Orange County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Orange County is the second-most densely populated county in California, with 3,186,989 people inhabiting a total area of 792.9 square miles. It encompasses 34 incorporated cities, including Santa Ana, which is the county seat. The Orange County Superior Court is a unified trial court system that operates across multiple locations within the county. Most locations handle a wide variety of legal matters to ensure convenient access to justice.

Notably, the superior court consists of divisions that handle specific case types. The civil division hears complex and limited civil cases, while the criminal division handles felonies and misdemeanors. The small claims division is designed for minor civil disputes, especially those involving small amounts of money, usually under $6,250 for businesses and below $12,500 for individuals. The family law division focuses on cases relating to paternity, adoption, custody, and domestic violence, while the juvenile division handles cases of abuse, neglect, and dependency of persons under 18. All cases involving conservatorship, wills, trust, and abuse of dependent adults are heard in the probate division. The traffic division addresses minor and traffic offense violations. The Orange County Superior Court operates in the following locations:

• Santa Ana (Central Justice Center, Community Court, and Civil Complex Center)
• Orange (Lamoreaux Justice Center)
• Westminster (West Justice Center)
• Fullerton (North Justice Center)
• Newport Beach (Harbor Justice Center)
• Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa Justice Complex)

Court statistics reports indicate that the majority of cases filed with the Orange County Superior Court are civil cases and criminal misdemeanors. This court receives approximately 400,000 cases each year. While court records are generally accessible to the public, certain exemptions exist to protect confidentiality. This includes juvenile delinquency and dependency records. Furthermore, publicly available court records are accessible at the courthouses or through the Case Access Portal. An individual who cannot provide a case number can conduct a name search using the Case Name Search Application. For access to the juvenile delinquency and dependency records, an in-person visit to the Clerk's office would be required to seek special permission for such records.

The superior court handles its numerous judicial responsibilities through dedicated divisions such as civil, criminal, probate, small claims, and juvenile divisions. This comprehensive structure ensures that court users have convenient access to all court services. Also, the superior court provides access to court records remotely through the case access portal, case name search application, or by visiting a courthouse.