Kern County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Kern County was incorporated in 1866 in California and covers a total area of 8,163 square miles. The county is home to over 906,800 residents. The City of Bakersfield serves as the county seat. Kern County's court system is structured to handle criminal and civil cases, family law issues, probate matters, and more. The court system consists of the Kern County Superior Court and its various Divisions that resolve legal disputes under their jurisdictions.

The Kern County Superior Court has several branches across the county. While many case proceedings are conducted at the courthouses in Bakersfield, the Superior Court also operates branch courts in Delona, Bakersfield, Lamont, Mojave, Ridgecrest, Taft, and Shafter. Additionally, the Superior Court has Divisions for Criminal, Civil and Small Claims, Family Law, Juvenile, and Probate cases. The Civil and Small Claims Division handles small claims matters($12,500 limit), abuse and harassment, unlawful detainer, guardianship, and civil actions where the monetary damages are up to $35,000 or exceed this amount. Likewise, the Criminal Division hears felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions. The Family Law Division handles divorces, legal separations, child support, visitation rights, and other domestic-related issues. Cases that the Juvenile Court Division processes include dependency, delinquency, and traffic citations or infractions involving minors. The Probate Court Division has authority over decedent estates, wills, trusts, involuntary commitments, and other probate matters. Lastly, the Traffic Court Division resolves cases involving the violation of traffic regulations.

In 2022, Kern County reported a total of 3,537 violent crimes occurring within the county limits. According to the 2023 California Court Statistics Reports, the Superior Court's caseload included 14,977 total civil filings and 13,239 civil case dispositions. The Superior Court also managed 107,156 new criminal cases and finalized 94,409 such cases during the year. Of the criminal dispositions, there were 68,410 traffic infractions, 8,280 traffic misdemeanors, 9,844 non-traffic misdemeanors, and 7,409 felony cases. The Family Division managed 9,925 case filings in 2023 and disposed approximately 8,533 cases. Likewise, the Juvenile Division handled 804 new cases for the year and closed 1,044 cases. Court records in Kern County are maintained by the Clerks at the courthouses where the cases were filed. Interested persons can find public case information online or perform a Judicial Records Request to obtain copies of court records. However, confidential court records are restricted from public access because they contain sealed or private information.

Kern County's judicial system ensures the equitable resolution of legal disputes in the county. The court system consists of several Divisions of the Superior Court that help distribute the court's caseload efficiently and improve access to judicial services across the county. Additionally, the court provides easy access to court information and records online.