California Criminal Records

This guide explains how to find California criminal records, arrest records, court records, inmate information, and the public sex offender registry, and how California's background-check and record-clearing laws work. It was last reviewed in June 2026 using official California sources, and it points you to the state and county agencies that hold each type of record. You can also start a name search using the tool on this page.

How do I look up a criminal record in California?

California is different from many states: the statewide criminal history maintained by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) is not open to the public. There are three realistic ways to find criminal-record information:

• Your own record (or an authorized check). You can request a copy of your own California criminal history from the DOJ to review it for accuracy, but it requires submitting fingerprints by Live Scan and paying a $25 processing fee. See the California DOJ Record Review page. Employers and licensing agencies can run an official check only when a state or federal law authorizes it, also by fingerprint.
• Court records at the county level. Individual case files are generally public and are held by the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed (see the court-records question below).
• An online people-search tool like the one on this page, which compiles public-record data from many sources into one report. These tools are for personal knowledge only and are not a substitute for an official record review or an FCRA-compliant background check.

A fingerprint-based search is the only way to confirm a record truly belongs to a specific person; a name-and-date-of-birth search can return matches that belong to someone else.

Are California criminal records public?

It depends on which record. The DOJ's statewide criminal history summary (often called a "rap sheet") is confidential under California law and is released only to the individual, to law enforcement, and to employers or agencies specifically authorized by statute. Court case records, on the other hand, are presumptively public and can be viewed or requested at the courthouse where the case was filed. So while you cannot pull someone else's statewide rap sheet, you can usually look up their individual court cases county by county.

Where can I look up arrest records in California?

Arrest records are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as a city police department or a county sheriff. Many county sheriffs publish an online "who's in custody" jail roster showing recent bookings. Remember that an arrest record is different from a criminal record: it shows that a person was taken into custody, not that they were convicted. Under California law, a background-check company cannot report an arrest that did not lead to a conviction.

How do I find court records in California?

California has no single statewide criminal case search. Each county's Superior Court keeps its own records, and many offer an online case index. Start by finding the right court through the California Courts Find My Court directory, then use that court's online case access or contact the clerk. To pull a specific file, you can request it from the clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed.

How do I look up warrants in California?

Warrants are issued by the courts, but the easiest place to check is usually the county sheriff or the Superior Court clerk in the county where charges would be filed. Some sheriffs post outstanding-warrant information online; for others you contact the court clerk directly. Active warrants can also surface on third-party background reports, but the issuing court or county is the authoritative source.

Do arrests show up on background checks in California?

For employment, tenant, and credit screening run through a consumer reporting agency, both the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and California's stricter Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act (ICRAA) apply. Under California law, a background-check company cannot report an arrest that did not result in a conviction, even a recent one (pending cases may be reported). Convictions can be reported, but only subject to the seven-year limit described next.

How far back does a background check go in California?

California is stricter than federal law. Under ICRAA (Civil Code section 1786.18), a consumer reporting agency may report a criminal conviction for only seven years from the date of disposition, release, or parole, whichever is most recent, and this limit applies regardless of salary (California has no high-salary exception like federal law). Key points:

• Arrests that did not lead to a conviction generally cannot be reported at all.
• Convictions can be reported for up to seven years from disposition, release, or parole.
• California's Fair Chance Act ("ban the box") bars employers with five or more employees from asking about conviction history until after a conditional job offer, and requires an individualized assessment before denying the job.

How do I find someone in jail or prison in California?

It depends on where the person is held:

• State prison. Use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS) to find a person in CDCR custody by name or CDCR number, with their location, commitment county, and parole-hearing information.
• County jail. People awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences are usually in a county jail; check that county sheriff's online inmate locator.
• Federal custody. For federal cases, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator instead.

How do I find out if someone is on probation or parole in California?

State parole is supervised by CDCR, and a person's status may appear in CIRIS. Probation is handled locally by each county's probation department and the court that imposed the sentence, so the sentencing court's records are the best source. Probation lets a person serve a sentence in the community under court-set conditions instead of being incarcerated.

What crimes are felonies in California?

A felony is the most serious class of crime, punishable by more than one year of incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000. Historically a felony meant state prison, but under California's 2011 "Realignment" (Penal Code section 1170(h)) many non-violent, non-serious, non-sexual felonies are now served in county jail. Offenses commonly charged as felonies include murder, rape, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon. California law still provides for the death penalty for certain capital crimes, although executions are currently under a statewide moratorium.

What crimes are misdemeanors in California?

A misdemeanor is a crime punishable by up to one year in county jail rather than state prison. A standard misdemeanor carries up to six months in jail and/or a fine up to $1,000; a "gross" or aggravated misdemeanor carries up to 364 days in jail and a higher fine. Common examples include petty theft, a first-time DUI, and simple drug possession.

What is a "wobbler" in California?

A wobbler is an offense that can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the facts and the defendant's history. The prosecutor usually decides, and a judge can later reduce a wobbler felony to a misdemeanor under Penal Code section 17(b). Vandalism, domestic violence (Penal Code section 273.5), and assault with a deadly weapon are common wobblers. A related category, the "wobblette," can be charged as either a misdemeanor or an infraction.

Are traffic violations crimes in California?

Most routine traffic violations are infractions, which are punishable by a fine only and are not classified as "crimes" in California, so they carry no jail time and usually do not appear on a criminal background check. More serious driving offenses, such as DUI or reckless driving, are charged as misdemeanors or felonies and do create a criminal record.

Is the sex offender registry public in California?

Yes. Under California's version of Megan's Law, much of the sex offender registry is public and searchable for free at the state's Megan's Law website by name or by address and neighborhood. The site shows a registrant's photo, offenses, and, for most, location information. Some lower-risk registrants are excluded from public display by law.

Can someone be removed from the California sex offender registry?

Since January 1, 2021, California has used a three-tier registry. Tier 1 registrants must register for at least 10 years, Tier 2 for at least 20 years, and Tier 3 for life. After the minimum period, eligible registrants in Tiers 1 and 2 can petition the court to end their registration. The most serious offenses remain Tier 3 (lifetime), and eligibility is fact-specific, so an attorney should review the particular conviction.

How do I clear or expunge my criminal record in California?

California does not "expunge" in the sense of destroying a record. The main remedy is a dismissal under Penal Code section 1203.4, which sets the conviction aside and lets you state on most private job applications that you were not convicted, although the case still exists for the courts, licensing boards, and law enforcement. Two changes have made relief much broader:

• Automatic "Clean Slate" relief. Under Penal Code section 1203.425 (Senate Bill 731), the California DOJ began automatically granting relief in 2023 for many eligible convictions, with no petition required. People who must register as sex offenders or who are under active supervision are not eligible.
• Cannabis convictions. Following Proposition 64, many marijuana convictions have been automatically reduced or dismissed.

For your own situation, the California Courts self-help guide to cleaning your record walks through the options and forms (such as Form CR-180). The dismissal statute itself is California Penal Code section 1203.4.

Do I need a lawyer to clean my record in California?

You are not required to hire a lawyer. The courts publish the forms and a step-by-step self-help guide, and some relief now happens automatically. That said, the eligibility rules are detailed and a mistake can cost you the chance to clear a record, so many people use an attorney or a free legal-aid clinic, especially for felony reductions or older cases.

How long does a felony stay on your record in California?

A California felony conviction stays on your record permanently unless you obtain relief such as a Penal Code section 1203.4 dismissal, a reduction to a misdemeanor, or automatic Clean Slate relief. There is no automatic seven-year deletion of the underlying record. The seven-year rule discussed above limits what a background-check company may report; it does not erase the record itself.

Are juvenile criminal records private in California?

Juvenile records in California are confidential and are generally not available to the public or to ordinary background checks. They can still be seen by the courts, probation, and certain agencies. Many juvenile records can be sealed, and under Welfare and Institutions Code sections 781 and 786 some are sealed automatically when a person satisfactorily completes probation or reaches adulthood without disqualifying offenses.

Los Angeles County criminal records

Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the United States, home to close to 10 million residents, and the Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the largest trial court in the nation. The court offers an online criminal case access index covering felony cases from 1980 and misdemeanor cases from 1988 to the present; a name search costs about $4.75. You can also request records in person at any Los Angeles County courthouse clerk's office.

Official California criminal record sources

• California DOJ Record Review - request and review your own state criminal history (Live Scan, $25).
• California Courts: Find My Court - locate the county Superior Court that holds a case.
• CDCR CIRIS inmate search - find a person in California state prison.
• California Megan's Law registry - free public sex offender search by name or location.
• California Courts: clean your record - dismissal, reduction, and automatic-relief options.
• Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal case access - online criminal case index for the state's largest county.
• California Penal Code section 1203.4 - the record-dismissal statute.

Disclosure: criminal.com may earn a commission when you use the people-search tool on this page, which is powered by a third-party background-check service. Results from such tools are for your personal knowledge only and may not be used to make decisions about employment, housing, credit, tenant screening, or any other purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). An arrest record or mugshot is not proof of guilt. This page is general information about California public records, not legal advice; for advice about your situation, consult an attorney. Information was last reviewed in June 2026 and laws may change.