Access Marin County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Marin County are kept by the Superior Court in San Rafael and the Marin County Sheriff. The county is just north of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, with a population around 260,000. It is one of the smaller Bay Area counties by population. The court uses a Tyler Technologies ePortal for online case lookups. Criminal cases from anywhere in Marin County flow through this single court system. The sheriff manages the county jail and publishes a daily booking log. These two sources cover most of the criminal record information available to the public in Marin County.

Marin County Court Records Lookup

The Marin County Superior Court provides public access to case data through its ePortal. Go to webportal.marin.courts.ca.gov to start a search. This system is built on the Tyler Technologies Odyssey platform. You can search by name, case number, or filing date. Criminal case results show the charges, court dates, and case disposition. Felony and misdemeanor cases both appear in the portal.

The ePortal shown below is the online gateway to Marin County criminal court records.

Online searches are free. Getting actual documents costs money. Copies are 50 cents per page. Certified copies cost $40 under state guidelines. Marin County charges a $5 retrieval fee for files stored off-site. That is lower than the $10 many other counties charge. The courthouse is at 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. Call (415) 444-7080 with questions. The clerk's office can help with record requests by phone, mail, or in person during business hours.

Marin Sheriff Booking Log

The Marin County Sheriff publishes a booking log online at apps.marincounty.gov/bookinglog. This log shows recent bookings at the Marin County Jail. You can see the person's name, booking date, charges, and bail amount. The log updates regularly as new bookings come in and people get released.

The California sex offender registry is another state resource available to Marin County residents looking for criminal background information.

The county jail is at 3501 Civic Center Drive in San Rafael. Call (415) 473-6653 for the jail directly. If you cannot find someone in the booking log, they may have posted bail, been released, or moved to state prison. The CDCR's CIRIS search covers state prison inmates from all 58 California counties. Use that tool for people who have been sentenced to prison rather than county jail.

Note: The booking log shows recent arrests and current inmates. It is not a complete historical database of everyone ever booked into the Marin County Jail.

State Criminal Records for Marin

The California DOJ is the keeper of statewide criminal history records. Marin County residents can request their own RAP sheet through Live Scan fingerprinting. The fee is $25 to the DOJ. Find a Live Scan site near San Rafael or Novato through the DOJ Live Scan locator. Fill out form BCIA 8016RR at the Live Scan location. Processing takes 48 to 72 hours when no record exists. When the DOJ finds a match, a technician reviews it by hand, and that adds time.

You can check the status of your background check at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov. You need the ATI number given to you at the Live Scan site plus your date of birth. The DOJ will not discuss your criminal history by phone. Their technicians are not allowed to talk about individual records. Everything comes back through the mail or through the requesting agency.

Marin County residents can also search the sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov. It shows registered offenders by name or location. The registry operates under Penal Code Section 290.46, and not all offenders are posted publicly.

Clearing Records in Marin County

Marin County handles record-clearing petitions through the Superior Court in San Rafael. The most common option is Penal Code Section 1203.4. This applies to people who finished probation. You petition the court to dismiss the conviction. If the judge agrees, your guilty plea gets withdrawn and a not-guilty plea goes in. The case is then dismissed. The conviction does not vanish from your record. It stays on your RAP sheet with a note showing the dismissal. Still, it can make a real difference for employment and professional licensing.

Arrest records can be sealed under Penal Code Section 851.87 when no conviction came from the arrest. This was added by SB 393 in 2017. You file a petition and the court seals the record. Once sealed, it will not show on most background checks. For people with old felony convictions for petty theft, shoplifting, or simple drug possession, Proposition 47 may allow a reduction to misdemeanor status. Proposition 64 covers past marijuana offenses. Legal aid organizations in the Bay Area serve Marin County residents and can help with the filing process.

Getting Criminal Records in Marin

Start with the ePortal to look up case numbers and basic case data for free. Once you have a case number, you can request copies from the clerk. You have a few ways to do this. Visit the clerk's office in person at the Marin County Civic Center. Call (415) 444-7080. Or submit a written request by mail. Bring or include the case number. Name-only searches work but take more time.

• ePortal at webportal.marin.courts.ca.gov for free case lookups
• Clerk's office at 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael
• Copies at 50 cents per page
• Off-site file retrieval at $5
• Booking log at apps.marincounty.gov/bookinglog

Police reports are separate from court files. Local police departments in Marin County handle their own records. San Rafael PD, Novato PD, Mill Valley PD, and others each have their own records divisions. The sheriff handles reports for unincorporated areas. Contact the specific agency for police report copies. The court does not have police reports in its files.

Note: Marin County is relatively small, so the court system is more manageable than in larger counties. Wait times for record requests tend to be shorter here than in places like Los Angeles or San Francisco.

Nearby Counties

Marin County borders several other Bay Area counties. Each has its own criminal record system. Use these links to access neighboring county records.