Search Monterey County Court Cases

This page helps users handle a case search in Monterey County, California by explaining how to use the Superior Court of California, County of Monterey Public Portal and when to contact court records staff.

The court portal supports searches by case number, party name, or business name. For copies, certified records, older records, or records not available online, the Clerk's Office provides in-person and mail request options.

Superior Court of Monterey case search

Use the court's public case search to look for accessible court records and scheduled hearings. The portal accepts several search types, so choose the option that matches the information you already have.

• Case number, with at least 5 characters
• First and last name, with at least 4 characters for each field
• Business name, with at least 4 characters

A wildcard search is available by adding an asterisk after the minimum characters, such as a partial name followed by "*".

• Open the search Monterey County court cases page.
• Select case number, party, or business search.
• Enter the required search details.
• Review the available case information or scheduled hearing details shown in the portal.

Portal notice: information from the public portal is provided as a public service and does not constitute the official record of the Court.

Online access by case type

The Superior Court provides remote electronic access to indexes and court calendars when allowed by the California Rules of Court. Civil limited, civil unlimited, family law, and probate case indexes and court calendars are available remotely.

Criminal case information is available through the Public Portal by case number or party name. For criminal matters, electronic information is available from November 1992 through today.

Traffic case lookup is also tied to the court's case lookup process. The traffic records instructions direct users to obtain a case number for traffic cases filed after November 1992 before requesting copies when the case number is unknown.

When to use the Clerk's Office

Use the Clerk's Office when you need a record search, need to view a file, need copies or certified copies, or cannot identify the case number online. The court does not conduct criminal record searches by phone.

For civil, family, and probate matters, members of the public may view and request copies of court records in person at the Clerk's Office. Public computers are also available in the Clerk's Office for court indexes, calendar information, and case record information.

For criminal records, requests may be made in person at the Salinas Courthouse or by mail. If the violation date is before November 1992, visit the Clerk's Office at the Salinas Courthouse or submit a record search or copy request.

Record search fees and request timing

For civil, family, and probate record searches, the record search fee is $15.00 for each search without a case number. A $15.00 fee also applies when a search takes more than 10 minutes of clerk time, with or without a case number.

The Clerk will conduct up to 3 record searches in person. If you have more than 3 searches, the Clerk's Office may require up to 72 hours to process the request.

For copy requests, allow a minimum of 10 days for processing. If a civil, family, or probate file is stored off site, the Clerk's Office requires 7 to 10 days to process the request. An off-site retrieval fee of $10.00 applies for up to 3 files.

Copies, certified copies, and case files

Requests for copies or certified copies may be made in person or by mail. If the case number is unknown, you may search online first or ask the Clerk to conduct a record search for the applicable fee.

For civil, family, and probate copy requests, the copy fee is .50 cents per page. Certification with the court seal is $25.00 per document, plus copy fees. Certified marriage or domestic partnership dissolution records are $15.00 per document, plus copy fees.

When requesting copies by mail, make checks or money orders payable to the Superior Court. Do not mail cash. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope large enough for the response.

Daily calendars and related court information

The Public Portal also includes court services beyond case search. Users may view daily calendars, check tentative rulings, search probate notes, and make traffic payments through portal services when those options apply.

The court's case search page also links users to case information, scheduled hearings, and criminal or traffic fine payment options. Use the broader Monterey case search service page if you need the court's main online services entry point.

Monterey County court records contacts

Use these court contacts for records requests, courthouse access, or case-related follow-up when the online search is not enough.

• Salinas Courthouse, 240 Church St., Salinas, CA 93901
  Phone: (831) 775-5400
• Monterey Courthouse, 1200 Aguajito Road, Monterey, CA 93940
  Phone: (831) 647-5800
• King City Courthouse, 250 Franciscan Way, King City, CA 93930
  Phone: (831) 883-5300
• Marina Courthouse, 3180 Del Monte Blvd., Marina, CA 93933
  Phone: (831) 883-5300
• Superior Court of California, County of Monterey, Attention: Records, 1200 Aguajito Road, Monterey, CA 93940
• Superior Court of California, County of Monterey, Attention: Records, 240 Church Street, Salinas, CA 93901
• Superior Court of California, County of Monterey, Attention: Records- Traffic, 3180 Del Monte Blvd., Marina, CA 93901