Los Angeles County LA Court Records Search: LASC Case Access, CAP, Copies, Appeals & PACER
Use this guide to find the correct official route for LA County court records, including civil, small claims, unlawful detainer, family law, probate, criminal, traffic, appellate, federal district, bankruptcy, divorce judgment, and recorded-property records.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, a California court, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, a law firm, a government agency, PACER, or a Consumer Reporting Agency. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.
Responsible-use warning: a name match does not prove identity. A complaint, petition, arrest, charge, indictment, citation, warrant, lawsuit or docket entry does not prove guilt or liability. Do not use this page as an employment, tenant, credit, insurance, licensing, or FCRA-regulated screening product.
LA County court records are not all in one simple public search
The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles is the record custodian for local trial-court case records. In 2026, the court introduced a unified Court Access Portal, while older LASC Online Services pages still provide official functions such as name searches, document-image purchases, case access, traffic services and certified-copy guidance.
For the best result, first identify the record type. A civil lawsuit, eviction, criminal case, traffic ticket, divorce judgment, probate matter, deed, marriage record, California appeal, federal district case and bankruptcy case can require different official systems.
The Court Access Portal is the newer official entry point for case access.
LASC lists a flat guest-user fee for each online name search.
Some LASC name-search categories list online coverage from 1983 to present.
Many Los Angeles appeals route through California’s Second District Court of Appeal.
LA County court record route finder
Select the record type. This helper runs in your browser and does not ask for names, case numbers, birth dates, driver license numbers, addresses or citation numbers.
If you do not have a case number, use the official civil party-name search, review the filing location and case type, then open the correct case. For document images, check the document-image service and public-access fees.
Choose the correct Los Angeles County record system
Most failed searches happen because the user searches the wrong system. Use this table before paying for a name search or document image.
| Need | Correct official route | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Civil lawsuit or judgment | LASC Court Access Portal, Case Access, or civil party-name search | Use the case number if known. If not, use the civil name search and compare filing location, case type, filing date and parties. |
| Small claims case | LASC small claims / civil case access | Search the case number or use party-name search. LASC identifies small claims as a civil court handling disputes of $12,500 or less. |
| Unlawful detainer / eviction | LASC limited civil / unlawful detainer access | Use the case number where possible. Be aware that California limits public access to certain unlawful-detainer information during early periods and in some outcomes. |
| Divorce, custody, support or family law | LASC family law case access and divorce judgment order service | Use case-number access or party-name search. For certified divorce judgments, use the dedicated Divorce Judgment Documents route when eligible. |
| Probate, estate, guardianship or conservatorship | LASC probate case access and probate department | Use case number or party-name search. Expect extra access limits for guardianship, conservatorship and confidential probate-related records. |
| Criminal felony or misdemeanor case | LASC criminal case access or defendant-name search | Use the case number or defendant-name search. Do not treat a filing, arrest or charge as a conviction. |
| Traffic ticket or infraction | LASC Traffic Online Services | Use citation number or driver’s license information only on the official court site, then review eligible options such as payment, traffic school, extension or court date. |
| Juvenile or dependency case | LASC juvenile court route, not ordinary public search | Treat juvenile records as restricted. Follow the notice of hearing or contact the court if you are an authorized party. |
| Deed, real estate record, marriage record or UCC record | Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk | Use the Recorder route, not LASC case search. Real estate records are requested through the Recorder and are not court dockets. |
| California appeal | California Appellate Courts Case Information | Search by appellate case number, trial-court case number, party, attorney or caption. Compare the lower-court case number. |
| Federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy case | PACER, Central District of California, or Central District Bankruptcy Court | Use PACER Case Locator if the federal court is unknown. LA County local court systems do not contain federal dockets. |
How LASC Court Access Portal and Online Services fit together
Los Angeles Superior Court introduced the Court Access Portal as a unified route for case information, calendars and document access. Because LASC has also maintained established Online Services pages for guest users, name searches, case-number access and document images, the safest method is to start from lacourt.ca.gov or cap.lacourt.ca.gov and follow the current court links.
The LASC “Find a Case” route allows case access and case calendar lookup for civil, criminal, family law, probate and small claims matters. Case-number access avoids many false matches caused by common names.
Party-name search can locate case numbers for civil, small claims, family law and probate cases. Defendant-name search can locate criminal case numbers. These searches are fee-based and may charge even when no record is found.
Document images are fee-based and availability depends on case type, coverage dates, sealing, confidentiality, and remote-access rules. Download purchased items promptly because guest and document retrieval windows can expire.
LASC states that online information is not necessarily the official record unless electronically certified. Contact the correct courthouse office when you need certified copies, older records, sealed-record questions or official clarification.
Start at lacourt.ca.gov or cap.lacourt.ca.gov. Avoid commercial pages that look like case-search forms but are not the court.
Case number access is different from paid name search. Traffic tickets are handled in a separate Traffic Online Services flow.
Use the case number where possible. Enter sensitive traffic identifiers only on the official LASC traffic site.
Check filing location, case type, filing date, party role, docket entries and disposition. A common name can match many people.
For court, agency or legal use, a downloaded page may not be enough. Ask the court for the correct certified-copy route.
LASC online search fees, coverage dates and copy notes
Fees can change, and some portals may move or consolidate into CAP. The figures below were reviewed on September 19, 2026 from LASC public-access pages. Always verify the final amount on the official court screen before authorizing payment.
| Item | Officially listed information | Practical warning |
|---|---|---|
| Guest name search | $4.75 per search for guest users. | The fee applies even if the search returns no matching record. |
| Registered user name search | Sliding scale, starting at $1.00 per search for searches 1 through 10 in the month. | High-volume users should verify the current monthly tier before searching. |
| Document images | 1–5 pages: $1.00 per page; 6+ additional pages: $0.40 per page; maximum $40.00 per document. | Blank pages inside an imaged document can still count toward the page total. |
| Civil / family / probate name-search coverage | Unlimited Civil, Probate and Family Law: 1983 to present; Limited Civil: 1991 to present; Small Claims: 1992 to present. | Older cases may require Archives or courthouse-record assistance. |
| Criminal defendant-name search coverage | Felony: 1980 to present; Misdemeanor: 1988 to present, with some former Municipal Court automation back to 1983. | Traffic and other infractions are not included in the criminal defendant-name result route. |
| Divorce judgment copies | The divorce judgment order site lists $0.50 per page, $15.00 certification per copy, and $50.00 exemplification per copy. | You must have a case number, and postage/handling may apply. |
| Certified copies by mail | LASC FAQ directs certified-copy mail requests to 111 N. Hill Street, Certification Unit Room 112C, Los Angeles, CA 90012. | The court says copy requests must be prepaid and the Certification Unit does not accept credit cards. |
| Federal PACER | Central District pages explain PACER access and PACER account use for federal dockets. | PACER pricing can change; verify current PACER fees before opening documents. |
Online fee planning estimator
This optional estimator is only a planning aid for common LASC online fees. The official court screen controls the final charge.
Why some LA County court records are not available remotely
California Rule of Court 2.503 requires reasonable public access to electronic records, but it limits remote public access to several sensitive case categories. The rule allows certain records to be available at the courthouse but not remotely, and sealed or confidential records are not public.
- Family Code proceedings, including divorce, support, custody and domestic violence prevention matters.
- Juvenile court proceedings.
- Guardianship and conservatorship proceedings.
- Mental health proceedings.
- Criminal proceedings.
- Minor compromise, elder abuse, civil harassment, workplace violence and gun violence prevention records.
- Wrong case type or wrong LASC service.
- Old case requiring Archives or courthouse research.
- Case filed under a different party name or spelling.
- Sealed, confidential or restricted document.
- Traffic, federal, bankruptcy, recorder or appellate record searched in the wrong system.
- New case not indexed yet or temporary portal maintenance.
Official LA County court-record links and what to do after opening each one
Use the official links below instead of commercial aggregator sites. Each important link includes the next steps to avoid wrong-system searches and unnecessary fees.
Use the new LASC portal for court case access as the court continues consolidating online case tools.
- Confirm the address is cap.lacourt.ca.gov.
- Select the case type or case access function offered by the portal.
- Use the case number when available.
- Read any fee, privacy or access notice before continuing.
Use this as the official starting point for court access, traffic, courthouse locations, forms, filing and court resources.
- Open Online Services or “Access a Case.”
- Choose case access, court documents, traffic citations or courthouse locations.
- Confirm the case type before searching.
- Use the court’s courthouse page for current phone and location information.
Use this for case access, case calendars, document images and name-search pathways.
- Enter a case number for direct access when available.
- Use case calendar to view future hearings by case number.
- Use the document-image route only after reviewing fees.
- Use name search only when the case number is unknown.
Use this for guest or registered access to name searches and document images.
- Review the available services.
- Decide whether to continue as guest or registered user.
- Save receipts because retrieval windows are limited.
- Download purchased documents promptly.
Use this to search for case numbers by party name when you do not have a case number.
- Read the coverage-date table.
- Review guest or registered-user fee information.
- Search by last and first name or company name.
- Compare filing location, date and case type before selecting a result.
Use this to locate criminal case numbers by defendant name.
- Review felony and misdemeanor coverage dates.
- Remember traffic and infractions are not included here.
- Use exact or starts-with search carefully.
- Confirm the case number in criminal case access before relying on the result.
Use this to purchase eligible scanned document images.
- Review document-image fees before downloading.
- Use case number when possible.
- Check case type and coverage limits.
- Download purchased documents during the allowed retrieval window.
Use this to verify name-search and document-image fees.
- Review name-search fees for guest and registered users.
- Review document-image per-page fees and maximums.
- Note that no-match name searches can still be charged.
- Verify fees again before payment.
Use this for Los Angeles County traffic tickets and eligible traffic options.
- Read and accept the court’s user agreement if you wish to continue.
- Search by citation number or driver’s license information.
- Review eligible options shown by the court.
- Print or save any confirmation.
Use this for central civil, family, probate, appellate and courthouse contact details.
- Confirm building and clerk office hours.
- Check parking, security and prohibited-item notices.
- Find the correct department or room before visiting.
- Make an appointment when the court recommends it.
Use this to order eligible certified divorce judgment documents.
- Have the family law case number ready.
- Review per-page, certification and postage fees.
- Place the order or check order status.
- Allow mailing time after court processing.
Use this for California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal cases.
- Select Supreme Court or the appropriate Appellate District.
- Search by trial-court number, appellate number, party, attorney or caption.
- Compare the lower-court case number to your LASC case.
- Use appellate docket details separately from trial-court docket details.
Use this for federal civil and criminal cases in the Central District of California.
- Confirm the case is federal, not LASC state court.
- Use PACER for docket and document access.
- Check the Los Angeles courthouse division when relevant.
- Do not call the court expecting case information by phone when PACER is required.
Use this for federal district, bankruptcy and appellate court records.
- Register or sign in to PACER.
- Use Case Locator if you do not know the federal court.
- Use the specific court for current docket and document access.
- Review current PACER fees before opening documents.
Use this for real estate records, marriage records, UCC records, military discharges and recorded documents.
- Choose the record category: real estate, marriage, birth, death, UCC or military discharge.
- Follow the Recorder’s online, in-person, mail or fax options.
- Do not use LASC court case search for recorded deeds or marriage records.
- Prepare required identifying information before requesting copies.
Los Angeles County courthouse records contacts
Los Angeles County is large, and case locations matter. Before visiting, confirm the courthouse, department, office hours, room number, security rules, appointment availability and whether the record can be handled online or by mail.
111 North Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
General information: 213-830-0800
Building hours listed by LASC: 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Clerk’s Office hours listed by LASC: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday except court holidays.
Key central functions include civil, family law, probate, appellate division, appeals, certifications and copies, and related court-record services.
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
1st Floor, Room 112
Phone: 213-830-0803
Phone hours listed by LASC: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Use this contact for civil records, court files, forms and certified copies when the Stanley Mosk civil route applies.
Los Angeles Superior Court
111 N. Hill Street
Certification Unit Room 112C
Los Angeles, CA 90012
LASC FAQ says certified-copy requests by mail must be prepaid and the Certification Unit does not accept credit cards. Verify the current fee and payment instruction before mailing.
210 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Use the courthouse or LASC case information route for criminal-case location details. Do not confuse criminal court records with jail custody records or law-enforcement arrest logs.
Court records vs jail, police, recorder and vital records
Many users searching “LA County court records” actually need a different custodian. This distinction prevents confusion and reduces the risk of using the wrong public-record system.
| Need | Correct custodian | Do not confuse it with |
|---|---|---|
| Court case docket, orders or judgment | Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles | Sheriff, LAPD, Recorder or background-check sites. |
| Current custody or booking | Sheriff or jail system | Court disposition or final judgment. |
| Arrest report or police incident report | Law-enforcement agency that created the report | Criminal court case file. |
| Real estate document, deed or lien | Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk | Civil lawsuit docket. |
| Marriage record | Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk | Family law divorce case. |
| Federal case or bankruptcy | Federal court / PACER | LASC state trial court records. |
Where LA County appeals, federal cases and bankruptcy records go
A Los Angeles trial-court case may generate appellate records, and a dispute involving Los Angeles parties may be filed in federal court instead of LASC. Trial-court, appellate, federal district and bankruptcy records use different systems.
Use California Appellate Courts Case Information for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal cases. Search can be done by appellate number, trial-court number, party, attorney or caption.
Los Angeles County is in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Use PACER or the Central District site for federal civil and criminal dockets.
Bankruptcy is federal. Use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California and PACER, not LA County civil court search.
What to do if an LA County court-record search returns no result
- Wrong system: CAP, Online Services, Traffic, Recorder, Appellate, PACER or Bankruptcy.
- Wrong case type or wrong filing location.
- Name spelling, suffix, middle name, former name, DBA, LLC or punctuation mismatch.
- Searching by name when the case number is required for the function.
- Trying to find traffic or infraction results in criminal defendant-name search.
- Older file may require Archives or courthouse help.
- Sealed or confidential case.
- Juvenile, family, guardianship, conservatorship, mental health or criminal remote-access restrictions.
- Unlawful detainer information may be delayed or limited.
- Document may be available only at the courthouse, by request or to authorized parties.
How to read Los Angeles court-record fields carefully
A docket is a case activity list. It does not always explain the full legal meaning of an event, and a single docket line should not be treated as a final result.
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee, debtor, creditor, decedent, personal representative, guardian and ward are roles. A role does not always mean wrongdoing.
Complaint, petition, summons, notice, motion, order, minute order, hearing, judgment, dismissal, plea, sentence, warrant and continuance should be read with surrounding docket entries.
Open, pending, closed, dismissed, stayed, reopened or disposed can have different meaning by case type. Contact the court or an attorney if the legal effect matters.
Use LA County court records responsibly
- Do not identify a person from a common name alone.
- Compare case number, filing location, filing date, case type, party role and docket activity.
- Do not assume a civil judgment shows current payment status.
- Do not assume an arrest, charge or filing is a conviction.
- Do not harass, threaten, shame or retaliate against anyone.
- Do not republish children’s names, protected addresses, medical details or unnecessary sensitive information.
- Respect sealed, confidential, juvenile and remote-access restrictions.
- Contact the official court for corrections, certified copies, sealing, expungement or access questions.
Frequently asked questions about LA County court records
What is the official way to search LA County court records?
Use the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles website, the Court Access Portal, or LASC Public Access Online Services. Use case-number access when you already have a case number, party-name search for civil, small claims, family law and probate case numbers, defendant-name search for criminal case numbers, and Traffic Online Services for traffic tickets.
Is the Los Angeles Court Access Portal the same as older LASC Online Services?
No. The Los Angeles Superior Court announced a unified Court Access Portal in 2026, while older Online Services pages still provide public access functions such as name searches, document-image purchases, and guest or registered-user access. Start from lacourt.ca.gov or cap.lacourt.ca.gov and follow the court’s current links.
Can I search Los Angeles County court records by name?
Yes, but name searching is fee-based in LASC Online Services. Civil, small claims, family law and probate name searches can locate case numbers by party name. Criminal name searches locate criminal case numbers by defendant name. A name match alone does not prove identity.
How far back do LASC online name searches go?
The LASC civil name-search page lists Unlimited Civil, Probate and Family Law from 1983 to present, Limited Civil from 1991 to present, and Small Claims from 1992 to present. The criminal defendant-name search lists Felony from 1980 to present and Misdemeanor from 1988 to present, with some misdemeanor information going back to 1983 depending on former Municipal Court automation.
How much does a LASC online name search cost?
As reviewed on September 19, 2026, the LASC Online Services fee page lists a guest-user name-search fee of $4.75 per search. Registered users are charged on a sliding scale, starting at $1.00 per search for searches 1 through 10 in the current month. The fee applies whether or not the search finds a matching record.
Can I download Los Angeles criminal or family case documents online?
Do not assume all criminal, family, juvenile, guardianship, conservatorship, mental health or confidential documents are available remotely. California Rule of Court 2.503 limits remote public access to several sensitive case categories, and sealed or confidential records are not public. Use the official portal and contact the court for document-access questions.
Where do I search LA County traffic tickets?
Use LASC Traffic Online Services. The court explains that traffic tickets can be located by citation number or driver’s license information, and users may see eligible options such as payment, traffic school, extensions or court-date reservation. Enter sensitive information only on the official court site.
How do I get a certified Los Angeles County court record?
Contact the courthouse office that handles the case type or the LASC Certification Unit. The court’s FAQ says certified-copy requests may be submitted by mail to Los Angeles Superior Court, 111 N. Hill Street, Certification Unit Room 112C, Los Angeles, CA 90012, and that copy requests must be prepaid.
Where do I find Los Angeles deeds, property records or marriage records?
Those are not ordinary LASC court dockets. Use the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for real estate records, marriage records, UCC records, military discharges and other recorded or vital records.
Where do I search appeals, federal cases or bankruptcy cases from Los Angeles County?
Use California Appellate Courts Case Information for California Court of Appeal or Supreme Court matters. Use PACER and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California for federal district cases. Use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California for bankruptcy cases.
Official-source review checklist
This guide was reviewed against official Los Angeles Superior Court pages, Court Access Portal, LASC Online Services, civil name search, criminal defendant-name search, document-image fee information, traffic online services, Stanley Mosk Courthouse directory, divorce judgment document ordering, California Rule of Court 2.503, California appellate case search, Central District of California, Central District Bankruptcy Court, PACER resources, and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk resources. Review date: September 19, 2026.