Kern County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Kern County are handled by the Kern Superior Court and the Kern County Sheriff's Office. About 910,000 people live in the county. Bakersfield is the county seat and where the main courthouse is located. The court offers an online case search portal. The sheriff keeps arrest records and runs the county jail system. If you need to check on a criminal case or find out if someone is in custody, both agencies have tools you can use. This page covers how to search court filings, look up inmates, get copies of documents, and clear a record in Kern County.

Kern County Court Case Search

The Kern Superior Court runs a case information search portal at portal.kern.courts.ca.gov. You can search by name, case number, or date range. Results show the charges, filing date, case status, and hearing schedule. The system covers criminal, traffic, and other case types filed in Kern County. It is free to search. You do not need an account for basic lookups.

Below is the Kern County Superior Court's online case information search, the starting point for finding criminal filings.

The main courthouse is at 1415 Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield. That is where most criminal cases in the county are filed. Kern County also has branch courts in Delano, Ridgecrest, Shafter, and other locations for cases that originate in those areas. Online search results tell you which courthouse handled a particular case, so you know where to go if you need to visit in person.

Copies of court documents cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies are $40. You can get copies at the clerk's window during business hours. Searches that take the clerk more than 10 minutes may incur a $15 fee. It helps to have a case number ready. Call the court at the main Bakersfield location if you have questions about getting records or if you are not sure which courthouse handles your case.

Kern Sheriff Arrest and Jail Records

The Kern County Sheriff's Office handles arrest records for the county. Their website at kernsheriff.org provides information about requesting arrest records. The sheriff also runs the Lerdo Pre-Trial and Justice Facilities in Bakersfield, which is where most people booked in Kern County are held. Call (661) 391-7500 for the sheriff's records section.

California's sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov lets Kern County residents search for registered offenders in their area.

The sheriff's jail system holds people awaiting trial and those serving short sentences. Once someone is sentenced to state prison, they leave county custody. For state prison inmates, use the CDCR CIRIS search instead. Kern County has a large geographic area, so arrests can happen in remote locations far from Bakersfield. The sheriff handles law enforcement in all unincorporated areas of the county.

Bakersfield Police Department handles its own arrest records within city limits. If the arrest happened inside Bakersfield, contact BPD for the police report. If it was in an unincorporated area or a smaller city without its own police force, the sheriff's office is the right agency to contact.

Note: The sheriff's records section and the court clerk's office are two separate agencies with different records and different request processes.

California State Records in Kern County

The California Department of Justice maintains the statewide criminal history database. You can request your own RAP sheet through Live Scan for $25. Kern County has Live Scan sites in Bakersfield, Delano, Tehachapi, and Ridgecrest. Find a location at the DOJ Live Scan locator. Processing runs 48 to 72 hours for clean results. If the system finds a record, manual review by a DOJ technician adds time to the process.

Employers in Kern County who need criminal background checks use the same DOJ system. They must be authorized by the state. The DOJ handles about 2 million state checks per year. Track your check at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov with your ATI number and date of birth. Results go to the requesting agency, not to you directly.

The sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov is another tool. It shows registered offenders in Kern County by name or address. The database pulls from the California Sex and Arson Registry managed by the DOJ.

Clearing Criminal Records in Kern County

Kern County residents can petition to clear their criminal records under several state laws. Penal Code Section 1203.4 lets people who completed probation ask for a dismissal. File the petition at the Kern Superior Court in Bakersfield. If granted, the record shows as dismissed instead of convicted. It does not disappear from your RAP sheet entirely, but the dismissal notation can make a real difference when applying for jobs or housing.

Arrest records can be sealed under Penal Code Section 851.87 when no conviction resulted from the arrest. No proof of innocence is needed. Proposition 47 applies to older felony drug and theft offenses that would now be misdemeanors. Proposition 64 covers marijuana convictions. Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance may be able to help with expungement filings for people who qualify for free legal services. The Kern County Public Defender also assists with some record relief cases. Both agencies sometimes hold workshops where they help people fill out the paperwork on the spot.

How to Get Kern County Criminal Records

Start with the online case search portal for basic case data. If you need complete documents, visit the clerk's office at 1415 Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield. Bring a case number. The clerk can search by name but it takes more time and may trigger the $15 search fee.

• Online portal at portal.kern.courts.ca.gov for case searches
• Clerk's office at the Bakersfield courthouse for full documents
• 50 cents per page for copies, $40 for certified copies
• Sheriff's office for arrest records at (661) 391-7500
• Bakersfield Police for city arrest reports
• DOJ Live Scan for your own RAP sheet ($25)

Keep in mind that you may need to contact more than one agency. Court records come from the Superior Court. Police reports come from whichever law enforcement agency made the arrest. Jail records come from the sheriff. Each agency has its own process and fees. If you are not sure where to start, calling the court clerk's office at the Bakersfield courthouse is usually a good first step.

Cities in Kern County

Kern County's largest city is Bakersfield. Criminal cases for all cities in Kern County are filed through the Kern Superior Court.

Nearby Counties

Kern County borders many other counties. Check these pages for criminal record information from nearby jurisdictions.