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AI Overview
AI Overview
Criminal court records can be accessed online, primarily through the
PACER system for federal cases, or via state/county court websites for local cases. Most records are public, though some may be sealed, redacted, or restricted due to privacy rules (e.g., juvenile records). In-person access is available at local courthouse terminals, which may provide more complete data.
Accessing Federal Criminal Records
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records): The primary, centralized system for federal appellate, district, and bankruptcy court records.
Requirements: Users must register for a PACER account to view dockets and document copies.
Costs: Fees are generally 10 cents per page, with a maximum of $3 per document. Fees are waived if the user accrues $30 or less in a quarter.
Accessing State and County Criminal Records
Online Portals: Many county courts offer online case search portals (e.g., this California example, this Ohio example, this Virginia example, this Minnesota example).
Information Needed: Searches usually require a case number, party name, or citation number.
State Repositories: Some states, like Colorado, offer centralized, fee-based criminal history checks through state bureau websites, such as the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
In-Person Access
Clerk’s Office: If a record is not available online, it can be viewed at the clerk’s office of the court where the case was heard.
Terminals: Courthouses often have public access terminals for searching records.
Costs: While viewing is usually free, in-person copies may require fees.
Limitations
Sealed/Redacted Records: Records related to ongoing investigations, sensitive information, or juveniles are often sealed or redacted.
Older Records: Older, paper-based records may require a visit to the court to view or request copies.
Public Access to Court Electronic Records | PACER
What is PACER? The Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service provides electronic public access to federal court re…
PACER (.gov)
Internet Criminal History Check (ICHC) | Colorado Bureau of …
All Colorado CHRI is accessible to the public with the following exceptions: Juvenile arrests (17 years and younger) except when a…
Colorado Bureau of Investigation (.gov)
How Can I Access Public Record Cases? – CountyOffice.org
Aug 6, 2025 — and cases involved county courts handle a wide range of cases including civil criminal family probate and traffic cases most of th…
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Criminal & Traffic Cases
The Criminal and Traffic Cases systems are intended to assist the public in accessing available case data without having to visit the courthouse. The information provided on and obtained from this site does not constitute the official record of the Superior Court of Orange County. The case information provided is based on the search criteria entered. Search criteria results may not always reflect accurate name/case association. Please read and accept the terms described below before proceeding.
Note: Traffic citations may not be available through this online case access for up to 21 days from the date the citation was issued. A courtesy notice may be mailed to you at the address listed on your citation which contains general information and options available for resolving the citation. If you do not receive a courtesy notice in advance of your citation appearance date, contact the court as failure to receive a courtesy notice is not a legal excuse for failing to take care of the citation. When submitting payments and/or documents by mail, allow 10 days for delivery and processing.
Government Code section 68152 regulating record retention sets the minimum retention periods as 75 years for felonies and 5 years for general misdemeanors. The Court is not required to destroy after the minimum retention period and the Court cannot destroy records prior to that time period. There are some exceptions to these retention periods as noted in the Government Code.
The Superior Court of California, County of Orange provides the following on-line services to the public:
- Index information which provides limited case filing information.
- Case access which provides more detail than our indexes such as specific hearing date information and dispositions.Tip: if you need to locate your OC Pay #, Case Access can help! Find out how!
Court indexes are retained permanently and are public information. The detailed information available via our Case Access service remains until such time the case records (case files) are destroyed.
Este programa de búsqueda está disponible solamente en inglés.
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Information Disclaimer
To begin your search for information OR to find your OC Pay # please select ‘Accept Terms’ below
The information provided on and obtained from this site does not constitute the official record of Orange County Superior Court. This information is provided as a service to the general public. Any user of this information is hereby advised that it is being provided “as is”. The information provided may be subject to errors or omissions. Visitors to this site agree that the Court is not liable for errors or omissions or any of the information provided. Visitors further consent to access the record only as instructed by the Court and consent to the Court’s monitoring of access to the records. Copyright and other proprietary rights may apply to information in a case file absent an express grant of additional rights by the holder of the copyright or other proprietary right. Use of such information is permissible only to the extent permitted by law or court order, and any use inconsistent with proprietary rights is prohibited. The Court may deny access to a member of the public for failure to comply with any of these conditions of use. Any person who willfully destroys or alters any court record maintained in electronic form is subject to the penalties imposed by Government Code section 6201. Please read the court’s Privacy Policy for more details. To obtain an “official certified” record of the court, please visit the Court and request the specific documents in person or do so in writing. Certification and copy fee information is available on our Fee Schedule page.