Court Case Search

A Los Angeles County CA Court Case Search can help members of the public locate a case number, review publicly available case details, identify upcoming hearings, and determine where to request court documents or additional assistance. This article explains the official Superior Court search options, the differences between case types, the information to prepare before searching, and the steps to take when an online result does not provide everything needed.

Court Case Search Overview

The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles maintains the official online systems for cases filed in the county’s trial courts. The court provides separate access options for appellate, civil, criminal, residential eviction, family law, probate, and small claims cases. Selecting the correct case category is essential because each category may use a different search page or display different information.

The official Los Angeles County Find Case Information service allows users to access case information with a case number or locate a case number by searching for a party name. The service also includes access to the public index described in California Rule of Court 2.507(b).

The public index may display the case title, party names, party type, filing date, case number, and information about the court’s retention or destruction status for the case. These details can help confirm that a search result relates to the correct person or dispute before the user proceeds to calendars, documents, or courthouse services.

Information Available Online

Online case information is intended to help users identify and review a court matter without beginning with an in-person courthouse visit. The exact information available depends on the case category and the public access allowed for that record.

The court’s broader Access a Case portal organizes several related services in one place. Court users may use it to:

Search for case information by case number.
Locate a case number through a party-name search.
Review upcoming hearings through court calendar searches.
Access available public court documents.
Obtain information about transcripts and electronic recordings.
Review tentative rulings for supported case types.
Read probate notes before a scheduled probate hearing.
Determine how to request copies of other court records.

A case-information search and a court-document request are not necessarily the same service. A case search may confirm that a matter exists and provide its number, filing date, parties, or hearing details. Accessing an image of a filed document, obtaining a certified copy, requesting a transcript, or ordering another record may require a separate court service.

Choosing the Correct Case Type

Los Angeles Superior Court divides cases into categories based on the legal matter involved. A person should identify the likely case type before beginning a name or case-number search. Searching the wrong category can produce no result even when a valid case exists.

Appellate Cases

Appellate case access provides publicly available information about appeals. The system can also help locate an appellate case number by using the underlying trial court case number.

Trial and Appellate Numbers

An appellate case number is different from the case number assigned to the original trial court matter. Someone who has only the trial case number should use the appellate access option that connects the underlying trial case with the related appeal.

Civil Cases

Civil case access covers publicly available information for civil disputes. The court describes civil matters as disputes between private parties, including lawsuits, evictions, and collections. Residential eviction cases also have a separate access option, so users searching for an unlawful detainer matter should pay close attention to the eviction category.

Criminal Cases

Criminal case access provides publicly available information about criminal matters. The court identifies criminal offenses as infractions, misdemeanors, or felonies. A criminal court case number is not the same as an inmate booking number, arrest number, or law-enforcement report number. Entering one of those identifiers into a court case-number field may not locate the court record.

Residential Eviction Cases

The eviction case access option applies to residential evictions only. Users should not assume that every dispute involving rental property will appear in the residential eviction search. The nature of the filed case determines the correct court category.

Family Law Cases

Family law case access provides public information for matters involving divorce, child custody, visitation, child or spousal support, parentage, and certain restraining orders. Access to particular documents or sensitive information may differ from access to basic case information.

Probate Cases

Probate case access covers matters involving decedents’ estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and minors’ compromises. The court also provides probate notes before hearings. A case number is used to locate the notes associated with a probate matter.

Small Claims Cases

Small claims case access provides information for disputes handled in the small claims division. The court describes small claims as civil disputes involving claims of $12,500 or less. Users should select the small claims search rather than the general civil search when the matter was filed specifically as a small claims case.

Searching With a Case Number

A case number is usually the most direct way to locate a court record. It identifies a particular court matter and reduces the risk of confusing people who have similar names.

Before entering the number, copy it exactly from a court notice, filed document, hearing notice, or other official court communication. Avoid substituting identifiers issued by another agency. A booking number, citation number, police report number, payment confirmation number, and appellate number may refer to different records or systems.

The user should also choose the correct case category. A valid family law case number may not work in a criminal search, and an underlying trial case number may need to be entered through the appellate lookup option when the user is trying to find an appeal.

After a result appears, compare the available information with the known facts. Useful confirmation details can include:

The case title.
The names of the parties.
The party type shown for each person or entity.
The filing date.
The assigned case number.
The case’s retention or destruction status.

A matching name alone may not be enough to establish that the result is the correct case. Reviewing several available details is especially useful when a party has a common name or has been involved in more than one court matter.

Searching by Party Name

A party-name search is available when the case number is unknown. A party may be an individual, business, government agency, or another entity named in the court proceeding. The purpose of the name search is to locate a case number that can then be used with the appropriate case-access service.

Enter the party’s name as accurately as possible. Differences in spelling, name order, initials, suffixes, former names, or business names can affect the results. When reviewing possible matches, compare the case title, party type, filing date, and case category rather than relying on the name by itself.

The court’s Hearing Reminder Service states that a case number is required to create reminders. Users who do not know the number may conduct a court name search for a fee through the applicable criminal or non-criminal name-search service. A name search should therefore be treated as a case-number lookup step rather than a substitute for every other court service.

No Match or Unexpected Results

A search that returns no result does not necessarily establish that no court case exists. Several practical issues can prevent the expected result from appearing.

Wrong Case Category

The case may have been filed under a different category. For example, a residential eviction should be searched through the eviction access option, while a small claims dispute should be searched through small claims access. An appeal may also have a different number from the underlying trial case.

Incorrect Identifier

The number entered may belong to another system. Court case numbers should not be confused with law-enforcement booking numbers, citation numbers, agency report numbers, or payment transaction numbers.

Name Variations

A person may appear under a full legal name, a former name, a middle initial, or another spelling. Businesses may be listed under their legal entity name rather than the name commonly used by customers.

Limited Public Access

Online public information varies by case type and record. Finding the case does not guarantee that every filing, image, hearing detail, transcript, or other record will be displayed through the same page.

When online searching does not resolve the issue, users can identify the appropriate courthouse and consider a clerk’s office appointment. The appointment type available will depend on the selected courthouse.

Calendars and Hearing Dates

The court provides calendar searches for upcoming hearings. Users may search by entering a case number or by searching within a specified date range. A calendar search is useful when the case has already been identified and the user needs to review upcoming court activity.

Calendar information should be matched to the correct case number. People with similar names may have unrelated matters scheduled in different courthouses. The case number is the strongest available identifier for connecting a calendar entry with a particular court file.

The court also offers a separate Hearing Reminder Service. It allows litigants, attorneys, law-enforcement personnel, and members of the general public to schedule email or text reminders for public hearings.

Reminders may be scheduled for two weeks before a hearing, two days before a hearing, or both. There is no court fee to sign up for the reminder service, although a wireless carrier may charge standard text messaging rates. A case number is required before a reminder can be created.

A reminder is a convenience service connected to scheduled hearing information. Court users should still maintain their own records of court dates and review the official case information associated with their matter.

Documents and Record Copies

Case information and court documents are related but separate. The court provides access to certain public document images, divorce judgments, transcripts, and electronic recordings through its case-access services. Availability depends on the record and case type.

A user who can see a case title or hearing date should not assume that every filed document will be visible on the same screen. The Access a Case portal separates general case information from document access, transcripts and recordings, and requests for copies of other court records.

When requesting a record, the case number helps the court identify the correct file. Users should also know the case type and, when available, the title of the case or the names of the parties. These details reduce the chance of requesting material from an unrelated matter.

The court’s Archives and Records location appears as an appointment option for civil, criminal, family law, juvenile justice, and probate matters. The specific appointment services displayed depend on the courthouse or office selected in the scheduling system.

Transcripts and Recordings

Transcripts and recordings document court proceedings rather than the filed pleadings or orders contained in a case file. According to the court, transcripts and recordings may be produced by court-employed court reporters or through electronic recording, depending on the case type.

Users should distinguish among the following:

Case information: Basic public details such as parties, filing date, case number, and hearing information.

Court documents: Filed records or document images available for public access.

Transcripts: Written records of court proceedings when available.

Electronic recordings: Audio records made in proceedings that use electronic recording.

The correct request depends on the information needed. A person looking for the judge’s filed order may need a court document, while someone seeking a record of statements made during a proceeding may need transcript or recording information.

Tentative Rulings and Probate Notes

Tentative rulings are preliminary rulings issued by a judicial officer before certain hearings. The Los Angeles Superior Court provides tentative-ruling access for appellate, civil, and family law matters.

A tentative ruling should not be confused with general case information or a final filed order. It relates to a pending hearing and represents the judicial officer’s preliminary ruling through the court’s supported service.

Probate notes are available before probate hearings and can be located by entering the probate case number. They are specific to probate proceedings and should not be searched through the tentative-ruling service used for appellate, civil, or family law hearings.

Clerk’s Office Appointments

Some court matters may require assistance from a clerk’s office, Archives and Records, or another courthouse service. The official clerk’s office appointment system begins by asking the user to select a courthouse. It then displays the appointment types offered at that location.

Appointment services vary among courthouses. A courthouse may handle civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, probate, small claims, traffic, mental health, appellate, or other matters. Selecting a courthouse that does not handle the relevant case category may result in the wrong appointment options.

Before scheduling, users should gather the case number and confirm the case type. The court’s official case search can help identify those details. The court website can then be used to locate the courthouse connected with the matter or to review the available courthouse services.

The online appointment system warns that a session may time out after a period without activity. Users should have the necessary case information available before beginning the scheduling process.

Self-Help for Court Users

The court’s Self-Help Center services assist individuals who need to proceed without an attorney. Self-help assistance is separate from the public case search, but it may be useful after a user identifies the correct case and needs information about forms, filings, or court procedures.

Self-help services cover several areas connected with Los Angeles Superior Court cases, including:

Residential evictions and unlawful detainers.
Restraining orders.
Child custody and visitation.
Divorce, legal separation, and annulment.
Parentage and child support.
Guardianship and conservatorship.
Adoption.
Name or gender changes.
Small claims.
Traffic matters.
Wills, estates, and trusts.
Consumer debt cases.

The Self-Help Center provides information for people handling their own court matters. It is not a replacement for the official case index, case document system, court calendar, or clerk’s office record services.

Attorney Portal Access

Attorneys have access to a separate Los Angeles Superior Court Attorney Portal. The portal uses a centralized sign-in for court services available to registered attorneys.

Features described by the court include attorney registration and validation, delegated case access, document viewing and purchasing, retrieval of purchased documents, case-following services, name searches, and transaction history. Validated attorneys may also use My Cases, My Documents, My Calendar, and delegee-management functions.

The Attorney Portal should not be confused with the public Find Case Information page. Members of the public generally begin with the public case-access options, while attorneys may use portal functions associated with their professional accounts and cases.

The portal’s service desk handles questions related specifically to the Attorney Portal. It does not serve as a general source for every court, filing, case-status, or legal-procedure question.

Courthouse Selection

Los Angeles Superior Court operates courthouses throughout the county. Different locations handle different combinations of civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, mental health, probate, small claims, traffic, and appellate matters.

The official Los Angeles Superior Court website provides the courthouse directory and access to court services. Users should rely on the case information and court locator functions rather than choosing a courthouse solely because it is the nearest location.

A courthouse address does not establish that the location handles a particular case. The case type, filing location, and assigned courthouse should be confirmed before visiting or scheduling an appointment. This is especially relevant when multiple courthouses in the same area handle different divisions.

Common Search Mistakes

Many unsuccessful court searches result from using the wrong system or entering information that belongs to another agency. The following mistakes can delay access to the correct record:

Entering a booking number instead of a court case number.
Searching an appellate number in a trial court category.
Using the underlying trial number without selecting appellate case access.
Searching a residential eviction through an unrelated case category.
Using a general civil search for a matter filed as small claims.
Relying on a party name without comparing the filing date and case title.
Assuming that basic case information includes every court document.
Confusing a tentative ruling with a final filed order.
Attempting to create a hearing reminder without first obtaining the case number.
Scheduling an appointment before confirming the assigned courthouse and case type.

Users should keep a record of the case number once it is located. The number is used across multiple court services, including case-information access, calendar searches, hearing reminders, probate notes, document requests, and some appointment-related tasks.

Court Offices and Contacts

Archives & Records
222 North Hill Street, Room 212
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Superior Court of Los Angeles County Self-Help Center / Family Law Facilitator Office
213-830-0845

LASC Service Desk
213-830-0400

Attorney Portal Service Desk
213-830-0400

Court Case Search FAQs

Why does a result mention retention or destruction status?

The official Find Case Information service includes details about whether a case record has been retained or destroyed under the court’s record-management rules. This status concerns the availability and preservation of the court file; it does not indicate who won the case, whether a judgment remains enforceable, or whether the matter was dismissed. When a file has been destroyed, some index information may still appear even though particular documents are no longer available for viewing or copying.

Why can’t I find a juvenile or mental health case?

The court’s public case-search page lists separate access options for appellate, civil, criminal, residential eviction, family law, probate, and small claims matters. Juvenile and mental health cases are recognized court categories, but they are not presented through the same general public search options. Access may be restricted because of confidentiality laws, sealed information, or case-specific rules. Users should review the official Access a Case page rather than trying unrelated case categories.

Can translated case information be treated as exact?

No. The Los Angeles Superior Court states that computerized translations are approximations and may contain errors, omissions, or language that does not match the English version. Some applications, files, images, and PDF documents may not be translated at all. When names, hearing instructions, filing requirements, deadlines, or case numbers differ between versions, users should rely on the court’s original English content and verify important details before acting.

Does the public search cover every court record?

No. Public access depends on the case type, the document, and applicable confidentiality restrictions. A case may appear in the index while particular filings, document images, or proceeding records remain unavailable online. The court separates general case information from public document access, divorce judgments, transcripts, electronic recordings, probate notes, and tentative rulings. Users should select the service that matches the specific record they need instead of assuming every item will appear in the initial search result.