Mendocino County Criminal Records Search

Criminal records in Mendocino County flow through the Superior Court in Ukiah and the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. The county stretches along the northern California coast and inland through wine country and forested hills. With about 88,000 residents, this is a small county by California standards. Court records are available through an online portal called re:SearchCA, and the Sheriff runs an inmate search tool for jail custody data. Getting criminal records here works much the same as the rest of the state, but the smaller volume of cases can make the process faster and more straightforward than in big urban counties.

Mendocino County Court Case Lookup

Mendocino County uses the re:SearchCA platform for online case searches. Access it at researchca.tylerhost.net. This is a Tyler Technologies system shared by a few California counties. You can look up criminal cases by defendant name or case number. The results show filing dates, charges, case status, and hearing dates. The portal is free to search and open to anyone.

The courthouse is at 100 North State Street in Ukiah. There is also a branch court in Fort Bragg for the coast side of the county. Criminal cases are filed at whichever court covers the area where the incident took place. If you need copies of case documents, visit the clerk's office at the Ukiah courthouse or the Ten Mile branch in Fort Bragg. Copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $40. A search that takes longer than 10 minutes may cost an extra $15.

The re:SearchCA portal is the quickest way to check for a case without making a phone call or visiting the courthouse. But the online system may not have every document. Some older files and sealed records will not appear. For a complete picture, the in-person visit is still the best option.

Note: The re:SearchCA system also handles case searches for San Luis Obispo County, so make sure you are selecting the right county when running your search.

Mendocino Sheriff Inmate Search

The Mendocino County Sheriff maintains an online inmate inquiry tool at mcle1.mendocinosheriff.com. You can search for people currently in custody at the county jail. The system shows the person's name, booking date, charges, and bail amount. It updates as new bookings and releases happen.

Call the Sheriff at (707) 463-4423 for questions about someone in custody or for booking details not shown online. The county jail is on Low Gap Road in Ukiah. It holds people awaiting trial and those serving county sentences of one year or less. People sentenced to state prison time get transferred to CDCR facilities after sentencing.

For state prison inmates convicted in Mendocino County, use the CIRIS search tool from the California Department of Corrections. The CIRIS database replaced the old inmate locator system. It covers every person in state custody and includes parole hearing information.

State Records Resources for Mendocino County

The California DOJ keeps the master criminal history file for the entire state. Mendocino County law enforcement and courts report arrests and case outcomes to this central database. You can request your own record through Live Scan fingerprinting. It costs $25. Find a location near Ukiah through the DOJ locator page. Processing takes 48 to 72 hours when no record is found. If there is a hit, it may take longer for manual review.

Employers who need criminal background checks on applicants in Mendocino County go through the same DOJ system. They need authorization from the state before they can run a check. Track your background check status at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov. The sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov covers all of California, including Mendocino County.

Clearing Criminal Records in Mendocino County

California has multiple paths for cleaning up a criminal record. Penal Code Section 1203.4 covers dismissals after probation. File a petition with the Mendocino County Superior Court to withdraw your guilty plea and have the case dismissed. The conviction stays on your RAP sheet but is marked as dismissed. This is what most people mean when they say "expungement" in California, even though it is technically a dismissal rather than a true erasure.

Arrest record sealing under Penal Code Section 851.87 is available when no conviction resulted from an arrest. You petition the court and do not have to show that you were innocent. Proposition 47 allows resentencing of certain nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors. Proposition 64 applies to old marijuana convictions. Legal Services of Northern California serves Mendocino County residents who need free legal help with these petitions.

Note: Filing fees for record clearing petitions may apply, but fee waivers are available if you meet income guidelines.

How to Get Mendocino County Criminal Records

Getting criminal records in Mendocino County depends on what kind of record you need. Court records come from the Superior Court. Jail records come from the Sheriff. Statewide criminal history comes from the DOJ. Police reports come from the local law enforcement agency that handled the case.

• Search re:SearchCA at researchca.tylerhost.net for case information
• Visit the clerk at 100 North State Street, Ukiah for full file access
• Check the Sheriff inmate inquiry for current custody data
• Call the Sheriff at (707) 463-4423 for jail questions
• Request your RAP sheet through Live Scan for $25

Copies run 50 cents per page. Certified copies cost $40. The Fort Bragg branch handles some criminal filings from the coast side, so check which courthouse has the file before making the trip. The clerk's office can tell you over the phone where a case is stored. Most criminal cases in Mendocino County are at the Ukiah courthouse, but coast-side arrests sometimes get filed at the Fort Bragg branch.

Police reports must be requested from the police department or Sheriff station that wrote the report. The court does not keep police reports in the case file in most situations. These are two separate systems.

Nearby Counties

Mendocino County borders several other northern California counties. Check these pages for criminal record resources in neighboring areas.