Search San Bernardino County Criminal Records

Criminal records in San Bernardino County come from a court system that covers the largest county by land area in the entire United States. Over 2.2 million people live here. The San Bernardino Superior Court handles all criminal filings. The county sheriff runs one of the bigger jail systems in California, with multiple detention centers spread across the region. You can search criminal cases online through the court's access portal, and the sheriff has a separate booking search for people currently in jail. Both tools are free to use for basic lookups, though document copies come with fees set by state law.

San Bernardino Court Case Search

The San Bernardino Superior Court runs an online Court Access Portal, known as CAP. It is available at cap.sb-court.org. This is a Tyler Technologies system. You can look up criminal cases by defendant name, case number, or filing date. The search pulls up basic case information such as charges, hearing dates, and case status. No account is needed for simple searches, but you will need to register to view or download full documents.

Below is the San Bernardino Superior Court's Court Access Portal, the main tool for searching criminal filings in the county.

The portal is the quickest way to check a case without going to the courthouse. San Bernardino County has several court locations. The main courthouse is in the city of San Bernardino. District courts operate in Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Victorville, Joshua Tree, and Barstow. When you search online, the results show which courthouse handled the case.

For copies of documents, contact the court clerk at the relevant district. The Rancho Cucamonga courthouse can be reached at (909) 350-9764. Fontana is at (909) 350-9322. Copies cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies cost $40. You can request copies in person or sometimes by mail if you include the case number and payment.

Note: The court's online system may not include very old cases or sealed records, so check with the clerk if you cannot find what you need.

San Bernardino Sheriff Booking Records

The San Bernardino County Sheriff runs an inmate booking search at jimsnetil.shr.sbcounty.gov. You can look up people currently in county custody by name or booking number. The results show charges, bail amount, booking date, and facility location. The main jail is the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. The county also operates the Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center in Devore and the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.

The screenshot below shows the sheriff's inmate booking search for San Bernardino County.

This tool only shows people in county jail. It does not cover state prison inmates. For anyone transferred to the California state prison system, use the CDCR CIRIS search tool instead. The West Valley Detention Center information line is (909) 350-2476. Call them if you cannot find someone in the online system or if you need details about a recent booking that has not yet appeared online.

State Criminal Records for San Bernardino County

The California Department of Justice keeps the statewide criminal history database. Anyone can get a copy of their own RAP sheet by going through the Live Scan process and paying a $25 fee. San Bernardino County has dozens of Live Scan locations. Use the DOJ Live Scan locator to find one close to you. Most UPS stores, police stations, and some private businesses offer Live Scan services. Processing usually takes 48 to 72 hours when no criminal history is found. Flagged records take longer.

Employers in San Bernardino County who need background checks must go through the DOJ's authorized system. They cannot just look up someone's criminal history on their own. Over 45,000 agencies statewide are authorized to use the DOJ's system. Track your own background check status at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov. You will need your ATI number and date of birth to check.

San Bernardino County residents can also search the sex offender registry at meganslaw.ca.gov. The registry lets you look up offenders by name, address, or ZIP code. Given the size of San Bernardino County, results can vary a lot between densely populated areas near the I-15 corridor and the remote desert communities in the eastern part of the county.

Clearing Criminal Records in San Bernardino

People with a criminal record in San Bernardino County have options under California law. Penal Code Section 1203.4 is the most used path. It lets those who finished probation petition to have their conviction dismissed. You file at the San Bernardino Superior Court in the same district where the case was heard. The record still exists on your RAP sheet but shows as dismissed. This is often called expungement, though technically it is a dismissal and not a true erasure.

Penal Code Section 851.87 covers sealing arrest records when no conviction resulted. You do not have to prove you were innocent. The arrest record gets sealed so it does not show on most background checks. Proposition 47 applies to certain theft and drug felonies. If you have an older felony for shoplifting, petty theft, or simple drug possession, you may be able to get it reduced to a misdemeanor. Proposition 64 covers past marijuana convictions. For free legal help with these filings, contact Inland Counties Legal Services or the San Bernardino County Public Defender's office. They often run record clearing clinics throughout the year for people who qualify.

Getting Criminal Records in San Bernardino County

You have several ways to get criminal records from San Bernardino County. The online Court Access Portal gives you case numbers and basic data. For full case files, go to the clerk's office in person. Bring the case number if you have it. The clerk can search by name, but that takes more time. Certified copies are $40. Regular copies are 50 cents per page.

• Court Access Portal at cap.sb-court.org for case lookup
• Clerk's office at any San Bernardino County courthouse for full files
• 50 cents per page for copies, $40 for certified copies
• Sheriff's booking search for current inmate data
• DOJ Live Scan for your own RAP sheet ($25 fee)
• Police reports from the local police department where the arrest took place

Keep in mind that court records and police reports are two different things held by two different agencies. If the arrest was made by a city police department like San Bernardino PD or Fontana PD, you request the police report from that department. If the sheriff made the arrest, the sheriff's records division handles that request. Court records come from the Superior Court only.

Note: Searches that take more than 10 minutes at the clerk's window may incur a $15 search fee under state law.

Nearby Counties

San Bernardino County shares borders with several other counties. Criminal cases sometimes cross county lines, so these nearby pages may be useful.