San Benito County Criminal Records

Criminal records in San Benito County are handled by the Superior Court. San Benito is one of the smaller counties in California, with about 66,000 residents. Hollister is the county seat and the only incorporated city. The Superior Court processes all criminal filings for the county, from misdemeanors to felonies. The court has a public portal for online case searches, though the system can be slow at times. San Benito County does not have its own county jail in the traditional sense and contracts some detention services. The county's proximity to the much larger Santa Clara County means some residents interact with both court systems depending on where offenses occur.

San Benito County Court Case Search

The San Benito County Superior Court has a public portal at portal.sanbenito.courts.ca.gov. The portal lets you search criminal cases by defendant name or case number. Results show charges, hearing dates, and the case status. You can also view the register of actions, which is a chronological log of every filing and court event in a case. The portal is free to use and does not require an account.

The California Courts system provides a statewide tool that helps you find the right court for your county. The image below shows this resource, which directs you to the San Benito County Superior Court.

In-person record requests go through the court clerk's office in Hollister. The courthouse is at 440 Fifth Street. If you have questions about the online portal, you can email PortalAdmin@sanbenitocourt.org. Copies of court documents cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies are $40 each. The $15 search fee applies when a clerk needs more than 10 minutes to locate a record.

San Benito County is small enough that the court staff tend to be more accessible than in larger counties. You are more likely to get personal help with your records search. That said, the same state fee schedule applies here as everywhere else in California.

Note: The online portal may sometimes load slowly or be temporarily unavailable. If that happens, contact the clerk's office directly or try again later.

San Benito County Sheriff Records

The San Benito County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement and jail operations for the county. The sheriff's office does not have a public online inmate search tool like some larger California counties. To find out if someone is in custody at the San Benito County Jail, you need to call the sheriff's office directly. Staff can check booking records and provide custody status information by phone.

For inmates who have been sent to state prison after a conviction in San Benito County, use the CDCR's statewide CIRIS inmate search. This database covers all people in California state prison custody. You can search by name or CDCR number. Results include the person's facility, admission date, and any upcoming parole hearing dates.

Because San Benito County is small, the jail population is low compared to neighboring counties. The Hollister Police Department and the California Highway Patrol also make arrests in the area. Those arrest records are held by the arresting agency, separate from the court records.

California State Criminal Records for San Benito

The California DOJ maintains the statewide criminal history database. It includes records from every county, San Benito included. To get your own RAP sheet, go to a Live Scan location, submit fingerprints, and pay the $25 DOJ processing fee. The rolling fee varies by operator. Find a Live Scan site near Hollister using the DOJ Live Scan locator. There are limited locations in San Benito County itself, so you may need to go to a site in nearby Monterey or Santa Clara County.

Results come back in 48 to 72 hours when no criminal record exists. If a record is found, a DOJ technician reviews it manually, which takes more time. Track your background check at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov using your ATI number and date of birth.

The sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov covers San Benito County. Search by name or address to find registered offenders in your area.

Clearing Records in San Benito County

People with criminal records in San Benito County have options under California law. Penal Code Section 1203.4 allows dismissal of a conviction after probation is completed. You file the petition at the San Benito County Superior Court. If granted, your record shows the case as dismissed. It does not erase the record, but it changes the status, which can make a difference for employment and housing.

Arrest records can be sealed under Penal Code Section 851.87 when no conviction resulted. Proposition 47 covers certain drug and theft felonies that can be reduced to misdemeanors. Proposition 64 addresses old marijuana convictions. Each path requires a petition to the court. Given San Benito County's small size, the court calendar may be less crowded than in bigger counties, which could mean faster processing of these petitions.

Note: Even a dismissed conviction remains on your DOJ record. The entry changes to show "dismissed per PC 1203.4" but it is still there.

How to Get San Benito County Criminal Records

Getting criminal records in San Benito County is straightforward because most things flow through a small number of agencies. The Superior Court has case files. The sheriff has booking records. The Hollister Police Department has arrest and incident reports. Here are the ways to access them.

• Online case search through the San Benito County Superior Court public portal
• In-person at the courthouse, 440 Fifth Street, Hollister
• Copies at 50 cents per page, certified copies at $40
• Sheriff booking records by phone
• Your own RAP sheet through Live Scan ($25 DOJ fee)

For questions about the court portal, email PortalAdmin@sanbenitocourt.org. For in-person visits, the clerk's office in Hollister can pull records while you wait if the files are on-site. For police reports, contact the Hollister Police Department or the sheriff's office depending on which agency handled the incident. Court records and law enforcement records are maintained separately, so you may need to reach out to both.

Nearby Counties

San Benito County borders several other counties. Criminal cases from these areas go through their own court systems.