Santa Barbara County
Located in the west-central area of California, Santa Barbara occupies about 2,733 square miles of land area and is home to over 443,000 people. The county was created in 1850 and named for the City of Santa Barbara, which also serves as the seat of government.
Santa Barbara County's Superior Court is made up of several divisions. Predominant among them are the Civil, Criminal, Family Law, Small Claims, Juvenile, and Probate Divisions. The Civil Division of the court hears civil matters in which someone sues another to collect damages for injury, recover real property, money, or personal property, protect some civil rights, and enforce an obligation or a contract. The Family Division handles cases involving the legal separation of spouses, spousal support, divorce, child custody, and marriage annulments. The Criminal Division has jurisdiction over felony, preliminary felony hearings, and misdemeanor trials.
The Small Claims Court in Santa Barbara hears civil cases/disputes in which the amount in controversy is $12,500 or less. The Juvenile Court focuses on matters involving minors (individuals under 18 years) accused of violating the law, have been neglected or abused, or are in danger. These include juvenile dependency, adoption, and juvenile delinquency matters. The Probate Division handles several law actions, including estates, wills, trusts, mental health treatment, guardianships, elder abuse, and conservatorships.
Unless considered confidential or sealed, court records are public court records in Santa Barbara County. The public can access or copy records of the following types of cases in person or by mail at the South and North locations:
- Family law cases
- Criminal cases
- Civil cases
- Probate cases
If you want to search the record of a law action filed/heard at any of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court's divisions online, use the Case Records Search Portal.
