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California Public Records

Public records in California are available through these government Web sites.

Although they’re not always free, California public records are, in fact, always available—to investigators, to researchers, to journalists and to everyday average citizens, including you.

That’s because California is home not only to public attractions like Hollywood, the Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley and Disneyland, but also a robust system of open and equally public records. California residents therefore have access to a wealth of information that’s just as plentiful as the state’s wealth of attractions and natural resources.

As a matter of fact, California public records, like California fruits and wines, are available for consumption statewide, from San Diego and Los Angeles to San Francisco and Sacramento. Whether you live north, in San Francisco County, California, or south, in Los Angeles County, California, public records—including, in many cases, free California public records—are waiting for you to discover, browse and utilize.

To get started finding public records in California, look to the following state and county government Web sites, where you can quickly, conveniently and affordably obtain California public records:

State of California Public Records Web Sites:

• CA.gov - Licenses: To search public records in California for the purpose of verifying professionals’ licenses and credentials, visit CA.gov, which has a list of links to state professional licensing bodies where you can look up licenses for everyone from accountants and architects to landscapers and realtors.
• CA.gov - Local Government: To find public records, California residents should consider contacting their city and county governments, which often keep local public records that can't be found in national databases. For a list of such governments in California, consult CA.gov, the State of California’s public Web site.
• California Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General: California public criminal records—and other public records California residents may seek from the Department of Justice or the Attorney General—are available by contacting the California Department of Justice’s Public Records Ombudsman, although one can typically only access his or her own criminal history.
• California Department of Justice - Background Checks: If you’re looking for California public criminal records, it’s worth knowing that the California Department of Justice provides an automated service for doing criminal history background checks when they’re required as a condition of employment, licensing, certification, immigration, etc.
• California Department of Justice - Megan’s Law: You can find registered sex offenders in California by searching the California Department of Justice’s Megan’s Law sex offender locator site, which includes the names, addresses, ages and photographs of registered sex offenders in the State of California.
• California Department of Motor Vehicles - DMV Records: For DMV public records, California residents can consult the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which makes available to anyone who requests them records about drivers, vehicles, etc.
• California Department of Public Health - Birth Records: The California Department of Public Health maintains public birth records for individuals born in the State of California. Typically, however, individuals may only access their own birth records or those of their family members.
• California Department of Public Health - Death Records: The California Department of Public Health maintains public death records for individuals who’ve died in the State of California. Typically, however, individuals may only access death records for family members.
• California Department of Public Health - Marriage & Divorce Records: The California Department of Public Health maintains some public marriage and divorce records. If you can’t find the records you need there, turn to the appropriate county court clerk in order to search California public court records; the Department of Public Health has links to California courts that accept marriage and divorce records requests.
• California Secretary of State - Business Search: You can find free California public records about California-based businesses by using the California Business Search tool that’s available on the California Secretary of State’s Web site. Records include registered business names, ownership information, addresses and more.
• California State Archives: Part of the California Secretary of State’s Office, the California State Archives keeps and maintains a variety of official public records from state government agencies. Records include family history information, legislative records, oral histories and more.
• California State Board of Equalization - Property Records: If you’re looking for property records or real estate records, your California County Assessor is who you should turn to, as County Assessors’ Offices maintain public real estate records—with property addresses, ownership information, values and more—for the purpose of setting and collecting property taxes. For a list of California Counties’ Assessors’ Offices, consult the California State Board of Equalization.
• California State Controller’s Office - Unclaimed Property Search: When you visit the California State Controller’s Office, you can search California public records in order to find and claim your property, including money from uncashed paychecks and inactive bank accounts.
• Judicial Council of California - California Courts: The California Courts Web site, maintained by the Judicial Council of California, is the go-to site for California residents who need information from California courts. In order to access California public court records, visit the site’s “Find a Court” page and locate the appropriate county or district court; look to Superior Courts, for instance, to access California public criminal records and civil records or Courts of Appeal for appeals cases. Once you’ve identified the correct court, look to the Court Clerk for access to the California public court records you seek.
• United States Bankruptcy Court - Central District of California: The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California keeps public bankruptcy records about individuals and businesses that have filed bankruptcy in Central California counties, including Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Orange County and beyond.
• United States Bankruptcy Court - Northern District of California: The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California keeps public bankruptcy records about individuals and businesses that have filed bankruptcy in Northern California counties, including Monterey County, San Mateo County, San Francisco County, Marin County, Sonoma County, Napa County and beyond.
• United States Bankruptcy Court - Southern District of California: The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California keeps public bankruptcy records about individuals and businesses that have filed bankruptcy in the Southern California counties of San Diego County and Imperial County.

Los Angeles County, California, Public Records Web Sites:

• Los Angeles County - Citizen's Guide: If they're looking for public records, California residents in Los Angeles County should consider looking up the appropriate local government contact to help them navigate available resources. To find that contact, they should turn to the L.A. County Citizen’s Guide.
• Los Angeles County - Office of the Assessor: For real estate records and other such public records, Los Angeles County, California, residents should search the Office of the Assessor’s public property records, which include addresses, owners, values and more for properties in Los Angeles County.
• Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: The Los Angeles County Clerk keeps for the residents of Los Angeles County, California, public records on a variety of subjects. Among the records that the county clerk keeps, for instance, are business name records and marriage records. The Registrar-Recorder, meanwhile, keeps public records such as birth records, death records and property records.
• Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department - Inmate Search: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department allows you to search California public criminal records for inmates currently imprisoned in Los Angeles County, although you must have an inmate’s name in order to access his or her inmate records.
• Superior Court of California - Los Angeles County: For a variety of public records—California public criminal records, for instance, as well as civil court records, probate records and even divorce records—California residents living in Los Angeles County should turn to the the Superior Court of California for Los Angeles County, which has a variety of case files and public records available electronically on its Web site. Can’t find what you’re looking for? The court clerk can help you locate the appropriate records.

Orange County, California, Public Records Web Sites:

• Orange County Archives: The Orange County Archives maintains a wealth of historical public records from Orange County, California, including old marriage records, voter records and naturalization records that are useful for genealogical purposes.
• Orange County Clerk-Recorder: The Orange County Clerk-Recorder keeps for the residents of Orange County, California, public records on a variety of subjects. It maintains property records, for instance, birth records, marriage records, death records and business records.
• Orange County Sheriff's Department - Inmate Search: The Orange County Sheriff’s Department allows you to search California public criminal records for inmates currently imprisoned in Orange County.
• Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office: For real estate records and other such public records, Orange County, California, residents should search the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s public property records, which include addresses, owners, values and more for properties in Orange County.
• Superior Court of California - Orange County: For a variety of public records—California public criminal records, for instance, as well as civil court records—California residents living in Orange County should turn to the the Superior Court of California for Orange County, which has a variety of case files and public records available electronically on its Web site. Can’t find what you’re looking for? The court clerk can help you locate the appropriate records.

San Diego County, California, Public Records Web Sites:

• San Diego County - Your Local Government: If they're looking for public records, California residents in San Diego County should consider looking up the appropriate local government contact to help them navigate available resources. To find that contact, they should turn to the San Diego County Web site.
• San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk: The San Diego Assessor/Recorder/ County Clerk Web site is a portal to—for residents of San Diego County, California—public records on a variety of subjects, including birth and death records, marriage records and property records.
• San Diego County Sheriff's Department - Inmate Log: The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department allows you to search California public criminal records for inmates currently imprisoned in San Diego County.
• Superior Court of California - San Diego County: For a variety of public records—California public criminal records, for instance, as well as civil court records—California residents living in San Diego County should turn to the the Superior Court of California for San Diego County, which has a variety of case files and public records available electronically on its Web site. Can’t find what you’re looking for? The court clerk can help you locate the appropriate records.

Other Useful California Web Sites:

• National Center for State Courts: For a listing of links to California courts that keep public court records, including appellate courts, probate courts and circuit courts, consult the National Center for State Courts.
• Online Archive of California: Part of the University of California’s California Digital Library initiative, the Online Archive of California is a searchable electronic database of public records California residents can access from sources such as museums, historical societies, universities, etc.

State Bar of California - Attorney Search: If you need to find a California lawyer, use the State Bar of California’s Attorney Search tool.

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