Common Questions About Riverside County Court Records
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 needs an online account. Case-number lookups are free; 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 visit the clerk's counter or request copies in writing. More on what the portal shows is on the court records page.
Does the County of Riverside hold court records?
No. The County of Riverside's public-records page states the county does not maintain court records and sends users to the Superior Court for civil and criminal case information. The Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder holds deeds, marriage licenses, fictitious business names, and vital records. The Sheriff and the DA keep their own administrative files. Sending a court-record request to the wrong department delays the search. The right office for general county records is on the public records page.
What does the Public Portal show?
The portal lists five functions: Index, Register of Actions, Calendar, Documents, and Probate Notes. Index uses names and costs credits. Register of Actions requires a case number and shows documents filed, filing dates, and the filing party. Calendar lists hearings up to 7 days out with department and type. Documents require a case number and a fee. Probate Notes are case-number based and refresh three business days before each hearing. Detail on each function is on the court records page.
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 30 days of unlimited self-service name searches. Once a credit is used, you may view up to 10 cases for that name before another credit is needed. The clerk also runs a paid Request Records Search at $15.00 per search, but that returns only case-number information, not copies. The full schedule sits on the court records page.
Why can't I find a case in the Public Portal?
Several reasons. The case may be outside the online date range; civil coverage in some courthouses begins as late as 1996. The case may be confidential (juvenile, sealed, CARE Act, family-related with restricted documents). The case may have been purged under California Government Code §68152. Spelling and prefix variations can also hide a case. Try the paid clerk search or call 951-777-3147. The court records page lists the prefix routing.
Are eviction cases public in Riverside County?
Not for the first 60 days. Unlawful detainer cases are confidential during that window under Code of Civil Procedure §1161.2. Interested parties may access earlier if they can give at least one plaintiff name, one defendant name, and the property address. After 60 days, the case becomes part of public civil records unless judgment goes against the tenant. Wider civil access notes sit on the court records page.
Can I view criminal case documents online?
Usually not the full documents. California Rules of Court rule 2.503 limits remote public access to criminal electronic records. Indexes, registers, and calendars are commonly online for Riverside criminal cases, but full document images may need a courthouse visit, party access, or a court order. Riverside felonies are online from January 1990; misdemeanors from January 1994 in Riverside. For more on criminal filings and dispositions, see arrest records.
How do I find someone in Riverside County jail?
Use the Sheriff's JIMS inmate search. The required field is Last Name. First Name, Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy), and Gender narrow results. The results table shows Booking No., Name, DOB, Sex, and an Incustody flag. Click the booking number to open a public profile with arrest date and time, arresting agency, current facility, and next court date. Mail and money rules are on the inmate records page.
Does JIMS show released inmates?
The results table includes an Incustody Y/N flag, so some past bookings will appear with N. No official separate recently-released list was located in Riverside Sheriff sources. For an urgent confirmation, call the housing facility directly. State prison transfers use the CDCR CIRIS locator, and federal transfers use the BOP inmate locator. Full release verification steps and locator links sit on the released inmates page.
Where are Riverside County jail facilities?
The Sheriff runs five adult correctional facilities. Blythe Jail (260 N. Spring Street, Blythe); Cois M. Byrd Detention Center (30755-B Auld Road, Murrieta); John J. Benoit Detention Center (82675 St. Hwy. 111, Indio); Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility (1627 S. Hargrave Street, Banning); and Robert Presley Detention Center (4000 Orange Street, Riverside). Total BSCC rated capacity is 3,629 beds. Population context and capacity by facility sit on the jail population page.
How do I send money to an inmate?
Riverside Sheriff allows online deposits through Access Corrections, phone deposits at 1-866-345-1884 with Visa or MasterCard, cash or credit card at jail lobby kiosks, and U.S. Postal Money Orders by mail. Fees scale with deposit size; kiosk cash fees run from $1.00 to $3.00. Always include the inmate's full booked name and complete booking number on money orders. Mail and money rules sit on the inmate records page.
Does Riverside publish an active warrant search?
No official public active warrant search was located. The Sheriff posts bench-warrant civil-process information and a $50 (varies) bench-warrant service fee on its Court Services page. To check for a possible warrant, search the Riverside Superior Court Public Portal by case number or name, call the clerk at 951-777-3147, or speak with counsel. Avoid unofficial warrant sites. Steps to resolve a bench warrant sit on the warrant records page.
Where do I get a Riverside marriage record?
Marriage licenses and certified copies are handled by the Riverside Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, not by the Superior Court. Public marriage licenses are public records. Confidential marriage licenses are private; certified copies issue only to the couple or to someone with a court order. The public marriage license fee is $111.00 and the license is valid for 90 days. ACR office locations and the full marriage record process sit on the marriage and divorce page.
Where do I find a Riverside divorce record?
Divorce is a Superior Court Family Law case, not an ACR record. The Family Law Division handles dissolution, legal separation, nullity, parentage, custody, support, and domestic violence. The Public Portal carries almost all family law cases from April 1992 forward, but rule 2.503 limits remote document downloads. For certified divorce records, request copies from the family law clerk. The full process and the family-law courthouse address sit on the marriage and divorce page.
How do I check Riverside probate notes?
Use the Public Portal's Probate Notes function with the case number. Notes are updated the evening three business days before each hearing and reflect only documents filed at least four court days before the hearing. Later filings will not appear in the notes. Probate locations are the Historic Courthouse, Palm Springs Courthouse, and Southwest Justice Center. More on estates, conservatorships, and probate timing is on the probate records page.
Are juvenile cases searchable in Riverside?
No. Juvenile case files are confidential under Welfare and Institutions Code §827. Access is limited to listed people (court personnel, prosecutors, the minor, parents or guardians, the minor's attorney, probation, and certain agencies) or to people with court authorization. The DA's victim page confirms the public Superior Court search does not return juvenile case information. Adjacent restricted-record rules and how to petition a court for access sit on the public records page.
Can I seal or expunge my Riverside record?
Possibly. The Public Defender's Fresh Start program walks eligible people through Penal Code §1203.4 dismissal, §851.91 arrest sealing, felony reductions, early probation termination, and certificates. Eligibility depends on the sentence, pending cases, supervision status, and offense type. Expungement does not erase the rap sheet entirely; firearm rights, immigration consequences, and Penal Code §290 registration may stay in place. More on sealed and dismissed records is on the arrest records page.
What are Riverside court phone and counter hours?
Counter hours at most Riverside clerk offices run Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Phone hours run Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The court warns of long phone waits and slow email response. The main clerk phone is 951-777-3147 for all locations. Drop boxes are available at most courthouses except Southwest Juvenile. For the right clerk office by case type, see Clerk of the Superior Court.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office, see Clerk of the Superior Court. For trial court structure and division pages, see Superior Court. For broader access rules, see public records. For records by topic, browse court records, court dockets, arrest records, inmate records, released inmates, jail population, warrant records, traffic court records, marriage and divorce, or probate.