Find a Los Angeles Court Case Without Paying for the Wrong Search
Los Angeles County now has a new Court Access Portal, but the older civil and criminal name-search systems are still operating during the 2026 pilot. That matters because the route you choose determines what you can search, whether a fee appears, which records are covered, and where you must go when a document is too old or restricted for remote access.
This guide starts with the information already in your hand—a case number, party name, citation, filing year or document title—then routes you to the correct official court tool. It also shows how to avoid duplicate name-search fees, recover a paid search with its receipt, identify older archived files, and request the exact copy you need instead of paying for unnecessary records.
Los Angeles Launched a Unified Court Access Portal on July 31, 2026
The Superior Court launched the Court Access Portal as a pilot designed to bring basic case information, future hearing dates, filing history, document access and calendar information into one modern interface. The public search surface currently includes options for a case number, party name, business name, filing date and citation number.
The transition is not complete. The court says the existing legacy case-information channels remain available during the pilot while testing continues. That is why this guide explains both the new portal and the older case-specific searches rather than pretending one system has already replaced everything.
Start With What You Already Know
Do not begin by buying a name search automatically. Pick the route below that matches the strongest identifier you already have.
This is usually the fastest and most precise route. Start with the new Court Access Portal.
Use case-number searchCivil-family-probate-small claims and criminal defendants historically use different paid name indexes.
Search a name carefullyThe new portal exposes a citation-number field, while ordinary traffic matters also have dedicated Traffic tools.
Choose the citation routeDo not keep paying for name searches when the filing year predates the online index.
Use the archive workflowFirst decide whether you need a plain image, certified copy, exemplified copy or only the judgment.
Prepare the requestWhich Los Angeles Court Search Should You Use?
Los Angeles is currently operating both the new unified portal and older case-specific services. Treat the new portal as the first lookup point, but know when a legacy service is still useful.
Start here when you have a case number, party name, business name, filing date or citation number. The pilot combines information across multiple litigation types.
Useful when you need the established court-wide name index and understand the separate electronic-search fee.
Supports Exact Match, Starts With and Sounds Like searching. Traffic and other infractions are excluded.
Use when the filing year falls outside online coverage or when the court record is not imaged remotely.
Before You Pay for a Name Search, Run This 60-Second Check
The legacy Los Angeles name-search fee is charged for running the search—not for finding the person you wanted. A little preparation can prevent several unnecessary transactions.
- Look for a case number first. Check any summons, complaint, minute order, judgment, hearing notice, attorney email, citation, payment notice or earlier court PDF.
- Identify the matter type. Decide whether it is civil, family law, probate, small claims, criminal or traffic. Do not pay for a criminal defendant search to look for an ordinary traffic infraction.
- Write down the legal name before opening the payment screen. Include a former surname, middle name, company legal name or spelling variation only when you have a reason to believe the court used it.
- Do not add a guessed filing date. An incorrect date range can exclude the desired case while the submitted search remains chargeable.
- Check whether the filing year is within online coverage. For example, a 1975 family case will not be found in a name index that begins in 1983.
- Decide guest versus registered use before paying. Under the current legacy fee schedule, registered-user searches 1 through 10 in a calendar month are $1 each, while a guest search is $4.75.
- Confirm the amount on the final authorization screen. The legacy service charges the card before party-name or defendant-name results are displayed.
If You Know the Case Number, Start There
A complete case number is much more precise than a name and can save the separate legacy name-search charge. The new portal was specifically designed to make case-number lookup easier across litigation types.
- Copy the number exactly as it appears on a court document. Preserve letters, digits, leading zeroes and suffixes. If copying by hand, double-check zero versus O and one versus I.
- Open the Court Access Portal and choose Case Number. Enter the complete identifier rather than attempting to decode it from memory.
- Confirm the case title and case type. Make sure the parties and category match the matter you intended to locate.
- Write down the filing courthouse. You will need it if a document is unavailable online, if you need certification, or if you need to call the court.
- Review the filing history and future hearing information. Do not rely on an old notice when a newer court event is visible.
- Save the case number outside the portal. Put it in your notes together with the court location and exact document title you may need later.
Searching a Person or Business in Civil, Family, Probate or Small Claims
The legacy Search for Case by Name service covers Civil, Small Claims, Family Law and Probate litigants. It returns the litigant name, case type, filing date, filing location and the number of imaged documents available for purchase.
Use this sequence when you only know a person’s name
- Search the new portal first. The current Court Access Portal includes Party Name and Business Name search fields. Check the screen for any fee disclosure before submitting a paid action.
- If you move to the legacy name index, choose person or company correctly. For a person, use the first and last name. For a company, use the business name appearing in the likely court filing.
- Start with the most reliable version of the name. Avoid nicknames unless the court paperwork actually uses one.
- Do not buy multiple spelling experiments in rapid succession. Review likely former surnames, punctuation and company suffixes before authorizing another transaction.
- Use filing dates only when reliable. If you only know that a dispute occurred “around 2018,” use a sensible range rather than a single guessed date.
- Open every plausible result and compare the filing location. The same name can appear in unrelated cases throughout a county this large.
- Copy the case number immediately. Once you have it, stop searching by name and switch to case-number lookup.
Know the legacy name-index start dates
| Case category | Legacy online name-index range | If the filing is older |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Civil | 1983 to present | Check the Archives and Records Center or record-holding courthouse. |
| Family Law | 1983 to present | Use the older-record route rather than repeating online searches. |
| Probate | 1983 to present | Ask whether the case is archived and where the file is stored. |
| Limited Civil | 1991 to present | Contact the court about older index/file availability. |
| Small Claims | 1992 to present | Contact the originating courthouse when necessary. |
For a Criminal Case, Use the Defendant Search Deliberately
The legacy criminal defendant-name index is separate from the civil-family-probate-small-claims index. Its search modes can be useful when a criminal defendant’s spelling is uncertain, but every submitted legacy name search is still subject to the applicable fee.
Use this first when you have the name from court paperwork, a case notice or another reliable source.
Enter more characters as needed to make the returned list manageable rather than paying for many unrelated searches.
Useful when a surname was heard rather than read or has several common spellings.
Narrow with a filing start or end date after you know the search method returns the expected spelling.
How far back does the criminal defendant index go?
| Case category | Published legacy index range | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | 1980 to present | Older felony cases may require archive research. |
| Misdemeanor | 1988 to present | Some misdemeanor index information extends to 1983 depending on when former Municipal Court locations automated. |
| Traffic / other infraction | Not included in criminal defendant-name results | Use the Traffic service instead. |
What Los Angeles Online Court Searches Actually Cost
“Public record” does not mean every remote electronic service is free. The court’s legacy electronic-access system uses separate charges for name searches and downloaded document images.
The current legacy schedule charges $4.75 per name search.
The current schedule lists $1 per search for the first ten registered-user searches during the month.
The fee still applies. The court says the fee is for performing the electronic search, not for guaranteeing a result.
These are billed separately from name searches and are charged only after documents are located and selected for download.
| Legacy transaction | Current published fee | When charged |
|---|---|---|
| Guest name search | $4.75 per search | Before the search result appears, after a payment-confirmation screen. |
| Registered search 1–10/month | $1 each | Per submitted search. |
| Registered search 11–99/month | $4.75 each | Per submitted search. |
| Registered search 100–999/month | $4.50 each | Per submitted search. |
| Document pages 1–5 | $1 per page | After selecting a document for download. |
| Document page 6+ | $0.40 per additional page | After selection. |
| Maximum online image charge | $40 per document | Per downloaded document under the current legacy schedule. |
Paid for a Search or Document? Save the Receipt Before You Close the Page
The receipt is not just accounting paperwork. Guest users need it to recover paid search results or purchased documents without starting over.
Guest name-search results remain available for 24 hours after the transaction.
The guest Redo Search button is available only for two hours after the original search.
Downloaded document purchases remain retrievable for 30 days from the receipt date.
Use the receipt number plus the last four digits of the payment card to add the transaction back to Guest Information.
Recover a guest transaction
- Return to the court’s Online Services login.
- Continue as a guest.
- Open the Receipts area.
- Select Add Receipt.
- Enter the receipt number.
- Enter the last four digits of the card used for payment.
- Use the available action to retrieve the result or document.
- Save the PDF locally rather than relying on the 30-day portal window.
Finding a Case Does Not Mean Every Filing Is Downloadable
The legacy Case Document Images service provides scanned versions of supported public filings. A docket can exist even when the underlying PDF has never been scanned or is not allowed to be displayed remotely.
Current legacy document-image coverage
| Case/document category | Published image coverage | When to use a courthouse instead |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Civil — Stanley Mosk | Beginning March 15, 2000 | If an older public filing is not imaged remotely. |
| Limited Civil, including Unlawful Detainer | Beginning January 1, 1970 | When the record is not scanned or statutory access restrictions apply. |
| Small Claims | Beginning January 21, 1988 | When the desired document is outside the scanned collection. |
| Family Law | Beginning May 1, 2000 | When a public filing is not remotely available or is protected. |
| Probate | Beginning January 1, 2001 | For older, non-imaged or restricted material. |
New filing missing? Allow for imaging time
The court says case documents are generally scanned and made available online within about 72 hours, not counting weekends and court holidays. Some filings take longer.
How to buy only the document you actually need
- Open the correct case. Verify the parties and filing location before selecting a document.
- Read the event description. Identify whether you need the complaint, petition, minute order, judgment, dismissal, decree or another filing.
- Check the filing date. Similar document titles can appear more than once in a long-running case.
- Review the page count and displayed cost. Do this before authorizing payment.
- Download and save the PDF. Purchased images remain accessible for 30 days, but a local copy avoids having to buy the document again after that period.
- Keep the receipt with your saved file. This makes transaction recovery much easier if the PDF is corrupted or incomplete.
Confirm a Same-Name Result Before Treating It as the Right Person
Los Angeles County has millions of residents. A matching first and last name is a lead, not identity proof.
Does the category match the expected lawsuit, divorce, probate matter or criminal case?
Compare the filing year with the event or dispute you are researching.
Does the courthouse make sense for the known case or prior paperwork?
Check whether the person is plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent or another participant.
Known businesses, attorneys or co-parties can help distinguish identical names.
A complaint or charge does not establish liability or guilt. Read the later outcome.
If a docket term is unfamiliar, use the site’s Court Records Glossary rather than guessing what an entry means.
No Result? Diagnose the Failure Before Running Another Paid Search
A blank result can mean the case is in a different portal, predates the online index, uses a different name, is traffic-related, has not yet been imaged, or is restricted from public remote access.
Wrong case type
You used the civil-family index for a criminal defendant, the criminal index for traffic, or a state court search for a federal matter.
Case predates the online index
Compare the filing year with the published date coverage before changing the spelling and paying again.
Name was indexed differently
Check former surnames, middle names, corporate suffixes and spelling against a reliable document.
Bad date filter
A guessed filing range can hide the right result. Remove uncertain filters before another search.
Public case, missing image
The docket can exist while a filing has not been scanned or is outside remote image coverage.
Restricted record
Sealed, confidential, paternity and certain minor-related records are not ordinary public online documents.
Run this recovery sequence in order
- Confirm the document says Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.
- Search the complete case number if you can locate it anywhere.
- Use the new Court Access Portal as the first current lookup point.
- Identify the correct legacy index only if you still need a name search.
- Compare the filing year with the index start date.
- Remove guessed filing-date filters.
- Check traffic separately.
- Move to Archives for an older file.
- Use PACER if the document names a federal court.
- Contact the filing courthouse when the official record is still unclear.
Traffic Citations Have Their Own Search Route
The legacy criminal defendant-name search expressly excludes traffic and other infractions. If you are holding a traffic citation, use the court’s Traffic tools rather than buying a criminal-name search.
- Read the citation number directly from the ticket or court notice.
- Try the new Court Access Portal’s Citation Number option if appropriate.
- Use Search My Ticket for the dedicated traffic workflow.
- Confirm the courthouse and due date displayed by the court.
- Use the court-issued notice for appearance requirements.
Older Los Angeles Cases: Stop Searching Online and Check Archives
When the filing year falls outside online name-index coverage, the next step is not another paid spelling variation. Many older files are handled through the court’s Archives and Records Center or the courthouse where the case originated.
It is the fastest way to identify an archived or off-site file.
This helps staff determine whether Archives or the originating courthouse is the likely record holder.
“Judgment filed around May 1996” is more useful than asking for “everything.”
Not every older misdemeanor, limited civil or small-claims file is stored at the central archive.
Archives and Records Center address
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles — Archives and Records Center
222 N. Hill St., Room 212
Los Angeles, CA 90012
What to put in a mail request
The court’s Archives mail-request instructions direct users to complete the Request for Copies form. Prepare these details before mailing anything:
- Your name, mailing address and contact phone number.
- Complete case number when known.
- Approximate filing year.
- Party names.
- Specific document or documents requested.
- Whether you need ordinary or certified copies.
- Any special instructions necessary to identify the record.
Request the Right Court Copy Instead of Ordering the Entire File
Before requesting records, ask the receiving organization what it actually needs. A case summary, downloaded PDF, plain copy, certified copy and exemplified copy serve different purposes.
Useful when you need basic docket information, parties, filing date, hearings or status.
Useful for reading an eligible filing, but it is not automatically a certified copy.
Use when you need the actual filed document but formal clerk certification is not required.
Request only when the receiving court, agency or organization specifically requires that authentication.
What the Los Angeles Request for Copies form asks you to identify
The court uses local form LASC ADM 080 — Request for Copies in relevant copy workflows. Prepare the information the form is designed to capture before contacting the clerk:
- Courthouse or court location.
- Plaintiff/petitioner and defendant/respondent names.
- Case number.
- Document type.
- Document filing date when known.
- Number of copies.
- Whether certified copies are required.
- Your name, telephone number and mailing address.
- Special instructions necessary to identify the filing.
Copy-request workflow
- Locate the case number and filing courthouse. Do not send a request to a generic county office if the court file is held elsewhere.
- Identify the exact document. Examples include judgment, dismissal, minute order, decree, complaint, answer, will or another named filing.
- Ask whether an online image will satisfy your purpose. This can eliminate mail processing when certification is unnecessary.
- Confirm the required authentication. Ask the receiving organization whether it wants a plain copy, certified copy or exemplified copy.
- Check the current court fee. General copy and certification charges are separate from legacy electronic name-search and document-download fees.
- Confirm which office holds the file. An older file may be at Archives, off-site storage or the originating courthouse.
“I need a [plain/certified/exemplified] copy of [exact document title] in Los Angeles Superior Court case [complete case number]. It was filed around [date/year]. Can you confirm which office holds the file, the current fee, accepted payment method, and whether I can request it remotely?”
Before paying, use the site’s Court Record Types Explained guide if you are unsure whether you need a docket, judgment, order or certified copy.
Need Only a Divorce Judgment? Do Not Order the Whole Family-Law File
Los Angeles provides a dedicated Divorce Judgment Documents service. This can be a much more direct route when the document you actually need is the final divorce judgment rather than every filing in the family case.
Use this sequence
- Find the family-law case number if you do not already have it.
- Confirm that the case is the correct dissolution proceeding.
- Open the dedicated Divorce Judgment Documents service.
- Select the specific judgment copy you need.
- Choose certification or exemplification only when required.
| Divorce judgment option | Current dedicated-service listing | When useful |
|---|---|---|
| Certification | $15 per copy | When an organization requires a certified divorce judgment. |
| Exemplification | $50 per copy | Only when the receiving authority specifically requires exemplification. |
Why a Public Case Can Still Have Documents Missing Online
Remote electronic access is not identical to the complete courthouse record. California access rules, court orders, privacy protections and the court’s imaging history can all limit what appears on the internet.
Sealed and confidential material
The court’s document service does not publish sealed or confidential documents for ordinary public remote access. A court order sealing a record is different from an ordinary technical failure to display a PDF.
Paternity and cases involving minors
The court identifies paternity cases and other cases involving minors among the categories not available for ordinary public online document viewing.
Unlawful Detainer records have a special 60-day access rule
California law restricts public access to certain unlawful-detainer case information during the first 60 days after filing. For qualifying cases filed after January 1, 2004, restrictions can continue if a defendant prevails during that period.
Public terminal access can be broader than remote access
The court says public-access computers are available at Los Angeles courthouses for reviewing public records. Use this route when a public filing is not remotely imaged but is otherwise available for public inspection.
There Is No Single Los Angeles Court Records Phone Number
Case records are tied to the courthouse and division handling the file. The most reliable phone workflow is to locate the case first, write down the filing location, and then use the court’s current courthouse directory.
Find the case and use the phone number published for the courthouse handling that file.
Check the Archives page first to confirm whether that office or the originating courthouse holds the file.
Traffic Call Center: (213) 633-6300, currently listed 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday except holidays.
Use the Online Services FAQ/support route and keep your receipt number, card-last-four information and error details available.
These Records Belong Somewhere Else
| Record you need | Why a Superior Court search is wrong | Better source |
|---|---|---|
| Current jail custody | A court docket is not a live jail roster. | Los Angeles County Sheriff or the responsible detention agency. |
| Police report | Police reports are law-enforcement records. | The investigating police department or sheriff. |
| Marriage certificate | A marriage record is not a divorce judgment. | Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. |
| Birth or death certificate | These are vital records, not trial-court case files. | County or California vital-record services. |
| Property deed | Recorded land documents are separate from court dockets. | Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. |
| Federal lawsuit or bankruptcy | Federal courts do not use the Los Angeles Superior Court portal. | PACER and the appropriate federal court. |
For a broader explanation of state, local and federal routing, see the site’s public court case lookup guide.
A Zero-Waste Los Angeles Search Workflow
Use this checklist when you want the shortest possible path from “I need a court record” to the exact official source.
- Decide what you actually need: case number, docket, hearing date, one filing, judgment or certified copy.
- Check paperwork for the case number. If found, skip paid name-search discovery.
- Start with the new Court Access Portal.
- If using a legacy paid name index, confirm the case type first.
- Check the published date range before paying.
- Save the case number and filing courthouse immediately.
- Write down the exact document title and filing date.
- Check online images before requesting a clerk copy.
- Save purchased PDFs and receipts locally.
- Move to Archives when the case predates online coverage.
- Ask the receiving organization what certification it requires.
- Use the filing courthouse as the final source for official status and copies.
Use Court Search Results Carefully
A name-index result can contain allegations, dismissed cases, duplicate names, amended filings and incomplete remote documents. It is not a fingerprint-verified background report.
- Do not assume a criminal charge resulted in conviction.
- Do not assume a civil complaint resulted in liability.
- Do not identify someone from a common name alone.
- Do not treat an online image as a certified copy unless the court says it is certified.
- Do not use this website as an employment, tenant, credit, insurance or licensing screening service.
For regulated screening limitations, read the site’s FCRA and Consumer Reporting Notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best place to start a Los Angeles court case search in 2026?
Start with the new Los Angeles Court Access Portal, launched as a pilot on July 31, 2026. The court is still keeping legacy case-information services available during the pilot, so some tasks may still route to older systems.
Can I search Los Angeles court records by name?
Yes. The new Court Access Portal includes Party Name and Business Name fields. Legacy services also provide a civil-family-probate-small-claims name index and a separate criminal defendant-name index.
Is the legacy Los Angeles name search free?
No for a guest search. The current legacy guest fee is $4.75 per submitted name search. Registered-user pricing uses a sliding schedule, including $1 each for searches 1 through 10 in a calendar month.
Will I be charged if the legacy name search finds no match?
Yes. The court states that the fee is for performing the electronic search, so the charge applies even when the desired record is not found.
How long can I recover a paid guest name search?
Guest name-search results currently remain available for 24 hours. The Redo Search action is available for only two hours after the original search.
How long can I retrieve a purchased Los Angeles court PDF?
The legacy Online Services system currently keeps purchased documents available for 30 days from the receipt date. Save the PDF locally because the court says you may have to purchase it again after that period.
How soon does a newly filed court document appear online?
The court says document images are generally scanned and placed online within about 72 hours, excluding weekends and court holidays. Some records can take longer.
Why can I find the case but not the actual document?
The filing may not have been scanned, may fall outside the document-image date range, or may be sealed, confidential or otherwise restricted. A courthouse public-access computer or the filing clerk may provide the correct next step for a public record.
How do I find an old Los Angeles court case?
Check the published online-index dates first. If the case is older, contact the Archives and Records Center or the originating courthouse with the party names, approximate filing year and case number if known.
Is an online document image a certified court record?
Not automatically. A downloaded image may be enough for reading or research, but when another organization requires official certification, request the appropriate certified copy from the court office holding the case.
Sources and Verification Notes
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Court Access Portal
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Access a Case
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Online Services Fee Information
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Online Services FAQ
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Guest Information
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Access Court Documents
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Archives and Records Center
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Archives Mail Requests
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Obtaining Copies
- Los Angeles Superior Court — Search My Ticket
The site’s Source Verification and Manual Checking Policy explains why the record-holding court remains the final source for current access, fees, restrictions and certified copies.
The new Court Access Portal pilot, legacy civil and criminal name indexes, fee schedule, payment rules, guest receipt recovery, document-image coverage, archive workflow, copy routes, divorce judgment service and traffic contacts were reviewed against current court sources.
Los Angeles is actively transitioning its case-information technology. Portal screens, fees, legacy availability, document access, courthouse assignments and contact details can change. The current Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles source controls when it differs from this guide.