Riverside County Clerk of the Superior Court

About the Riverside County Clerk of the Superior Court

California unified its trial courts under Proposition 220 in 1998. Since then, there has been no separate elected clerk of court at the county trial level. The clerk function for the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside is performed in-house by the Court Executive Officer, who carries the title Clerk of the Superior Court. The office reports to the presiding judge and the court's executive committee. Its job is to receive and stamp every filing, manage the case file from cradle to grave, post calendars, set fees, issue process, and keep the official record.

The court's general number is 951-777-3147 for all locations. Phone hours run Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Public counter hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The court warns of long phone waits and slow email replies, so the counter, drop box, or web chat is often the fastest path. Each courthouse has its own clerk staff but every counter ties back to the single countywide case management system.

What the Riverside County Clerk of the Superior Court Does

The clerk's office sits at the center of every case. It receives pleadings, manages exhibits, schedules hearings, and tracks each file from intake to disposition. The office collects filing fees, issues subpoenas and writs, processes fee waivers, and certifies copies. It also operates public viewing computers at downtown Riverside courthouses, runs the Request Records Search portal, and answers procedural questions at the counter. Court staff cannot give legal advice.

• Accept and file pleadings in civil, family, probate, criminal, traffic, juvenile, and CARE Act cases.
• Manage the official case file and the register of actions.
• Issue summons, subpoenas, writs, abstracts of judgment, and minute orders.
• Collect filing fees, set up payment plans, and process Judicial Council fee waiver form FW-001.
• Certify copies of court orders, judgments, and other case papers.
• Run the Public Portal and the $15 paid clerk records search.
• Post court calendars, judicial assignments, and probate notes.

Court Clerk vs. Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder in Riverside County

Many users confuse the Clerk of the Superior Court with the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, known as the ACR. The two offices are not the same. The Clerk of the Superior Court is part of the judicial branch and holds court case files. The ACR is an elected county office under Peter Aldana and holds non-court records. The County of Riverside's own public-records page is clear: the county does not maintain court records, and users seeking civil or criminal case data should use the Superior Court Public Access webpage instead.

The ACR locations page lists the Gateway, downtown, Palm Desert, Hemet, Temecula, and Blythe offices that hold the non-court files.

The ACR records side covers deeds and other recorded real property documents, marriage licenses, fictitious business name filings, notary public bonds, legal document assistant registrations, and vital records under their statutory release windows. For marriage license search and divorce records, see marriage and divorce records. For broader non-court county records, see public records. Court case files of any kind, including family law and probate, are held by the Clerk of the Superior Court.

How to Request a Certified Copy in Riverside County

A certified copy is a paper or PDF copy of a court document with the clerk's stamp and signature. Banks, immigration officers, the Social Security Administration, and other agencies almost always ask for certified copies, not plain print-outs. The clerk's office accepts a certified-copy request in person, by mail, through the drop box, or by eSubmit for supported case types.

1. Find the case number on the Public Portal or in the court calendar.
2. Download form RI-MC002 from the court's forms page or pick one up at the counter.
3. Fill in the case number, party names, document type, number of copies, and contact info.
4. Submit at the right courthouse counter, by mail, or through the drop box with a check or money order.
5. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailed requests so the clerk can ship the copy back.
6. Pick up in person or wait for mail return; in-person same-day is possible when the file is on the shelf.

Riverside County Records Request Form Fields

RI-MC002 is the official Riverside Superior Court request form for record searches and copies. The Request Records Search portal at rrs.riverside.courts.ca.gov uses similar fields. Both want the case identifier, the parties, the search window, and the delivery details. The table below maps the field set so a user can plan a complete request before paying the fee.

Riverside County Clerk of the Superior Court Fees

Court fees follow Government Code §70626 and the local fee schedule published on the court's forms-and-filing page. Plain copies are cheap. Certified copies add a per-document certification fee. Search fees are charged by name or by request.

A fee waiver is available under Government Code §68630 et seq. The petitioner files Judicial Council form FW-001. The court reviews income, household size, and public benefits before granting or denying the request.

Common Forms Used at the Clerk's Counter

Two Riverside local forms come up over and over again at the counter. State Judicial Council forms cover the rest.

• RI-MC002 - Request for Record Search and Court Records Copies; the workhorse form for certified-copy requests.
• RI-CR093 - Declaration Pursuant to Penal Code §13300 for local summary criminal history requests.
• Judicial Council form FW-001 - Application for Fee Waiver.
• Judicial Council form MC-410 - Disability Accommodation Request.
• Judicial Council form MC-030 - Declaration; used to support most motions and requests.

RI-MC002 is the form the clerk expects for record searches and copies in person or by mail.

Mail, eSubmit, and Online Filings in Riverside County

The clerk takes filings four ways: at the public counter, by U.S. mail, through the drop box at most courthouses, and through eSubmit for supported case types. Civil eFiling for unlimited civil, complex, limited civil, unlawful detainers, and small claims has been live since July 1, 2021. The court also accepts eSubmit for appeals, family law, probate, juvenile, criminal, traffic, and CARE Act papers. Drop boxes sit at Banning, Blythe, Corona, Larson, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, Riverside Family Law, Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside Historic, and Riverside Juvenile. The Southwest Juvenile courthouse has no drop box.

For a mailed request, write the case number, party names, requested documents, and number of copies on the form. Send a check or money order made out to the Riverside Superior Court. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail to the courthouse holding the case; the central locations page at riverside.courts.ca.gov/general-information/locations-contact-info lists every address.

Related Riverside County Resources

For the case-search walkthrough and date coverage by case type, see court records. For non-court county records held by the ACR or other departments, see public records. For courthouse list, divisions, and appeals path, see Superior Court. For estate and conservatorship files, see probate records.