Choose the right Kern County record source before you start searching
A Kern County court case, sheriff arrest record, current jail booking and California statewide criminal-history report are different records maintained by different agencies. The Superior Court handles criminal cases and court documents; the Kern County Sheriff’s Office maintains booking and local arrest information; and the California Department of Justice maintains the state’s fingerprint-based criminal-history repository.
One arrest can create several different public-record trails
A person can appear in one Kern County system and not another because each database answers a different question. A jail booking shows custody; a court record shows the prosecution; and the California DOJ RAP sheet is the state’s fingerprint-based criminal-history record.
Criminal case
Use for felony or misdemeanor court information, hearings, charges, case status and disposition.
Arrest record
Use the Kern County Sheriff’s Arrest Records Unit for qualifying recent KCSO arrest and booking information.
Current inmate
Use the Sheriff’s online Inmate Search when the question is whether someone is currently in Kern County custody.
State criminal history
Individuals can obtain their own fingerprint-based California criminal-history record for review and correction.
Crime report
Incident and investigative reports are maintained by the law-enforcement agency that created the report.
Criminal appeal
Kern County appeals can continue into California’s Fifth District Court of Appeal.
How to search Kern County criminal case information online
The Superior Court of California, County of Kern provides an official Case Information Search. The court’s current eCourt system requires public users to proceed through the disclaimer and use the registered-user case search.
Open Kern County Case Information SearchOpen the official court search
Use Kern County Superior Court’s own Case Information Search rather than starting with a commercial background-check site.
Read and accept the court disclaimer
Scroll to the registered-user section and choose Accept and Enter.
Sign in or create an account
Kern’s current eCourt FAQ states that users can log in or create an account to view case information.
Choose the criminal case search
Search using the strongest identifier available. Kern court materials reference searches by court case number and/or defendant name.
Open the matching case
Compare the defendant, case number, dates, charges and other available details before assuming the record belongs to the person you are researching.
Read through the disposition
A filing or arrest date alone does not tell you the outcome. Review the available court information to determine how each charge was resolved.
Case information is online, but the complete criminal case file is not
This distinction is easy to miss.
Case information
Kern’s eCourt system can provide public case information such as case status, defendant information, court dates and other docket-level details available through the portal.
Actual criminal documents
Kern Superior Court says criminal documents must be requested through the division where the case is filed. The complete case-file contents are not simply downloadable from the public case-information portal.
What to check after you find a Kern County criminal case
| Record detail | Why it matters | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Defendant name | Helps identify the party. | A matching name alone does not prove identity. |
| Case number | Best identifier for copies, court calls and document requests. | Do not confuse a new felony case with an earlier related case. |
| Charge | Shows what offense was alleged. | A charge is not proof of conviction. |
| Hearing / calendar | Shows scheduled court activity. | A future hearing does not indicate how the case will end. |
| Disposition | Explains the outcome of a charge. | Read every count; different charges can have different outcomes. |
| Sentence | Shows court-ordered consequences when applicable. | A sentence should not be inferred from the original charge alone. |
How to request Kern County criminal court documents
If you need the complaint, minute order, sentencing document, judgment or another actual filing, use the court’s criminal-record request process rather than relying only on the online case summary.
Open Kern Judicial Records RequestHave the case number ready if possible
This is the fastest way for court staff to identify the correct criminal file.
Identify the case type
Specify whether the matter is felony, misdemeanor or another applicable criminal matter.
Describe the exact document
Examples include a complaint, judgment, sentencing minute order or another identifiable document rather than simply requesting “everything.”
Ask whether certification is required
If another agency requested the document, confirm whether an ordinary copy is sufficient or whether it specifically requires a certified copy.
If you do not know the Kern County case number
Kern Superior Court gives two main alternatives when the case number is unknown or you are trying to determine whether a case was filed.
Search at the courthouse yourself
The court states that you may visit the courthouse and search for the case yourself without a search fee.
Ask court staff to locate it
A generic clerk search currently carries an initial $15 research fee. You can also request the lookup by mail with the required fees and return envelope.
Kern County court-record search and copy costs
| Service | Current published amount | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Search the case yourself at courthouse | No search fee | Useful when you do not know the case number. |
| Generic clerk research | Initial $15 | Kern’s online Judicial Records Request lists this initial search fee. |
| Regular paper copy | $0.50 per page | Published by Kern Superior Court. |
| Certified copy | Generally $40 per document + copy charges | California’s current court guidance lists this standard certification charge; verify the applicable Kern fee schedule before ordering. |
| Mail request | Search/copy fees + postage | Include the required payment and self-addressed stamped envelope. |
Current Kern fee schedules are published at: Kern County Superior Court Fee Schedules.
Kern County criminal court locations
Kern is geographically large, so a criminal matter is not automatically handled in downtown Bakersfield. The Superior Court currently lists six principal criminal court locations.
| Court | Address | Phone | Published public hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan | 1415 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301 | 661-610-6000 | Mon–Thu 8:00–4:00; Fri 8:00–12:00 |
| Delano | 1122 Jefferson St, Delano, CA 93215 | 661-610-7300 | Mon–Thu 8:00–4:00; Fri 8:00–12:00 |
| Lamont | 12022 Main St, Lamont, CA 93241 | 661-610-7100 | Mon–Thu 8:00–4:00; Fri 8:00–12:00 |
| Mojave | 1773 State Highway 58 Business, Mojave, CA 93501 | 661-610-7400 | Mon–Thu 8:00–4:00; Fri 8:00–12:00 |
| Ridgecrest | 132 E Coso Ave, Ridgecrest, CA 93555 | 661-610-7450 | Mon–Thu 8:00–4:00; Fri 8:00–12:00 |
| Shafter | 325 Central Valley Hwy, Shafter, CA 93263 | 661-610-7200 | Mon–Thu 8:00–4:00; Fri 8:00–12:00 |
Map: Metropolitan criminal court in Bakersfield
Metropolitan Division
1415 Truxtun AvenueBakersfield, CA 93301
Phone: 661-610-6000
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.;
Friday 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
How Kern County Sheriff arrest records differ from court records
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Arrest Records Unit processes bookings for people booked into the Inmate Reception Center and the Sheriff’s booking facilities in Ridgecrest and Mojave.
Under California law and KCSO’s current published policy, contemporaneous arrest information is public when the person is currently in custody or when their release occurred within the previous 60 days.
Start with KCSO Arrest Records
Useful for qualifying recent Kern County Sheriff arrest and booking information.
Then check Superior Court
Once a criminal case is filed, use the court record to find charges, hearings and the eventual disposition.
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays.
Requesting a Kern County Sheriff’s crime report
Court records and police reports are not interchangeable. If you need the actual Sheriff’s incident/crime report, the KCSO Crime Reports Unit is the relevant starting point.
The Sheriff’s current FAQ states that crime reports are available through the Crime Reports Unit and that there is no cost to obtain a report. The daily event summary is also produced on request at no cost.
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Public hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
Kern County booking-photo access has a specific local rule
The Sheriff’s Arrest Records Unit currently states that if you were arrested by KCSO, you may purchase your own booking photograph for $5 by appearing in person with photo identification.
How to search current Kern County inmate custody
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office provides an official online Inmate Search.
Open the Sheriff’s inmate search
Use the official KCSO page rather than relying on a cached third-party jail listing.
Enter at least three characters
The current search interface requires at least three characters before searching records.
Compare identifiers carefully
A similar name does not guarantee that the custody record belongs to the person you want.
Use the court case for the prosecution
Jail information can explain custody, but the Superior Court record is the better source for following the criminal case and disposition.
Kern County warrant information: court and sheriff procedures are different
KCSO states that its Arrest Records Unit does not release warrant information over the phone. A person attempting to confirm their own outstanding warrant directly through the Sheriff’s process is instructed to appear in person with photo identification at the Kern County Justice Facility Inmate Receiving Center.
17645 Industrial Farm Road
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Another option: contact the court
KCSO separately directs the public or the subject of the warrant to the Superior Court for warrant information:
- Felony: 661-610-6000, option 4
- Misdemeanor: 661-610-6000, option 4
- Traffic: 661-610-7000, option 1
Getting your own local Kern County criminal-history information
KCSO’s Arrest Records Section provides local criminal-history information to qualifying individuals. The Sheriff’s current FAQ says a person requesting their own local history must appear in person and provide valid government-issued identification.
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays.
KCSO also states that a person who has been arrested and needs information concerning their own arrest can receive that arrest information from Arrest Records without charge.
If someone else was arrested using your name
Kern County has a particularly useful identity-correction service that many generic records guides miss.
If you believe another person was arrested using your name or identifying information, KCSO says you may appear at Arrest Records with photo identification and request a “Not Same As” letter.
Arrest Records takes your fingerprints, and the Identification Unit compares those prints with the prints belonging to the arrestee and documents the findings.
How to request your own statewide California criminal-history record
The California Department of Justice maintains the statewide criminal-record repository. The repository receives arrest and disposition information from police and sheriff departments, probation departments, district attorneys and courts.
Individuals have a right to request a copy of their own California criminal-history record to check it for accuracy and completeness.
California residents: Record Review Live Scan steps
California residents requesting their own state record must submit fingerprints through Live Scan.
Download form BCIA 8016RR
Use the California DOJ Request for Live Scan Service form designated for Record Review.
Select “Record Review”
DOJ instructs applicants to use “Record Review” as both the application type and the reason for application where required.
Go to an authorized Live Scan site
Bring the completed form and acceptable photo identification. Rolling fees vary by fingerprint provider.
Pay the DOJ processing fee
California DOJ currently charges $25 for the state Record Review, separate from the Live Scan provider’s rolling fee.
Review the returned RAP sheet
If something is inaccurate or incomplete, compare the entry against the Kern court record and follow the DOJ challenge instructions supplied with the response.
Living outside California
DOJ directs out-of-state applicants to use a manual fingerprint card and the applicable Record Review application rather than California Live Scan.
Why California Public Records Act requests cannot replace a DOJ RAP-sheet request
California makes many government records public, but state and local summary criminal-history information is specially protected.
California DOJ specifically states that summary criminal-history records are not generally disclosed to members of the public through an ordinary California Public Records Act request. Access is restricted to the person who is the subject of the record and other recipients specifically authorized by law.
Superior Court
Use Kern County Superior Court for public criminal case information and public case documents.
California DOJ
Use DOJ Record Review to obtain your own confidential statewide criminal-history summary.
Kern County juvenile delinquency records are confidential
Kern Superior Court states plainly that juvenile cases are strictly confidential and that juvenile case information is not provided over the telephone.
Parties seeking information must establish that they are entitled to access the case. Other requesters may need judicial authorization under California’s juvenile-record access rules.
Bakersfield, CA 93305
Court phone: 661-610-6900
Requesting access to a juvenile case file
Kern directs qualifying requesters to the California juvenile disclosure process, including Form JV-570, Petition for Access to a Juvenile Delinquency Case File or qualifying dependency file.
Use California Megan’s Law for public sex-offender information
California maintains a separate public sex-offender information system under Megan’s Law. This information is not simply another tab within Kern County’s criminal case search.
Open California Megan’s Law searchThe public system can be searched using information such as an individual’s name or geographic criteria when disclosure is authorized by California law.
If a Kern County criminal judgment was appealed
A criminal case can continue after the Superior Court judgment. Kern County lies within California’s Fifth Appellate District.
Kern County Superior Court
Start here for the criminal prosecution, trial-level orders and notice of appeal.
Fifth District Court of Appeal
The Fifth District serves Kern along with Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.
Fifth District Court of Appeal: California Courts of Appeal case access.
Fresno, CA
Clerk’s office: 559-445-5491
Sealing, dismissal and record-cleaning options in California
“Expungement” is often used casually, but California record relief depends on what happened: arrest without conviction, misdemeanor conviction, felony conviction, diversion, probation status and other facts can lead to different procedures.
Arrest-record sealing
California Penal Code section 851.91 can allow qualifying arrests that did not result in conviction to be sealed. Form CR-409 is used for many court requests.
Dismissal relief
Eligible misdemeanor convictions may qualify for dismissal under California record-cleaning laws.
Several possible paths
Eligibility can depend on probation, sentence, offense type, state-prison history and whether another statutory form of relief applies.
Start with the official California Courts Clean Your Record guide.
Federal criminal cases involving Kern County use a different court system
Kern County Superior Court handles California state cases. A federal prosecution is separate and will not be fully represented by the Kern County court portal.
PACER
Use PACER for federal district and appellate case information.
Federal PACER case searchIdentity History Summary
Individuals seeking their own fingerprint-based FBI Identity History Summary should use the FBI’s official process.
FBI Identity History SummaryEmployment and licensing background checks are a separate use case
California DOJ authorizes fingerprint-based criminal-background checks for specified employers, licensing agencies and other organizations only when a law authorizes the check.
Those applicant-background checks should not be confused with:
- a public Kern court search
- a Sheriff’s inmate search
- a public arrest-information request
- your personal DOJ Record Review
Kern County search tips that can save a wasted trip or wrong conclusion
Get the case number early
It makes document requests, court calls and clerk research much easier.
Case information is not the case file
Kern’s eCourt portal provides case information; criminal documents still require a separate request.
Search custody before court for a very recent arrest
The Sheriff’s inmate or arrest system can be useful before the prosecution becomes easy to identify in court records.
Do not assume Bakersfield is the court
Delano, Lamont, Mojave, Ridgecrest and Shafter also handle Kern criminal matters.
Use courthouse self-search when you lack a case number
Kern says searching for the case yourself at the courthouse carries no search fee.
Watch the 60-day arrest-information window
KCSO identifies contemporaneous arrest information as public for current custody or release within the prior 60 days.
Check every charge disposition
One count may be dismissed while another results in conviction.
Wrong person’s arrest?
Kern’s free “Not Same As” fingerprint comparison can address local mistaken-identity problems.
Use DOJ for statewide history
A Kern County local history or court search cannot substitute for your statewide California RAP sheet.
Common questions about finding Kern County criminal records
1. Can I search Kern County criminal cases online?
Yes. Kern County Superior Court provides a Case Information Search. Under the current eCourt system, users proceed through the disclaimer and sign in or create a registered-user account to view case information.
2. Can I search by defendant name?
Kern court materials reference criminal case searching by court case number and/or defendant name. A case number is usually the strongest identifier when available.
3. Can I download the entire criminal case file online?
No. Kern Superior Court distinguishes online case information from the actual case-file contents. Criminal court documents must be requested from the division where the case is filed.
4. What if I do not know the case number?
You may search at the courthouse yourself without a search fee or ask the court to perform research. Kern currently lists an initial $15 generic-search fee for clerk research.
5. How much are Kern County court copies?
Kern currently publishes a 50-cent-per-page copy charge. Certification and other service fees can apply when an official certified copy is required.
6. How can I find someone currently in Kern County jail?
Use the official Kern County Sheriff’s Inmate Search. The current interface requires at least three characters to begin a search.
7. How long is recent Kern Sheriff arrest information public?
KCSO currently describes contemporaneous arrest information as public when the person is in custody or was released within the previous 60 days, subject to applicable law.
8. Can I obtain another person’s California statewide criminal-history record?
Not through the California DOJ personal Record Review process. DOJ states that individuals may request their own criminal-history record, while third-party requests are not authorized through that process.
9. What if someone was arrested using my identity?
The Kern County Sheriff’s Arrest Records Unit offers a “Not Same As” fingerprint-comparison service for qualifying mistaken-identity situations. KCSO currently says the service is free.
10. Are Kern County juvenile criminal records public?
Juvenile cases are generally confidential. Kern Superior Court says juvenile case information is not released by telephone, and access may require proof that you are an authorized party or a court-approved disclosure process.
Official sources to use when information changes
- Kern County Superior Court — Case Information Search
- Kern County Superior Court — eCourt FAQ
- Kern County Superior Court — Court Records
- Kern County Superior Court — Judicial Records Request
- Kern County Superior Court — Criminal Division
- Kern County Superior Court — Locations and Contact Information
- Kern County Sheriff’s Office — Arrest Records Unit
- Kern County Sheriff’s Office — Inmate Search
- Kern County Sheriff’s Office — Records and Detention FAQ
- California DOJ — Request Your Own Criminal History
- California DOJ — Fingerprint Background Checks
- California Courts — Clean Your Record
- California Courts of Appeal — Fifth District / Appellate Case Access