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Santa Barbara County, California Court Records

Santa Barbara County court records are documents that preserve court judgments and proceedings within the county. These include documents containing statements of facts, a concise statement of the law, evidence, and arguments relied on in support of a party’s position in a court action.

In Santa Barbara County, judicial disputes are typically first heard and resolved in the Superior Court. The Court’s clerk is responsible for collecting, storing, and providing easy access to these records. Although officially classified as Santa Barbara County court records and regulated by California Rules of Court, these records are part of the general public records governed by the California Public Records Act.

Are Santa Barbara County Court Records Public?

Santa Barbara County court records are public documents. Under the California Rules of Court, courts must provide online and in-person access to case files, unless the case files are confidential by law or sealed by a court order. Members of the public are permitted to visit the Clerk’s Office and review case files under supervision.

Certain records are not accessible online and are subject to access rules that limit viewing to physical inspection at the courthouse. These include records relating to proceedings initiated under the Family Code (such as divorce, custody, and support), guardianship and conservatorship, criminal proceedings, mental health proceedings, gun violence restraining order cases, elder or dependent adult cases under Welfare and Institutions Code section 15657.03, and civil harassment proceedings.

Under the California Rules of Court, some cases are completely confidential and can be accessed only by parties to the case or by individuals with a court order authorizing access. These include juvenile court files, adoption orders, certain protective orders, and records that are sealed in compliance with a court order.

What Information is Available in Santa Barbara County Court Records?

While the exact contents of court records vary by case type, most Santa Barbara County court records include a consistent set of documents that show how a case began, progressed, and ended. These include:

  • Case identifiers
    • Case number
    • Case title (names of the parties)
    • Court location and department
    • Type of case (criminal, civil, family, probate, juvenile)
  • Filed documents
    • Complaints, petition, statement of claim, or charges (these documents start the case)
    • Statement of defense, and other answers and responses
    • Motions and written arguments
    • Affidavits
    • Supporting exhibits
  • Court docket (Register of actions) - an event log of all activities in the court case.
  • Orders and judgments
    • Rulings and court orders
    • Judgments, verdicts, or sentencing orders
    • Divorce decree

Santa Barbara County Court Records Search

Those who wish to view Santa Barbara County court records have several options to choose from.

Online

Santa Barbara County courts provide online access to court records through two separate online portals: County of Santa Barbara - Public Portal and Civil Portal.

Members of the public can use the Public Portal to view registers of actions in court cases across multiple record categories, including Civil, Criminal, Family Law, Probate, Small Claims, and Traffic infraction cases. Case files available on the platform include registers of actions and basic case information. However, users must register to access these records.

The Civil Portal provides access to complete case information, but only for civil cases. The portal allows users to access electronic images of all civil case files that are not sealed or considered confidential, including the register of action for these cases. Complete case files of other record categories (such as Criminal, Family Law, Probate, Traffic Infractions) are not online, and may be available at the various Records Department locations in the county.

In-Person

At the courthouse, there are two main ways to access case information. Individuals may use the self-service computers in the courthouse lobbies to search for and print the needed record, or to make requests for copies at the records window. They will need to fill out this Copy Request Form (Espanol), print out the completed version, and submit it to court personnel at the window. If the requester wants certified or non-certified copies, they can indicate so on the request form.

Mail

The Clerk also accepts requests by postal mail and email. To request records by mail, mail the completed form to:

Barbara County Superior Court

ATTN: Records 118 E. Figueroa Street,

Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

Barbara County Superior Court,

ATTN: Records 312-C E. Cook Street,

Santa Maria, CA 93454.

Request processing time may take up to 14 business days.

Those who wish to view case files in person or request them by mail may use the email and physical addresses provided below:

SOUTH COUNTY:
118 E. Figueroa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: 805-882-4778
Email: southcountyrecords@sbcourts.org

Office Hours: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Phone Hours: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

NORTH COUNTY:
312-E East Cook Street
Santa Maria, CA 93454
Phone: 805-614-6414
Email: northcountyrecords@sbcourts.org

Office Hours: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Phone Hours: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Regardless of the medium used to access case information, the requester will need to identify the specific record to enable easy retrieval. This can be done by providing the case number or the full name of a party to the case in the online search field or in the appropriate section in the request form. Searches conducted with case numbers are generally more accurate.

Fees for Court Records in Santa Barbara County

Copy rates are as follows:

  • Copy per page - 50 cents
  • Certified copy of a divorce judgment - $15.00 (in addition to the 50 cents per page copy fees)
  • Certification fee - $40.00 (in addition to 50 cents per page per copy fees)
  • Search for records of files over 10 minutes - $15.00
  • Cost Recovery Fee - $1.00 invoice
  • Credit card surcharge - 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction for Visa, Mastercard, Discover

Santa Barbara County Courthouse Locations

Below is a list of courthouse locations, addresses, and phone numbers:

Santa Barbara County Superior Court - Anacapa Division

1100 Anacapa Street, PO Box 21107, Santa Barbara, CA 93121

Phone: 805-882-4520

Fax: 805-882-4519

The Anacapa Division of Santa Barbara County Superior Court hears civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, probate, and small claims cases.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court - Cook Division

312-C East Cook Street, Santa Maria, CA 93456

Phone: 805-614-6414

Fax: 805-614-6616

The Cook Division of Santa Barbara County Superior Court hears civil, family law, juvenile, mental health, probate, and small claims cases.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court - Figueroa Division

118 East Figueroa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Phone: 805-568-3959

Fax: 805-882-4647

The Figueroa Division of Santa Barbara County Superior Court hears criminal, small claims, and traffic cases.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court - Lompoc Division

115 Civic Center Plaza, Lompoc, CA 93436

Phone: 805-737-7789

Fax: 805-737-5440

The Lompoc Division of Santa Barbara County Superior Court hears limited civil, criminal, family law, and traffic cases.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court - Miller Division

312 East Cook Street, Building E, Santa Maria, CA 93454

Phone: 805-614-7550

Fax: 805-614-6591

Santa Barbara County Superior Court - Santa Barbara Juvenile Court

1108 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Phone: 805-882-4576

Criminal Records Access in Santa Barbara County

State-level criminal record background checks are handled by the California Department of Justice (DOJ). County sheriffs, police departments, district attorney offices, and the courts all submit arrest records and corresponding case outcomes to the DOJ as required by law. Consequently, if an individual commits a crime in Santa Barbara County or elsewhere, employers, landlords, and other interested individuals can find out from the DOJ. This can be done by submitting fingerprints via a live scan, which are then transmitted to the DOJ for processing. The Santa Barbara Police Department provides live scan services.

For records specific only to Santa Barbara County, individuals can contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Records Bureau:

Address: 4434 Calle Real,
Santa Barbara, CA 93110

Phone: (805) 681-4180

Online Portal: Requests can be made via the Sheriff’s online portal.

Santa Barbara County Probate Records

Santa Barbara County Probate Records are official court documents that document court proceedings related to the validation of a deceased resident’s will. When a person dies, their successors are mandated by state law to "take out probate," a legal process that allows the court to assess the validity of a will and grant the executors named in the will authority to administer the deceased’s property and finances.

Depending on the wishes expressed in the will, the following filings may be made pursuant to a will:

  • Petition for probate (the initial filing that starts the Probate process)
  • Letters testamentary or letters of administration
  • Inventory and appraisal
  • Creditor claims/accounting filings
  • Petition for final distribution

Santa Barbara probate proceedings are managed by two main Superior Court locations: the Anacapa Division in Santa Barbara (South County) and the Cook Division in Santa Maria (North County). These courts also maintain the records of these proceedings. Probate case files are generally public records and can be viewed online through the Public Portal or accessed at these court locations:

Santa Barbara County Family Court Records

Santa Barbara County family court records document court proceedings in which a domestic dispute within a family was resolved. These include divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, and protection orders. These records are public, and individuals can view basic information about a case online via the Public Portal or by submitting a completed Copy Request Form (Espanol) via email or in person at the courthouse. If they wish to obtain certified copies, they specify on the request form.

Federal Court Records in Santa Barbara County

Federal court records for Santa Barbara County fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The District Court is responsible for county disputes that fall within federal jurisdiction, such as Bankruptcy, Immigration, and Terrorism. Records of these cases are not accessible through any local or state court records systems; rather, they are accessible through PACER, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system. PACER allows members of the public to search, view, and print federal case documents, dockets, and opinions online, requiring a registered account.

How to Access Federal Records

  • Register at pacer.uscourts.gov to search for appellate, district, and bankruptcy cases. The PACER Case Locator tool can help users find cases if the specific court is unknown.
  • In-Person (Courthouse): Visit the U.S. District Court Clerk’s Office where the case was filed to use the Public Access computers and request records.

Note: PACER is a fee-based service, though fees may be waived if a user earns less than $30.00 a quarter. Some records may be sealed or restricted for privacy reasons.

Santa Barbara County Court