Riverside County CA Court Records Search & Case Lookup

Use Riverside Superior Court, Not the County’s General Records Office

The County of Riverside itself tells court-record users that it does not maintain Superior Court records. Civil, criminal, traffic, family-law and probate case information belongs with Riverside Superior Court.

For a plain-English comparison of a docket, judgment, order and certified copy, see Court Record Types Explained.

Before You Log In: Know Which Actions Are Free and Which Cost Money

Riverside separates the cost of finding a case from the cost of obtaining its documents. This is the most important part of the workflow for avoiding unnecessary charges.

The login requirements people commonly miss

• An online account is required before using Public Access.
• Your browser must accept cookies.
• The court warns that popup blocking must be disabled for the portal.
• The system allows a maximum of 30 searches or case lookups in each five-minute period.
• The rate limit applies to manual and automated activity.
• Trying to bypass the limit with scripts, automation or multiple accounts can cause additional restrictions.

Five Portal Tools That Do Different Jobs

Do not use “court record” as if it means one screen. Riverside separates the name index, docket, calendar, documents and probate notes.

Probate Notes can lag close-to-hearing filings

The court says Probate Notes are last updated in the evening three business days before the scheduled hearing and reflect documents filed at least four court days before the hearing.

If You Have the Case Number, Follow This Search Path

A case number is the strongest practical identifier and avoids the paid name-index step.

1. Sign in to Public Access. The account requirement still applies even though the case-number search itself is free.
2. Choose Case Number Search. Enter the complete number exactly as it appears on the citation, notice, complaint, judgment or other court paper.
3. Open the returned case. Riverside displays the Register of Actions when the case is selected.
4. Verify the parties and case type. Check that you have the intended civil, family, probate, criminal or traffic matter.
5. Read the docket before opening Documents. Note the title and filing date of the exact judgment, order or pleading you need.
6. Use the case number everywhere after that. Keep it for clerk calls, certified-copy requests and later free lookups.

If You Only Know the Name, Use One Paid Search Efficiently

Riverside calls this an index search. It returns case numbers and filing dates associated with the party name entered.

1. Create or sign in to the official account. Confirm the portal before purchasing credits.
2. Purchase only the number of searches you expect to use. For one lookup, the smallest current option is one $1 credit.
3. Enter the legal person or organization name. Use the name likely to have been entered in the court case.
4. Compare the returned filing dates and case numbers. A same-name result is not enough to establish identity.
5. Open the likely case and inspect its Register of Actions. Compare case type, parties and event history with what you already know.
6. Save every relevant case number before leaving. You can then use the free case-number route for future review.

Family Law and Divorce Records Need Their Own Workflow

Riverside’s Family Law Division handles divorce and domestic-partnership dissolution, parentage, custody and visitation, child and spousal support, and domestic-violence matters. Not every document within those matters is publicly available.

How far back can the electronic family-law search go?

The court currently states that almost all family-law cases from April 1992 forward are available through its electronic case-search system.

To find a divorce decree

1. Use the case number if you have it. That avoids a paid name search.
2. Otherwise search one spouse’s name through the index. Save the matching dissolution case number.
3. Open the Register of Actions. Confirm that the parties and filing date match the divorce you intended to find.
4. Locate the final judgment or dissolution record. Do not assume a minute entry is the same document as the final decree.
5. Ask the receiving agency what copy type it needs. Ordinary electronic access and certified dissolution records have different purposes and charges.

Family-law court locations

The Family Law Division currently lists Riverside Family Law Courthouse, Blythe Courthouse, Larson Justice Center in Indio and Menifee Justice Center. The filing or hearing location matters when you send a certified-copy request.

Criminal and Traffic Searches Have an Important Identity Restriction

Riverside revised its clerk search policy on October 11, 2024. That change matters when a common name produces several criminal or traffic cases.

When date of birth or driver’s-license information may be used

The court’s policy allows an individual to request a search of their own case-history information using DOB and/or driver’s-license information after showing valid identification.

Criminal courthouse in downtown Riverside

Riverside Hall of Justice
4100 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92501
951-777-3147

The Hall of Justice currently serves criminal matters and provides a public viewing computer and a drop box.

A New Eviction Case Can Be Missing for a Valid Legal Reason

Riverside states that unlawful-detainer cases are confidential for the first 60 days. That creates a very different no-result scenario from an ordinary civil case.

The court notes an access exception for qualifying interested parties who can provide the information required under the applicable California rule, including at minimum one plaintiff name, one defendant name and the property address.

Check the Electronic Coverage Date Before Paying for Another Search

Online coverage does not begin on the same date for every courthouse or case type. An old file can exist even when the portal does not include it.

The court’s current page has an early-Indio civil date conflict

The official coverage page presently lists both May 1991 and September 1993 as Indio Civil starting points. If your research turns on an Indio civil filing from that early period, do not pick one date and assume it is definitive.

Docket First, Document Second, Certification Last

These are three separate levels of access. Using them in the right order reduces both cost and confusion.

Current Public Access document-download pricing

If a docket term is unclear, check the verified internal Court Records Glossary before interpreting the result.

Choose Between a Court Search, Ordinary Copy and Certified Copy

A records search, a copy request and certification are different services. Asking for the wrong one can add cost without solving the user’s actual need.

What the 2026 official fee schedule says

Certified-copy submission routes

Riverside’s Public Access instructions say certified copies for civil, family law, probate, criminal or traffic records can be requested using local form RI-MC011. The court currently accepts the form through eSubmit or by mail/drop box to the proper courthouse with the required payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

For non-exempt eSubmit transactions, the court currently lists a $2 transaction fee. eSubmit accepts up to 15 documents and one case per submission.

What the $15 Court-Performed Records Search Does — and Does Not Do

When Public Access does not find an expected case, Riverside lets you request a search by court staff. The current charge is $15 per name.

Use it when

• The case may predate online coverage.
• You have a reliable party name and approximate year but no case number.
• The self-service portal did not locate an expected case.
• You need the case number before requesting an older file or copy.

Do not use it when

• You already know the case number.
• You simply need an available electronic document.
• You need certified copies rather than a search result.

Older, Purged, Sealed and Off-Site Records Require Different Next Steps

A failed electronic search can reflect the court’s retention system rather than a spelling problem.

Checking a Hearing Date? Use the Right Calendar Tool

Public Access can show current and future calendar dates up to seven days. Riverside also runs a dedicated eCalendar for Criminal, Traffic and Probate departments that currently shows the present day and the next three business days.

Three Downtown Riverside Courthouses Are Only Blocks Apart — but Serve Different Matters

Searching the correct case and then driving to the wrong Main Street building is an avoidable mistake.

Public viewing computers and drop boxes

The court’s current location pages show public viewing computers and drop boxes at the Riverside Family Law Courthouse, Riverside Hall of Justice and Riverside Historic Courthouse.

Current clerk-office hours for those downtown locations are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., excluding court holidays. General clerk telephone hours are currently 7:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Countywide phone routing

Need a Marriage Certificate Instead of a Divorce Record?

A divorce decree and a marriage certificate are maintained by different offices.

Advanced Researchers Have a Separate Index-Purchase Option

The 2026 court fee schedule separately lists Name and Case Number Indexes at $16 per index per month per case type. This is different from buying a $1 Public Access name-search credit.

If the Case Is an Appeal or Federal Matter, Leave the County Trial-Court Portal

California appeal

The California Appellate Courts Case Information system covers Supreme Court and Court of Appeal cases. It can search by appellate or trial-court case number, party, attorney or case caption.

Federal case

Federal cases use PACER rather than Riverside Superior Court Public Access. The Central District of California operates its Riverside federal courthouse at:

George E. Brown, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse
3470 Twelfth Street
Riverside, CA 92501
951-328-4450

No Case Found? Diagnose the Failure Before Paying Again

Use this sequence instead of repeatedly purchasing name credits.

Recovery checklist

1. Confirm whether you know the complete case number.
2. If not, use one paid name-index search.
3. Save all plausible case numbers and filing dates.
4. Confirm the case category and courthouse region.
5. Compare the filing year with Riverside’s electronic coverage dates.
6. For a recent eviction, apply the 60-day access rule.
7. For criminal or traffic records, respect the court’s identifying-information restrictions.
8. Check whether the case could have been purged under the retention schedule.
9. Use the $15 court-performed search when a retained older case is still expected.
10. Move to California appellate search or PACER when the matter is not a Riverside Superior Court trial-level case.

Do Not Turn a Search Result Into a Conclusion It Does Not Support

For responsible research procedures, use the verified internal How to Use This Website guide.

Do not use this site as a consumer-reporting service for employment, tenant, credit, insurance, licensing or similar eligibility decisions. See the FCRA and Consumer Reporting Notice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Riverside Court Records

Official Sources Used for This Riverside Guide

See the site’s verified Source Verification and Manual Checking Policy for how official links, fees, forms, phone numbers and court-access instructions are reviewed.