Search Riverside County Court Records

How to Search Riverside County Court Records

Riverside Superior Court runs its records access through two layers. The first is the Search Court Records public-access page, which spells out coverage, fees, and limits. The second is the Public Portal, which is the secure case-access system itself. The portal requires an online account. Case-number searches are free when you supply the case number. Name searches across civil and criminal/traffic cost credits, and document downloads carry their own page fees.

Before starting, gather the case number if you have one, full legal names of parties, dates of birth where helpful, and the case type (civil, criminal, traffic, family, probate). Have a credit card ready if you plan name searches or document downloads. Confidential and sealed case data does not appear online. Eviction filings stay hidden for the first 60 days. Juvenile and many family documents have remote limits under California Rules of Court rule 2.503. Set aside a quiet 10 to 20 minutes for the first search.

Steps to look up a court case in Riverside County:

1. Open the Public Portal at https://epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/ and create or sign in to an account. Disable popup blockers and accept cookies.
2. Pick a search type. Use Index for name searches, Case Number Search for free lookups, or Calendar to view hearings up to 7 days out.
3. Enter the party name or case number. Match the spelling carefully and check date ranges if the case is older.
4. Open the Register of Actions to see filings, filing dates, and the filing party. The ROA is the chronological event list for the case.
5. Buy and download documents one at a time if rules allow it. The first 5 pages cost $1.00 each; later pages run $0.50 each, capped at $50 per document.
6. For an official certified copy, file Request Records Search at https://rrs.riverside.courts.ca.gov/ ($15 per search) or visit the clerk's counter.

A lead-in shot of the public-access page sits below; for the full text and current pricing, open the court's Search Court Records page.

The page lists coverage by case type, the credit pricing for name searches, and the cap on per-document downloads, all of which apply to Riverside County Court records requests.

Note: name searches do not return the same data the clerk's counter shows, so confirm details with the court before relying on portal results.

The Riverside County Judicial System

California uses a unified single-tier trial court system. Each county has one Superior Court. Riverside County's trial court is the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. Old municipal courts were folded into the Superior Courts under Proposition 220 in 1998, so Riverside has no separate municipal or district court at the trial level. Small claims, limited civil, traffic infractions, and unlawful detainers are all Superior Court case types, not separate courts. Appeals from Riverside go to the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, based in Riverside. From there cases may reach the Supreme Court of California.

The Court Executive Officer also acts as Clerk of the Superior Court. That office runs case filing, calendars, records access, and the Public Portal. The separately elected Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder (ACR), led by Peter Aldana, handles non-court records: deeds, marriage licenses, fictitious business names, notary registration, and vital records. The ACR does not maintain Riverside County Court case files. The County of Riverside government also does not hold court records; the county sends users to Superior Court for civil and criminal case information.

Case flow: Superior Court (Riverside) › Court of Appeal, 4th District, Division 2 › Supreme Court of California

For deeper detail on the trial court, see Superior Court and the office that staffs case access, Clerk of the Superior Court.

Riverside County Courthouses

The downtown Riverside court campus on Main Street holds the three main courthouses. The Historic Courthouse at 4050 Main Street is the 1903 Beaux Arts landmark; it serves civil and probate matters and houses the court's executive offices. The Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street, just up the block, hears criminal cases. The Family Law Courthouse sits at 4175 Main Street. Branch courthouses sit in Indio (Larson Justice Center), Murrieta (Southwest Justice Center), Banning, Blythe, Corona, Menifee, Moreno Valley, and Palm Springs. The general clerk phone for all locations is 951-777-3147.

To see the full grid of locations with hours and drop-box status, view the court locations page.

The locations page also notes that phone hours run Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and that most public counters stay open until 4:00 p.m.

Types of Riverside County Court Records

Riverside Superior Court generates many record types because it handles every general trial matter for the county. Civil records cover money disputes, contract claims, real property cases, and tort claims. Small claims, limited civil, and unlimited civil share civil infrastructure but use different forms. Unlawful detainer (eviction) records are civil too, but they stay hidden from the general public for the first 60 days under Code of Civil Procedure §1161.2. Criminal records run from infractions to felonies, including arraignment, pleas, sentencing, and warrants. Traffic infractions are searched under the criminal/traffic case type.

Family law generates dissolution (divorce), legal separation, nullity, parentage, custody, support, and domestic violence records. Probate handles decedent estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, minor compromises, and mental health filings. Juvenile delinquency and dependency files are confidential under Welfare and Institutions Code §827. Mental health and CARE Act proceedings are restricted too. The court's divisions page shows all the case types.

• Criminal records - felony, misdemeanor, and infraction case files filed in the Hall of Justice and branch courthouses.
• Civil court records - money, contract, real property, civil rights, and tort cases at unlimited, limited, and small-claims levels.
• Family and divorce records - dissolution, custody, support, and domestic violence cases from the Family Law Division.
• Probate records - estate, trust, guardianship, conservatorship, and capacity cases with public probate notes.
• Traffic court records - infractions, misdemeanor traffic, and trial by declaration matters.
• Warrant records - bench warrants, arrest warrants, and civil process tied to court orders.
• Court dockets - register of actions and calendar entries that show what is happening in each case.

For images of the division index and the Family Law Division landing page, see the court's divisions list and the Family Law Division page.

Each division link on that page leads to its own filing, calendar, and self-help guidance.

What Riverside County Court Records Show

A Riverside County Court record is layered. The Public Portal may show a slim view: index, register of actions, calendar, probate notes, and downloadable documents where rules allow. The full official file at the clerk's counter has more. Criminal cases use case-number prefixes that route by location: RI, BA, FERI, FEBA, MIRI, MIBA route to Riverside; SW, FESW, MISW route to Southwest (Murrieta); IN, BL, FEIN, FEBL, MIIN, MIBL route to Coachella Valley (Indio and Blythe).

The most useful single field in any file is the Register of Actions. It lists every document filed, the date filed, and the party that filed it. From there a user can spot the disposition, the operative pleading, the most recent order, or the next hearing. Probate notes carry their own value because the probate examiner posts comments three business days before the hearing.

Public Access Laws for Riverside County Court Records

Two access systems govern Riverside County records. General county department records (executive offices, ACR administrative files, sheriff and DA administrative records subject to law-enforcement exemptions) fall under the California Public Records Act. Court case records run on a separate track set by statute, the California Rules of Court, and common-law public-access principles. The County of Riverside public-records page is explicit: county departments do not hold court records, and court-records requests must go to the Superior Court.

Five statutes and rules drive most of the questions on Riverside County Court records access. They are not a complete list, but they cover the questions a member of the public asks most often.

Note: the Public Records Act applies to county agencies, not to the court itself, so a CPRA request will not pull a Superior Court case file.

Records That Are Restricted or Confidential

Not every case can be viewed online, and some cases cannot be viewed at all without a court order. Juvenile delinquency and dependency files are sealed by Welfare and Institutions Code §827. The DA's victim page confirms the public Superior Court search does not return juvenile case data. Adoption records are highly restricted under California law. Mental health and CARE Act proceedings are confidential; Riverside's CARE Act notice says CARE proceedings are not open to the public. Confidential marriage licenses are private records held by the ACR; certified copies issue only to the couple or to a party with a court order.

For other records, the issue is remote access rather than total secrecy. Rule 2.503 keeps full electronic documents in family, criminal, guardianship/conservatorship, civil harassment, workplace violence, elder abuse, and gun violence restraining order cases from being downloaded remotely. The index, calendar, and register of actions may still be online, but the document images may need a courthouse visit. Sealed records under rule 2.550 are off the portal entirely. Records can also be purged under Government Code §68152 after the retention period runs out, which is why an older case may simply not appear.

To unseal or access a restricted record, a user files a motion or application in the underlying case and serves it on the parties. Penal Code §851.91 covers petitions to seal arrest records when an arrest did not result in conviction. Penal Code §1203.4 covers dismissal relief after probation. The Riverside Public Defender's Fresh Start program walks eligible people through both. See more on public records access and on sealed arrest records.

Specialty Courts in Riverside County

Riverside Superior Court runs two named collaborative courts that show up often in public materials. Veterans Court is authorized under Penal Code §1170.9 and started January 5, 2012. It serves felony and misdemeanor veterans with a service-related nexus to the conduct that brought them into the system. The Veterans Court graduation release describes a minimum 18-month treatment-based alternative to incarceration with regular drug and alcohol testing, weekly counseling, and mental health treatment. Collaborative partners include the court, the VA, behavioral health agencies, Probation, the DA, and the Public Defender.

The CARE Act Court is newer. Riverside was in the first group of California counties to launch CARE Act proceedings, effective October 2, 2023. CARE Act petitions can be filed at any Riverside County courthouse or through eSubmit, and there is no filing fee. Eligible respondents are adults 18 or older with severe mental illness (schizophrenia spectrum or another psychotic disorder) who are not clinically stabilized in ongoing voluntary treatment. The RUHS CARES Line is 800-499-3008.

The Probate Division handles capacity, conservatorship, and mental health filings, and the court can appoint medical or mental health experts for reports. These are not criminal diversion programs but they sit next to the collaborative courts in day-to-day practice. The CARE Act page lists the forms and the no-fee policy.

Riverside County Sheriff and Jail

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office runs five adult correctional facilities through its Corrections Operations bureau: Blythe Jail, Cois M. Byrd Detention Center (Southwest, in Murrieta), John J. Benoit Detention Center (Indio), Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility (Banning), and Robert Presley Detention Center (downtown Riverside). The main Sheriff's address is 4095 Lemon Street, Riverside, CA 92501, phone 951-955-2400. Sheriff Chad Bianco leads the office. Total BSCC rated capacity across the five facilities is 3,629 beds.

The public inmate search is JIMS at https://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/jimsacucgi/InmateInfo.html. Last Name is the only required field; First Name, Date of Birth (format 10/25/1980), and Gender narrow results. The results table shows Booking No., Name, DOB, Sex, and Incustody flag (Y or N). Click a booking number for a public profile with booking number, demographics, arrest date and time, arresting agency, current facility, and next court date. JIMS posts a disclaimer that the data should not be relied upon for legal action.

For the roster, daily counts, and visiting rules, see Riverside County inmate records. For active warrants and bench warrants, see warrant records. For verifying release status, transfers to CDCR, or federal custody, see released inmates. Population data and BSCC capacity tables sit at jail population.

Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records

Marriage licenses are issued by the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, not by Riverside Superior Court. A public marriage license costs $111.00 and is valid for 90 days. Confidential marriage licenses are private; certified copies issue only to the couple or to a party with a court order. Divorce, by contrast, is a Superior Court Family Law case. The Family Law Division handles dissolution, legal separation, nullity, parentage, custody, support, and domestic violence. For both topics, the relevant pages are marriage and divorce records for the ACR side and the family law case search, and probate records for estates and conservatorships.

Probate cases are searchable in the Public Portal back to almost all cases from July 1994. The probate clerk posts probate notes online keyed to the case number. Examiners update notes the evening three business days before the hearing, and the notes reflect only documents filed at least four court days before the hearing. Later filings will not appear in the notes, which is why timing matters in Riverside probate practice.

Testator

A person who makes a will and whose estate may be probated after death.

Executor

The person named in a will to administer the estate; the court issues letters testamentary.

Conservator

A person appointed by the probate court to manage the estate or personal care of an adult who cannot manage their own affairs.

Probate Notes

Examiner comments posted by case number three business days before each hearing.

Riverside County Court Records Fees

Two separate fee schedules apply. The Public Portal charges credit-based name search fees and per-page document download fees. The clerk's office charges its own copy, certification, and search fees in person or by mail. Plan for both if the case is older or if you need a certified document.

The court's Request Records Search form is the paid clerk search; payment runs through Authorize.net. The search returns only case-number information found, not copies.

Use this form when the case is too old for the online date range or when you cannot find a case in the Public Portal.

How to Interpret Riverside County Court Records

A case-number prefix in Riverside tells you the court location and case type. RIF often means a Riverside felony; MIRI is a Riverside misdemeanor; SW is Southwest. Civil prefixes use their own codes. A docket entry such as "ARRGN" usually means arraignment; "MIN" usually means a minute order; "JUDG" usually means a judgment. "Disposed" in the case status field does not always mean the case is closed for every purpose; sometimes appeals or post-judgment motions follow. Read the Register of Actions from the bottom up to see the most recent activity.

Charges are not convictions. A complaint or information lists what the People allege. A plea, verdict, or court finding is what determines guilt. A dismissal under Penal Code §1203.4 changes the disposition to dismissed for many uses but does not erase the record for licensing, immigration, firearm rights, or certain prior-conviction purposes. Civil judgments may show "satisfied" once paid, but the underlying judgment record stays in the file.

The Public Portal warns that the data it shows is not the official court record. For an official certified record, the user must request it from the clerk in person or in writing. That matters for housing, employment background, or licensing uses, because a screenshot of the portal will not be accepted as a certified record.

Accuracy and Record Limitations

The court updates the Public Portal regularly, but the system is not real-time in every field. Probate notes are batch-updated three business days before each hearing. JIMS, the Sheriff's inmate database, posts a strong disclaimer that the data should not be relied upon for legal action. Background-check users should always verify with the court or the originating agency before using any data for a decision that affects a person's rights.

Cases can drop out of the online view. Riverside's public-access page says cases may be outside the online date range or may have been purged from the database under Government Code §68152. Cannabis arrest and conviction records have their own destruction rules under Health and Safety Code §11361.5. Sealed cases under rule 2.550 will not show, and confidential filings such as juvenile or CARE Act cases do not appear at all.

History of Riverside County Courts

Riverside County was carved out of San Bernardino County and San Diego County. Voters approved the formation in May 1893, and the county officially formed on May 9, 1893. The first county court used rented space on the ground floor of a downtown Riverside hotel until voters approved a 1902 bond measure for a monumental courthouse. The Historic Courthouse was completed in 1904 and modeled on the Grand Palais in Paris, a sign of the county's citrus-era wealth.

The 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged the building. The court vacated it, then restored it with court filing-fee funds and rededicated it in October 1998. The 1994-1998 restoration included structural stabilization, redesign, and wheelchair access to all 11 courtrooms. Modern accessibility features include Braille elevator signage, strobe fire alarms, wheelchair lifts between specified departments, and door activators on courtrooms 2 through 7.

Population growth shaped the modern court footprint. Riverside County grew more than 76% from 1980 to 1990 and now has about 2.4 million residents across more than 7,300 square miles. That scale explains why the court runs branch courthouses in Indio, Murrieta, Banning, Blythe, Corona, Menifee, Moreno Valley, and Palm Springs. Civil eFiling started July 1, 2021 for unlimited civil, complex, limited civil, unlawful detainer, and small claims, which made online filing the new normal in Riverside County Court records practice.

View the Historic Courthouse page for building details and accessibility notes.

The page lists the building's matters served, parking notes, and its place in the county's historic-landmark registry.

Self-Help and Legal Aid in Riverside County

Riverside Superior Court runs Self-Help Legal Services (SHLS) for family law, evictions, small claims, name changes, guardianship, conservatorship, probate, and restraining orders. Court staff can explain procedures, rules, and referrals but cannot give legal advice. SHLS event lines include 951-274-4499 and 760-393-2163, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to noon for certain services. Public viewing computers at the courthouses are free; there is no charge to look at case files, calendars, or court records on those terminals.

Outside the court, the Riverside County Bar Association Dispute Resolution Service sits at 4129 Main Street, Suite 100, Riverside, CA 92501, phone 951-682-2132. The Community Action Partnership of Riverside County Dispute Resolution Center can be reached at 951-955-4900. The Public Defender's Fresh Start program at rivcopublicdefender.org handles expungement, arrest sealing, felony reductions, early probation termination, and certificates of rehabilitation.

District Attorney and Public Defender

The Riverside County District Attorney's Office is led by District Attorney Michael A. Hestrin, elected in June 2014 and sworn in on January 5, 2015. The office reports about 700 attorneys, paralegals, investigators, victim advocates, and support staff. It files roughly 60,000 criminal cases each year. Main DA office: 3960 Orange Street, Riverside, CA 92501, phone 951-955-5400. Victim Services Claims Unit is at 951-955-5460. The DA's home page links Victim Services, the Bureau of Investigation, and divisions.

The Law Offices of the Public Defender, County of Riverside is led by Public Defender Steve Harmon. Main office: 4075 Main Street, Suite 100, Riverside, CA 92501, phone 951-955-6000, fax 951-955-6025. The Public Defender represents qualifying people charged with crimes and runs the Fresh Start record-relief program. If a conflict prevents Public Defender representation, the court appoints alternate or conflict counsel through its own process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I search Riverside County court records?

Use the Riverside Superior Court Public Portal, linked from the court's Search Court Records public-access page. The portal requires an online account. Case-number searches are free when you supply the number. Name searches across civil and criminal/traffic cost credits and return matching case numbers and filing dates. For an official certified record, the court asks users to request copies from the clerk's counter in person or in writing. More detail sits on the Riverside County court records page.

Does the County of Riverside government hold court records?

No. The County of Riverside public records page is explicit that the county does not maintain court records. Civil and criminal case information lives at the Superior Court. The Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder holds non-court records such as deeds, marriage licenses, and fictitious business names. The Sheriff and the DA have their own records subject to law-enforcement exemptions. Sending a court-record request to the wrong department will delay or block the search. See public records for the right office.

How much does a Riverside court name search cost?

The portal charges $1.00 for one name credit, $3.50 for 5, $5.00 for 10, $25.00 for 75, and $250.00 for unlimited self-service name searches for 30 days. Once a credit is spent, the user may view up to 10 cases for that name before another credit is needed. The clerk can also run a paid Request Records Search at $15.00 per search, but that returns only case-number information, not copies. Full fee detail is on the court records page.

Are eviction cases public right away in Riverside County?

No. Unlawful detainer cases are confidential for the first 60 days under Code of Civil Procedure §1161.2. The court's public-access page repeats this rule. Interested parties may access the file earlier if they can supply at least one plaintiff name, one defendant name, and the property address. After day 60, the case opens to general public view if the case has not been resolved against the tenant. Look at civil court records for the broader civil access rules.

How do I find someone in Riverside County jail?

Use the Sheriff's JIMS inmate search at jimspub.riversidesheriff.org. Enter the inmate's last name (required), then first name, date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy), and gender to narrow results. The results table shows the booking number, name, DOB, sex, and an incustody flag. Click the booking number to open a profile with arrest date, arresting agency, current facility, and next court date. For visiting rules and money deposits, see inmate records.

Does Riverside publish an active warrant search?

No official public active warrant database was located. The Sheriff publishes civil bench-warrant fee information and process notes. For an unresolved bench warrant or arrest warrant, search the Riverside Superior Court Public Portal by case or name, contact the clerk at 951-777-3147, or speak with counsel. Avoid unofficial warrant sites that resell scraped data. Detail and the steps to resolve an outstanding warrant sit on the warrant records page.

More questions and answers are on the Riverside County Court Records FAQ page.