San Joaquin County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

San Joaquin County was established in 1850 as one of California's original counties. It has a high population density, with more than 779,445 people living in a total area of 1,426 square miles. The county seat, Stockton, is located along the San Joaquin River. For the interpretation and maintenance of the law, the county's residents rely on the Superior Court, which is the county's only trial court.

The San Joaquin County Superior Court performs its functions through its specialized divisions. Besides the main courthouse in Stockton, the Superior Court branches are also located in Lodi, French Camp, and Manteca. The Superior Court Divisions include:

• Civil Division: It handles non-criminal lawsuits between businesses and/or individuals, such as personal injury, tort, and breach of contract
• Criminal Division: It hears cases where the state prosecutes individuals for violating criminal laws
• Family Law and Support Division: It handles issues arising from family relationships such as spousal support, adoption, child custody, and divorce
• Juvenile Division: It handles both juvenile delinquency and dependency matters
• Small Claims Division: It resolves disputes involving amounts less than $10,000, both inexpensively and quickly
• Traffic Division: It handles adult traffic violations and non-traffic violations such as fishing and boating violations

According to the California Court Statistics Report, the Criminal Division of the Superior Court in San Joaquin County handles the highest number of cases, processing over 70,000 criminal cases annually, most of which are infractions and misdemeanor cases. In comparison, the civil division deals with approximately 10,000 cases a year. In addition, there are about 5,500 family-related, 800 juvenile, and 1,000 probate cases filed each year. The Superior Court maintains all court records and permits the inspection of most records, excluding sealed and juvenile records. Interested parties may choose to visit the courthouse in person or conduct a search using the online resource on the Superior Court website by providing a party name or case number. To gain access to sealed or confidential files, special permission is required from authorized personnel or an additional court order. The County Clerk can assist with the commencement of this process.

In conclusion, the Superior Court, through its Divisions, upholds the rule of law in San Joaquin County. It resolves legal matters, protects individual rights, and maintains transparency by providing access to court records. Residents can access these records either online or by visiting the courthouse.