Start with the court case, then follow the record to the agency that created it
Riverside County criminal information is spread across several government systems. The Superior Court maintains filed criminal cases and court documents; the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office handles county jail information, local Sheriff’s records and the county warrant repository; California DOJ maintains fingerprint-based statewide criminal histories; and CDCR maintains state-prison information. Using the correct source matters because none of these systems is a complete substitute for the others.
Choose the record source before entering a name
“Criminal record” can refer to several different records. Riverside County does not maintain all criminal-justice information in one searchable database.
Criminal court case
Filed charges, hearing dates, court actions, dispositions and eligible public court documents.
Jail / booking record
Current county custody information and inmate booking-number access.
Crime or incident report
Reports created by the Sheriff’s Office or another police agency involved in the incident.
State RAP sheet
Fingerprint-based statewide arrest and prosecution history. General public access is restricted.
State prison record
Selected public information concerning people in California state-correctional custody.
Federal criminal case
Federal prosecutions are searched separately through PACER and the U.S. District Court.
How to search Riverside County criminal court cases online
Riverside Superior Court provides a Public Access portal for criminal, traffic and other court records.
The online information is useful for locating and researching cases, but the court expressly states that online case information does not constitute the official court record.
Open Riverside Court Public AccessOpen the official Riverside Superior Court portal
Use the county court system rather than a third-party records website when possible.
Use the case number when you have it
A known case number is more precise than a name and avoids confusion between people who share similar names.
Use a paid name search when the case number is unknown
Riverside provides self-service name-search credits as well as a court-performed name-search option.
Open the matching criminal case
Review the charges, case events and disposition rather than relying only on the defendant name.
Download eligible public documents
Nonconfidential and nonsealed electronic documents may be downloadable when California remote-access rules permit it.
Order a certified copy when formal proof is needed
Use Riverside form RI-MC011 and the court’s certified-copy process rather than treating an online screen as an official certified record.
How far back does the Riverside criminal case search go?
Online coverage differs by court region and offense level. Riverside Superior Court currently publishes the following criminal and traffic date ranges.
| Region | Record type | Online coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside | Felony | January 1990 to present |
| Riverside | Misdemeanor | January 1994 to present |
| Banning | Felony | November 1996 to present |
| Banning | Misdemeanor | November 1996 to present |
| Mid-County Region | Felony and misdemeanor | December 1996 to present |
| Indio | Felony | May 1990 to present |
| Indio / Blythe / Palm Springs | Misdemeanor | September 1993 to present |
Riverside County criminal name-search fees
Searching by case number is the cleanest route when you already know it. When you only know the person’s name, Riverside Superior Court charges for name-search credits.
| Search option | Current fee | What it provides |
|---|---|---|
| 1 self-service name search | $1 | One name-search credit. |
| Up to 5 self-service searches | $3.50 | Five name-search credits. |
| Up to 10 self-service searches | $5 | Ten name-search credits. |
| Up to 75 self-service searches | $25 | Seventy-five credits. |
| Unlimited self-service searches | $250 | 30 consecutive days. |
| Court-performed search | $15 per name | The court searches for case-number information. |
Downloading Riverside criminal court documents online
When California remote-access rules allow it, Riverside’s portal provides downloadable nonconfidential, nonsealed electronic court documents.
You need the case number before purchasing an online document.
| Document pages | Current online fee |
|---|---|
| First 5 pages | $1 per page |
| Each page after page 5 | $0.50 per page |
| Maximum per downloadable document | $50 |
Riverside currently keeps purchased document downloads available through the portal for 30 days.
How to read a Riverside criminal case without misinterpreting it
Criminal dockets can contain several charges and several different outcomes. Read each count and disposition rather than treating the existence of a case as proof of conviction.
What was alleged
The charge describes the offense alleged or prosecuted. It is not itself proof that the person was convicted.
What happened in court
Hearings, motions, pleas, orders and other court events can appear chronologically.
How the count ended
Look for conviction, dismissal, acquittal or another final resolution for each individual count.
Why an old Riverside case may not appear online
Riverside Superior Court warns that some court records are routinely purged or removed under California Government Code section 68152.
A missing result can therefore have several explanations:
- the case predates the portal’s online range
- the record has been purged under retention rules
- the search name differs from the indexed name
- the record is sealed or confidential
- the matter was filed in a different county
- the matter was federal rather than state court
- certain cannabis-related records were destroyed under California law
- the user is searching the wrong regional court database period
If the case should exist but you cannot find it, Riverside lets you submit a request for the court to conduct a records search.
How to request certified Riverside County criminal court records
Riverside Superior Court uses local form RI-MC011 — Request for Certified Copies for criminal, traffic, civil, family and probate records.
The form can currently be submitted online through the court’s eSubmit process.
| Service | Current fee listed on RI-MC011 |
|---|---|
| Records search | $15 per name searched |
| Copy fee | $0.50 per page |
| Certification | $40 per document |
| Exemplification | $50 per exemplification |
| Off-site file / record retrieval | $32 |
| Postage | Applicable postage |
What to provide with the request
- case number when known
- party or defendant name
- specific document needed
- whether certification is required
- appropriate payment authorization
- contact information
Riverside County criminal court locations
Riverside County is geographically large. A criminal case may be handled in Riverside, Banning, Blythe, Indio or Murrieta depending on where it originated.
| Criminal court location | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Hall of Justice | 4100 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 | (951) 777-3147 |
| Banning Justice Center | 311 E. Ramsey Street, Banning, CA 92220 | (951) 777-3147 |
| Blythe Courthouse | 265 N. Broadway, Blythe, CA 92225 | (760) 393-2617 |
| Larson Justice Center | 46-200 Oasis Street, Indio, CA 92201 | (760) 393-2617 |
| Southwest Justice Center | 30755-D Auld Road, Murrieta, CA 92563 | (951) 777-3147 |
The court lists ordinary public hours for major criminal court locations as Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding court holidays. Clerk phone hours can be shorter, so check the specific location before calling.
Riverside Hall of Justice map and visitor details
The Riverside Hall of Justice is the major downtown Riverside criminal courthouse. It contains public viewing computers and criminal courtrooms.
4100 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 777-3147
Public hours: Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Clerk phone hours: typically 7:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m., excluding court holidays.
Downtown Riverside has metered street parking and nearby parking structures. Check current parking rules before visiting because rates and restrictions can change.
How to search Riverside County jail and inmate information
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Information service provides access to county inmate information, including an inmate booking-number search.
Riverside Sheriff Inmate InformationBooking information also should not be treated as a final court outcome. Initial booking allegations can change when prosecutors decide what charges to file.
Riverside Sheriff’s crime reports and local records
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Information Services Bureau handles a range of records functions including:
- California Public Records Act requests
- crime-report releases to authorized requesters
- subpoenas duces tecum
- record sealings
- clearance letters
- local criminal-record reviews
- archived Sheriff reports
- county warrant-repository functions
Riverside County Sheriff Information Services Bureau
4095 Lemon Street5th Floor
Riverside, CA 92501
Phone: (951) 955-2400
California Public Records Act requests for Sheriff’s records
The Sheriff’s Information Services Bureau processes requests under the California Public Records Act. This route may be useful when requesting qualifying law-enforcement records that are not available through an ordinary online search.
Public availability depends on the type of record and applicable exemptions. Investigative material, confidential victim information, protected personal information and other records can be withheld or redacted when California law permits or requires it.
The Sheriff’s online public-record system also provides a payment mechanism for approved CPRA requests. Online card payments currently disclose a transaction fee of 3% or a minimum of $2, depending on the transaction.
Riverside County warrant information
Riverside County Sheriff’s Information Services Bureau serves as the countywide warrant repository.
If your question concerns an active warrant, do not rely solely on an unofficial people-search website. Use the court handling the case or contact the appropriate Sheriff’s records/warrant function.
Information Services Bureau: (951) 955-2400.
Local Riverside County criminal-history review
The Sheriff’s Information Services Bureau maintains local summary criminal-history information and performs local criminal-record reviews.
A local Riverside County review is not the same as your statewide California DOJ RAP sheet. If you need to know everything California DOJ has associated with your fingerprints statewide, use DOJ’s Record Review process.
Local record
Focuses on records maintained through Riverside County Sheriff’s records systems.
Statewide RAP sheet
Fingerprint-based state summary criminal history submitted from California agencies and courts.
How to obtain your own California criminal-history record
California DOJ maintains the statewide criminal-record repository. State summary criminal-history information is confidential and is not an unrestricted public name-search database.
Individuals can request a copy of their own criminal-history record to review it for accuracy and completeness.
California resident process
Download Live Scan form BCIA 8016RR
Select Record Review as the application type and reason for the request.
Complete your identifying information
Fill in the required personal information before visiting the Live Scan provider.
Submit fingerprints
California residents use Live Scan fingerprints for the state Record Review process.
Pay the DOJ processing fee
California DOJ currently lists a $25 processing fee, plus the separate fingerprint rolling fee charged by the Live Scan provider.
Review the returned RAP sheet
Check arrest information, disposition information and identifying data carefully.
What to do when your California criminal history is inaccurate
After obtaining your own DOJ Record Review, you can challenge information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
DOJ includes form BCIA 8706 — Claim of Alleged Inaccuracy or Incompleteness when criminal information appears in the Record Review response.
Record Review questions: recordreview@doj.ca.gov
California state-prison and correctional records
Use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS) when the person may be in California state-prison custody.
Open CDCR CIRISCIRIS may provide selected public correctional information including identifiers, institution/location information and other custody-related data.
California Megan’s Law search
California DOJ operates the California Megan’s Law Website for qualifying public sex-offender registration information.
This is a specialized registry and should not be treated as a complete criminal-history search.
Was the Riverside County criminal case appealed?
Riverside County appeals generally go to the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, located in Riverside.
California’s appellate case-information system is separate from the Riverside Superior Court trial-level portal.
Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two
3389 12th StreetRiverside, CA 92501
Clerk: (951) 782-2500
Federal criminal cases in Riverside use a different court system
A federal prosecution involving conduct in Riverside County is not filed in Riverside Superior Court. Federal criminal cases use the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The Central District’s Eastern Division courthouse is located in Riverside:
U.S. District Court — Eastern Division
3470 Twelfth StreetRoom 134
Riverside, CA 92501
Federal public-window hours are generally 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with a midday closure, excluding federal holidays.
For electronic federal case searches, use PACER.
Search Federal Cases with PACERDismissed, sealed and cleaned-up Riverside criminal records
Riverside Superior Court provides local self-help resources for people seeking qualifying criminal-record relief.
A traditional California dismissal under Penal Code section 1203.4 can reopen a qualifying criminal case, set aside the conviction and dismiss the case.
Common Riverside record-relief pathways
PC 1203.4 / 1203.4a
Qualifying convictions may be dismissed through the applicable California procedure.
Seal / destroy petitions
Riverside Local Rules address petitions to seal and destroy arrest records under Penal Code section 851.8.
Records removal
Riverside provides local form RI-CR091 for qualifying cannabis-related records that should have been destroyed under applicable California law.
Riverside also offers expungement self-help resources and events for self-represented litigants.
Riverside Court Self-HelpJuvenile delinquency records follow separate access rules
Juvenile delinquency cases involve minors accused of conduct that would constitute a crime if committed by an adult. These records are subject to different confidentiality and access rules.
Riverside juvenile matters are handled at locations including the Riverside Juvenile Courthouse, Southwest Juvenile Courthouse, Southwest Justice Center and Larson Justice Center.
Public court research is different from a regulated background check
Riverside court records can be searched by members of the public, but California’s statewide DOJ criminal-history system is not an unrestricted public background-check database.
California DOJ performs fingerprint-based checks for employers, licensing agencies and other organizations only when the requesting agency has legal authority to receive the information.
California DOJ also states that an individual’s personal Record Review copy cannot simply be demanded or reused by an unauthorized third party as a substitute for the authorized background-check process.
Riverside County criminal-record search tips that save time
Case number first
A case number avoids paid repeat name searches and significantly reduces mistaken matches.
Check the regional date range
Riverside, Banning, Indio and other regions have different online starting dates.
Don’t confuse booking with filing
Search the Superior Court after locating a jail record to see what charges were actually filed.
Old record missing?
It may predate online coverage or may have been purged under California retention rules.
Order certified proof
If accuracy matters, order the actual court document rather than relying on a portal screenshot.
Archive Sheriff’s reports
For Sheriff reports before 2000, contact Information Services Bureau rather than a local station.
Use DOJ only for your own RAP sheet
California does not provide an unrestricted statewide third-party criminal-history name search.
Appeal question?
Switch from the Superior Court portal to Fourth District, Division Two appellate records.
Federal case?
Use PACER and the Central District of California rather than Riverside Superior Court.
Common questions about Riverside County criminal court records
1. Can I search Riverside County criminal cases online?
Yes. Riverside Superior Court operates a Public Access portal for criminal, traffic and other case information. The online information is informational and does not constitute the official certified court record.
2. How much is a Riverside criminal name search?
Riverside currently lists one self-service name search at $1, five credits at $3.50, ten credits at $5, 75 credits at $25 and unlimited self-service name searching for 30 consecutive days at $250. A court-performed name search currently costs $15 per name.
3. How far back do Riverside County felony records go online?
Online coverage varies by region. Riverside-area felony records currently begin in January 1990, Indio felony records in May 1990 and Banning felony records in November 1996.
4. How do I find someone in a Riverside County jail?
Use the Riverside County Sheriff’s Inmate Information service. It provides county inmate information and a way to locate an inmate booking number.
5. Can I get another person’s California DOJ RAP sheet?
No. California DOJ states that state summary criminal-history records are restricted by law. Ordinary third-party Record Review requests are not authorized. Individuals can request their own fingerprint-based record.
6. How do I obtain a certified Riverside criminal court record?
Use Riverside Superior Court form RI-MC011 for certified copies. Current listed fees include $0.50 per copy page, $40 certification per document and other fees when a search, exemplification or off-site retrieval is required.
7. Why can’t I find an old Riverside criminal case online?
The case may predate online coverage, have been purged under California record-retention rules, be sealed or confidential, or be indexed under different information. Riverside allows users to request a court-performed record search when a case cannot be located online.
8. Where can I obtain a Riverside Sheriff’s crime report?
For Sheriff’s reports from 2000 to the present, Riverside Sheriff directs requesters toward the relevant station. Archived Sheriff reports from before 2000 should be handled through the Information Services Bureau.
9. Where are Riverside County criminal appeals handled?
Riverside County appeals generally go to the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two in Riverside. Appellate case information is searched separately from the Superior Court portal.
10. Where do I search a federal criminal case from Riverside?
Federal cases use PACER and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The Central District’s Eastern Division courthouse is located in Riverside.
Official sources for verifying Riverside County criminal records
- Riverside Superior Court — Search Court Records
- Riverside Superior Court — Public Access Portal
- Riverside Superior Court — Criminal Division
- Riverside Superior Court — RI-MC011 Request for Certified Copies
- Riverside Superior Court — Locations & Contact Information
- Riverside County Sheriff — Inmate Information
- Riverside County Sheriff — Information Services Bureau
- California DOJ — Request Your Own Criminal Record
- California DOJ — Fingerprint Background Checks
- CDCR — California Incarcerated Records and Information Search
- California DOJ — Megan’s Law Website
- California Appellate Courts Case Information
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California — Records