Sonoma County
Sonoma County, located in California, was established in 1850. Its population is over 488,000 residents, covering about 1,573 square miles of land in California. The City of Santa Rosa is the county's most populous city and government seat.
The Superior Court is the only trial court in Sonoma County. Based on case types, the apex court is divided into Criminal, Civil, Family Law, Probate, Juvenile, Small Claims, and Traffic Divisions. The Criminal Division handles all criminal court proceedings, including felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions. On the other hand, the Civil Division hears civil cases involving contract disputes, professional malpractices, personal injuries, and other civil actions where the disputed amount exceeds $10,000.
Domestic relations cases such as divorces, termination of parental rights, and child custody are resolved at the Family Law Division of the Superior Court. The Probate Division handles trusts, guardianships, and estates administrations, while the Juvenile Division oversees all dependency, delinquency, and juvenile traffic crimes. Other divisions of the Superior Court include the Small Claims and Traffic Divisions. These divisions typically resolve cases like traffic violations and small claims for $10,000 or less.
Sonoma County public court records are official documents created during civil and criminal trials in the Superior Court. These records contain case filings, court dockets, judgments, and information showing how the county's judicial system operates. Per the California Public Records Act, the following court records should be available to the public:
- Traffic records
- Small claims records
- Land records
- Civil court records
- Family law records
- Probate records
- Criminal court records
The state law also restricts access to sealed court records and other confidential documents. Examples of restricted records include juvenile, mental health, and adoption records. These records are available only to record owners, their legal representatives, and certain persons granted special permissions by the Superior Court. Individuals interested in archived court records or confidential records can send request forms via mail or in person at:
Archived Records Department
600 Administration Drive, Room 110-J
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Mail requests should include self-addressed stamped envelopes, copies of valid IDs (for confidential records), and checks payable to Sonoma County Superior Court. Court document fees are generally $0.50 per page, with a $15 fee if the search takes more than 10 minutes. Requesters can find recent case files online or use the Case Portal to search for Sonoma County public court records.
