California divorce records are held by the county Superior Court where the case was filed — there is no state-level divorce database for divorces from 1985 forward (CDPH issued state-level divorce certificates only for cases filed 1962–1984). Three steps: (1) Find the case via the California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm — pick the county where you believe the divorce was filed, search the public case-info portal by party name. Examples: LA Superior Court at https://www.lacourt.org; San Diego at https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov; Orange County at https://www.occourts.org; Sacramento at https://www.saccourt.ca.gov; Alameda at https://www.alameda.courts.ca.gov; Santa Clara at https://www.scscourt.org. The search returns case number, parties, filing date, and disposition (Judgment of Dissolution = divorce granted). (2) Order a certified copy from the Clerk's office at the courthouse — certified copy fee $40 first 5 pages + $0.50 each additional page (Cal. Gov. Code § 70626); non-certified $0.50 per page; search-record fee $50 for archived files. LA County offers online ordering at https://www.lacourt.ca.gov/pages/lp/access-a-case/tp/os-access-court-documents/cp/divorce-judgment-documents. (3) Older divorces (pre-2000): often require an in-person archive request — call the Clerk first to confirm digitization. Filing fees for new divorces (for context): Petition for Dissolution $435 under Cal. Gov. Code § 70602.5; Response $435; both fees waivable under FW-001. California does NOT issue state-level divorce certificates for cases filed 1985 onward — copies come ONLY from the Superior Court Clerk in the filing county. Sealed cases (DV-related, financial-disclosure orders, family files involving minors) are not visible to the public. Apostille for international use: get the certified copy first, then submit to California Secretary of State, 1500 11th St, Sacramento. Sources: California Courts, Cal. Gov. Code §§ 70626 / 70602.5, CDPH Vital Records.

Looking up someone in jail or prison in California splits across three layers. (1) County Jail (county-level, pre-trial and short-sentence inmates) — every county sheriff has an inmate locator. LA County at https://app5.lasd.org/ — covers Men's Central, Twin Towers, CRDF, North County (general info: 213-473-6100). San Diego at https://apps.sdsheriff.net; Orange County at https://ocsheriff.gov; Riverside at https://www.riversidesheriff.org; Sacramento at https://www.sacsheriff.com; Alameda at https://www.acgov.org/sheriff_app/ (Santa Rita Jail in Dublin); Santa Clara, Fresno, Kern, San Bernardino, Contra Costa all have public roster portals. (2) California state prison (sentenced felons) — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) inmate locator at https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov — searchable by name or CDCR number, shows facility, parole eligibility, and case info. CDCR operates ~33 prisons housing ~95,000 inmates. (3) Federal Bureau of Prisons at https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/ for federal inmates (FCI Lompoc, FCI Dublin, FCI Mendota, FCI Victorville, MDC Los Angeles, MCC San Diego). (4) Court records for case info — county Superior Court at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm. (5) Visitation, deposit accounts, and inmate phone: each facility uses different vendors — LA County uses GTL; CDCR state prisons use ViaPath/GTL via https://www.connectnetwork.com. Register an account online before visiting. (6) City jails (very short-term holds before transfer): LAPD, SFPD, OPD, SJPD, LBPD all operate Type I facilities. Sources: LASD, San Diego Sheriff, OC Sheriff, CDCR, Federal BOP.

To find your court date in California, check the county Superior Court where your case is pending. Three ways: (1) Online case lookup — every California Superior Court has a public case-info portal showing scheduled hearings. Start with the California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm. LA County at https://www.lacourt.org/pages/lp/access-a-case (search by name or case number); Orange County at https://www.occourts.org; San Diego at https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov; Sacramento at https://www.saccourt.ca.gov. Each portal shows case number, parties, charges/claims, filed date, and next scheduled hearing date and courtroom. (2) Call the Clerk's office for the courthouse where your case is pending — main lines are listed in the directory. (3) Check your citation, summons, or court paperwork — the date is printed on the document. For traffic citations, many counties allow online traffic case lookup with the citation number — LA County https://www.lacourt.org/courts/traffic; San Diego, OC, Riverside, Sacramento all have similar portals. Missed your court date? Bench warrants are typically issued for failure to appear. Quash a warrant: most courts allow a Motion to Quash that re-sets a hearing date for around $32–$60 motion fee — significantly better than getting picked up at a traffic stop. Strong recommendation: if you've missed a court date or might have a warrant, retain a defense attorney before walking into a station. Self-help: California Courts Self-Help Center at https://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp.htm. Sources: California Courts directory, LA Superior Court, California Courts Self-Help.

California warrants are issued by the courts and held by the local law-enforcement agency that will serve them — there's no single statewide warrant database open to the public. Five reliable sources: (1) County Sheriff's online warrant search — many counties publish active-warrant lists. San Diego County Sheriff at https://apps.sdsheriff.net/warrant/ has a searchable Warrant Query by Name (or call the Warrant Office at 858-974-2110); LA County, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Fresno, Alameda, Santa Clara, Kern all publish their own lists or take phone inquiries. (2) Court records at the county Superior Court — every filed case shows whether a bench warrant has been issued for failure to appear. California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm; LA Superior Court at https://www.lacourt.org. (3) Most Wanted lists: California DOJ at https://oag.ca.gov; OC Sheriff Most Wanted at https://ocsheriff.gov; LASD, SDSO, SFPD, and most county sheriffs publish a Most Wanted page. CRIMEWATCH California at https://crimewatch.net/us/ca/most-wanted aggregates many. (4) U.S. Marshals Profiled Fugitives at https://www.justice.gov/action-center/identify-our-most-wanted-fugitives for federal warrants on California soil. (5) Phone the local agency — for a definitive answer, call the sheriff's warrant division or city PD records line for the area where the alleged conduct occurred or where the person lives. What won't show up: confidential warrants in active investigations, sealed indictments, juvenile-court warrants, and many low-level municipal warrants. Quash a warrant: most courts allow a Motion to Quash that re-sets a hearing date for around $32–$60 motion fee — significantly better than getting picked up at a traffic stop. Strong recommendation: if a warrant might be out for you, retain a defense attorney before walking into a station. Voluntary surrender on planned terms — bond posted in advance — beats a traffic-stop arrest. Sources: San Diego County Sheriff, OC Sheriff, California DOJ, U.S. DOJ Wanted Fugitives, CRIMEWATCH California.

Divorce decrees in California come from the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was filed. Three ways to obtain a copy: (1) County Superior Court Clerk — fastest. Find the right court via California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm. LA Superior Court offers online ordering at https://www.lacourt.ca.gov/pages/lp/access-a-case/tp/os-access-court-documents/cp/divorce-judgment-documents — public ordering of divorce judgments without visiting the Archives & Records Center. Orange, San Diego, Sacramento, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Francisco all offer in-person/mail ordering at the courthouse where the case was filed. Certified copy fee statewide: $40 first 5 pages + $0.50 each additional page (Cal. Gov. Code § 70626); non-certified $0.50 per page; search-record fee $50 for archived files. (2) CDPH Vital Records at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records.aspx — issues divorce certificates ONLY for divorces filed 1962–1984. From 1985 onward, copies come ONLY from the Superior Court Clerk in the filing county; CDPH does NOT issue post-1984 divorce certificates. (3) VitalChek at https://www.vitalchek.com — express shipping option for the 1962–1984 CDPH certificates. Filing fees for new divorces (for context): Petition for Dissolution $435–$450; Response $435; both fees waivable under FW-001. California does NOT issue separate state-level divorce certificates for divorces 1985 onward — the Superior Court Clerk's certified copy IS the legal document. Sealed cases (DV-related, financial-disclosure orders, family files involving minors) are not visible to the public. Apostille for international use: get the certified copy first, then submit to California Secretary of State, 1500 11th St, Sacramento. Sources: California Courts directory, LA Superior Court, CDPH Vital Records, Cal. Gov. Code § 70626.

California death records come from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Vital Records at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records.aspx, plus the county health department or county Recorder in the county where the death occurred. Fee (effective Jan 1, 2026 under AB 64): $26.00 per certified copy of a death or fetal-death certificate (was $24); $19 per additional copy of an amended record. The +$2 increase is mandated under H&S Code § 103625(f). Three ordering channels: (1) County Recorder / county health department where the death occurred — fastest. Examples: LA County DPH at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/dca/dcadeath.htm; LA RR/CC at https://www.lavote.gov/home/records/death-records; OC Recorder at https://www.ocrecorder.com; San Diego at https://www.sdarcc.gov; Sacramento at https://ccr.saccounty.gov; Alameda at https://www.acgov.org/auditor/clerk/. (2) CDPH state office in Sacramento at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/pages/vital-records-fees.aspx — slower (4–6 weeks) but covers any California death. (3) Online via VitalChek at https://www.vitalchek.com (express shipping, ~$15 service fee). Eligibility (Cal. H&S Code § 103526): spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, legal representative, person with documented direct interest, or attorney representing such person. Photo ID required for authorized copies; informational copies (not for legal use, marked 'Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity') available to anyone. Funeral home tip: order 6–10 copies if the deceased had multiple bank accounts, real estate, life insurance, or out-of-state assets — each agency typically wants its own original. Apostille for international use: get the certified copy first, then submit to California Secretary of State, 1500 11th St, Sacramento. Free informal confirmations: Social Security Death Master File via FamilySearch.org, Find A Grave at https://www.findagrave.com, local newspaper obituaries. Sources: CDPH Vital Records, AB 64 (2025), Cal. H&S Code § 103526, OC Recorder 2026 Fees Notice, Alameda County Dec 2025 agenda.

There is no single master arrest list in California. Records sit with the agency that made the arrest. Five-source playbook: (1) County Sheriff inmate locator / jail roster for current detainees and recent bookings — every county has its own portal (LA County https://app5.lasd.org/; San Diego https://apps.sdsheriff.net; Orange County https://ocsheriff.gov; Riverside; Sacramento; Alameda https://www.acgov.org/sheriff_app/; Santa Clara; Fresno; Kern). Statewide aggregator (private): California Jail Roster at https://californiajailroster.com. (2) City PD arrest blotter for arrests inside city limits — LAPD at https://www.lapdcrimemap.org and https://data.lacity.org; SFPD at https://data.sfgov.org; SDPD; Sacramento PD; Long Beach PD; Oakland PD; San Jose PD all maintain blotters. (3) Court records for arrests that produced a charge — each county Superior Court has its own portal (California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm); LA Superior Court at https://www.lacourt.org is the largest. (4) State prison (sentenced felons): California Department of Corrections inmate search at https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov. (5) Authoritative personal record: California DOJ Live Scan at https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints — fingerprint-based Personal Record Review, $25 state fee plus rolling fee. Older arrests (pre-2000): file a written CPRA request to the originating agency under Cal. Gov. Code § 7920. What's NOT released: juvenile records (always sealed except for serious-offense disclosures), sealed/expunged matters, identifying victim/witness info in sex offenses or DV cases (Penal Code § 6254(f) — recodified at § 7923.600). Booking photos public per Penal Code § 13300; body-cam footage of officer-involved shootings releasable within 45 days under SB 1421 / AB 748. For employment use: vendors (Checkr, Sterling, GoodHire) wrap state, FBI, court, county, and MVR into one FCRA-compliant report. Sources: California DOJ, county sheriffs, California Courts, CDCR, Cal. Gov. Code § 7920.

Background checks in California come from two different places depending on what you actually need. (1) Official statewide criminal history report — California Department of Justice (DOJ) at https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/record-review. Fingerprint-based; submit BCIA 8016RR form (https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/BCIA-8016RR.pdf) at any Live Scan vendor (IdentoGO, Certifix Live Scan, A1 Live Scan — find one at https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations). Fee: $25 DOJ state fee + $20–$50 rolling fee = $45–$90 total; FBI add-on ~$17. Fee waiver at https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/record-review/fee-waiver. Turnaround 5–10 business days; results mailed only. This is the only authoritative source for your CHRI ('rap sheet') in California. (2) Court records (case-level, third-party visible) — each of California's 58 county Superior Courts has its own portal. Use the California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm to find the correct one. LA County Superior Court at https://www.lacourt.org is the nation's largest. (3) Local arrest/jail rosters — county sheriff inmate locators (varies by county) and city PD blotters. (4) Sex-offender registry (Megan's Law) at https://meganslaw.ca.gov — separate from the criminal history check. Permissible use under Penal Code § 11105: third parties cannot pull your DOJ record without authorization; FCRA-compliant employment vendors (Checkr, Sterling, GoodHire) wrap state, FBI, court, county, and MVR into one report. California Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code § 12952) restricts pre-offer conviction inquiries for employers with 5+ employees. Limits: CA DOJ covers state convictions only — federal cases need PACER; juvenile/sealed records excluded. Accuracy disputes: form BCIA 8706. Sources: California DOJ, Penal Code § 11105, Cal. Gov. Code § 12952, BCIA 8016RR.

California DMV driving records are restricted under the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) — you can pull your own freely, but third parties need a permissible use. Two ways to order your own record (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/customer-service/request-vehicle-or-driver-records/): (1) Online via MyDMV at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/customer-service/request-vehicle-or-driver-records/online-driver-record-request/ — free unofficial copy of your driver record viewable instantly with your MyDMV account; certified copies require the mail-in form. (2) By mail or in person — complete Form INF 1125 (Request for Your Own Records) at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/inf1125-pdf, pay $5 per certified driving record by check/money order payable to DMV, mail to: Department of Motor Vehicles, Public Operations Division, MS G199, P.O. Box 944247, Sacramento CA 94244-2470. Vehicle/vessel registration records also $5 per record. Photo records (driver license/ID card photo) $20/year. Allow 7–10 business days. Driver record types: H6 (10-year commercial), H1 (3-year non-commercial — most common for personal review), H8 (lifetime). Third-party access (insurance, employers, attorneys) requires INF 70 with permissible-use justification under Vehicle Code § 1808 — fees and turnaround are the same. For accident reports, those go through the responding law-enforcement agency, NOT the DMV. For court traffic case info (citations, dispositions): use the county Superior Court — California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm. Online vendors: third-party services charge $20–$40 above DMV fees and pull the same H1 record. Sources: California DMV, INF 1125 form, Vehicle Code § 1808, federal DPPA (18 U.S.C. § 2721).

A probated will in California is filed at the county Superior Court, Probate Division in the county where the decedent resided. Once filed, it becomes a public record. Three steps: (1) Find the case via the county Superior Court online portal — California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm. Examples: LA Superior Court https://www.lacourt.org; San Diego at https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov; Orange County at https://www.occourts.org; Sacramento at https://www.saccourt.ca.gov. Free name search by decedent. Returns case number, executor/administrator, asset summary, and document docket. (2) Order copies from the Clerk's office at the appropriate courthouse — certified copy fee $40 first 5 pages + $0.50 each additional page (Cal. Gov. Code § 70626); non-certified $0.50 per page; search-record fee $50 for archived files. (3) Visit in person if the case is older than ~20 years and not yet digitized. Probate filing fees under the 2026 Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/statewide-civil-fee-schedule-eff-01012026.pdf): Petition for Probate or Letters of Administration $435 (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650); Probate Referee fee ~0.1% of appraised non-cash assets (minimum $150); Spousal Property Petition $435; First objection to probate of will or codicil $435 (Cal. Prob. Code § 8250). Statutory attorney/executor fees under Cal. Prob. Code § 10810: 4% of first $100K, 3% of next $100K, 2% of next $800K, 1% of next $9M, 0.5% of next $15M (a $1M estate yields ~$23K each to attorney + executor). Total court costs typical: $500–$1,500 plus publication costs (Cal. Prob. Code § 8121 requires newspaper notice). Small estate alternative: estates under $184,500 in personal property + $61,500 in real property can use simplified procedures (Cal. Prob. Code § 13100) — no court filing for personal property; small Affidavit for real property. Important: a will alone does NOT transfer property — it must be probated to be enforceable. Sealed: family-conservatorship matters and certain juvenile probate guardianships are not publicly visible. Sources: California Courts Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (2026), LivingTrust-Attorneys.com Probate Cost Guide, Cal. Prob. Code §§ 10810 / 13100 / 8250, Cal. Gov. Code § 70650.

California has no statewide property database — each of the 58 counties runs its own Recorder and Assessor offices. You'll usually deal with two offices for any given parcel. (1) County Recorder for the actual recorded documents (deeds, deeds of trust, releases, liens, plats, surveys). Most counties offer free online document search — examples: LA County RR/CC at https://www.lavote.gov/home/recorder; San Diego at https://www.sdarcc.gov; Orange County at https://cr.ocgov.com; San Francisco at https://www.sfassessor.org; Sacramento at https://assessor.saccounty.gov; Alameda at https://www.acgov.org/auditor/clerk/; Santa Clara at https://clerkrecorder.sccgov.org; Riverside at https://www.asrclkrec.com. (2) County Assessor for parcel valuation, ownership, and parcel maps — same county sites typically host both. (3) County Treasurer-Tax Collector for tax-payment status. Recording fees statewide (per Cal. Gov. Code § 27361): base $13 first page + $3 each additional; +$75 SB 2 fee per non-exempt real estate transfer (Building Homes and Jobs Act). For typical 1-page deed, plan on ~$88 first page. Documentary Transfer Tax: $1.10 per $1,000 of value, plus city-specific local taxes (LA Measure ULA adds $4.50 per $1,000 for transfers under $5M; SF charges 0.5%–6% sliding scale). Certified copies $5 + $0.50 per page. Statewide aggregators (paid services covering all 58 counties): ParcelQuest at https://www.parcelquest.com (~13 million parcels updated daily); California Property Records at https://californiapropertyrecords.us; U.S. Title Records at https://www.ustitlerecords.com/california/. Free statewide directory: California State Board of Equalization at https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/assessors.htm lists every county Assessor. Property fraud alert: most county Recorders offer free email notification when documents record under your name. Sources: ParcelQuest, California Property Records, Cal. Gov. Code § 27361, California State Board of Equalization.

Your California driving record comes from the California DMV. Two ways: (1) Online via MyDMV at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/customer-service/request-vehicle-or-driver-records/online-driver-record-request/ — free unofficial copy of your driver record viewable instantly with your MyDMV account; certified copies require the mail-in form. (2) By mail or in person — complete Form INF 1125 (Request for Your Own Records) at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/inf1125-pdf, pay $5 per certified driving record by check/money order payable to DMV, mail to: Department of Motor Vehicles, Public Operations Division, MS G199, P.O. Box 944247, Sacramento CA 94244-2470. Allow 7–10 business days. Vehicle/vessel registration records also $5 per record. Photo records (driver license/ID card photo) $20/year. Driver record types: H6 (10-year commercial), H1 (3-year non-commercial — most common), H8 (lifetime). Restricted under federal DPPA (18 U.S.C. § 2721) — you can pull your own freely; third parties (insurance, employers, attorneys) need a permissible-use justification on Form INF 70 under Vehicle Code § 1808. Online vendors charge $20–$40 above DMV fees and pull the same H1 record. For accident reports, those go through the responding law-enforcement agency, NOT the DMV. For court traffic case info (citations, dispositions): use the county Superior Court at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm. Required SR-1 reports (accident with injury, death, or >$1,000 damage): file with DMV within 10 days using Form SR-1, separate from your record request. Sources: California DMV, INF 1125, Vehicle Code § 1808, federal DPPA (18 U.S.C. § 2721).

Looking up someone in jail or prison in California splits across three layers. (1) County Jail (county-level, pre-trial and short-sentence inmates) — every county sheriff has an inmate locator. LA County at https://app5.lasd.org/ (general info: 213-473-6100); San Diego at https://apps.sdsheriff.net; Orange County at https://ocsheriff.gov; Riverside at https://www.riversidesheriff.org; Sacramento at https://www.sacsheriff.com; Alameda at https://www.acgov.org/sheriff_app/ (Santa Rita Jail); Santa Clara, Fresno, Kern, San Bernardino, Contra Costa all have public roster portals. (2) California state prison (sentenced felons) — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) inmate locator at https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov — searchable by name or CDCR number, shows facility, parole eligibility, and case info. CDCR operates ~33 prisons housing ~95,000 inmates. (3) Federal Bureau of Prisons at https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/ for federal inmates (FCI Lompoc, FCI Dublin, FCI Mendota, FCI Victorville, MDC Los Angeles, MCC San Diego). (4) Court records for case info — county Superior Court at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm. (5) Visitation, deposit accounts, and inmate phone: each facility uses different vendors — LA County uses GTL; CDCR state prisons use ViaPath/GTL via https://www.connectnetwork.com. Register an account online before visiting. (6) City jails (very short-term holds before transfer): LAPD, SFPD, OPD, SJPD, LBPD all operate Type I facilities. Sources: LASD, San Diego Sheriff, OC Sheriff, CDCR, Federal BOP.

California auto theft rates are tracked by two authoritative sources. (1) California Highway Patrol — California Vehicle Theft Facts at https://www.chp.ca.gov/siteassets/forms/recruiting/2024-ca-vehicle-theft-facts.pdf — annual statewide report. 2024 numbers: 176,230 vehicles stolen statewide (~16.7% decrease from 2023). Of those, 43.44% were trucks/SUVs, 39.38% automobiles, 6.04% other categories. (2) FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) at https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/ — drill down by city, county, agency; covers all California agencies that submit to NIBRS. (3) Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) Crime Trends at https://www.ppic.org/publication/crime-trends-in-california/ — peer-reviewed analysis showing auto theft dropped 16.7% in 2024 but remains 19.3% above 2019 levels. (4) National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) at https://www.nicb.org publishes an annual 'Hot Spots' report ranking California metros — Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, and the Bay Area consistently rank in the top 25 nationally for vehicles stolen per 100,000 residents. (5) California Department of Justice OpenJustice portal at https://openjustice.doj.ca.gov — free statewide crime data including motor-vehicle theft rates by jurisdiction; downloadable as CSV for any year 2000–present. Highest-rate areas (recent): Bakersfield-Delano metro consistently ranks #1 in California and often #1 nationally for stolen vehicles per capita; Stockton-Lodi, Modesto, and Fresno-Madera also rank in the top 10. Lowest rates: many Bay Area suburbs and coastal counties like Marin, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz. Tip: ZIP-level theft data is available from individual city PDs via CPRA request (Cal. Gov. Code § 7920) — most major-city PDs publish open-data dashboards (LAPD, SFPD, SDPD, Oakland PD, Sacramento PD). Sources: California Highway Patrol 2024 Vehicle Theft Facts, FBI Crime Data Explorer, PPIC Crime Trends, NICB Hot Spots, California DOJ OpenJustice.

To find an upcoming court date in California, the county Superior Court's online case search is the fastest source. Steps: (1) California Courts directory at https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm — find the county where the case is filed. (2) Click through to that county's case-information portal. Examples: LA Superior Court https://www.lacourt.org/pages/lp/access-a-case; Orange County https://www.occourts.org; San Diego https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov; Sacramento https://www.saccourt.ca.gov; Alameda https://www.alameda.courts.ca.gov; Santa Clara https://www.scscourt.org; San Francisco https://www.sfsuperiorcourt.org; Riverside; San Bernardino https://sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov; Fresno https://www.fresno.courts.ca.gov; Kern https://www.kern.courts.ca.gov. (3) Search by name, case number, or attorney; the result page shows next hearing date, time, courtroom/department, and judge. (4) Tentative rulings for civil law-and-motion hearings are usually posted on the court's website 1–2 court days before the hearing — LA Superior at https://www.lacourt.org/tentativerulings; Fresno at (559) 457-4943; OC, SD, Alameda, Sacramento all post tentative rulings online. (5) Phone the court if the online portal is down or returns no result — every Superior Court has a Court Clerk's main line. (6) Traffic citations: California Courts traffic-ticket portal at https://www.courts.ca.gov/14430.htm — pay online, request trial, or check court date. (7) Family law and probate hearings often appear in the same online portal but are sometimes calendared separately — check the case file's 'Future Hearings' tab. Important: bench warrants for failure to appear are issued automatically when a defendant misses a calendared date, so confirming and attending is critical. Sources: California Courts directory, LA Superior Court, county Superior Court portals.