Santa Barbara County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Santa Barbara County are held by the Superior Court and the Sheriff's Office. The county runs along the central California coast from Carpinteria to Guadalupe, with a population near 450,000. Court operations split between South County in Santa Barbara and North County in Santa Maria. That means criminal case records could be at either location depending on where the crime took place. The Sheriff runs the main jail facility and publishes custody data online. Between the court, the Sheriff, and state databases, most criminal record searches for this county can be done without much trouble.

Santa Barbara County Court Records

The Santa Barbara County Superior Court has a Court Records Division that handles public access to case files. Learn about the division and how to request records at santabarbara.courts.ca.gov. The court operates from two main locations. The South County division is at the Anacapa Street courthouse in downtown Santa Barbara. The North County division is at the Cook Street courthouse in Santa Maria. Criminal cases are filed at whichever division covers the area where the arrest happened.

Contact the South County court at 805-882-4778 for cases from Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, and surrounding areas. Call the North County court at 805-614-6414 for cases from Santa Maria, Lompoc, Solvang, and the northern part of the county. Each location maintains its own files. If you call the wrong one, they can usually tell you which location to try. Copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $40.

The court does not currently have a full public case search portal like some larger California counties. You may need to call or visit to get case information. Some records may be accessible through the clerk's office counter. Bring a case number if you have one. Name-only searches take longer and may trigger the $15 search fee if staff spend more than 10 minutes on it.

Note: Santa Barbara County's split between South and North divisions can trip people up. Always check which division has the file before making the drive.

Santa Barbara Sheriff Custody Search

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office publishes a "Who Is In Custody" list at sbsheriff.org. This shows everyone currently held in the county jail system. You can search by name. Results include booking date, charges, bail amount, and the facility where the person is held. The Sheriff operates the main jail in Santa Barbara and the Northern Branch Jail near Santa Maria.

Call the Sheriff at 805-683-2724 for custody questions that the website does not answer. Staff can check on recent bookings, tell you about upcoming court dates, and confirm whether someone has been released. The jail system here handles both pretrial detainees and people serving county sentences.

Inmates sentenced to state prison transfer to CDCR facilities after sentencing. The Sheriff's custody list will no longer show them once they leave the county jail. Search for state prison inmates through the CIRIS database. It covers every person in the California state prison system, including those originally sentenced in Santa Barbara County.

State Criminal Records in Santa Barbara County

The California DOJ maintains the central criminal history repository. Arrests and court results from Santa Barbara County go into this database. You can request your own RAP sheet through Live Scan for $25. The DOJ's Live Scan locator shows providers in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. Submit your fingerprints and wait 48 to 72 hours for results when no record exists. Records that match take longer because they go through manual review at the DOJ.

Employment background checks in Santa Barbara County use this same system. Employers need state authorization. You can check the status of a background check at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov using your ATI number. The DOJ will not give information about your record over the phone.

The California sex offender registry is at meganslaw.ca.gov. Search by name, address, or ZIP code to find registered offenders in Santa Barbara County. The database is run by the DOJ under Penal Code Section 290.46.

Clearing Criminal Records in Santa Barbara County

People with criminal records in Santa Barbara County have several legal options for relief. Penal Code Section 1203.4 allows dismissal of a conviction after probation is complete. File the petition with the Superior Court at whichever division handled the original case. The record remains on your RAP sheet but shows as dismissed. Employers in California cannot ask about dismissed convictions in most situations, which is why this option matters.

Arrest record sealing under Penal Code Section 851.87 works when no conviction resulted from an arrest. No proof of innocence is needed. Proposition 47 allows resentencing of qualifying nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors. Proposition 64 covers prior marijuana offenses. All of these require filing a petition with the court. The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County and the Public Defender's Office can help with these petitions if you cannot afford a private attorney. Some local groups hold expungement clinics periodically where you can get free legal help with the paperwork.

How to Get Santa Barbara County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Santa Barbara County are spread across a few agencies. The court holds case files and sentencing documents. The Sheriff holds jail and booking data. The DOJ holds the statewide criminal history. Police reports come from the specific agency that handled the incident, whether that is the Santa Barbara Police, Santa Maria Police, or the Sheriff.

• Contact the South County court at 805-882-4778 for Santa Barbara area cases
• Contact the North County court at 805-614-6414 for Santa Maria area cases
• Check sbsheriff.org for current custody information
• Call the Sheriff at 805-683-2724 for booking questions
• Get your own RAP sheet through Live Scan for $25

Copies of court documents cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies are $40. You can request records in person at either courthouse or by mail. For mail requests, include the case number, the document you need, and a check for the estimated fee. The clerk will send the copies or contact you if additional payment is needed. Response times for mail requests vary but expect at least a week or two.

Note: Police reports and court records are held by different agencies. If you need both, plan on making separate requests to each one.

Nearby Counties

Santa Barbara County sits on the central coast between several other California counties. Check these pages for criminal record resources nearby.