Kern County Court Records

A Kern County court record is any document, paper, or exhibit that the court keeps on file as part of the regular course of the legal process and any order or judgment issued by the court (California Rules of Court, Rule 2.502(3). Various communication and representation techniques, including paper, optical, electronic, magnetic, micrographic, and photographic media or technology, are used to create, manage, and archive Kern County court records.

Court records guarantee that legal proceedings are conducted fairly and objectively. Judges and lawyers can use these documents to confirm that everyone in the case follows the proper legal procedures. They may also be used as evidence in subsequent legal procedures.

In Kern County, Court records include all filed papers and documents in the case folder. They also include administrative records filed in an action or proceeding, depositions, paper exhibits, transcripts, and recordings of electronically recorded proceedings filed, lodged, or kept in connection with the case.

Are Court Records Public in Kern County?

Yes. The California Public Records Act provides public access to governmental bodies' public records in California. Hence, court records are assumed to be part of Kern County's public records. Anyone wishing to receive court records may submit a request to a local courthouse or the record custodian. However, several court records are exempt from public disclosure by statute, regulation, rule of court, or case law.

The California Trial Court Records Manual provides an extensive list of sealed and confidential court records that the general public cannot access. Some of these records include juvenile records, the identity of sex offense victims, psychiatric records or reports, social security numbers and financial account numbers, subpoenaed business records, records of adoption proceedings, uniform Parentage Act documents, etc.

Kern County Court Records Search

Interested persons may conduct a Kern County court records search through the following channels:

• Case information Search online tool
• A court clerk's office
• The relevant courthouse where the case was filed
• A third-party public records website

Kern County Court Records Search by Name

Anyone interested in searching Kern County court records by name may visit the court clerk's office in person. To facilitate the search, inquirers must have the subject's name.

Alternatively, interested persons may conduct a court records search by name using the Case Information Search online tool provided by the Kern County Superior Court. For criminal records, select “Accept and Enter” to begin a search. Click the relevant option under the “Name Searches” header, input the first and last name of the party involved, and click on Search. However, users may need to register to conduct a non-criminal case search.

To get general or certified copies of any public court record, inquirers may contact the custodian’s office in person or via mail. Copy requests are usually processed for a small fee, determined by the page or content. Interested persons may look up the Superior Court fee schedule to determine the relevant certification and copy fee required for the relevant court record.

Kern County Courts

The Superior Court of California, County of Kern, is the only type of court that can be found within the county. The court does, however, have several branches and divisions to meet the needs of Kern County residents. They are as follows:

Kern County Superior Court Delano
1122 Jefferson St
Delano, CA 93215
Phone: (661) 610-7300

Kern County Superior Court Jury Division
1661 L St
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Phone: (661) 610-6800

Juvenile Justice Center
2100 College Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93305
Phone: (661) 610-6900

Kern County Superior Court Lamont
12022 Main St
Lamont, CA 93241
Phone: (661) 610-7100

Kern County Superior Court Metropolitan Division
1415 Truxtun Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Phone: (661) 610-6000

Metropolitan Division Justice Building
1215 Truxtun Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Phone: (661) 610-6000

Metropolitan Traffic Division
3131 Arrow St
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Phone: (661) 610-7000

Kern County Superior Court Mojave
1773 State Highway 58 Business
Mojave, CA 93501
Phone: (661) 610-7400

Revenue Recovery Division
5555 California Avenue, Suite #100
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Phone: (661) 610-7500

Kern County Superior Court Ridgecrest
132 E Coso Ave
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Phone: (661) 610-7450

Kern County Superior Court Shafter
325 Central Valley Hwy
Shafter, CA 93263
Phone: (661) 610-7200

Kern County Superior Court Case Search

Interested parties may conduct Superior Court case searches in Kern County using various means. Inquirers may visit the courthouse where the case was initiated or heard and request access to the record of interest. This is efficient when seeking to obtain an official certified record from the court. At the court, inquirers may request help from the staff or use the public terminals to search for electronic case information for free. Interested persons may find the relevant court by looking up the location and contact information of the court online.

Individuals who cannot visit a courthouse in person may conduct a superior court case search via mail. In this case, the requester provides the court staff with specifications to search on their behalf and send copies of any identifying records to a given address by filling out the Request Court Records form. Every requester has to specify the required record and their contact details and submit the form and the necessary payment to the appropriate court location. Payment must be made to the Kern Superior Court and can be done via credit card, money order, or check. It is worth noting that:

• Each page costs fifty cents.
• The initial charge for a generic search is $15.

Because the fees for photocopying cannot be determined in advance, requesters may enclose a check (with both spaces for the amount left blank), indicating a "Not to exceed $50" notation in the memo section of the check (located in the lower left-hand corner).

Members of the public may also utilize the online “Case Information Search” tool provided by the superior court. Searches can be carried out by name, case number, and court calendar. Members of the public may not obtain copies of court records on the superior court’s website. However, anyone can request a transcript, which is a printed version of the court session verbatim.

The superior court handles felonies, misdemeanors, infractions, minor civil disputes, domestic violence, elder abuse, divorce, child support, spousal support, child custody, parentage, juvenile cases, and others.

Kern County District Court Records

California's legal system has only three tiers: the trial (superior) courts, courts of appeal, and the Supreme Court. In Kern County, the Superior Court of California handles all legal procedures and receives all requests for court records.

Kern County Criminal Records

Under the California Public Records Act, Kern county criminal records are available to the general public. This is in keeping with Section 7923.610 of the CPRA, which states that the public is generally granted access to basic arrest information. Information such as the full name, occupation, physical description (DOB, color of eyes and hair, sex, height, and weight), time and date of arrest, location of arrest, including all charges the individual is being held upon, may be obtained by the public.

To obtain a Kern County arrest or criminal record, interested persons may contact the Kern County Sheriff's Office in person, via mail, email, and over the phone at (661) 391-7624. The Arrest Records Unit is responsible for processing bookings for every person booked into the downtown Central Receiving Facility and disseminating local criminal history information to authorized individuals. Interested persons may also complete and submit a Public Records Request form or search the Record Request Archive.

Arrestees must fill out a Request for Live Scan Service form and electronically submit their fingerprints to the Department of Justice in Sacramento to obtain a copy of their state criminal history. After filling out the form, arrestees can go to any live scan location to get their fingerprints taken. Depending on the live scan site used, there is a rolling fee ranging from $10 to $25 in addition to the $25 state tax.

Anyone arrested by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office may also purchase a booking photo for $5 by appearing in person with a photo ID.

Furthermore, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) offers statewide criminal history records for individuals who have been arrested in several jurisdictions.

Kern County Criminal Court Case Lookup

The Criminal Court Division of the Kern County Superior Court handles all criminal court cases within the county. These criminal records apply only to criminal matters that were tried or otherwise resolved through adjudication within the county. Anyone who wishes to look up criminal court case information may do so through the following methods:

• Contact the courthouse where the criminal court case was filed in person or make a request via mail
• Utilize the Criminal Case Search online tool provided by the Kern County Superior Court. You can search by name, court case number, and criminal calendar.

Get Kern County Civil Court Records

The Civil Court Division of the Kern County Superior Court handles non-criminal legal disputes between several parties. The Superior Court maintains and disseminates Kern County Civil Court records. Interested parties can either request photocopies or visit the court to inspect the original file and, if necessary, request photocopies of the documents there.

Alternatively, registered users may look up civil case records via the Non-Criminal Case Search online tool. Interested persons seeking civil court records may also Request Copies of Transcript Proceedings by mail and pay the required fees.

Some examples of civil Court records are those that can be obtained from civil court cases, such as small claims cases, limited and unlimited jurisdiction cases, domestic and general abuse cases, gender change, adoption, name change, and civil appeals.

Kern County Family Court Records

The Family Law Division of the Kern Superior Court generally deals with matters involving violence within families, relationships between parents and children, and marriages. This department handles legal issues such as divorce, legal separation, nullity, domestic violence, restraining orders, elder abuse, parentage, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, and family support. However, most family court records are not open to public access.

Interested persons may obtain public family court records by contacting the Kern County Superior Court in person. Inquirers have the option to either view the original file or mail a request for photocopies. Requesters may be required to provide a valid ID to access family court records within the county.

Members of the public may also conduct a family court records search online through the use of the e-access portals provided by the superior court.

Kern Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution is the formal term for divorce in California. There are two procedures for obtaining a dissolution or divorce: the standard procedure, known as a regular dissolution, and a quicker and simpler method, summary dissolution, which is not available to everyone.

A Summary Dissolution of Marriage in the State of California involves ending a marriage of fewer than 5 years without children. Therefore, anyone seeking a summary dissolution of marriage record or divorce records may contact the court where either of the spouses filed the case or utilize the Case Search System provided by the superior court.

Kern County Marriage and Divorce Records

Several government organizations maintain and provide marriage and divorce records in Kern County. Public and confidential certified marriage records are maintained by the Kern County Hall of Records and the Kern County Clerk's Office, respectively. Public marriage records may be acquired from the Hall of Records through the following methods:

• Order Online: Interested persons may look up basic information on marriage records online for a fee.
• Order in person: During working hours, individuals may visit the Hall of Record in person. Cash, money orders, or checks are accepted forms of payment. During the interim period, certificates will be generated. Interested persons may look up the Hall of Records' contact information before visiting.
• Order by Mail: Mail requests require a 10-14 days processing period. Interested persons obtain a marriage record by filling and submitting the Mail-order Marriage Certificate Application.

Confidential marriage records may be obtained from the Kern County Clerk's Office in person and via mail. Mail requests involve filling out and submitting the Application for a Certified Copy of a Confidential Marriage Certificate.

Certified copies of a Confidential Marriage License are only available to the married couple. A Superior Court order is required before a certified copy can be released to anyone other than the married couple. To acquire a certified copy of a private marriage license, an individual may need to supply the date of marriage and the complete names of both married parties.

The fee for a certified copy of both a Public and confidential Marriage License is $17.00.

Interested persons looking for a divorce record may obtain it by contacting the court where the divorce proceeding was filed or looking up the divorce records in the “Case System Search” online.

Kern County Birth and Death Records

The Kern County Department of Public Health – Vital Records (KCDPH-VR) and the Kern County Clerk's Office maintain and disseminate records of births and deaths that occurred within the county.

• Kern County Birth Records: The County Vital Records Office can provide birth certificates for births between 1960 and the present. The cost for each copy of a certified or informational certificate is $29.00. Interested persons may obtain birth records:
• In-person: Monday to Friday, during business hours at the

Kern County Office of Vital Records
1800 Mt Vernon Ave, 1st Floor
Bakersfield, CA 93306-3302
Phone: (661) 321-3000

• Via mail: This is done by completing and submitting the Application for Birth Certificate form
• Online
• Kern County Death Records: The office can also provide death certificates from 1993 to the present. The costs consist of $24 for certified or informational death certificates and $21 for certified or informational fetal death certificates per copy. Interested persons may obtain death records through the following process
  • In-person: Mondays to Fridays during working hours at:

Kern County Office of Vital Records
1800 Mt Vernon Ave, 1st Floor
Bakersfield, CA 93306-3302
Phone: (661) 321-3000

• Via mail: By completing and submitting the Funeral Establishment Death Certificate Request form
• Online: Through a third-party website in partnership with the state.

Certificates for births occurring before 1960 and certificates for deaths occurring prior to 1993 can be obtained from the County Recorder's Office. To combat identity theft, the California Health and Safety Code, Section 103526, restricts who is eligible to obtain certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records.

Kern County Probate Court Records

Actions pertaining to marriage licenses, trusts, involuntary commitments, the estate of a deceased person, an individual's will, the estate of a child or disabled person, and trusts are all under the original jurisdiction of the Probate Court. To obtain Kern County Probate Court records, inquirers may:

• Look up Probate Notes at the case's Events and Hearings section. This search service is available to registered users only.
• Request probate court information via mail at:

Superior Court of California County of Kern
Probate Court
2100 College Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93305

• Visit the probate office in person to make enquiries concerning a probate court record

To obtain copies, a requester must send a written request that includes contact details, the fee, the case number, the date and name of the document(s) being requested for, and a stamped, self-addressed envelope. A certified copy of the decedent's death certificate or a court order requiring the production of the will are required when requesting a copy of a will. Fees for requests are payable to the Superior Court of Kern County.

Kern County Property Records

Property records for Kern County are kept in custody by the Office of the Assessor-Recorder. It is mandated that all County property owners record their property documentation at the Main Office. Important details concerning real estate, such as ownership, assessment, and taxation, are contained in property records, often known as real estate records. A Kern County property records search can be conducted in person by visiting the Recorder's Office.

Individuals may also conduct a property records search online through the following processes:

• Assessor Property Search: Search criteria includes search by address, ATN, and Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN)
• Assessor's Parcel Map Search: This search can be carried out by entering the Assessor's Parcel Number.
• Parcelquest Property Search: Search criteria includes search property search and document search.

Kern County Court Records Online

In Kern County, public access to court records is also made possible through third-party aggregate sites like Californiacourtrecords.us. Independent organizations that collect public records from various sources, such as courthouses, and then make them available to the broader public are the owners of third-party websites.

Typically, a user may search a third-party database for free. However, detailed information may require a fee. Users can also subscribe for a monthly or annual charge based on how frequently they search.