Thank you for visiting the California Courts Web site.

Please note that the Judicial Council of California does not provide legal advice or interpret the law. If you need legal assistance, have a question regarding a traffic citation or a particular case, or have a complaint about a judge or an attorney, review the Frequently Asked Questions below, or visit our Q&A page where you will find additional information on many court-related issues.

Frequently Asked Questions
Please review our answers to the mostly commonly asked questions below:

How do I obtain copies of my birth certificate?
You may find instructions on where to order a copy of your birth certificate or a death certificate at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/californ.htm

Where can I find judgments, filings, complaints, and divorce decrees?
You must contact the clerk's office at the court where your case was filed. You may find all court phone numbers, street addresses, and Web site addresses at: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/trial/courtlist.htm

How do I find information on a court case?
To find information about cases for the California Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, and some Superior Courts, first select the appropriate jurisdiction starting with the left navigation bar at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/

You may find information on some Supreme Court and appellate cases at http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/ Please note that not all cases are available online.

For courts that do not post filings online, contact the clerk's office at the court of jurisdiction. Contact information for all California courts can be found at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/

How do I locate information about an old case?
You may consider visiting your local law library, which should have access to computer-assisted research systems (e.g., Lawdesk, Lexis, Westlaw, Findlaw). A law librarian should be able to assist you. You can find information about your local public law library at: http://www.publiclawlibrary.org/

How do I find information regarding criminal records?
The Judicial Council of California and the Administrative Office of the Courts do not maintain criminal histories. While individual court records usually are public, criminal histories are generally confidential. Penal Code sections 11105 and 13330 limit access to criminal histories. Criminal statistics and access to criminal histories for research purposes may be allowed.

How do I file a complaint against a judge?
All matters concerning the performance of California state judges should be directed to the Commission on Judicial Performance. You may find information about the commission at http://cjp.ca.gov/

Where can I find information about traffic cases?
We do not have information on your specific citation. You must contact the clerk's office at the court that issued the citation. To locate a traffic court, go to http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/traffic/finding.htm

How do I file for divorce?
We cannot provide legal advice on individual cases. You may find information on how to file for divorce at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/family/divorce/

Should you need further assistance, you may consider seeking professional legal help. You can find an introduction to the people in your area who can help you find legal information at: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/lowcost/help.htm#famchild

To find the family law facilitator in your county, go to: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/lowcost/flf.htm
If the family law facilitator cannot help you, he or she may be able to refer you to someone in your county that can provide assistance.

If you wish to do further research on your own, you may want to visit your local law or public library. You can find information about the law library in your county at: http://www.publiclawlibrary.org/

If you still wish to send a comment about this site or have a question related to court administration in California, select "Continue." Please note that due to the high volume of e-mails, we cannot guarantee a personal response.