Find Criminal Records in Anaheim

Criminal records for Anaheim are split between the Anaheim Police Department and the Orange County Superior Court. The APD is responsible for police reports and arrest records for all crimes that take place within Anaheim city limits. Once a criminal case is filed, it goes to the Orange County court system. Anaheim is one of the largest cities in Orange County and sits right in the middle of the region. Both the police department and the court offer ways to request records, and some searches can be done online without having to visit an office in person.

Anaheim Police Criminal Records

The Anaheim Police Department keeps police reports, arrest records, and incident files for crimes within city limits. To get copies of APD records, the department uses a NextRequest public records portal at cityofanaheimcapd.nextrequest.com. Submit your request through the portal and track its progress online. The first page of any report costs $0.75. Each additional page is $0.20. The fee structure is straightforward and applies to all requestors.

You can also contact the APD Records Division directly. The phone number is (714) 765-1990. The office is at 425 S. Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA 92805. Walk-in requests are accepted during business hours. If you have the report or case number, include it in your request to speed things up. The staff can search by name and date of incident, but a case number cuts down the wait time.

Anaheim sees a large number of visitors each year because of its theme parks and convention center. This means the police department handles a high volume of reports, including crimes involving people who do not live in the city. If you were a victim of a crime while visiting Anaheim, the process for getting a report copy is the same.

Note: Police reports from Anaheim only cover the investigation phase. Once the case goes to court, those records are handled by the Orange County Superior Court.

Orange County Court Records for Anaheim

Criminal cases from Anaheim are filed in the Orange County Superior Court. The court has a public access system for criminal and traffic case lookups at visionpublic.occourts.org. You can search by defendant name or case number. The system is called Vision Public and it covers both criminal and traffic cases. The Central Justice Center at 700 Civic Center Drive West in Santa Ana is the main courthouse for Orange County criminal cases.

Court copies cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies are $40. You can call the court at (657) 622-6878 for questions about records. The clerk's office handles requests for copies of court documents, sentencing records, and case files. If you need something from an older case, the documents may be stored off-site, which adds time to the process. Recent cases are usually available through the online system.

Orange County is a large jurisdiction. Cases from Anaheim may be assigned to different courthouses depending on the type of crime and when it was filed. Use the California courts locator if you need help finding the right courthouse for a specific Anaheim case.

Anaheim Inmate Lookup

People arrested in Anaheim are taken to the Orange County jail system. The APD does not run its own jail. The Orange County Sheriff's Department operates the jails and handles all bookings for the county. The Theo Lacy Facility in Orange is one of the main intake facilities for people arrested in the Anaheim area. The sheriff's office has an online inmate search system where you can look up current inmates by name or booking number.

For state prison inmates, search the CDCR's CIRIS tool at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov. This covers anyone serving a state prison sentence from Anaheim or anywhere else in California. County jail and state prison are separate systems with separate search tools. If someone was recently sentenced, there can be a gap between leaving county jail and appearing in the state prison system.

Background Checks in Anaheim

Anaheim has Live Scan sites for fingerprint-based criminal background checks. The California DOJ runs the statewide database. For a personal record review, visit a Live Scan location and submit your prints with form BCIA 8016RR. The DOJ charges $25. The Live Scan operator adds a rolling fee. Find a nearby site through the DOJ Live Scan locator. Orange County has dozens of locations, and several are in or near Anaheim.

Once you submit your prints, check the status at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov. You need your ATI number and date of birth. Processing typically takes 48 to 72 hours if there is no criminal history. Employers in Anaheim who need background checks go through the same state system. They must have authorization from the DOJ first. The hospitality and tourism industries in Anaheim generate a significant number of background check requests each year.

Clearing Criminal Records in Anaheim

If you have a criminal record from an Anaheim case, California law offers several paths to clear or reduce it. Penal Code Section 1203.4 lets you petition the Orange County Superior Court to dismiss a conviction once you have completed probation. The case stays on your record but shows as "dismissed" rather than a conviction. This can make a real difference for employment and housing applications. File the petition at the courthouse where your Anaheim case was heard.

Several other relief options exist under California law. Which one applies depends on the type of conviction and sentence you received.

• PC 1203.4 dismissal for probation cases
• PC 1203.4a dismissal for misdemeanors without probation
• PC 851.87 arrest record sealing with no conviction
• Prop 47 resentencing for drug and theft felonies
• Prop 64 marijuana conviction relief

Note: You must file a petition with the court for any type of record clearing in Anaheim. It does not happen on its own.

Orange County Criminal Records

Anaheim is in Orange County. All criminal court cases from the city go through the Orange County Superior Court system.

Nearby California Cities

Other cities in the area with their own police departments and criminal record resources.