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Fresno County Court Records

Residents, attorneys, researchers, journalists, and other groups look up Fresno County court records to learn about court cases and their outcomes, obtain documents for other legal processes, and run criminal background checks.

The records document activity in the Fresno County Superior Court, the sole trial-level court and official custodian of court case files. As cases move through the various court divisions, court staff collect, generate, and maintain filings, orders, and judgments in accordance with California’s court rules and its public records law.

Court records may intersect with documents and information from other official systems in certain cases. These include arrest records handled by law enforcement and, in some instances, vital records held by the county recorder. For this reason, court records are often used alongside other official documents to form a more complete picture of an event, who was involved, and how the matter was resolved.

The court custodian (clerk’s office) oversees records across criminal, civil, family, and probate matters. Certain documents, such as those related to family law, may be more difficult to retrieve than others.

Are Fresno County Court Records Public?

Yes. Many Fresno County court records are available to the public as stipulated by Rules 2.400(a) and 2.550(c) of the California Rules of Court, with exceptions for sensitive or confidential matters.

The local custodian is obligated to provide documents in civil, criminal, and traffic cases upon request, after redacting protected information, such as Social Security numbers and other Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

The exceptions generally concern records affecting minors, personal privacy, or sealed materials. For example, adoption records are strictly protected to preserve the privacy of the individuals involved. Juvenile delinquency cases are also shielded from public access to protect a minor’s rights and future interests.

What Information is Available in Fresno County Court Records?

Fresno County court records may feature a wide range of information, depending on the case type and stage of the proceedings:

  • Case identifiers: Case numbers, filing dates, case types, assigned court division
  • Representation information: Names of the parties, their respective attorneys, and the presiding judges
  • Initiating documents: Complaints, petitions, summonses, indictments, arrest and bench warrants
  • Other case documents: Filings, motions, responses, docket entries, calendars
  • Evidence & testimony: Witness statements, documentary exhibits
  • Disposition actions: Orders, rulings, jury verdicts, judgments

Fresno County Court Records Search

Fresno County follows California court rules in determining which court records are fully viewable online and which require a courthouse visit. As a result, a searcher must be familiar with the regulations that apply to the type of record sought to utilize the appropriate medium for retrieval.

Cal. Ct. R. 2.503 allows case summaries for most adult proceedings to be accessed online so that users can review the register of actions from home or via other electronic means. Section (c) of the same rule specifies that certain case files may be accessed electronically, but only through public terminals at a courthouse. These include

  • Family law cases (such as dissolution of marriage, child support, and legal separation)
  • Probate cases (including guardianships and conservatorships)
  • Criminal cases (major filings, including transcripts and motions; dockets may be available online)
  • Mental Health Proceedings (those under the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act)

Fresno County Court Records Online Access

The Fresno Superior Court and other public bodies provide the following online tools for general and specialized court records searches:

  • Fresno Superior Court’s online Case Management and Information System : This portal is free to use and consolidates information, including filings and judgments across all public case types. It provides extensive options for filtering results, organized into the following:
    • Basic search: Uses record number and first, last, or middle name
    • General search: Blends case location (civil, criminal, family law, probate) with general search categories, such as party name, case number, and attorney name
    • Party search: Utilizes party name, business name, or nickname, along with fields for FBI number, booking number, or Superior Court (SO) number
    • Case search: This section provides filters for case status, filing dates, and judicial officer
    • Judgment search: Allows users to select the type or dates of judgment

This case lookup system also features a function to search for hearing dates in civil, criminal, family, and probate cases, with filters for case type, court type, search type, and date search.

  • Case Index Ordering Service : An index request system that dispenses bulk case information for criminal and traffic cases or for civil and small claim cases, but not both in a single report. Each fulfilled request includes up to one month of data and costs $70 per report. Customers access the following summary-level case data through this route:
    • Case Number
    • Case Style/Party Name
    • Offenses (for criminal & traffic case report only)
    • Case Type
    • Filing Date
    • Status Date
    • Current Status
  • County Recorder Official Records Search : Primarily for property records indexed since 1981, but also disseminates judgments, liens, and lis pendens tied to real estate filings. It is searchable by name or document numbers, and users can buy copies directly on the interface.
  • Master Calendar Report : Provides a daily schedule of court hearings, listing case description, parties or petitioners, and assigned judges across the Superior Court’s divisions.

Alternative Methods for Accessing Fresno County Court Records

In addition to records available through public online systems, Fresno County provides other access methods for documents that require a courthouse visit or may be requested by mail or email.

  • Public Terminals. Each courthouse location in Fresno County provides public terminals for people to electronically view certain case documents restricted from full remote access under Cal. Ct. R. 2.503(c). Inspection is free, but users may need to pay for printouts.
  • Clerk’s Window: Inquirers can directly talk to the clerk’s office of the relevant court division to inspect or duplicate case files. The requester typically needs to show a photo ID or other proof of identification, especially when applying to copy sensitive materials.
  • Archives Department: For older court records now domiciled at the Archives division, inquirers can contact the division directly at 1963 "E" Street, Fresno, CA. Written requests must include the party name and case number. An inquiry should be sent along with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and a check or money order payable to Fresno Superior Court.

Fees for Court Records in Fresno County

Standard fees are prescribed by statute for court records access, though local courts may implement their own updates as permitted by law. The following fee schedule applies across all divisions of the local Superior Court.

  • Plain copies: 50 cents per page
  • Certified copies: $40 per document
  • Exemplified copies: $50 per document
  • Search fee: $10 per search for any search that takes more than 10 minutes to complete
  • Online case index report: $70 per report

The following fees apply for vital and property records obtainable at the office of the County Clerk-Recorder:

  • Birth certificate (certified): $34 per copy
  • Death certificate (certified): $26 per copy
  • Marriage certificate: $19 per copy
  • Copy of a property record: $1.50 for the first page and 50 cents for subsequent pages
  • Certification of recorded document: $1 per document

Fresno County Courthouse Locations

Listed here are the various locations and contact details of the Superior Court in Fresno County:

Fresno County Superior Court (Main Courthouse)

(Criminal felonies & misdemeanors, juvenile dependency)

1100 Van Ness Avenue

Fresno, CA 93724-0002

Phone: (559) 457-2000

B. F. Sisk Courthouse

(Civil, small claims, family law, and probate)

1130 O Street

Fresno, CA 93721-2220

Phone: (559) 457-2000

" M" Street Courthouse

(Traffic citations and other minor infractions)

2317 Tuolumne Street

Fresno, CA 93721-1220

Phone: (559) 457-1700

Jail Annex - Criminal Courts Departments 95 & 96

(Criminal cases, domestic violence)

1265 M Street

Fresno, CA 93721

Phone: (559) 457-2000

Juvenile Justice Court

(Juvenile felony, misdemeanor, and drug cases)

3333 East American Avenue

Suite A

Fresno, CA 93725

Phone: (559) 457-4810

Criminal Records Access in Fresno County

Criminal records span a wide range of case types, including misdemeanors, felonies, and traffic offenses. Collectively, they provide a comprehensive account of an individual’s criminal history, including arrests, bookings, and related official proceedings.

Accessing Fresno County criminal records depends on the type of information sought, such as an arrest record, court prosecution details, or a comprehensive criminal history. Law enforcement agencies, like the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, typically maintain pre-court criminal records. These records provide the public with details on arrests and incident reports, subject to the limits of state law.

Once a case moves into the court system, the Superior Court generates records that are accessible online, at the courthouse, or by copy request.

Additionally, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains a master list of all statewide arrests and convictions, which it makes available to authorized agencies and the subject of the record only, in accordance with Cal. Penal Code § 11105(b).

Individuals who wish to request a personal criminal record from the state DOJ must complete form BCIA-8016RR and submit a fingerprint image (or manual fingerprint card if out of state) through the nearest police department or an approved Live Scan service. Each record review costs $25, excluding fingerprint fees.

Fresno County Probate Records

Probate is a legal process overseen by a court. It involves either managing a deceased person’s estate or managing the personal and financial matters of a living individual who is either a minor or deemed incapable of handling their own affairs.

The probate process can involve validating wills, appointing personal representatives, or supervising guardianships and conservatorships. Wills and other probate filings produced during these proceedings comprise Fresno County probate records, also called estate records.

The Superior Court allows the public to view probate information electronically via public access terminals at the county courthouse or in person at the division clerk’s window. Be that as it may, guardianship and conservatorship records are strictly off limits to the general public. Only authorized parties (such as the person listed in the record, their family, or their attorney) may request restricted probate documents.

Fresno County Family Court Records

In Fresno County, family law cases, such as dissolution of marriage, custody, and spousal support, are considered public records, though online access through the Superior Court’s portal is restricted to case dockets and registers of action.

To view the family court documents, individuals can visit the B.F. Sisk Courthouse, where computer kiosks are made available to inspect case files electronically. Not all family law records can be viewed this way, however. Adoption records are completely sealed under Cal. Fam. Code § 9200, and only named persons, their family, and legal representatives can view child custody evaluation reports, as specified in Cal. Fam. Code § 3111(b).

Federal Court Records in Fresno County

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California oversees matters of a federal nature brought by or involving Fresno County residents. The primary location for federal proceedings in Fresno is the Robert E. Coyle United States Courthouse, located at 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA. Members of the public may contact the Clerk of Court, Fresno division, at Room 1501 during regular business hours or call (559) 499-5600.

For online access to federal court records, the public can use the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) service. Registered users can perform a name search for 10 cents per search, with the fee billed whether the search succeeds or not. Even so, payment is waived for usage below $30 in a billing quarter.

Fresno County Court