| Superior Court | Santa Clara Superior Court — Case Information Online |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Downtown Superior Court, 191 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95113 (Civil, Probate, and Small Claims, Depts. 1-16) |
| Phone | Listed on the clerk website |
| Hours | Courthouse building: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Clerk's Office and telephone business hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. |
| 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 Santa Clara is the county's single trial court. Civil, probate, and small-claims cases are heard at the Downtown Superior Court in San Jose, at 191 N. First Street, while other case types are assigned to different Santa Clara County courthouses depending on case type.
The court's Case Information Online portal lets the public search civil, small claims, probate, some family, traffic, local-ordinance, and criminal cases by case number, party name, or business name, without needing to register an account. Availability of full documents, rather than just the docket entry, still depends on case type and confidentiality rules.
The common mistake is assuming every family law case is searchable the same way as civil cases — some family matters are confidential and excluded, and juvenile and certain other case types never appear in the public portal regardless of how you search.
Search Santa Clara County court records online
Superior Court
Santa Clara Superior Court — Case Information Online
- Cost
- Free to search; $0.50 per page for document copies from the clerk's office
- Coverage
- Civil, small claims, probate, some family, traffic and local-ordinance, and criminal cases, searchable by case number, party name, or business name
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
One Clerk of the Superior Court serves the whole county; there is no separate county clerk. Confidential family, juvenile, and other restricted case types are excluded regardless of search method.
What is available online
Case Information Online covers civil, small claims, probate, some family, traffic and local-ordinance, and criminal cases without requiring registration, searchable by case number, party name (with a CAPTCHA check), or business name. Document copies from the clerk's office cost $0.50 per page, with additional charges for certification and for civil or criminal case-index CDs, which the court says can take one to ten business days to process. Confidential or sealed case types are never shown regardless of search method.
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
Santa Clara County clerk offices
Downtown Superior Court, 191 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95113 (Civil, Probate, and Small Claims, Depts. 1-16)
Hours: Courthouse building: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Clerk's Office and telephone business hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Online. Search Case Information Online by case number, party name, or business name; no account is required. The court cautions that document availability "varies by case type and by law."
In person or by mail. For document copies or certified copies, contact the clerk's office at the Downtown Superior Court, 191 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95113, during clerk's-office hours (Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. to noon). Copies are $0.50 per page; certified copies and case-index CDs cost more and may take one to ten business days.
Certified copies. Request from the clerk's office in person or by mail; certified copies 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 Santa Clara court records?
No. Case Information Online is free to search by case number, party name, or business name without registering, though a CAPTCHA check is required for name searches.
What are the Santa Clara clerk's office hours?
The courthouse building is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but the Clerk's Office and telephone business hours are shorter: Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Friday 8:30 a.m. to noon.
How much does a copy of a Santa Clara court document cost?
$0.50 per page from the clerk's office, with an additional certification fee for certified copies. Civil or criminal case-index CDs cost more and can take one to ten business days to process.
Are all Santa Clara family law cases searchable online?
Some, but not all. Confidential family matters, along with juvenile and other restricted case types, are excluded from the public Case Information Online portal regardless of how you search.
Sources
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara — https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/
- Case Information Online (Santa Clara Superior Court) — https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/online-services/case-information-online
- Santa Clara County Courthouse Locations — https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/general-information/locations-contact-info/santa-clara-county-courthouse-locations
- 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.