Riverside County CA Court Records Search: Public Portal, Name Search, Copies, Appeals & PACER
Use this guide to find the correct Riverside County court-record route for civil, small claims, eviction, family law, probate, criminal, traffic, juvenile, appellate, federal district and bankruptcy records without confusing courthouse access, remote access, paid name searches and certified-copy requests.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, California Courts, PACER, a court clerk, a government agency, a law firm or a Consumer Reporting Agency. This guide provides general court-record access information only.
A name match is not identity proof. Several people can share the same name. An arrest, complaint, citation, indictment, petition or lawsuit does not prove guilt, liability or final outcome. Always verify the case number, court, filing date, party role and disposition with the official record custodian.
Riverside County court records are searched by court type, not just by name
The main local system is the Riverside Superior Court Public Portal. It can show available case information for civil, small claims, unlawful detainer, family law, probate, criminal and traffic cases, but access is limited by California remote-access rules, local online coverage dates, confidentiality rules and record-retention limits.
Paid name searching applies in the public portal.
Use the exact case number when available.
Portal calendars show current and future dates up to seven days.
The portal states a rate limit for searches and case lookups.
Riverside County court-record route finder
Select the type of record you need. This tool runs in your browser and does not ask for a person’s name, case number, birth date, citation number or any private information.
Use case-number search if you have the case number. Use paid name-search credits only after confirming the likely case type and party spelling.
Which Riverside County court system should you use?
Never assume every record is in one search screen. Use the case type, courthouse location and record purpose to choose the correct route.
| Need | Correct route | Important search note |
|---|---|---|
| Civil lawsuit | Riverside Superior Court Public Portal | Use case number when possible. Name search is paid. Confirm party role because a person may be plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent or attorney-related. |
| Small claims | Riverside Superior Court Public Portal or courthouse clerk | Online coverage varies by courthouse. Older files may require a clerk search or courthouse access. |
| Unlawful detainer / eviction | Riverside Superior Court Public Portal, with access limits | Unlawful detainer cases are confidential for the first sixty days, with limited access rules for qualified interested parties. |
| Family law / divorce / custody | Riverside Superior Court Public Portal and family-law courthouse route | Remote public access is limited for family-law records. Certified divorce or custody orders must be requested from the court. |
| Probate / estate / guardianship | Riverside Superior Court Public Portal and probate clerk route | Probate notes require a case number. Guardianship and conservatorship documents may have remote-access restrictions. |
| Criminal case | Riverside Superior Court Public Portal or courthouse access | California rules limit public remote document access in criminal proceedings. Do not confuse a criminal court case with sheriff custody records. |
| Traffic citation or traffic criminal case | Riverside Superior Court traffic route and Public Portal | Use the citation, case number or courthouse region shown on the ticket. Court records and fine-payment tools are not always the same function. |
| Juvenile case | Juvenile court / authorized access only | Juvenile records are generally confidential. Do not try to bypass access restrictions. |
| State appeal | California Appellate Courts Case Information or Superior Court appellate process | Riverside County Court of Appeal matters generally route to the Fourth Appellate District, Division Two. Limited appeals may be handled by the Superior Court appellate division. |
| Federal or bankruptcy case | PACER, Central District of California, or Central District Bankruptcy Court | Federal records are not in the Riverside Superior Court portal. |
How the Riverside Superior Court Public Portal works
The official Public Portal provides access to available Riverside Superior Court case information. The court states that an online account is required, and available information is limited by the California Rules of Court and by local access restrictions.
- Index: paid name searching for a person or organization.
- Register of Actions: docket-style list of documents filed, filing dates and filing party; case number required.
- Calendar: current and future court dates up to seven days.
- Documents: non-confidential, non-sealed documents when permitted; case number required and fees apply.
- Probate Notes: available by case number and updated close to the scheduled hearing under the court’s timing rules.
- Use a case number first because it is free and more precise.
- Use name search only when you understand the credit cost.
- Compare middle names, business suffixes, filing dates and party roles.
- Do not use automation or scripts; the portal states rate limits and monitoring.
- Contact the clerk if you need an official certified record.
Start from the court’s own Search Court Records—Public Access page, not a commercial people-search or background-check site.
The portal requires an account. Use the court’s own login page and avoid entering information into unofficial look-alike pages.
A case-number search is free with the required information and can display the register of actions.
Name-search credits apply to civil and criminal or traffic name searches. Save broad searches for when you have enough identifying details.
Open the register of actions and review filing dates, hearing entries, orders, judgments and dispositions before drawing conclusions.
A record search and a copy request are different. Certified copies require the proper form or courthouse request route.
Riverside County online search and document fees
Fees can change. Always verify the current amount on the Riverside Superior Court public-access page or fee schedule before paying.
| Item | Published amount or rule | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Case-number search | Free with the required information | Best route when you already have the case number. |
| One name-search credit | $1 | Use for a targeted person or organization search. |
| Five name-search credits | $3.50 | Useful when checking a few spelling or business-name variations. |
| Ten name-search credits | $5 | Use only when you have a real search plan. |
| Seventy-five name-search credits | $25 | Avoid broad fishing searches; name matches can be misleading. |
| Unlimited self-service name searches | $250 for thirty consecutive days | This is based on thirty consecutive days, not a calendar month. |
| Court-performed name search | $15 per name | The court search provides case-number information found; it is not a document-copy request. |
| Document download | $1 per page for the first five pages, then $0.50 per additional page, capped at $50 per document | A case number is required, and downloads are available for thirty days. |
Riverside portal fee estimator
This estimator is only a planning tool. The court’s checkout screen, receipt, fee schedule or clerk quote controls the actual cost.
How far back Riverside County online case records go
Online availability depends on the courthouse, case category and record-retention status. If you cannot find a known case, the court notes that it may have been purged or removed from the database under California retention rules.
| Case category | Online coverage information published by the court | What to do if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Civil | Examples include Riverside Civil from October 1991, Indio Civil from May 1991, Palm Springs Civil from September 1993, Corona Civil from March 1994, Blythe Civil from May 1994, and Hemet or Temecula Civil from October 1996. | Submit a court search request or contact the courthouse for older, purged, archived or location-specific records. |
| Small claims | Examples include Palm Springs Small Claims from September 1993, Indio Small Claims from April 1994, Blythe, Corona and Moreno Valley Small Claims from November 1994, and Temecula, Hemet and Perris Small Claims from September 1996. | Check spelling, courthouse region and filing date; older matters may require clerk assistance. |
| Family law | Almost all cases from April 1992 forward are listed as available. | Use a court search request or contact the family-law courthouse; document access may be restricted. |
| Probate | Almost all cases from July 1994 onward are listed as available. | Use the case number for probate notes; contact the probate clerk for older or restricted matters. |
| Criminal and traffic | Examples include Riverside felonies from January 1990, Riverside misdemeanors from January 1994, Banning felony and misdemeanor records from November 1996, Mid-County felonies and misdemeanors from December 1996, Indio felonies from May 1990, and listed misdemeanor records from September 1993 for Blythe, Indio and Palm Springs. | Confirm the courthouse region and case number; some older, sealed, confidential or purged records may require clerk contact. |
| Unlawful detainer / eviction | Eviction matters are treated with special access limits and are confidential for the first sixty days. | Qualified interested parties may need specific required information, such as party names and property address, through the court’s allowed process. |
Official Riverside County court-record links and what to do after opening each one
These are practical official routes, not a generic link list. Follow the steps under each link so you do not search the wrong system or pay for the wrong item.
Use this page before entering the portal because it explains fees, date ranges, copy costs and access limits.
- Read the information disclaimer.
- Review the correct case-type section.
- Check online date coverage.
- Review name-search and document fees.
- Proceed to the portal only when you know what to search.
Use this official secure portal for available case information, registers of actions, calendars and permitted documents.
- Create or sign into your account.
- Use case-number search if possible.
- Use paid name-search credits carefully.
- Review the register of actions before ordering documents.
- Do not use scripts or automated scraping.
Use this page for court forms including RI-MC011 and RI-MC002.
- Search for “RI-MC011” for copies or certified copies.
- Search for “RI-MC002” for records search and/or copies.
- Check the revision date before using a downloaded form.
- Complete the case information carefully.
- Submit through the allowed method listed by the court.
Use eSubmit when the court allows electronic submission of a certified-copy or records request.
- Confirm the case type accepted for your submission.
- Attach the completed form.
- Review any fee authorization carefully.
- Save the confirmation after submission.
- Contact the clerk if the request involves sealed or restricted records.
Use this page to verify current official court fees before paying.
- Open the current fee schedule PDF.
- Check the effective date.
- Find the line item for your request type.
- Confirm whether certification, search or copy fees apply.
- Contact the clerk if the fee is unclear.
Use this page before mailing, visiting, using a drop box or contacting a clerk.
- Choose the courthouse that handled the case.
- Confirm clerk’s office hours.
- Check drop-box availability.
- Call before visiting for restricted or certified records.
- Bring the case number and exact document name.
Use this to understand why some records are available only at the courthouse or to authorized people.
- Read the public remote-access limits.
- Review sensitive case types.
- Compare party access versus public access.
- Do not try to bypass confidentiality restrictions.
Use this for California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal case information.
- Choose Supreme Court or Court of Appeal search.
- Search by trial court case number, appellate number, party, attorney or caption.
- For Riverside matters, check Fourth Appellate District information when relevant.
- Save the appellate case number before requesting records.
How to request Riverside County certified court records
A portal result or downloaded image may help you identify the case, but certified copies require the court’s official copy process. Riverside local form RI-MC011 is the Request for Copies or Certified Copies for civil, criminal, family law, probate and traffic matters.
- Case number, if known.
- Full case name or party names.
- Case type and courthouse location.
- Exact document needed, such as judgment, order, decree, disposition or minute order.
- Whether you need a plain copy or certified copy.
- Payment method accepted by the court.
- Self-addressed stamped envelope if mailing is required.
- RI-MC011: Request for Copies or Certified Copies.
- RI-MC002: Request for Records Search and/or Copies.
- Use the latest revision shown on the court’s Local Forms page.
- Submit through eSubmit when allowed.
- Otherwise mail, deliver or use a drop box at the proper courthouse.
Use the case number or paid name search to locate the correct case. Do not order copies from a similar name without verification.
Use the register of actions to identify whether you need the complaint, judgment, order, disposition, decree, minute order or other filing.
Use the Riverside Local Forms page and confirm the revision date before submitting.
The court states certified-copy requests may be submitted online through eSubmit or sent/delivered to the proper courthouse with payment and mailing materials when required.
Save the eSubmit confirmation, receipt, mail tracking, or clerk response until you receive the official copy.
Riverside County courthouse locations for record access
Riverside Superior Court serves a large county through multiple courthouse locations. Use the location connected to the case, not just the nearest building. Phone service may have limited hours and long wait times, so prepare your case number and exact request before calling.
| Courthouse | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Banning Justice Center | 311 E. Ramsey Street, Banning, CA 92220 | 951-777-3147 |
| Blythe Courthouse | 265 N. Broadway, Blythe, CA 92225 | 760-393-2617 |
| Corona Courthouse | 505 S. Buena Vista Ave. #201, Corona, CA 92882 | 951-777-3147 |
| Larson Justice Center | 46-200 Oasis Street, Indio, CA 92201 | 760-393-2617 |
| Menifee Justice Center | 27401 Menifee Center Drive, Menifee, CA 92584 | 951-777-3147 |
| Moreno Valley Courthouse | 13800 Heacock Street, Bldg. D #201, Moreno Valley, CA 92553 | 951-777-3147 |
| Palm Springs Courthouse | 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | 760-393-2617 |
| Riverside Family Law Courthouse | 4175 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 | 951-777-3147 |
| Riverside Hall of Justice | 4100 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 | 951-777-3147 |
| Riverside Historic Courthouse | 4050 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 | 951-777-3147 |
| Riverside Juvenile Courthouse | 9991 County Farm Road, Riverside, CA 92503 | 951-777-3147 |
| Southwest Justice Center | 30755-D Auld Road, Murrieta, CA 92563 | 951-777-3147 |
| Southwest Juvenile Courthouse | 30755-G Auld Road, Murrieta, CA 92563 | 951-777-3147 |
Why some Riverside County court records are limited online
California remote-access rules allow courthouse access and remote access in different ways. Public remote access is limited for sensitive case types, even when the court maintains electronic records.
- Family Code proceedings, including divorce, support and custody.
- Juvenile court proceedings.
- Guardianship and conservatorship matters.
- Mental health proceedings.
- Criminal proceedings.
- Civil harassment, workplace violence and similar protective-order proceedings.
- Minor compromise and disability-related compromise proceedings.
- Case indexes.
- Registers of actions.
- Court calendars.
- Limited case information.
- Documents permitted by the court and California rules.
- Fuller access for parties or authorized users when available and legally allowed.
Riverside County appeals: Superior Court appellate division vs Court of Appeal
Appeals do not always stay in the same search system. Some appeals from limited civil, misdemeanor, infraction and small claims matters are handled through the Superior Court appellate process. California Court of Appeal matters use the statewide Appellate Courts Case Information system, and Riverside County matters generally fall within the Fourth Appellate District, Division Two.
- Court of Appeal case number search.
- Supreme Court case number search.
- Trial court case number search for appellate cases.
- Party, attorney or case-caption search.
- Email notification setup for specific appellate case activity.
- Fourth Appellate District serves Riverside County.
- Division Two is located in Riverside.
- Fourth District Division Two appellate numbers commonly begin with “E.”
- The Court of Appeal address for Division Two is 3389 Twelfth Street, Riverside, CA 92501.
- Check the trial court case number against the appellate case summary.
Riverside County federal and bankruptcy court records use PACER
Federal civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases are not Riverside Superior Court records. Riverside County federal district matters generally route to the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Eastern Division in Riverside. Bankruptcy matters route to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, Riverside Division.
Use this for federal district court records, not state superior court records.
- Confirm the case is federal.
- Check whether it belongs to the Eastern Division in Riverside.
- Use PACER for docket and document access.
- Contact the records department for official copy or archive questions.
Use this for bankruptcy cases serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
- Confirm the bankruptcy division by city or ZIP code.
- Use PACER or the court’s case-locator tools.
- Call the bankruptcy court if older documents are archived.
- Check appointment requirements before visiting intake services.
PACER pricing verified: August 31, 2026.
- Current access is $0.10 per page.
- Single-document charges are capped at $3 for many documents.
- Name-search results and non-case-specific reports do not have the same cap.
- Fees of $30 or less in a quarter are currently waived.
- A temporary increase to $0.12 per page and a $40 quarterly waiver threshold is announced for January 1, 2027.
Use PACER Case Locator when you do not know the specific federal court.
- Register or sign in through PACER.
- Search by party name or case number.
- Use date and court filters to limit billable pages.
- Open the specific court docket for documents.
What to do when a Riverside County case search fails
- Wrong case type selected.
- Wrong courthouse region.
- Name spelling or business suffix mismatch.
- Searching by married name instead of filing name.
- Using a citation number where the portal expects a case number.
- Too broad a name search causing confusing matches.
- Record older than the online coverage date.
- Case purged or removed under retention rules.
- Sealed or confidential case.
- Remote-access restricted case type.
- Juvenile matter.
- Federal, bankruptcy or appellate case in a different system.
How to read a Riverside County register of actions carefully
A register of actions is a chronological case activity list. It can help you identify filings, hearings and orders, but it should not be over-interpreted without reading the actual document and checking the final disposition.
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee, creditor, debtor, decedent, guardian and ward mean different things. A role does not automatically mean wrongdoing.
Complaint, petition, motion, notice, order, judgment, dismissal, hearing, minute entry, plea or sentence entries should be read in sequence, not in isolation.
Open, pending, disposed, dismissed, stayed, reopened or closed can describe procedural status. It may not answer whether a judgment was paid, appealed, vacated or satisfied.
Court records vs jail, sheriff, vital records and recorded documents
| Need | Correct source type | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Court case, docket, hearing, order or judgment | Riverside Superior Court or appellate/federal court | Court records show filings and court actions, not current jail custody. |
| Current inmate custody or booking | Sheriff or jail system | Jail custody is separate from court disposition. |
| Birth certificate, death certificate or marriage certificate | Vital records or county/state recorder route | Vital records are not the same as court dockets. |
| Deed, lien, mortgage, release or recorded document | County recorder or official records system | Recorded documents can be related to cases but are not the court file itself. |
| Federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy docket | PACER and federal court clerk | Federal cases do not appear in the Riverside Superior Court portal. |
Use Riverside County court records responsibly
- Full name and spelling variations.
- Middle name or suffix when legally visible.
- Case number.
- Court and courthouse region.
- Filing date and case type.
- Party role.
- Attorney or business name when relevant.
- Final disposition or latest order.
- Harass, threaten, shame or retaliate against anyone.
- Publish unnecessary personal information.
- Bypass sealed, expunged, confidential or restricted records.
- Make FCRA-regulated employment, housing, tenant, credit or insurance decisions.
- Claim a person was convicted based only on an arrest, charge or filing.
Frequently asked questions about Riverside County court records
How do I search Riverside County court records by name?
Use the official Riverside Superior Court Public Portal and choose the correct case type. Name searches require an online account and paid search credits, so confirm the spelling, person or business name, and likely case category before searching.
Is the Riverside Superior Court Public Portal free?
Case-number searches are free when you have the required information. Searches by name are paid. Current public pricing lists $1 for one name search credit, $3.50 for five credits, $5 for ten credits, $25 for seventy-five credits, and $250 for unlimited self-service name searches for thirty consecutive days.
What case types can I search online in Riverside County?
The Riverside public-access route covers available civil, small claims, unlawful detainer, family law, probate, criminal and traffic case information. Juvenile, sealed, confidential, restricted and older purged records may not be available through ordinary remote access.
How far back do Riverside County online records go?
Coverage depends on case type and courthouse. Examples include many Riverside felony records from January 1990, many family law records from April 1992 forward, many probate records from July 1994 forward, and different civil or small-claims start dates by Riverside, Indio, Palm Springs, Corona, Blythe, Moreno Valley, Temecula, Hemet and Perris.
Why can I not find a Riverside County case online?
The case may be under a different name spelling, filed in a different courthouse region, older than the online coverage range, purged under California record-retention rules, sealed, confidential, restricted from remote access, or held in a federal or appellate system instead of the Riverside Superior Court portal.
Are Riverside criminal, family, juvenile and probate documents fully available online?
No. California remote-access rules limit public online access for sensitive case types, including criminal, family, juvenile, guardianship, conservatorship, mental health and some protective-order proceedings. The public may see limited index, calendar or register information while documents may require courthouse access or authorization.
How do I get a certified Riverside County court record?
Use Riverside local form RI-MC011 for Request for Copies or Certified Copies, submit it through eSubmit when available, or send or deliver it to the proper courthouse with the required payment method and a self-addressed stamped envelope when mailing is required.
Where do I search Riverside County appeal records?
For California Supreme Court or Court of Appeal matters, use California Appellate Courts Case Information. Riverside County Court of Appeal matters generally route to the Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, while some limited civil, misdemeanor, traffic infraction and small claims appeals are handled through the Superior Court appellate process.
Where do I search Riverside County federal or bankruptcy cases?
Federal civil and criminal cases use PACER and the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Eastern Division in Riverside. Bankruptcy cases use the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, Riverside Division, and PACER.
Can I use this page for tenant, employment, credit or insurance screening?
No. Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency, and this guide is not an FCRA screening product. Do not use this page to make employment, housing, tenant, credit, insurance or similar eligibility decisions.
Riverside County court-record publishing checklist
This guide was structured around official Riverside Superior Court, California Courts, California appellate, federal district, bankruptcy and PACER resources. Before publishing or updating, re-check portal pricing, fee schedules, forms, courthouse hours, drop-box rules, record-search limits, PACER pricing and local access restrictions.