Mariposa County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Mariposa County are handled by a small court system in the gateway region to Yosemite National Park. The county has about 17,000 residents and no incorporated cities. The town of Mariposa serves as the county seat. The Superior Court processes all criminal cases from a single courthouse. The sheriff runs the county jail and patrols the vast unincorporated territory. Millions of people pass through Mariposa County each year on their way to Yosemite, which creates a unique mix of criminal cases involving both locals and visitors. State databases from the California DOJ and CDCR supplement the local court and sheriff records for background checks and inmate searches.

Mariposa Court Criminal Cases

The Mariposa County Superior Court sits in the town of Mariposa at 5088 Bullion Street. The court website is mariposa.courts.ca.gov. This is the only court location in the county. Every criminal case filed in Mariposa County goes through here, from minor infractions to serious felony charges. The caseload is light by California standards, but the court stays busy during the summer tourist season when visitor-related incidents spike.

Contact the clerk's office to look up a criminal case. You can search by defendant name or case number. A case number search is fastest. When a name search takes the clerk more than 10 minutes, a $15 fee applies. Copies of court documents cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies are $40. These are standard California court fees that apply statewide.

Mariposa County is in the Fifth Appellate District, which is headquartered in Fresno. Criminal appeals from cases filed here go to that appellate court. The county has no branch courthouses. All criminal proceedings take place in the single Mariposa location.

Sheriff and Jail in Mariposa

The Mariposa County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and handles law enforcement throughout the county. There are no city police departments in Mariposa County because there are no incorporated cities. The sheriff is the only local law enforcement agency. Call the sheriff at (209) 966-2005 for jail information or general inquiries.

When someone is arrested in Mariposa County, the sheriff books them into the county jail. The booking record includes charges, bail amount, and booking date. To check on someone's custody status, call the jail. There is no public online inmate search for Mariposa County. Phone calls are the standard method. The jail is small, holding a limited number of inmates at any given time. Staff can usually check quickly and let you know if someone is being held.

For people who have been sentenced and transferred to state prison, the county jail will not have current records. Use the CDCR's CIRIS inmate search to find state inmates. Search by name to see their facility, admission date, and parole hearing schedule.

Note: Yosemite National Park has its own federal law enforcement. Crimes that happen inside the park fall under federal jurisdiction, not Mariposa County. Federal cases are handled by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, not the county Superior Court.

State Criminal Records Resources

State-level databases fill important gaps in a small county like Mariposa. The California DOJ maintains the statewide criminal history database. You can get your own RAP sheet by going to a Live Scan location and paying $25 to the DOJ. Mariposa may have limited Live Scan options locally, but Merced and Madera both have providers and are within an hour's drive. The DOJ Live Scan locator shows all available sites. Processing takes 48 to 72 hours if no record is found. A flagged result takes longer for manual review.

Background checks for employment or licensing also go through the DOJ system. Employers must be authorized by the state before they can request a check. You can track a pending background check at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov using your ATI number and date of birth.

The sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov is available for Mariposa County searches. You can look up offenders by name or browse a map of any area in the county. The registry is maintained by the DOJ under Penal Code Section 290.46.

Clearing Mariposa County Records

If you have a criminal record in Mariposa County, California law provides relief options. The most widely used is Penal Code Section 1203.4. It lets you petition to dismiss a conviction after completing probation. File with the Mariposa County Superior Court. The conviction remains on your RAP sheet but shows as dismissed. This status change helps when you are applying for work or housing. The court reviews your petition and the prosecutor has a chance to respond before a decision is made.

Penal Code Section 851.87 lets you seal arrest records when no conviction resulted from the arrest. You do not have to prove innocence. Proposition 47 provides resentencing for certain nonviolent drug and theft felonies. Proposition 64 offers relief for past marijuana convictions. All petitions are filed with the Superior Court in Mariposa. Legal aid groups serving the central Sierra region can sometimes help with filings if you qualify for free services.

Getting Criminal Records

Criminal records from Mariposa County are held by different agencies depending on the record type. Start with the one that matches what you are looking for.

• Contact the Superior Court clerk for criminal case records and copies
• Call the sheriff at (209) 966-2005 for booking and arrest records
• Get your RAP sheet through Live Scan at the nearest provider
• Search CIRIS for inmates in the California state prison system
• Check meganslaw.ca.gov for sex offender data in the area

The courthouse in the town of Mariposa is on Bullion Street near the center of town. Parking is available nearby. If you cannot visit in person, call the court to ask about mail or phone options for record requests. Given the county's rural setting, many people find it easier to start with a phone call before making the drive.

Note: Federal cases from Yosemite National Park are not in the Mariposa County court system. For those, contact the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Fresno. National park offenses are a separate legal track entirely.

Nearby Counties

Mariposa County sits on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. These neighboring counties have additional criminal record resources.