1.What are California rules about public records?
The California State Legislature passed the California Public Records Act and the Governor signed it in 1968. The law was modeled after United States Freedom of Information Act in that it considers free access to information about the conduct of government a fundamental right of the people.
2.What are considered public records in California?
In California, unless the public records of an agency are exempt, any writing stored by a government entity that contains information about the business of the public is considered a public record. Writings are given a broad definition and may include a broad array of mediums (e.g. email, videos, audio recordings, computers). The intent is to assure that all levels of California government be held accountable for their conduct. Public records may be meeting minutes, legal papers, and laws, but any document filed with a government agency is a public record in California, though not every document may be made public (e.g. see criminal records below).
3.What public record databases are available in California that I should know about?
Traditionally public records have been documents such as census records, births, deaths, marriages, divorce records, court records, deeds & mortgages, and property records. Today there are a vast number of public records available online and we've worked since 1997 to make it easy for you to find them. In California they include company & corporation searches; professional, medical, and business licenses; banking institutions; charitable organizations; codes; environmental directories; farm subsidies; government employee salaries; inmates; insurance matters; legislation; lobbyists; missing persons; most wanted persons; school directories; sex offenders; trademarks; UCC filings; and more.
4.What is important to know about the California court system?
The California court system has three levels. At the first level are the Superior Courts. In 2000, under Proposition 220, all California counties unified their superior and municipal courts. Former municipal courts are now called limited jurisdiction superior courts. Civil, felony, misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, and juvenile cases are heard at the general superior courts, while felony preliminary hearings and smaller misdemeanors are heard at the limited superior courts. At the second level are the Courts of Appeal, which review decisions from the Superior Courts. At the top level is the California Supreme Court, which reviews decisions from all lower courts.
5.How do I find court records in California?
Use the <California by Category> menu on the left and select <Court Records> to access our links to district, county, supreme, court of appeals, superior, limited superior, civil, criminal, bankruptcy, small claims, family, and probate court record databases.
6.What is important to know about criminal records in California?
Penal Code section 11105 makes it illegal to provide a full statewide criminal history to anyone outside of law enforcement, except to the person who is the subject of the report. To search the criminal records of someone else, a search of available county records is the only option. Felony, misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, and juvenile cases are heard at the general jurisdiction superior courts, while some misdemeanor and DWI/DUI cases are handled at the limited jurisdiction superior courts.
7.How do I find criminal records in California?
California criminal record databases are listed in this section, but the quickest way to find them is to use the <California by Category> menu at left and select <Criminal Records>. There you will find links to Dept of Corrections inmate records, the Dept of Justice for information on obtaining your own record, Federal Bureau of Prisons inmates, Federal PACER system criminal court records (an inexpensive pay site), and other links to state, county, and city arrests, inmates, court dates, court records, crime maps, and traffic court records. Click on <California Criminal Court Records> to search our Premium service for California court records from 24 counties, and statewide sex offenders.
8.How do I find property records in California?
Use the <California by Category> menu on the left and select <Property Records> to access databases from available cities and counties. Keep in mind that by law those entities cannot provide street addresses and owner names within the same search result. Use the <California by Category> menu on the left and select <Recorded Documents> to access land records such as deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, and lis pendens.
9.How do I search birth, death, divorce and marriage records in California?
Use the <California by Category> menu on the left and select births, deaths, marriage records, or divorces. The <Birth Records> page has links to California statewide births from 1769 to 1850, and 1905 to 1995, along with various county birth indexes. The <Death Records> page has links to the Social Security Death Index for California, various genealogical death record databases, obituaries, funeral home records, and county deaths. The <Marriage Records> page has links to genealogical marriage databases and county marriage databases. The <Divorce Records> page has links to available county divorce record databases.
10.How do I order copies of vital records in California?
Vital Records are available from: California Department of Health Services, M.S. 5103, PO Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899. For more information on ordering Vital Records in California, use the <California by Category> menu on the left and click on <California Vital Records>.
11.How do I find occupational, medical, professional, or business licenses in California?
To find the license status of a California physician, attorney, hospital, CPA, insurance company, smog technician, or any other of over 200 California license verification services, use the <California Licenses> menu on the left and pick from the list.