San Mateo County Court Records: Search by Name, Case Number, MIDX & Odyssey
Trying to find a criminal court case, civil lawsuit, divorce docket, probate filing or traffic record in San Mateo County? The Superior Court provides two different public lookup systems: MIDX for finding case indexes and Odyssey for additional docket information and permitted documents. This guide explains which one to use, what cannot be viewed online and how to request official copies.
This independent website is not the Superior Court of California, San Mateo County, a court clerk, a government agency, a law firm or a Consumer Reporting Agency. A name match does not prove identity; a charge, complaint or lawsuit does not establish guilt or liability.
Which San Mateo County court records system should you use?
San Mateo County has one Superior Court with different divisions and branch locations. The main practical distinction is not which county clerk to search, but whether you need an index, a register of actions, a traffic ticket, an official court document or a confidential case record.
| Record | Start here | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal case | MIDX, then Odyssey | Criminal document images are not generally provided through ordinary Odyssey Public access. For cases filed before 1993, contact the Criminal Clerk. |
| Civil lawsuit | MIDX / Odyssey | Public docket information and eligible non-confidential documents may be available. |
| Small claims | MIDX / Odyssey | Compare parties, filing date and court case number; not all documents are necessarily online. |
| Divorce or family law | MIDX / Odyssey case index | Family-law document access is restricted; the court currently states that family-law documents are precluded from public portal display. |
| Probate, estate or guardianship | MIDX / Odyssey | Some probate records are public, but confidentiality rules may protect particular proceedings or documents. |
| Traffic ticket | Court Traffic Portal / Odyssey | Ticket payment and traffic school options are not the same as obtaining certified case records. |
| Juvenile or adoption | Responsible court clerk | Ordinary online public access is unavailable for confidential juvenile and adoption matters. |
| Appeal | California First Appellate District | Appellate court dockets are separate from trial-level Superior Court records. |
| Federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy | PACER / Northern District of California | Federal cases do not appear in the county Superior Court’s public search. |
How to use San Mateo County MIDX case search
MIDX is the Superior Court’s public records index. It includes available civil, criminal, family law, probate, small claims and appellate case information. It is an index, not a downloadable collection of every court filing.
Go to web.sanmateocourt.org/midx/ and review the court’s disclaimer.
The system offers Case Number Search, Person Search, Business Search and Filing Date Search.
Case-number search requires at least five alphanumeric characters. Person search requires at least two characters in each name field. Business search requires at least three characters.
The MIDX instructions permit an asterisk (*) after the search text. For example, a business search such as “Pacific Co*” may help when the full legal company name is uncertain.
MIDX states that filing-date range searches have a maximum span of five calendar days. This is particularly useful when the filing date is known.
Check case number, party type, name, filing date and the index source. Several people can share similar names.
Open Odyssey separately because MIDX does not directly link into the Odyssey Public Portal. Search the identified case number again.
San Mateo Odyssey Public Portal: what you can and cannot view
The Odyssey Public Portal does not require ordinary public users to register. It provides the register of actions for available non-confidential and non-sealed civil, criminal, family law, probate, small claims and traffic cases. Document availability is more limited than docket availability.
Available case information
- Non-confidential case information
- Register of actions
- Public civil documents where permitted
- Available probate and small claims documents
- Traffic case information and payment access
Access restrictions
- Criminal document images generally unavailable to public users
- Family-law documents currently restricted from public portal display
- Juvenile and adoption cases excluded
- Paternity and mental-health records excluded from ordinary portal access
- Sealed and confidential case information not available for unrestricted public viewing
The Odyssey instructions recommend wildcard searching with an asterisk if the exact party name is unknown. For example, “Generic Co*” may locate different versions of a company name. More precise case-number searching is preferable when possible.
How to find a hearing or courtroom assignment
For hearing information, the court publishes a separate Hearings/Courtroom Listing. It states that listings are uploaded around 7:00 p.m. on the court day before a hearing, with updates if courtroom assignments change on the hearing date.
Official Hearings/Courtroom Listing
Open the current hearing listing ↗- Select the Southern, Northern or Central Branch listing.
- Open the available court listing document.
- Use your browser’s Find function to check the case number or name where permitted.
- Confirm last-minute changes with the clerk or court.
Confidential cases may be searchable in the listing by case number only. A previous day’s calendar should never be treated as confirmation of today’s hearing location.
San Mateo County court-record copy fees and mail requests
For a certified judgment, criminal disposition, divorce decree, probate order or civil filing, use the Superior Court’s Records Management Division. The court publishes a mail procedure with the required identifying information and current listed fees.
| Service | Published charge |
|---|---|
| Ordinary copy | $0.50 per side |
| Certification of a record or paper | $40.00 |
| Certified dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership record | $15.00 |
| Exemplification of a record | $50.00 |
| Compare a copy to original | $1.00 per side |
| File search longer than 10 minutes | $15.00 per search |
| Off-site file retrieval | $10.00 |
Use MIDX or Odyssey first. Records Management states that it does not research files on a requester’s behalf.
Include the parties, case number and approximate filing date or a clear description of the requested document.
Include a self-addressed postage-paid envelope and a blank check payable to “Superior Court,” with a “Not to exceed” maximum amount written on its memo line, as instructed by the court.
San Mateo Superior Court, Records Management, 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A, Redwood City, CA 94063.
The court states it will reply within 30 days after receiving the mail request. Confirm current processing procedures before sending payment.
San Mateo County official case-search and court-record resources
MIDX — Superior Court Records Index
Open MIDX name and case search ↗- Choose Case Number, Person, Business or Filing Date search.
- Use the permitted character minimums.
- Record the exact case number from the result.
- Search Odyssey separately for additional available data.
Odyssey Public Portal
Open Odyssey public case access ↗- Continue without registering for an attorney account.
- Use available search options to locate the case.
- Review the register of actions.
- Check whether non-confidential document images are available.
Records Management and certified copies
Open Records Management ↗- Select viewing or copy request instructions.
- Confirm whether an appointment is needed.
- Prepare the case number and document details.
- Verify fees and certification before requesting copies.
San Mateo Traffic Court
Open court traffic online services ↗- Choose Pay Traffic Tickets / Moving Violations.
- Use the court-authorized ticket search.
- Review options for payment, traffic school or extension where available.
- Contact Traffic for certified citation records or hearing questions.
California appellate court case search
Open California appellate case information ↗- Select the relevant appellate court.
- Search by appellate case number or party information.
- Compare the originating San Mateo trial-court case.
- Contact the appellate clerk for official copies.
Federal PACER
Open PACER Find a Case ↗- Use Case Locator if the federal court is unknown.
- Look for the Northern District of California where appropriate.
- Open the federal docket and available documents.
- Review PACER prices before billable searches.
San Mateo County Superior Court offices and records location
Hall of Justice and Records
400 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063
Records Management: 1st Floor, Room A
Phone: 650-261-5100
Phone hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Records office: Appointment only, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
Other Superior Court branches
Northern Branch:
1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco, CA 94080
Central Branch:
800 North Humboldt Street, San Mateo, CA 94401
Juvenile Branch:
222 Paul Scannell Drive, San Mateo, CA 94402
General court phone: 650-261-5100
Before visiting, use the court’s Records Management page to schedule an appointment. Confirm whether the requested file is held on site, needs retrieval or belongs to a different court division.
San Mateo federal court records use the Northern District of California
Federal criminal, civil and bankruptcy cases are not searchable through MIDX as San Mateo Superior Court matters. Use the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the applicable federal Bankruptcy Court or PACER. Federal appellate cases use the Ninth Circuit.
Northern District of California PACER court information ↗
Why a San Mateo County court case may not appear online
A missing MIDX or Odyssey result does not establish that a court case never existed. The court may restrict public display, or the case may fall outside a particular index’s coverage.
Check search details
- Incorrect court case number
- Name spelling, initials or suffix variations
- Wrong case type or filing-date range
- Searching MIDX for a traffic citation
- Searching a federal matter in a state system
Check record availability
- Criminal filing before 1993
- Confidential or sealed case
- Juvenile, adoption or mental-health restriction
- Document images not remotely available
- Older file requiring clerk or off-site retrieval
When necessary, call Records Management at 650-261-5100, explain which case or document you need and ask whether it can be inspected by appointment or ordered by mail.
10 FAQs about San Mateo County court records
1. Where can I search San Mateo County court records?
Use the San Mateo Superior Court Records Index (MIDX) to find case numbers and parties, then use the Odyssey Public Portal to view available registers of actions and permitted documents. Traffic and confidential cases may require separate court processes.
2. Can I search San Mateo court records by name?
Yes. MIDX provides Person Search and Business Search. Person search requires at least two characters in each name field, and a wildcard asterisk can be used after search text. Always compare case number, court and filing date before assuming a result belongs to someone.
3. Is MIDX the same as Odyssey?
No. MIDX is an index containing case number, party type, case name, filing date and related index information. Odyssey provides more case activity and available non-confidential documents. MIDX does not directly link into the Odyssey Public Portal.
4. Are San Mateo criminal case documents available online?
Criminal case index and register-of-actions information may be available, but criminal document images are not generally provided through ordinary Odyssey Public access. For criminal cases filed before 1993, contact the Criminal Court Clerk at 650-261-5100, option 1.
5. Can I view San Mateo divorce and family-law documents online?
Family-law case index or docket information may be available, but the court states that family-law documents are currently precluded from public Odyssey display. Contact Records Management for available public copies and applicable confidentiality restrictions.
6. How much does a San Mateo certified court record cost?
Records Management lists ordinary copies at $0.50 per side, general record certification at $40 and certified dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership records at $15. Additional search, retrieval or mailing charges may apply.
7. How do I request San Mateo court records by mail?
Send the case number, parties, approximate filing date or document description, a self-addressed postage-paid envelope and the payment materials specified by Records Management to 400 County Center, 1st Floor, Room A, Redwood City, CA 94063. The court states it will reply within 30 days after receiving a request.
8. Where do I search San Mateo traffic tickets?
Use the Superior Court’s Traffic Portal through its Online Services page rather than relying only on MIDX. The traffic system provides options for ticket payment, traffic school or extensions where permitted.
9. Can I search juvenile or adoption records through Odyssey?
No. The court excludes juvenile, adoption and certain other confidential matters from ordinary online public access. Authorized parties should contact the responsible court clerk and follow applicable access requirements.
10. Where do I find federal cases from San Mateo County?
Federal district cases are handled through the Northern District of California and PACER. Federal bankruptcy cases use the federal Bankruptcy Court, and federal appeals use the Ninth Circuit. These records are separate from San Mateo Superior Court MIDX and Odyssey.
Official sources and responsible record use
This guide was researched using the San Mateo Superior Court’s MIDX search, Odyssey portal instructions, Records Management, mail-copy procedures, official locations, hearings listing, California Judicial Branch and PACER. Research review: October 22, 2026.