Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County occupies a land area of approximately 445 square miles in California's Central Coast, making it the second smallest county in the state. Established in 1850, the county is currently home to over 268,000 residents. The City of Santa Cruz is the county's most populous city and government seat.
Santa Cruz County has a unified trial court system featuring only the Superior Court. The apex court handles criminal and non-criminal cases through its subject matter court divisions. Criminal cases such as Infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies are heard at the Superior Court Criminal Division. Meanwhile, the Civil Division resolves professional malpractices, equity cases, personal injuries, foreclosures, contract disputes, and other civil claims exceeding $12,500. The Probate Division handles guardianships, trusts, and estates administrations, while the Juvenile Division oversees all legal proceedings involving abused or neglected minors below 18. Other divisions of the Superior Court include the Family, Small Claims, and Traffic Divisions. These divisions typically resolve cases like traffic violations, domestic relations, and small claims. The court also has an Appellate Division that hears appeals of misdemeanors, and civil, and traffic cases.
Santa Cruz County public court records are legal documents created during court proceedings. These records provide information on case filings, hearing dates, trial transcripts, and other details showing how cases are processed. According to the California Public Records Act, anyone can obtain the following public court records from the Superior Court Clerk in Santa Cruz County:
- Criminal court records
- Land records
- Small claims records
- Traffic records
- Civil court records
- Family law records
- Probate records
Sealed records and other confidential court records containing juvenile and adoption cases are not publicly accessible in Santa Cruz County. Only recognized parties to the cases can access confidential court documents. To obtain court records copies, requesters can submit completed request forms in person at:
Santa Cruz Courthouse
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 831) 420-2200
Email: CourtRecords@santacruzcourt.org
Individuals can also send request forms via mail to different court divisions in Santa Cruz. Note that court documents cost $0.50 per copy. Obtaining court records may include a search fee, certified copy fee, and other fees. Requesters can view Santa Cruz County court records online through the Case Lookup tool.
