THE SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA
FAQs

The court encourages parties to conduct their own records search through the court’s Criminal Records Request system.
If court staff is asked to complete a records search and the search takes more than 10 minutes, a fee of $15.00 will be assessed pursuant to Government Code section 70627(c) for each search conducted.
The fee for copies is $.50 per page and if certification is requested, an additional $40.00 per document will be assessed.
Requests for records searches, copies, or certification may be made in person or by mail. If the request is made by mail, complete the Request for Records Search and/or Copies form and submit a check payable to the ‘Superior Court, County of Alameda.’ DO NOT SEND CASH. If the total amount owing is unknown, indicate under the amount line ‘not to exceed $40.00.’ The correct amount will be filled in and a receipt will be forwarded along with the requested copies. All checks must be preprinted from the banking institution with the maker’s name. Copy orders are filled within 7-10 working days.
Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope large enough to accommodate the requested documents


Copy .50 per page
Certification fee $40 per request and copy fee
Postage as required
Search Fee * (*$15 for searches requiring more than 10 minutes or requiring the retrieval of off-site records)

What are my payment options?
After you receive the bill for your request, you have the option of paying online, mailing a check, paying in cash at a court location.

Saving the customer’s Credit Card Information with a secure service
Customers can select an option to save the credit card information when they pay using QuickPay. This information is stored with a secure service and pre-populates the payment screen with the stored information.

Web payment available for customers with registered accounts
Customers who registered accounts with Criminal Records Request System now have the option to pay their invoice online using a Visa or MasterCard.

Can I make a note in the request?
Yes, we have added a receipt notes field.

How does a credit or debit card transaction appear on my statement?
Your credit card statement will indicate Superior Court of Alameda County on your statement.

Do you keep my card details?
Yes, we can store credit card information ONLY upon your authorization while signing up or updating your account.

How can I pay?
We accept MasterCard or VISA for payment.

How do I buy credits?
If you have an account, log in and follow the prompts. If you do not have an account, you must Create an Account to buy credits.

Disclaimers
All information provided by the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda through this internet service is provided "as is", with no warranties, expressed or implied, including the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. The Superior Court of California, County of Alameda furthermore, does not guarantee or warrant the correctness, completeness or utility for any general or specific purpose of the data available through the access of this site. In no event shall the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda be liable for any damages, of any nature whatsoever, arising out of the use of, or the inability to use this internet service.

View/Print Malfunctions
Customers may choose to print copies of document images using their personal computer. The court is not responsible or liable for any malfunction of a customer's printer used for such purposes and will not issue a refund if a document fails to print.

I am having problems with my request. What do I do?
Select this link AskCriminalRecords and include a brief description of what you are trying to do and what happened including any error message received. We will investigate the reported issue and reply accordingly.

I have forgotten my password. What should I do?
On the HOME page, select the Log In button. At the bottom of the Log In screen is a link entitled Forgot Password. You will be prompted to enter your email address, and then select the Email Password button. Your password will be sent from donotreply@alameda.courts.ca.gov to the email address you provided when you created your account. Please reset your password immediately. The temporary password expires in 30 minutes.

I have forgotten my username. What can I do?
Your email address is your username. If you have forgotten the email address you used to create the account, you will need to create a new account.

I have changed my email address. What should I do?
Please Contact AskCriminalRecords.

Why do users have to retype validation codes every 15 minutes even if they have accounts?
There is a session time out limit for security reasons.

After years of providing basic searches at no cost, why did the Court decide to start charging for this service?
The Court has realized nearly a 30 percent budget reduction over the last 5 years; in response, there have been staff layoffs, furloughs, and reduced public counter and phone hours. In addition to making significant cuts to operations, sound governance necessitates the implementation of comprehensive cost recovery strategies, as authorized by existing law.

What determined the amount of the fee?
Fees charged for online access reflect the cost of providing the service (see Gov. Code Section 68150(1) and California Rules of Court rule 2.506(a)).

Is this a secure site?
This site allows you to access the Alameda County Superior Court via a secure web server.

What are the system requirements of this site?
To use this site, your browser must accept cookies from this site, pop up blockers must be disabled, and JavaScript must be enabled. The site is optimized for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9.0, Google's Chrome Version 33.0, and Mozilla Firefox 26.0, Safari 6.1.2 or higher. The site is best viewed at a screen resolution of 1280 x 768 or higher.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view documents.

Can I subscribe to a case so that I receive notification when a new document is filed on a case?
The Court is exploring this service.

Can I search for other case information online?
The Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, provides online access to civil case records (documents and information) through DomainWeb. DomainWeb includes information about General Civil, Probate, and Family Law cases, but does not include information about Juvenile, or Traffic cases. Please see DomainWeb.