Lake County Court Records

Lake County court records are official documents encompassing details about the proceedings and decisions taken in any court within the county. They usually contain documents like transcripts of hearings, motions, pleadings, orders, judgments, and other court filings submitted by case parties (Rule 2.550 of California Rules of Court). Court records are mainly categorized into two primary classifications: civil court records and criminal court records, depending on the kind of case.

Courts maintain public records for many reasons, including improving the justice system, legal accountability, and transparency. For starters, court records offer formal documentation of the arguments presented, evidence filed, and decisions made by the court. Court records also promote accountability within the justice system by permitting members of the public to access records of legal procedures and ensuring that courts are straightforward and accountable.,

Typically, Lake County court records comprise an array of information, including docket information, pleadings, orders, motions, indictments, summonses, and other legal documents submitted by case parties. These public records also constitute California court records.

Are Court Records Public in Lake County?

Yes. According to Section 6252.5 of the California Public Records Act, interested members of the public can acquire public records in Lake County by querying the agency maintaining them. Court records are classified under public records; thus, most are accessible to the public for investigation and duplication.

However, state law or court order restricts certain court records from public access. Appendix 1 of the California Trial Court Records Manual (TCRM) outlines these exclusions, which are:

• Juvenile dependency or delinquency records
• Subpoenaed records
• Court documents filed under sealed
• Arrest records regarding a defendant found factually not guilty
• Reports to a court about a defendant's mental competence.

It is worth noting that while the California Public Records Act (CPRA) does not permit members of the public to access records regarding a court's adjudicative functions, the judicial administrative records are under the California FOIA.

Lake County Court Records Search

Researchers can conduct a Lake County court records search at the following places:

• A local court clerk's office.
• The California State Court's online Case Information system.
• An online search portal provided by the local court.

Lake County Courts

Lake County, California, has only one type of court system—the Lake County Superior Court. This is California's largest trial court system, with two branches across Lake County. Below is the directory of the courthouse locations in Lake County:

Lake County Superior Court - Clearlake Division
7000 A South Center Drive,
Clearlake, CA 95422
Phone: (707) 994-6598

Lake County Superior Court - Lakeport Division
255 North Forbes Str.,
4th Floor, Room 417
Lakeport, CA 95453
Fax: (707) 262-1327
Phone: (707) 263-2374

Lake County Criminal Records

A Lake County criminal record is official documentation of a person's criminal history, comprising arrests, convictions, charges, and sentencing. Various agencies in Lake County collate and hold these records.

These include the Lake County Superior Court, the Lake County Sheriff's Department, the Lake County Probation Department, and the California Department of Justice.

The Superior Court maintains records of criminal court cases tried in the court. Requesters may acquire a criminal record by visiting the clerk's office of the Superior Court to perform the search in person. At the court clerk's office, one must provide a valid I.D. card and some details connected to the case (defendant's name, filing number, or filing date) and pay the necessary fees for acquiring the records.

For arrests made by the Sheriff's Department, one may visit the Lake County Sheriff's office. Thus, researchers will need to visit the office in person, provide the relevant details, and pay every associated fee at the following location:

Lake County Sheriff
1220 Martin Street
P.O. Box 489
Lakeport, CA 95453

In addition, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) holds records of all statewide criminal cases. Thus, researchers may request criminal records from the DOJ's official website or visit the office to perform the search in person.

Get Lake County Civil Court Records

In Lake County, researchers may visit the local civil court where a civil case was filed to acquire the record. However, inquirers should contact the court in advance to confirm its availability. Individuals may then utilize the computers at the kiosk to search for a record or request staff assistance. Also, one must pay 50 cents per page for plain copies at the clerk's office.

Researchers may also acquire civil records by using the online search portal provided by the Lake County Superior Court Clerk's office.

Lake County Marriage Records

A Lake County marriage record (or certificate) is an official document about the legal marriage of people within the county. This certificate also includes public or confidential marriage certificates.

The Lake County Recorder's Office collates and maintains marriage certificates. Thus, members of the public may access Lake Court marriage records by visiting the office at the location below:

Lake County Clerk-Recorder's Office
255 North Forbes St,
Lakeport, CA 95453

Requesters should call the Recorder's office at (707) 263-2293 (public) or (707) 263-2311 (private) and include the required access fee of $17 for marriage certificates in Lake County, California. Mail-in requests can also be done by filling out the application for a certified copy of marriage record and mailing to:

Lake County Clerk-Recorder's Office
255 North Forbes St,
Lakeport, CA 95453

Note: According to State declarations, there are no fees for certified copies of marriage records for any case party that lost the record due to certain wildfires. Eligible applicants must include a Sworn Statement pdf when requesting a free certified copy from the Recorder's Office.

Lake County Divorce Records

Lake County divorce records are held by the Superior Court's office, which handles various court cases, including marriage and dissolution of marriage cases. In the Superior Court, dissolution of marriage cases are filed, finalized, and maintained for future purposes. Thus, interested members of the public may access divorce records in Lake County, California, by visiting the physical location of the Superior Court courthouse to search for records in person.

Requesting individuals should also contact the Lake County Superior Court by phone at (707) 263-2374.

Lake County Birth and Death Records

Birth and death records are considered vital records in Lake County, California, as they record some of the most essential details of all individuals. The Lake County Health Services Department, Office of Vital Records and Registration, handles the registration of every birth and death occurring within the county only.

However, it is worth stating that the Office of Vital Statistics maintains both birth and death certificates for this year and last year only. Interested members of the public may access a birth or death certificate by visiting the physical address of the Vital Records and Registration at:

Lake County Vital Records and Registration
922 Bevins Court,
Lakeport, CA 95453

One may also email the Vital Records and Registration Office at vitalstats@lakecountyca.gov to request for a birth or death records in Lake County.

Older birth and death certificates are available and accessible from the Lake County Recorders Office. It is also worth stating that only authorized persons will be permitted to request a certified copy of birth or death certificates. To do this, authorized requesters must fill out a request form for birth or death, provide the fees for accessing records ($29 for birth certificates and $24 for death certificates) by check, cash, or money order, and send the form to:

Lake County Recorder
#255 North Forbes Street,
Lakeport, California 95453.

Note: requests should be made during regular business hours, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, from Monday through Thursday (Friday, 8:00 am to 11:45 am).

Lake County Probate Court Records

Lake County probate records pertain to the administration of wills, estates, trusts, and guardianships. The Lake County Superior Court collates and maintains the filing of all probate cases within the county and also distributes these records to members of the public.

Members of the public may obtain a Lake County probate record by visiting the Superior Court Clerk's office to perform the request in person at any of the Superior Court locations stated above. Researchers must provide relevant case details (case number, date of filing, or name of case party), the required fees for plain or certified copies of records.

At the clerk's office, one may use the online search terminal provided at the courthouse or request staff assistance.

Alternatively, one may obtain Lake County probate records by visiting the online search portal provided by the Superior Court's website.

Lake County Property Records

Lake County property records comprise comprehensive details about real estate properties, such as ownership, parcel number and boundaries, deeds and ownership transfers, property tax assessments and payment history, liens, mortgages, and encumbrances. These records enable individuals, legal entities, and the government to track financial information and ownership of real properties.

The Lake County Assessor-Recorder's Office is the official body that collates, maintains, and handles the dissemination of property records to members of the public. To obtain property records, individuals may visit the physical address below:

Lake County Assessor-Recorder's Office
#255 North Forbes Street,
Room 223,
Lakeport, CA 95453
Phone: (707) 263-2303
Fax: (707) 263-3703

Lake County Court Records Online

Interested researchers can obtain Lake County court records on either government or third-party platforms. Reliable third-party firms like Californiacourtrecords.us are run by independent firms that collate public records from multiple repositories and sell them to individuals.

One benefit of using third-party firms to search for court records is that they aggregate court information from several sources, offering convenience in accessing these records. They usually have more user-friendly interfaces and can be easily interacted with.

However, these platforms usually charge fees for access to records, which can be comparatively more expensive than searches on government sites. Also, the details on these platforms may be incomplete or outdated; thus, researchers should ensure that the details are valid by confirming them with government platforms.