Search Alameda County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Alameda County are held by the Superior Court and the Sheriff's Office. The county sits on the east side of San Francisco Bay and has more than 1.6 million residents. Oakland is the county seat and the largest city. The Alameda County Superior Court handles criminal filings at two main locations: the George E. McDonald Hall of Justice in Oakland and the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in Hayward. Both courts process felony and misdemeanor cases. You can search criminal records online or request them in person at the clerk's office.

Alameda County Criminal Case Search

The Alameda County Superior Court lets you submit criminal record requests through its online portal. The court uses the Odyssey system from Tyler Technologies. You can file a request at alameda.courts.ca.gov and get an email that confirms the Criminal Division got your request. This is one of the more streamlined county court systems in the Bay Area. The portal walks you through each step. You enter the defendant's name, pick the type of record you want, and submit. Staff then process the request and send back what they find.

The screenshot below shows the Alameda County Superior Court's criminal records request portal, where you can submit requests online.

Once you submit a request, the court reviews it and pulls the matching files. Turnaround times vary based on how busy the clerk's office is. Simple name searches tend to come back faster than requests for full case file copies. If you need records right away, going in person to the Hall of Justice at 1225 Fallon Street in Oakland is your best bet. The clerk's office there can look up cases and provide copies on the spot. Call (510) 891-6005 before you go to check hours and confirm they have what you need.

For the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, the phone number is (510) 627-4700. This location in Hayward handles cases from the southern part of the county. Copies cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies run $40 each under California's standard court fee schedule.

Alameda County Sheriff Inmate Records

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail system. Santa Rita Jail in Dublin is the main facility. It holds people who are awaiting trial or serving short sentences. The sheriff's office had an online inmate search tool at acgov.org, but that system has had connection issues in recent months. If the online tool is down, call the jail information line at (510) 272-6878. Staff can look up an inmate by name or booking number and tell you their custody status, charges, and bail amount.

For people who have been sent to state prison after a conviction in Alameda County, use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's CIRIS search at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov. This statewide tool covers all state prison inmates. You can search by name or CDCR number. Results show the person's current facility, admission date, and parole hearing dates.

The CIRIS system replaced the older inmate locator tool. It covers people in CDCR custody but not those in county jail. For county jail, you need the sheriff's system. These are two separate databases run by two separate agencies.

Note: Santa Rita Jail booking records may take several hours to appear in the online system after an arrest occurs.

California Criminal Records in Alameda County

The California Department of Justice keeps the statewide criminal history database. This is separate from the court's records. The DOJ database includes arrest records, charges, and dispositions from every county in the state. Anyone can request their own criminal history record, called a RAP sheet, by going through Live Scan fingerprinting. The cost is $25 for the DOJ processing fee. You will also pay a rolling fee to the Live Scan operator, which varies by location.

There are dozens of Live Scan sites in Alameda County. You can find one near you using the DOJ Live Scan locator. Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, and Hayward all have multiple locations. The process takes about 15 minutes at the Live Scan site. Results come back in 48 to 72 hours if no criminal history exists. If you do have a record, it takes longer because a DOJ technician must review it by hand before sending it out.

Employers in Alameda County who need background checks on job applicants must go through the DOJ system too. They need state authorization first. You can check the status of your background check at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov using your ATI number and date of birth. The DOJ handles about 2 million state-level checks per year statewide.

The California sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov is another resource for Alameda County residents. You can search by name, address, or zip code to see registered sex offenders in your area. The registry is maintained by the DOJ under Penal Code Section 290.46.

Clearing Records in Alameda County

California law gives people with criminal records several ways to clear or reduce them. The most common path in Alameda County is Penal Code Section 1203.4. This lets you petition the court to dismiss your case after you finish probation. You file the petition at the same courthouse where your case was handled. The conviction stays on your RAP sheet but shows as dismissed. It can help with job applications and housing.

Penal Code Section 851.87 covers sealing arrest records when no conviction resulted. You do not have to prove you were innocent. The sealed record will not show up on most background checks. Proposition 47 resentencing is also available for certain nonviolent drug and theft convictions that can be reduced from felonies to misdemeanors. Proposition 64 marijuana record relief lets people with old cannabis convictions petition for dismissal or reduction. Legal aid groups in Alameda County, including the Alameda County Public Defender's office, can help with these petitions if you cannot afford a private attorney.

Note: Filing a petition under PC 1203.4 does not erase the conviction from your DOJ record. It changes the status to "dismissed" but the record still exists.

How to Get Criminal Records in Alameda County

You have several ways to get criminal records in Alameda County. The method you choose depends on what type of record you need and how fast you need it. The court handles case files and filings. The sheriff handles jail and booking records. The police departments in each city handle their own arrest and incident reports. Here is a breakdown of the main options.

• Online record request through the Alameda County Superior Court portal
• In-person at the Hall of Justice clerk's office, 1225 Fallon St, Oakland
• Copies at 50 cents per page, certified copies at $40
• Police reports from the Oakland Police Department at (510) 238-7143
• Inmate records from the Sheriff's Office at (510) 272-6878
• Your own RAP sheet through Live Scan fingerprinting ($25 DOJ fee)

For Oakland police records, the department uses a public records portal at oaklandca.nextrequest.com. The cost is 5 cents per page. You can also email opdrecordrequest@oaklandca.gov or call (510) 238-7143. Other cities in Alameda County like Berkeley, Fremont, and Hayward have their own police records processes through their individual departments.

Court records and police records are held by different agencies. If you need both the court file and the police report for the same case, you will have to contact each agency separately. The court has the charging documents, plea records, and sentencing orders. The police department has the original arrest report and investigation notes.

Cities in Alameda County

Alameda County has several cities. Criminal cases from these cities go through the Alameda County Superior Court. Select a city below for local criminal record resources.

Nearby Counties

Criminal cases sometimes cross county lines. These nearby counties have their own court systems and criminal record databases.