Alpine County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Alpine County are handled by the smallest court system in all of California. With about 1,200 residents spread across the Sierra Nevada high country, Alpine County files very few criminal cases each year. The Superior Court manages all case types from a single location in Markleeville. Because the county has no local jail, people arrested here are typically held in neighboring El Dorado or Calaveras County facilities. State-level criminal history records, background checks, and inmate data are available through the California DOJ and CDCR systems, which cover every county in the state regardless of size.

Alpine County Court Records

The Alpine County Superior Court is based in Markleeville, the county seat. You can find the court's website at alpine.courts.ca.gov. Criminal cases filed in Alpine County go through this single courthouse. The caseload here is small compared to most California counties. In a given year, the court may handle only a handful of criminal matters. That said, the same state rules for court records apply. Copies of court documents cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies are $40. A clerk search that runs over 10 minutes costs $15.

Because Alpine County is so small, it does not have the large online case portals that bigger counties offer. You may need to call or visit the court to look up a case. The clerk's office can search by name or case number. If you know the case number, that makes the search faster. For cases where the defendant was arrested and booked in another county's jail, the court record still stays in Alpine County if the crime took place here.

The statewide Find Your Court tool on the California courts website can point you to the right court location. Alpine County falls within the Third Appellate District. Appeals from criminal cases here go to that court in Sacramento.

Sheriff and Jail in Alpine County

Alpine County does not have its own jail. This is unusual but not unheard of among the smallest California counties. When the sheriff makes an arrest, the person is booked into a facility in a neighboring county. El Dorado County and Calaveras County are the most common options. That means if you are looking for someone who was just arrested in Alpine County, you may need to check the jail rosters for those neighboring counties instead of looking locally.

The Alpine County Sheriff's Office handles all law enforcement in the unincorporated areas, which is essentially the entire county. There are no incorporated cities in Alpine County. The sheriff's office is small and serves a vast, rugged area of mountains, forests, and ski resorts. Crime rates are low. Most criminal matters involve property crimes, DUI offenses, or incidents related to seasonal tourism along Highway 4 and Highway 89.

Note: If you need booking records for someone arrested in Alpine County, contact the El Dorado County jail at (530) 621-6000 or the Calaveras County jail at (209) 754-6500. The Alpine County Sheriff can also direct you to the right facility.

State Records for Alpine County

State agencies are a major resource for criminal records in Alpine County, especially given the limited local infrastructure. The California Department of Justice maintains the statewide criminal history database. Anyone can request their own RAP sheet through Live Scan fingerprinting. The fee is $25 to the DOJ. Alpine County itself may not have a Live Scan provider, but nearby towns in El Dorado and Calaveras counties do. Use the DOJ Live Scan locator to find the closest one. Processing takes 48 to 72 hours when no record exists.

For people in state prison who were convicted in Alpine County, you can search the CDCR's CIRIS inmate search tool. This system replaced the old inmate locator. It shows current facility, admission date, and parole hearing information for people in California state custody. Since Alpine County sends its jail bookings to other counties, CIRIS is really the main tool for finding incarcerated individuals tied to this area.

The California sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov lets you search for registered offenders by location. You can check any address in Alpine County. Given the tiny population, results will be sparse. But the tool works the same way it does for any other part of the state. You can search by name or by a map of the area.

Clearing Records in Alpine County

California law offers several paths to clear a criminal record. These apply in Alpine County just as they do everywhere else in the state. Penal Code Section 1203.4 allows people who completed probation to petition the court for a dismissal. You file the petition with the Alpine County Superior Court. The conviction stays on your RAP sheet but gets marked as dismissed. This helps with job applications and housing.

Penal Code Section 851.87 lets you seal arrest records when no conviction came from the arrest. You do not need to show that you were innocent. The law was added in 2017 and makes the sealing process simpler than it used to be. Proposition 47 resentencing and Proposition 64 marijuana relief are also options if your case qualifies. All petitions go through the Superior Court in Markleeville. Legal aid organizations that serve the Sierra Nevada region can help if you cannot afford to hire a lawyer for this process.

How to Get Alpine County Criminal Records

Getting criminal records from Alpine County requires knowing which agency has the file you need. Court records, arrest records, and state criminal history files are all held by different offices. Because the county is so small, options are more limited than in urban areas, but the same state laws govern access.

• Contact the Alpine County Superior Court for court case records and filings
• Check El Dorado or Calaveras County jails for booking records
• Request your own RAP sheet through Live Scan at a nearby provider
• Search CIRIS for people in California state prison
• Use meganslaw.ca.gov for sex offender information in the area

The court can be reached through the website at alpine.courts.ca.gov. For in-person requests, you will need to go to the courthouse in Markleeville. Keep in mind that Alpine County roads can be difficult in winter. Highway 4 closes seasonally over Ebbetts Pass, so plan your trip accordingly if you need to visit in person during the colder months.

Note: Because of the county's size, court staff may be able to help you more directly than in a busy urban courthouse. But you should still bring as much identifying information as possible when requesting records.

Nearby Counties

Alpine County shares borders with several other mountain counties. Check these pages for criminal record resources in surrounding areas.