LA County Court Records 2026: Search Cases, Deeds & Docs

LASC: The Largest US Trial Court System

The Los Angeles Superior Court (LASC) serves 9.7 million residents across LA County’s 4,083 square miles. It’s the largest single unified trial court in the United States with an annual budget of nearly $1 billion, almost 5,000 employees, and approximately 1.2 million cases filed each year — roughly 804,000 criminal matters, 273,000 civil filings, and 86,000 family-related matters. The court’s website receives an average of 2.1 million monthly visitors, one of the most-visited public judicial resources nationally.

The 9 LASC divisions

2025 Domain Change & Post-Ransomware Recovery

Two major events reshaped LASC’s digital landscape in 2024–2025:

July 1, 2025 — New primary domain launched

After nearly two years of redesign, LASC officially moved from lacourt.org to LACourt.ca.gov on July 1, 2025. The new domain:

• Enhances public trust by using the California government-exclusive .ca.gov extension
• Features mobile-responsive design across all 1,500+ content pages
• Introduced streamlined navigation with quick links for self-represented litigants
• Automatically redirects all lacourt.org traffic to the new domain

Legacy URLs still work. If a case-search portal link still shows lacourt.org, that’s fine — the redirect handles it. Court email addresses remain @lacourt.org for now, with a phased migration to @lacourt.ca.gov in progress.

July 2024 — Ransomware attack recovery

On July 19, 2024, LASC suffered a major ransomware attack that took all 36 courthouses offline. Case management, e-filing, jury duty systems, and online portals were unavailable for nearly a week. The court has since rebuilt with significantly upgraded cybersecurity, and as of 2026 all systems operate normally — but some archived case data from mid-2024 may still show gaps. If a case from that window can’t be found online, request it in person at the relevant courthouse.

Free Case Number Search — 4 Steps

If you already have the case number, the Case Summary portal gives you free access to docket information, hearing dates, parties, and proceedings. This is the fastest free path.

1. Open the Case Summary portal Go to lacourt.org/casesummary/ui/. No registration or fee required.
2. Choose case type Select Criminal, Civil, Family, or Probate. Each has a different case-number format (see the Case Prefix Decoder in the insider tips section below).
3. Enter the exact case number Format matters. Modern cases use YYSTCV###### format (2-digit year + ST for Stanley Mosk Central + case type + number). Example: 24STCV12345. Use uppercase letters and include leading zeros.
4. Review case details You’ll see parties, filing date, courthouse and department, case type, hearings calendar, and the full docket timeline. Some documents display free; others require purchase.

Criminal Records Search by Defendant Name

The LASC Criminal Case Summary portal searches by defendant name across the Superior Court system. Coverage:

• Felony cases — from 1980 to present
• Misdemeanor cases — from 1988 to present (some back to 1983)
• Infractions & traffic — varies by courthouse

Step-by-step search

1. Open the criminal name search portal Go to lacourt.org/criminalcasesummary/ui/.
2. Sign in or use Guest Login Register an account or use Guest. Both require a valid Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or debit card. American Express is NOT accepted.
3. Enter the defendant’s name Last name first. Try spelling variants; middle initial helps narrow results. Date of birth is optional but recommended.
4. Pay the search fee Roughly $4.75 per name search (set by California Rule of Court 2.506). You’re charged whether or not records are found — the fee pays for the search, not the result.

Civil, Family Law, Probate & Small Claims Search

For non-criminal cases, use the Civil Case Index portal. Updated daily.

What’s covered

• Civil Unlimited — claims of $35,000 or more (raised from $25,000 effective 2024)
• Civil Limited — claims between $12,500 and $35,000
• Small Claims — up to $12,500 individuals, $6,250 businesses (raised 2024)
• Family Law — divorce, custody, support, restraining orders
• Probate — wills, trusts, conservatorships, guardianships
• Unlawful Detainer (Eviction) — filed under Civil Limited

Step-by-step search

1. Open the Civil Index portal Go to lacourt.org civil index.
2. Choose case type and enter name Pick Civil, Small Claims, Family Law, or Probate. Enter the litigant name. Wildcards (*) help with uncertain spelling.
3. Pay the public access fee Sliding scale: registered users pay less per result page; guest users pay a flat ~$4.75 per search.
4. Open case details Results show case number, type, filing date, courthouse, and count of imaged documents. Click any case for the full party list and proceedings docket.

Warrant Search & “Is There a Warrant?” Check

This is one of the most-searched LA court-record queries. The answer depends on who’s asking and what you want to find:

If you think YOU might have a warrant

• For traffic-related warrants — search the LASC Criminal Case Summary by your own name. Outstanding traffic-infraction warrants often appear here.
• Call the court that issued the citation — each courthouse has a Warrant Unit. Call the main LASC line at 213-830-0803 and ask to be transferred based on your case number prefix.
• Go to a courthouse with photo ID — you can ask at any courthouse clerk window whether an active warrant exists. This is the safest way to resolve a mistaken-identity concern without risk of arrest.

If you’re searching for someone else’s warrant

• The LASC criminal name search may show outstanding failure-to-appear warrants as part of the case summary.
• California DOJ and FBI databases are not public; those require Live Scan authorization.
• LA Sheriff’s Department maintains a separate warrant hotline: 888-833-2737 (Warrants Info Line).

LACourtConnect 3.0 — Remote Appearances

LACourtConnect (LACC) is LASC’s remote appearance platform, now on version 3.0. It handles approximately 2,800 remote appearances daily. You can attend hearings from laptop, desktop, tablet, or phone.

How it works

LACC is actually two systems working together: the LACC portal (my.lacourt.org/laccwelcome) handles scheduling and check-in; the actual video conference runs on Microsoft Teams. You’ll receive a Teams link after check-in.

Step-by-step for your first remote appearance

1. Create a Court ID Go to my.lacourt.org/laccwelcome and register. A Court ID is required for LACC 3.0 — guest access is limited.
2. Schedule your appearance (up to 14 days in advance) Search by case number, calendar, or name. Select your hearing and complete the registration. Note: bookings max 14 days out (reduced from 30 in earlier versions).
3. Test your equipment the day before Use the “Test Your Equipment” link in your confirmation email. Recommended browsers: Chrome (best audio) or Firefox. Do NOT use: Internet Explorer. Have Microsoft Teams installed as a desktop or mobile app — works better than browser.
4. Check in 15 minutes before your hearing Log into LACC, check in, and wait for the Teams connection. You’ll be placed in a virtual courtroom.

Who can appear remotely

Most civil, family law, and probate matters permit remote appearances. Criminal arraignments and certain evidentiary hearings still require in-person appearance. As of 2026, LASC is expanding LACC to additional criminal courthouses per a March 2026 announcement. Check with your assigned department.

Federal Court Records via PACER

Federal cases in LA are at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (CACD) — the largest federal district court by population in the country. CACD covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.

All federal records are accessed through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records).

1. Register for a free PACER account Go to pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. Free to create; credit card on file for usage.
2. Search the CACD case index Use the CACD CM/ECF lookup. Search by case number, party name, attorney, or date range.
3. Pay per page $0.10 per page, capped at $3.00 per document (30 pages). Quarterly usage under $30 is waived. Audio recordings: $2.40 each.
4. Download PDFs Full PDFs of pleadings, orders, motions, and judgments. Save, print, or email.

CACD Clerk’s Office — main LA location

In-Person Clerk’s Office Requests (Form ADM-080)

For old cases, sealed petitions, certified copies, or complex requests, in-person at the Clerk’s Office is often required. Most cases live at the courthouse where filed.

1. Identify the courthouse Use the LASC courthouse locator or decode from the case prefix (see insider tips).
2. Download Form ADM-080 Get the Request for Copies (Form ADM-080) from lacourt.org/forms. Fill in case number, parties, document types, contact info.
3. Visit the Clerk’s Office Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Bring photo ID, the completed form, and payment (check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, debit — no Amex, no personal checks in some locations).
4. Pay the fee $0.50 per plain page, $40 per certified document. Routine requests same-day; archived cases 2–6 weeks.

Order Certified Copies of Court Documents

Certified copies bear the LA Superior Court seal and are required for: appeals, immigration filings, name-change proof, divorce decree submission to IRS or Social Security, probate filings in other states, and out-of-state professional license applications.

Central Certification Unit address

Sealed & Confidential Records

California Rule of Court 2.550 frames the rule: records are presumed public, but specific categories are sealed by law.

Always sealed (no public access)

• Juvenile dependency — Welfare & Institutions Code §827
• Juvenile delinquency (under 18)
• Adoption records — Family Code §9200
• Mental health (LPS conservatorship) — W&I §5328
• Domestic violence shelter locations
• Confidential informant identities
• Grand jury proceedings

Sealed by court order

• Expunged cases — Penal Code §§1203.4, 1203.4a
• Sealed arrests — Penal Code §851.91 (factually innocent)
• Civil cases sealed by motion — typically trade-secret
• Settlements with confidentiality clauses (limited)

How to access a sealed record

Generally you can’t. Exceptions:

• Party to the case — photo ID + case number at Clerk’s Office
• Attorney of record — same + State Bar number
• Petition to Unseal (Cal. Rule of Court 2.551) — must show public interest outweighs sealing reasons
• Credentialed news media via Media Access Portal (MAP)

Expungement & Record Sealing in LA

Expungement routes

Filing §1203.4 dismissal

1. Get your case docketPull from LASC criminal index. Verify case number and conviction details.
2. Complete Forms CR-180 & CR-181Petition for Dismissal + Order for Dismissal from courts.ca.gov/forms.
3. File at the original courthouseFiling fee: $60 (waivable via Form FW-001 for low-income).
4. Wait for hearing or orderSome paperwork-only cases decided in 4–8 weeks; hearings 8–16 weeks. DA may object.

Traffic Tickets & Infractions

LASC handles approximately 4 million traffic cases annually — more than all civil, family, and criminal combined. Most can be resolved entirely online.

Look up and pay a ticket online

1. Open the traffic portal Go to lacourt.org/division/traffic. Enter your citation number or driver’s license number.
2. Review options Pay in full, request traffic school, request an extension, or contest (trial by written declaration or in person).
3. Pay online Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or debit card. Service fee applies.

Traffic school

If eligible, traffic school keeps the violation off your record for insurance purposes. Cost: ~$54 court fee + $20–$50 school fee. You can take it online through any DMV-approved school (DMV list). One traffic-school allowance every 18 months.

All 36 LA Superior Court Courthouses

LA’s geography means cases are heard at one of 36 courthouses distributed across 9 judicial districts. Knowing which courthouse holds your case avoids wasted trips.

Stanley Mosk Courthouse — the civil flagship

Major courthouses by district

For the complete list of all 36 courthouses with phone numbers and ADA accessibility, see the official LASC courthouse directory.

2026 Fee Schedule (LASC + PACER)

Insider Tips: 10 Things Locals Know

Frequently Asked Questions