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Alameda County court records

Alameda County has 2 courts with their own files and case search, kept by the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda: Civil Records and the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda: Criminal Divisions. This page maps each kind of case to its court, then adds the California rules on public and sealed files, statewide searches and copy fees.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Which court has the case
  2. Superior Court
  3. Superior Court
  4. Copies and fees
  5. What is public and what is sealed
  6. Statewide case search and court system
  7. Criminal history checks
  8. Divorce and probate files
  9. Questions people ask
  10. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  11. Sources

Which court has the case

Each court keeps its own files and runs its own case search. Find the kind of case in the second column, then use that court's search or ask its clerk.

CourtCases it hearsFiles kept byCase search
Superior Court (civil, family, probate, mental health, CARE)Civil, Family, Probate, Mental Health, CARE1Superior Court of California, County of Alameda: Civil RecordsSearch cases2
Superior Court (criminal)Criminal case information; no documents online2Superior Court of California, County of Alameda: Criminal DivisionsSearch cases2

Superior Court

Cases: Civil, Family, Probate, Mental Health, CARE.1

Superior Court of California, County of Alameda: Civil Records

Phone
Hayward Hall of Justice: (510) 690-2705; George E. McDonald Hall of Justice: (510) 891-60052

Superior Court

Cases: Criminal case information; no documents online.2

Superior Court of California, County of Alameda: Criminal Divisions

Phone
Rene C. Davidson Courthouse, Oakland: (510) 891-60092

Copies and fees

What the Alameda County clerks charge:

Fees
$0.50 per page copy; $25 certification; $15 for each search longer than 10 minutes3
In person
Free in-person research2

Fees set for California courts generally:

Fees
Statewide civil fee schedule (eff. Jan. 1, 2026): copy $0.50/page (GC 70627(a)); certification $40 (GC 70626(a)(4)); search >10 min $15 (GC 70627(c)); comparison $1/page; exemplification $504
Copy fee per page
0.54
Search fee
154

What is public and what is sealed

These rules come from California law and court rules and apply to the Alameda County courts as to every court in the state.

What is public
Most case records are public unless confidential by law or sealed; remote (online) public access in criminal, family, and other sensitive case types is limited to registers of action, calendars and indexes (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.503)5
Sealed and confidential records
Juvenile dependency and delinquency records are not public; sealed or confidential records cannot be viewed by the public at the courthouse or remotely5
Court system
Unified state trial court system: one Superior Court per county (58), unified as of February 20016
Statewide case search
None for trial courts: each superior court keeps its own records; contact/search that court. Appellate cases: appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov7

Criminal history checks

A court case file and a criminal history report are different records: the courts keep case files, and the state repository issues the report.

Coverage
Many cases opened since 19742
State repository
California Department of Justice (Bureau of Criminal Identification and Analysis); access restricted to law enforcement and authorized applicant agencies; individuals may get only their own record8
State: fee
$25 DOJ processing fee (plus Live Scan rolling fee set by the site); fee waiver available8
State: who may order
Only the subject of the record; third-party requests are refused8

Divorce and probate files

Questions people ask

Where are Alameda County civil and small claims cases kept?

Superior Court: Civil, Family, Probate, Mental Health, CARE. Files are kept by the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda: Civil Records.1

What does a certified copy of a Alameda County court record cost?

$0.50 per page copy; $25 certification; $15 for each search longer than 10 minutes.3

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Alameda County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 10 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Home | Superior Court of California | County of AlamedaSuperior Court of California, County of Alameda
  2. Court Records Request and Information | Superior Court of California | County of AlamedaSuperior Court of California, County of Alameda
  3. Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
  4. Superior Court of California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026)Judicial Council of California
  5. Who? Where? How? Viewing a Court's Electronic Case RecordsJudicial Council of California
  6. Superior CourtsJudicial Council of California
  7. Public RecordsJudicial Council of California
  8. Criminal Records - Request Your OwnCalifornia Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General
  9. Divorce or Separation | Superior Court of California | County of AlamedaSuperior Court of California, County of Alameda
  10. Probate | Superior Court of California | County of AlamedaSuperior Court of California, County of Alameda