Court records in San Francisco County, California, are maintained by the Clerk of the Superior Court of the County and are accessible through online tools, official court portals, and directly at the court clerk's office. SanFranciscoCourt.us is a convenient resource for starting a search for publicly available information on court cases. Additionally, you can use the Superior Court's online services portal, contact the court clerk's office, or refer to California state registries.
San Francisco Court System Overview
San Francisco is a unique jurisdiction in California as it is both a city and a county (City and County). The state's judicial system here is represented by the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco — the only court of general jurisdiction of first instance. California has a unified system of Superior Courts, so there are no separate magistrate or municipal courts in the county. At the federal level, San Francisco is part of the Northern District of California (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California). The main building of the Superior Court is the Civic Center Courthouse.
Court clerk's office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30–16:30. The Criminal Division operates in the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street.
Courts Serving San Francisco
Residents of San Francisco are served by several courts at both the state and federal levels.
State Court
Federal Court
What Types of Cases San Francisco Courts Hear
The Superior Court of San Francisco County hears virtually all categories of first-instance cases under California law:
- Criminal cases — felonies, misdemeanors, infractions
- Civil cases — limited jurisdiction claims (up to $25,000) and unlimited jurisdiction claims (over $25,000)
- Small claims — up to $10,000 for individuals
- Family law — divorce, custody, alimony, paternity
- Probate cases — inheritance, guardianship, conservatorship, trusts
- Juvenile cases — juvenile justice, child protection, adoption
- Traffic violations
District Court Cases in San Francisco
In the California system, the term "district court" is not used at the state level — all first-instance cases are heard by the Superior Court. However, cases with unlimited civil jurisdiction (claims over $25,000) and all felonies are fully heard by Superior Court judges. Felonies begin with a preliminary hearing, after which the case is transferred for trial. Civil cases with large claims go through mandatory case management conferences, discovery stages, and, if necessary, trials. Appeals from the Superior Court are directed to the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, which is also located in San Francisco. The federal district court (U.S. District Court, Northern District) hears federal criminal cases, civil claims under federal law, and cases under its jurisdiction based on diversity jurisdiction.
Magistrate Court Cases in San Francisco
California does not have separate magistrate courts. Instead, the Superior Court hears cases that would fall under magistrate jurisdiction in other states:
- Misdemeanors and infractions — from theft to minor vandalism
- Preliminary hearings in felony cases
- Civil cases with limited jurisdiction — claims up to $25,000
- Small claims — up to $10,000 for individuals, up to $5,000 for entities
- Traffic violations — fines for traffic violations, payment can be made through the court's online portal
- DUI — arraignment and subsequent hearings
In the federal system, U.S. Magistrate Judges in the Northern District of California conduct preliminary hearings, hear minor federal offenses, and assist district judges with discovery disputes.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in San Francisco
Family Law. The Unified Family Court (UFC) of San Francisco County handles divorces, custody and visitation issues, alimony, protective orders, paternity establishment, and termination of parental rights. The UFC consolidates several categories of cases related to one family so that one judge sees the full picture.
Probate. This division handles cases of deceased estates, appointing guardians for minors and conservators for adults, as well as trust disputes. Applications are filed at the Civic Center Courthouse.
Juvenile Matters. The Juvenile Court operates as part of the UFC. Cases of juvenile offenses and child protection (dependency) are confidential under California law. Access to juvenile records is strictly limited — even parties to the case must obtain court permission to copy materials.
How Cases Move Through the San Francisco Court System
- Case Initiation. A criminal case begins with the filing of a complaint by the prosecutor. A civil case starts with a complaint or petition.
- Judge Assignment. The case is automatically assigned to a specific judge. In criminal cases, the arraignment takes place at the Hall of Justice.
- Initial Hearings. Criminal: arraignment, bail setting. Civil: case management conference.
- Pretrial Stage. Motions, discovery exchange, plea bargaining in criminal cases, or mediation in civil cases.
- Trial. Bench trial or jury trial, plea, settlement, or default judgment.
- Post-Judgment. Sentencing, appeal to the Court of Appeal, enforcement of the court's decision.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in San Francisco
The administration of the Superior Court is carried out by the Presiding Judge in conjunction with the Court Executive Officer. Local Rules of Court are published on the official court website and regulate document filing procedures, hearing schedules, and electronic filing.
According to the California Rules of Court and the California Public Records Act, most court records are public. Exceptions include juvenile cases, sealed records, certain family cases, and records closed by court order. Viewing rooms for cases are available at the Civic Center Courthouse (Room 103) and the Hall of Justice.
Hearings are generally open to the public. Some proceedings are held remotely — information about the format of a specific hearing can be found in the court's calendar on the website or clarified with the clerk's office at (415) 551-4000.
Court Records and Related Court Resources in San Francisco
- Online Case Search. Through the Case Information portal, you can search for civil, criminal, family, and probate cases by case number or party name.
- Criminal Records. A Certificate of the Record certifies the verdict and sentence. The cost is $40 per case number.
- State-Level Criminal History Check. The California Department of Justice provides a copy of personal criminal history based on fingerprints and a $25 fee.
- Civil Records. Requests for civil records are processed by the civil division clerk's office.
- Birth, Marriage, Death Certificates. The court does not store these documents. Contact the Office of the County Clerk at (415) 554-4950. At the state level, records are maintained by the California Department of Public Health — Vital Records.
- Recorded Documents (deeds, liens). The Records Manager allows free viewing of documents from 1990 and purchasing official copies.
- Police Reports. A copy of the report can be ordered through the San Francisco Police Department website.
- CDCR Inmate Search. The California Incarcerated Records & Information Search (CIRIS) allows you to find individuals in state prisons by name or CDCR number.
- County Jail Information. The San Francisco Sheriff's Office manages county jails and provides information about detainees.
- Crime Statistics and Data. The California Department of Justice Data Portal contains statistics on arrests, convictions, and the Automatic Record Relief (ARR) program.
- State Public Records. General information on access to California public records, including criminal history, is provided by the Attorney General's office.