LA County Criminal Records Search

Choose the criminal name index or an existing case number

Los Angeles Superior Court provides criminal case information online by defendant name or known case number and through courthouse public terminals. If you already have the criminal case number, use that route rather than buying another name search. Without it, choose Search for Case Number by Defendant Name. The general civil-party index is a different service and cannot be assumed to locate a criminal proceeding.

Have the defendant’s spelling, any reliable name variants, approximate filing period and courthouse location available. Record the search date and the case number returned. A criminal court case is distinct from an arrest report, a sheriff’s custody entry and a statewide criminal-history report. Choose the custodian of the record you need instead of expecting the court index to answer all four questions.

Broaden a name carefully, then examine the candidate

The criminal index offers Exact Match, Starts With and Sounds Like, and filing start/end dates. Begin with the best-supported spelling and period. A prefix search can help with a partial name; a phonetic search can suggest alternative spellings. After broadening, narrow the candidate using the court and case information. Similar-sounding names do not establish that two records concern the same person.

Check historical coverage before repeating a paid query. Felony index records begin in 1980 and misdemeanors generally in 1988; some misdemeanor entries reach back to 1983 depending on the former Municipal Court’s automation. An older matter may require courthouse research. The service is normally available around the clock except maintenance, so a temporary failure and a genuine no-match result should not be confused.

Understand exactly what a name-search charge buys

Guest name searches are $4.75 each. For registered users, the monthly sequence is $1 each for searches 1–10, $4.75 for 11–99, $4.50 for 100–999, $4.25 for 1,000–10,000 and $4 for 10,001 onward. The running count resets each month. These are charges per search, not per matching defendant or per document.

The name-search fee is nonrefundable even if nothing is found. Online Services accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and debit cards, but not checks or American Express. Review the identifiers and price before authorizing a search, and save the receipt. Two different spellings can mean two charged searches; the fee schedule does not promise a successful result.

Follow the index to the filing that establishes the outcome

Take the case number and filing location to the courthouse handling the criminal proceeding. Specify the judgment, sentencing order or other document you need, and say whether certification is required. The index is not a promise of a downloadable criminal file; the separately advertised Case Document Images service lists other case categories. Do not apply its PDF-download pricing to an unavailable criminal document.

California’s court self-help guide says ordinary copies typically cost $0.50 per one-sided page, with certified copies priced at $40 per document; a clerk search taking over ten minutes may add $15. Ask the handling court for the applicable total and any fee-waiver entitlement. The guide warns that older off-site records can take many weeks, whereas a record already online may be available the same day. These are general guide prices and examples, not a guaranteed Los Angeles criminal-copy quote or deadline.

Ask the recipient whether it needs a certified copy before ordering, and arrange the court’s permitted in-person, mail or online request method. Include the party name or case number and filing year if known. Confidential records require proof of a right to access them. A sealed or otherwise restricted file cannot be made available merely by selecting a paid search option.

Read each charge’s disposition and direct questions correctly

Held to Answer means the court found enough evidence to proceed to trial; it is not a conviction. A charge or arraignment also does not state the final outcome. Obtain the relevant disposition and sentencing information from the handling court when the summary is incomplete. The online FAQ does not offer bail/bond status, so use the appropriate custody source for a present-custody question.

For an incorrect case entry or missing filing, give that courthouse the case number and exact discrepancy. For payment or technical trouble, use the Online Services contact on the official fee page, [email protected], and retain the transaction receipt. A missing old record needs a clerk’s availability check, not an unsupported statement that a person has no criminal history.