San Bernardino County CA Court Records Search: CAP Case Lookup, Name Search, Calendars, Copies & Courthouse Districts
Use this guide to search San Bernardino County court records through the official Court Access Portal, understand when name search requires login, know which documents are not remotely available, request file copies, route older cases to the right court district, and use separate official routes for appeals, federal district cases and bankruptcy records.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This page is not the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, a clerk’s office, the Judicial Branch of California, PACER, a federal court, a law firm, a government agency or a Consumer Reporting Agency. It is an educational routing guide only.
Responsible-use warning: a matching name does not prove identity. A charge, citation, lawsuit, petition, arrest, complaint or indictment does not prove guilt or liability. Do not use this page for employment, housing, credit, insurance, tenant screening or any other FCRA-regulated decision.
Start with the official Court Access Portal, then confirm the correct courthouse district
The Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino provides online case information through the Court Access Portal. The portal can help with case number, citation number, name, business name, landlord-tenant, calendar and payment routes, but California remote-access rules mean not every case or document is available from home.
Case data for cases filed before 1998 may be limited.
Civil remote documents and ordinary court-file copies list $0.50 per page.
The court’s Name Search FAQ says name searches return up to 200 records.
The court lists multiple districts, divisions and juvenile locations countywide.
San Bernardino County court-record route finder
Select the type of record you need. This privacy-safe helper does not collect personal information and does not run a real court-record search.
Case-number search is the cleanest route when you already have the full case number. Complete the CAPTCHA, review results, then verify the case type, parties, filing date and docket activity.
How to use the San Bernardino Court Access Portal
The court’s written CAP instructions show the basic path: open Access Court Case Information, accept the terms, choose Search, select Case Information, enter the proper criteria, complete CAPTCHA and view results. Party and business search require login and search credits.
Use the court-hosted CAP page, not a commercial people-search result.
The portal explains that online information is provided as a public service, may contain errors or omissions and does not replace official court records.
Use Case Information for case searches, Landlord Tenant Case for landlord-tenant matters, Calendars for hearing search, or Case Payment for payment lookup.
CAP includes case number, citation number, party search and business search. Party and business searches require login.
The Name Search FAQ states that Filing Date From and Filing Date To are required and must use mm/dd/yyyy format.
The court’s FAQ says date-of-birth and driver’s-license searching are not allowed under California Rules of Court, rule 2.507(c).
Compare case number, case type, filing date, parties, business name, court district, calendar and register-of-actions details before relying on a match.
For documents that are not remotely viewable, older files, certified copies, sealed-file questions or official use, contact the district where the case was filed or heard.
Which official source should you use?
San Bernardino County has multiple court districts and separate routes for appeals, federal cases, bankruptcy, jail custody and vital records. Use this table before searching.
| Need | Correct source | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, small claims, landlord-tenant, probate, family, criminal or traffic case information | San Bernardino Court Access Portal | Search by case number, citation number, party name, business name or calendar option as allowed by CAP. |
| Name or business search | CAP party search or business search | Log in, use required filing-date range and search credits, then verify case number and district before relying on the result. |
| Traffic ticket or citation payment | CAP Case Payment or Traffic section | Search only on the official portal by case number, citation number, party name or business name as offered by the payment screen. |
| Civil document image purchase | CAP document purchasing / Court Case Information and Document Sales | Open the case, use the documents tab, preview, add the correct document to cart and review the charge before payment. |
| Official copy, certified copy or file review | Clerk’s office at the courthouse where the case was filed or heard | Use the copy request form, include case details, ask for a fee estimate and include a self-addressed stamped envelope if requesting by mail. |
| Older case filed before 1998 | Specific court district or record center route | Contact the district because older files may have limited data online, may be off-site or may be available only electronically or from a record center. |
| Juvenile, adoption, sealed, paternity or minor-related case | Responsible court district with proof of authority | Do not attempt to bypass confidentiality. Parties or authorized persons may need ID, court order or the required Judicial Council petition route. |
| Appeal filing or appellate division case | Appeals and Appellate Division / eAppeals | Use the Rancho Cucamonga Appeals Division or eAppeals for eligible appeal submissions and check strict appeal deadlines. |
| Federal civil or criminal case | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California / PACER | Use PACER or the Central District’s court resources. San Bernardino County is in the Central District’s Eastern Division with Riverside. |
| Bankruptcy case | U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California / PACER | Use bankruptcy court PACER routes. Bankruptcy is federal and is not searched through superior court civil case lookup. |
What San Bernardino County records may not appear online?
California electronic-access rules and local court policy limit remote access to certain records. A missing online result may mean the case is confidential, sealed, outside online coverage, in the wrong district, not remotely available or older than the online data set.
- Public online access may be limited to indexes, calendars and registers of action for sensitive case types.
- Some public records can be viewed at the courthouse but not from home.
- Remote civil document images are limited to records legally allowed for public remote viewing.
- Online case data for pre-1998 cases may be limited.
- Sealed records are unavailable without a court order.
- Juvenile dependency and juvenile delinquency files have strict access rules.
- Adoption file access generally requires a court order.
- Paternity, minor-related and other confidential records may not be available online.
San Bernardino County courthouse districts and record-location clues
The courthouse that handled the matter is important for file review, mailed copy requests and older cases. The court’s location and phone roster lists multiple districts, divisions and juvenile locations across a very large county.
| District or division | Address / contact clue | Common record use |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Justice Center | 247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415 | Civil and criminal divisions, including San Bernardino District civil and criminal matters. |
| San Bernardino Historic Courthouse | 351 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92415 | Family law, adoptions, child support and related family-court services. |
| Rancho Cucamonga District | 8303 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 | Criminal matters for listed west-county areas and civil division for limited/unlimited civil, CEQA, labor board appeals and writs. |
| Appeals and Appellate Division | 8303 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 · 909-384-1888 | Appeal filings and appellate division matters from San Bernardino Superior Court cases. |
| Fontana District | 17780 Arrow Boulevard, Fontana, CA 92335 · 909-350-9322 | Traffic, small claims, limited landlord-tenant, probate/guardianship/conservatorship for listed areas and CARE Act filings countywide. |
| Victorville District | 14455 Civic Drive, Victorville, CA 92392 | High Desert criminal, family, traffic, probate, guardianship and juvenile-related matters depending on location and case type. |
| Barstow District | 235 East Mountain View Street, Barstow, CA 92311 | Family, small claims, traffic, landlord-tenant, restraining orders and other filings for listed desert communities. |
| Joshua Tree District | 6527 White Feather Road, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 | Family, criminal, traffic, small claims, landlord-tenant and restraining-order matters for Morongo Basin areas. |
| Needles District | 1111 Bailey Avenue, Needles, CA 92363 · 760-269-4962 | Needles-area family, small claims, limited landlord-tenant, infractions and certain probate/guardianship filings. |
| Juvenile courts | 860 or 900 East Gilbert Street, San Bernardino, plus Victorville juvenile delinquency location | Juvenile dependency and delinquency matters with strict confidentiality and identification rules. |
Official San Bernardino County court-record links and what to do after opening each one
These are the practical official routes users are most likely to need. Each link includes next steps so the page is not just a generic link list.
Use this for ordinary online case lookup, calendars, case payment and document purchasing.
- Read the portal terms and access notice.
- Choose Search, Calendars, Case Payment or FAQ/Instructional Videos.
- Use case number or citation number when available.
- Remember party and business searches require login and search credits.
Use this when you are unsure how to search, purchase documents or check calendars.
- Open the written instructions for Case Search, Calendar Search or Document Purchasing.
- Follow the exact menu names used by CAP.
- Use the Name Search FAQ before starting party search.
- Contact courts-capfeedback@sb-court.org only for technical problems, not case questions.
Use this to understand remote civil document access.
- Review the $0.50 per-page remote document cost.
- Confirm that the document is legally available for public remote viewing.
- Do not expect every family, criminal, juvenile or confidential document online.
- Use courthouse viewing or copy requests when remote access is unavailable.
Use this for court-file review, mailed copy requests, ID requirements and fee planning.
- Identify the courthouse where the case was filed or heard.
- Use the court’s Copy Request Form.
- Include case number, names, filing date and specific documents.
- Contact the district for a copy or certification fee estimate before mailing payment.
Use this to identify the correct court district by case type and area served.
- Search the page for the city, district or case type.
- Confirm which filings each district accepts.
- Use it to decide where older records or copy requests may be located.
- Call the district if the case type or area served is unclear.
Use this when you need a district phone number or courthouse address.
- Check the revision date on the PDF.
- Find the district where the case was filed or heard.
- Use the case-type phone number when listed.
- Confirm current hours before visiting.
Use this before visiting a courthouse for file viewing or copies.
- Confirm the correct district and clerk’s office hours.
- Note that many clerk’s offices list 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Check special hours for Big Bear and other limited-service locations.
- Do not arrive near closing with a large copy or file-review request.
Use this to understand why some public records are not remotely available.
- Review the difference between electronic access and remote access.
- Check which records may be limited by case type.
- Remember sealed or confidential records remain restricted.
- Use the courthouse-viewing route when remote access is unavailable.
How to request San Bernardino County court file copies and certified records
For copies or file review, the court directs users to the courthouse where the case was filed or heard. Many records can be reviewed at the courthouse, but older files may be off-site or available only in electronic form. If a file must be ordered from the record center, the court says to allow up to a week for delivery to the courthouse.
| Copy or service | Official fee detail shown by court copy-request information | Planning tip |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary copy | $0.50 per page; two-sided documents count as two pages. | Ask for an estimate before mailing payment, especially for large files. |
| Certification, except family law judgment | $40.00 per certified document plus $0.50 per page. | Specify that you need certification; a plain copy is not the same. |
| Certified family law judgment | $15.00 plus $0.50 per page. | Ask whether you need a certified judgment, decree, order or another family-law document. |
| Comparison with original | $1.00 per page. | Use only when comparison service is specifically required. |
| Exemplification | $50.00 plus $0.50 per page. | Usually needed for special official uses; confirm before ordering. |
| Authentication under court order | $15.00 per signature. | Ask the clerk what order or request language is required. |
| Research fees | $15.00 for searches longer than 10 minutes. | Provide case number, names and date details to reduce research time. |
| Remote civil document purchase | $0.50 per page for eligible civil documents available remotely. | Preview the document when CAP allows it and confirm it is the correct document before purchase. |
Copy-fee estimator
This estimates common court-copy charges only. It does not include postage, envelopes, credit-card costs, PACER, filing fees, transcript fees or special clerk instructions. The official clerk estimate controls.
Mail the request to the courthouse where the case was filed or heard.
Include case number, party names, filing date if known and the exact documents requested.
The court says to include a self-addressed stamped envelope or the clerk may charge envelope and postage costs.
Contact the court district for copy, certification, exemplification, research and mailing costs before sending payment.
San Bernardino Justice Center location and visit tips
247 West Third Street
San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210
Phone: 909-708-8678
Listed building/service hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
- Confirm the case was filed or heard in this district.
- Bring the case number and document names if available.
- Bring government-issued photo identification for restricted-party access questions.
- Call first for older records, large copy orders, sealed files or certified-copy needs.
San Bernardino County appeals, federal district cases and bankruptcy records
Not every case connected to San Bernardino County stays in the county superior court portal. Appeals and federal cases have separate official systems.
- Use this for superior-court appellate division filings and local appeal instructions.
- Note the Rancho Cucamonga address and phone route.
- Check the deadline chart before filing.
- Remember the court cannot extend certain appeal deadlines.
- Use eAppeals for eligible appeal document submissions.
- Convert editable PDFs to non-editable format when required.
- Do not submit more than 15 documents or more than one case per submission.
- Save the email receipt and filing confirmation.
- Use this for reviewing-court information after a superior-court appeal proceeds to the Court of Appeal.
- Compare the appellate case number with the trial-court case.
- Use the court’s current case information and filing resources.
- Contact the appellate clerk for record-specific appellate questions.
- Use this for federal civil and criminal cases, not California superior court cases.
- San Bernardino County is part of the Central District of California’s Eastern Division.
- Use PACER for federal dockets and documents.
- Use the Riverside federal courthouse location when relevant to the Eastern Division.
- Use this for bankruptcy cases connected to San Bernardino County.
- Use PACER or the court’s Case Locator route for bankruptcy docket access.
- Note that older closed bankruptcy documents may have special access limits.
- Do not search superior court civil records for bankruptcy cases.
- Review current per-page charges before opening federal records.
- Check the document cap, quarterly waiver threshold and no-match search charges.
- Use the PACER Case Locator if you do not know the federal court.
- PACER pricing verified for this guide: August 31, 2026.
How to read San Bernardino County search results responsibly
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee, debtor, creditor, guardian, ward and protected party mean different things. A person listed in a case is not automatically accused of wrongdoing.
Complaint, petition, citation, motion, notice, order, hearing, judgment, continuance, plea or sentence entries must be read in context. Do not infer final outcome from one entry.
A court calendar may show date, department, case number and case title, but calendars can change. Confirm a current hearing with the court if timing matters.
Separate arrest, charge, complaint, indictment, plea, conviction, acquittal, dismissal and sentence. Court records are not the same as jail booking records.
A docket may show judgment, but not necessarily whether it was paid, satisfied, appealed, vacated or later modified.
Several people or businesses may share similar names. Verify case number, filing date, party role, case type, court district and lawful identifying details before relying on a result.
What to do if your San Bernardino County court records search fails
- Confirm you are searching San Bernardino County, not another California county.
- Use the full case number if available.
- Try the citation-number route for traffic matters.
- For name search, confirm you are logged in and used required filing-date fields.
- Check whether the case predates 1998 online coverage.
- Contact the district where the matter was filed or heard.
- Narrow by filing-date range.
- Use advanced search case type when available after login.
- Compare court district and case category.
- Check the register of actions before assuming identity.
- Use business-name spelling and entity suffix variants.
- Do not rely on a common-name match alone.
Use San Bernardino County court records carefully
- A filing does not prove the allegation is true.
- A charge does not prove guilt.
- A court calendar may change after you view it.
- A public portal entry is not a substitute for an official certified copy.
- Do not harass, threaten, shame or retaliate.
- Do not publish unnecessary personal details.
- Do not try to bypass sealed, confidential, juvenile, adoption or minor-related restrictions.
- Do not use this page as a background-check product.
Frequently asked questions about San Bernardino County court records
How do I search San Bernardino County court records by name?
Use the official San Bernardino Court Access Portal and choose party search or business search. The court’s Name Search FAQ states that name search requires a user login, middle name is optional, both filing-date fields are required, alias search is not available, and the system returns up to 200 records.
Can I search San Bernardino County court records without a case number?
Yes, but the route depends on the search. The official case-search instructions show case-number and citation-number searches, while party and business searches require logging in and using search credits. If you do not have a case number, the court says a name search can help you select the case number to view case information.
Are San Bernardino County court documents available online?
Some civil case documents that are legally allowed for remote public viewing may be available through document sales at $0.50 per page. Other public documents may be viewable only at the courthouse, and confidential, sealed, paternity, juvenile and minor-related records may not be available online.
How far back does the San Bernardino online case search go?
The San Bernardino Superior Court warns that case data for cases filed before 1998 may be limited. For older cases, contact the specific court district where the case was filed or heard.
How do I request San Bernardino County court file copies by mail?
Mail the request to the courthouse where the case was filed or heard. Use the court’s copy request form, include names, case numbers, filing date if known, and the specific documents requested, include a self-addressed stamped envelope, and contact the court district first to estimate copy or certification fees.
What are San Bernardino County court copy and certification fees?
The court’s copy-request information lists ordinary copies at $0.50 per page, certification except for family law judgment at $40 plus $0.50 per page, certified family law judgment at $15 plus $0.50 per page, comparison at $1 per page, exemplification at $50 plus $0.50 per page, authentication under court order at $15 per signature, and research fees of $15 for searches longer than 10 minutes.
Can I search by date of birth or driver’s license in the San Bernardino Court Access Portal?
No. The court’s Name Search FAQ states that searches by date of birth and driver’s license are not allowed under California Rules of Court, rule 2.507(c). Use official case number, citation number, party name or business search options as allowed by the portal.
Which San Bernardino courthouse should I contact for records?
Contact the court district where the case was filed or heard. San Bernardino County has multiple districts and divisions, including Barstow, Fontana, Joshua Tree, Needles, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino Justice Center, San Bernardino Historic Courthouse, Victorville, juvenile courts and the Appeals and Appellate Division.
Where do I search San Bernardino County federal or bankruptcy cases?
Federal civil and criminal cases use the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and PACER. Bankruptcy cases use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California and PACER. Do not search state superior court records for federal district or bankruptcy cases.
Can I use this page for employment, housing, credit or tenant screening?
No. Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and this page is not an FCRA-regulated screening product. Do not use it to decide employment, housing, credit, insurance or tenant-screening eligibility.
Official-source review checklist
Information reviewed for this guide included San Bernardino Superior Court Online Services, the Court Access Portal, Court Case Information and Document Sales, CAP instructional PDFs, Name Search FAQ, Court File Copy Requests, Court Locations and Phone Numbers, Public Operating Hours, Where Can I File, Appeals, eAppeals, California Rules of Court 2.503 and 2.507, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California and PACER pricing. Review date: August 31, 2026.