Court records in Los Angeles County, California, are maintained by the Superior Court Clerk's Office and are accessible through online tools, official court portals, and directly at the court clerk's office. LosAngelesCourt.us can help find publicly available information about court records in this county. Additional information can be obtained on the official website of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, through the County Clerk's office, and other California state government resources.
Los Angeles Court System Overview
Los Angeles County is served by the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles — the largest unified trial court in the United States. After the consolidation of municipal and superior courts in 2000, all state-level trial cases are handled by this court. The court operates through several dozen courthouse locations distributed across twelve judicial districts in the county. At the federal level, the county's territory is part of the Central District of California (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California). The main building of the Superior Court is the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, located in downtown Los Angeles.
Courts Serving Los Angeles
Superior Court
The court has over 35 locations throughout the county, including Compton Courthouse, Van Nuys Courthouse, Pomona Courthouse South, Torrance Courthouse, and others. A complete list with addresses is available on the LA Court website.
Federal District Court
The Central District of California covers seven counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. Federal case records are available through the PACER system.
Federal Bankruptcy Court
Federal Detention Center
For individuals detained on federal charges, the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Los Angeles is in operation.
What Types of Cases Los Angeles Courts Hear
The Los Angeles County Superior Court is a court of general jurisdiction and handles virtually all categories of state-level cases:
- Criminal cases: felonies, misdemeanors, infractions
- Civil cases: claims of any amount, including small claims
- Family law: divorce, custody, support, paternity
- Probate cases: wills, guardianship, conservatorship, trusts
- Juvenile cases: delinquency, child protection, adoption
- Traffic violations and DUI
District Court Cases in Los Angeles
In California, there is no separate district court at the state level — the Superior Court fully performs this function. Serious criminal cases (felonies) undergo preliminary hearings before being transferred to a branch where a judge conducts the trial to verdict or acquittal. The court's criminal division coordinates the allocation of cases among judges. Civil claims for significant amounts (unlimited civil cases — over $25,000) are also heard by Superior Court judges. Cases are distributed geographically among judicial districts. Appeals from Superior Court decisions are filed with the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District.
Magistrate Court Cases in Los Angeles
California does not have a separate magistrate court. Instead, the Superior Court handles all cases that in other states would typically fall under magistrate jurisdiction. Misdemeanors and infractions, including traffic tickets and DUI, are heard in the appropriate branches of the Superior Court. Limited civil cases cover claims up to $25,000. Small claims are limited to $10,000 for individuals and $5,000 for entities according to Code of Civil Procedure § 116.221. Preliminary hearings in felony cases are also conducted by Superior Court judges. Due to the large volume of cases, certain branches specialize in specific categories — for example, traffic cases are concentrated in specialized courts.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Los Angeles
Family Law
Divorce, child custody, support, protective orders, paternity establishment, and termination of parental rights are all handled by the family law division of the Superior Court. Divorce decree documents can be ordered online. Important: the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk does not maintain divorce records — they are exclusively held by the Superior Court.
Probate
Inheritance cases, adult guardianship (conservatorship), minor guardianship, and trusts are handled by the Probate department at Stanley Mosk Courthouse. General instructions on the probate process are available in the California Courts Self-Help guide.
Juvenile Matters
Juvenile cases — juvenile delinquency, child protection (dependency), and adoption — are heard in separate courts. These records are confidential under California law. The County Probation Department is involved in supervising juvenile offenders.
How Cases Move Through the Los Angeles Court System
- Filing a case: a criminal complaint from the District Attorney's Office, a civil lawsuit, or a petition (family law, probate) is filed with the court clerk's office.
- Assignment of judge: the case is assigned to a specific branch and judge based on category and geographic district.
- Initial hearings: in criminal cases — arraignment; in civil cases — case management conference.
- Pretrial phase: filing motions, exchanging evidence (discovery), plea bargaining in criminal cases, or settlement in civil cases.
- Trial or resolution: jury or bench trial, plea agreement, settlement, default judgment.
- Post-judgment: sentencing, appeal to the California Court of Appeal, enforcement of judgment.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Superior Court is administered by the Presiding Judge along with the Executive Officer/Clerk. Local rules of the court (Local Rules of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles) are published on the official court website.
According to the California Rules of Court and the California Public Records Act, most court records are publicly accessible. Exceptions include juvenile cases, sealed records, certain family cases, and materials closed by court order. A public records request for the county can be submitted through the Public Records Request portal.
Hearings can be attended in person at the relevant court branch. Many hearings are also conducted remotely via the LACourtConnect platform — details and registration are available on the court's website. To obtain copies of court documents, use the ADM080 form (Request for Copies).
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Los Angeles
- Case search: Case Summary allows searching for civil, family, and probate cases online. Criminal cases are also available through the Find a Case portal.
- Court forms and self-help: a complete list of local forms is on the Forms page. Statewide instructions are in the California Courts Self-Help Center.
- Court clerk and document requests: copies of court orders, including divorce decrees, can be ordered through the court's online services or in person at the branch.
- Inmate search (county): LASD Inmate Locator — the county Sheriff's Department database. General line: (213) 473-6100.
- Inmate search (state): California Incarcerated Records & Information Search (CIRIS) — for individuals in the CDCR system.
- California Sex Offender Registry: available through the California Attorney General's Office (Megan's Law website).
- Police reports: copies of reports can be obtained through the Records and ID Bureau of the Sheriff's Department.
- Law library: the Los Angeles County Law Library provides free access to legal resources for county residents.
- Property and deed records: the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk maintains records of births, deaths, marriages, and real estate documents.
- County open data: statistics and government information are available on the Open Data portal.