Santa Barbara County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Located in southern California, Santa Barbara County was created in 1850 and has a land area of 2,735 square miles. As of 2022, its population was 445,213, and its county seat is the City of Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara County, as with all counties in California, runs a unified court system, with the Santa Barbara County Superior Court being the only trial court in the county.

The Santa Barbara County Superior Court has general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases. It hears traffic, misdemeanors, felonies, family law, juvenile, probate, mental health, small claims, and limited and unlimited civil cases. The court is divided into Divisions based on case types and location. The Santa Barbara County Superior Court Divisions and cases they handle are:

• Lompoc Division - criminal, limited civil, traffic, and family law cases
• Anacapa Division - civil, criminal, family law, probate, small claims, and juvenile cases
• Figueroa Division - criminal, small claims, and traffic cases
• Santa Barbara Juvenile Court - juvenile dependency and delinquency cases
• Santa Maria - Cook Division - civil, family law, probate, mental health, and small claims cases
• Santa Maria - Miller Division - criminal and traffic cases
• Santa Maria Juvenile Court - juvenile dependency and delinquency cases
• Santa Maria Jury Services - pretrial hearings for Cook and Miller Divisions
• Santa Barbara Jury Services - pretrial hearings for Anacapa and Figueroa Divisions

The Santa Barbara County Superior Court, with its 21 judges, handles all the county's judicial needs. Over 40,000 criminal cases and about 5,000 civil cases are handled by the court annually. About 500 juvenile matters, over 2,000 traffic infractions, about 4,000 misdemeanors, and over 2,000 felonies are heard by the Superior Court annually. The county's crime rate is about 3,100 crime incidents per 100,000 residents. The court meticulously maintains the court records and makes nonconfidential records available to the public. The public can access court records online or via the terminal provided at the court premises. They can also complete and submit the Copy Request Form. However, some records are closed to the public and can only be accessed by approved persons or court orders. These records are made confidential by default under California laws or by court orders. They include juvenile records, adoption records, medical and mental health records, information about jurors, and person-identifiable information.

In summary, the unified court system in Santa Barbara County ensures a smooth and efficient judicial process for the residents. The Santa Barbara County Superior Court Divisions efficiently attend to cases and dispense justice without bias. The county's management of court records strengthens public confidence in the legal system by guaranteeing accessibility and transparency. Santa Barbara County remains committed to fulfilling its legal obligations and is a shining example of efficient judicial management in California