, is one of several courthouses across this large county, which also has branch courthouses in Palm Springs, Indio, Hemet, Murrieta, Banning, and elsewhere.
Riverside is one of the few large California counties whose online records system requires a free account for every search, not just name searches — the Public Access portal requires registration before it will return any case information. Case-number searches are free once registered; searching by name carries a per-search fee.
The common mistake is expecting to search anonymously the way you can on some other counties' portals; budget time to register an account before you can look anything up, and expect a fee if you only have a name to search with, not a case number.
Search Riverside County court records online
Superior Court
Riverside Superior Court — Public Access
- Cost
- Free case-number searches after registration; a fee applies to searches by name
- Coverage
- Register of Actions, hearing calendars, and downloadable documents (where permitted) across case types, for registered users
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
One Clerk of the Superior Court serves the whole county; there is no separate county clerk. Free registration is required before any search, even by case number.
What is available online
The Public Access portal covers the Register of Actions (documents filed in a case), name and case-number searches, and calendar lookups up to seven days out. Case-number searches are free once you have registered for a free account; searches by person or organization name carry a fee. Document availability depends on whether a case is filed electronically and whether the document type is public under the California Rules of Court. We could not confirm public office hours for the Hall of Justice clerk's counter 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
Riverside County clerk offices
Riverside Hall of Justice, 4100 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501
Phone: (951) 777-3147
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Online. Register for a free account on the Public Access portal, then search by case number (free) or by name (fee-based). Some documents can be downloaded directly if the case allows it.
In person or by mail. Visit or write to the clerk's office at the Riverside Hall of Justice, 4100 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501, or the branch courthouse that handled the case (Palm Springs, Indio, Hemet, Murrieta, or Banning, depending on where it was filed). Include the case number, the documents needed, and whether certification is required; call ahead to confirm the fee.
Certified copies. Certified copies must be requested from the clerk in person or by mail; they are not available through the online portal.
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
Do I need an account to search Riverside County court records online?
Yes. Unlike some other California counties, Riverside's Public Access portal requires free registration before it will show any case information, even a case-number search.
Is there a fee to search Riverside court records by name?
Yes. Case-number searches are free after registering, but searching by a person's or organization's name carries a per-search fee.
Where is the main Riverside County courthouse?
The Riverside Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street in downtown Riverside. Riverside County also has branch courthouses in Palm Springs, Indio, Hemet, Murrieta, and Banning, so confirm which courthouse has a specific case.
Can I get calendar information for an upcoming Riverside County hearing online?
Yes, the Public Access portal includes a calendar lookup for current and upcoming court dates, typically up to seven days ahead, showing the hearing time, type, and department.
Sources
- Superior Court of California, County of Riverside — https://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/
- Public Access (Riverside Superior Court) — https://epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/
- 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.