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Sacramento County Criminal Records
Use Sacramento’s criminal-record guidance to find a case number, distinguish CR-278A from CR-278C, and request certified or ordinary copies.
Start with Sacramento’s new criminal portal
Case information after the system change
The court implemented its new criminal system on August 10, 2026. Use the current Criminal Portal for party-name and case-number searches. It describes its public online output as limited case information.
An older case may lack a digital document
The portal warns that cases before August 10, 2026 may not contain digitized documents. Public kiosks are available at the criminal front counter on the courthouse’s second floor. For access assistance, call 916-874-5522, option 1 for criminal.
Choose Sacramento name research or a document request
| What you already know | Request route | Scope or cost to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| You cannot find the case number | Submit CR-278A, the Local Criminal Records Name Search Request, in person, by mail or to [email protected]. | The Criminal Records instructions list $15 per name, due with the request. |
| You need several names searched | Attach CR-278A-1 to the name-search request. | Include the applicable fee for each name. |
| You know the case and want filed papers | Use CR-278C, the Local Criminal Records Copy Request. | Identify the particular documents and whether certification is required. |
| The case predates 1989 | Ask about the public microfiche at Criminal Records. | The clerk’s stated research service covers Sacramento criminal cases from 1989 onward. |
Make the copy order specific enough to price and fulfill
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Select documents, not just a case
The CR-278C form lets you request items such as the complaint, disposition, judgment and sentencing, abstract of judgment, probation orders or minute orders. Include the case number and defendant name.
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Confirm the certified-copy quote
The records webpage and the linked form display different per-page certified-copy charges. Ask Criminal Records for the current total before sending payment; do not assume the name-search fee includes your copies.
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State any upcoming appearance
The court asks for the date when timing matters, but does not guarantee completion before it. Its records instructions also say incomplete requests or requests without required fees can be returned.