Contra Costa County CA Superior Court: Case Search & Records

Contra Costa Superior Court • case search • records access

Contra Costa County CA Superior Court: Case Search & Records

Contra Costa court records are searchable online, but the right path depends on the case type. The Court Public Portal is the main route for court records and hearings; traffic has its own portal; and some documents still require Court Records or the assigned filing location in Martinez, Pittsburg or Richmond.

Quick answer: start with the Court Public Portal if you want civil, small claims, probate or hearing information. Use the Traffic Portal for citations. For certified copies, probate documents, limited unlawful detainer records, older files, criminal records or unavailable documents, contact Court Records or the courthouse that handles the case.

Open Court Public Portal Open Traffic Portal Court Records Instructions

Independent guide reviewed September 2026. Verify portal availability, certified-copy rules, courthouse assignments, traffic deadlines, tentative rulings and public-access limits directly with the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa.

Choose your route first

What Are You Trying to Find?

Contra Costa Superior Court separates ordinary case lookup, traffic services, court records, electronic recordings and tentative rulings. Before searching by name, decide whether you need a case number, docket, hearing date, traffic citation, copy of a filing, certified record, electronic recording or transcript.

Best starting point I have a case number

Use the Court Public Portal first. Case-number search reduces wrong-person matches.

Open Court Public Portal →

Name search I only know a party name

Use the portal for available public case information, then compare case type, filing date, party role and courthouse.

Records instructions →

Traffic I have a citation or traffic case

Use the separate Traffic Portal for traffic cases, payment, hearing search and related requests.

Open Traffic Portal →

Document copy I need minutes, orders or filings

Some documents are online, but probate, criminal, unlawful detainer and unavailable records may require Court Records or the filing branch.

How to obtain records →

Tentative ruling I need a civil or probate tentative ruling

Civil tentative rulings are generally posted after 1:30 p.m. the court day before hearing; probate rulings are generally posted 3–5 court days before.

View tentative rulings →

Official proof I need a certified copy

Use the Court Records/copy process. An online record is not automatically the official certified court record.

Certified copy guidance →

Local shortcut: always save the case number, case type and courthouse or filing location. Contra Costa routes work across Martinez, Richmond, Pittsburg and Walnut Creek, and the correct branch matters when the online portal does not show the document you need.

Official online lookup

How Contra Costa’s Court Public Portal Works

The Court Public Portal is the court’s online route for public case-record and hearing searches. The court’s online-services page describes it as the place to search court records and court hearings. For civil online case information, the court says civil, small claims and probate cases and daily calendars can be looked up through the portal.

Portal can help with

Case and hearing lookup

civil case information
small claims case information
probate register-of-actions information
daily court calendars and hearings
available civil documents and minutes where the court provides them
case number confirmation before ordering copies

Portal may not be enough for

Copies and restricted records

Probate case documents require Court Records. Limited unlawful detainer cases are not available online. Criminal records use criminal clerk locations. Confidential, sealed, restricted and older records may require courthouse review or a copy request.

1Open portalUse the court’s official public portal.

2Search clueStart with case number if available.

3Verify matchCompare parties, date, type and branch.

4Read docketLook for later orders and outcomes.

5Request copyUse Court Records if needed.

Portal troubleshooting: the court’s civil online-case page tells users to turn off the pop-up blocker if the case-information window does not appear. If the portal opens but a case still does not appear, switch to the recovery steps below instead of repeatedly changing random fields.

Official micro-steps

How to Search Contra Costa Superior Court Case Records

A careful search does two jobs: first, finding the likely case; second, proving it is the correct case. A same-name result is only a lead until you compare the details.

Open the official Court Public Portal. Use odyportal.cc-courts.org/portal from the court’s online-services route.
Search by case number first. A case number is usually more reliable than a name. Copy letters, prefixes and digits exactly from the notice, minute order, filing or attorney letter.
If you only have a name, search carefully. Try legal name, business name, last name plus first initial, maiden/married name, hyphenated spelling and punctuation-free versions.
Open likely matches and compare details. Check the case type, filing date, party role, court location, case status and latest docket activity.
Read the record of actions in order. Do not stop at “filed” or “hearing set.” Look for later orders, dismissals, judgments, continuances or final dispositions.
Check whether documents are available. Civil and small-claims documents and minutes may be available online, but not every case type or document is remotely viewable.
Use Court Records when the portal stops. If you need a certified copy, criminal file, probate document, limited unlawful detainer information, old file, sealed/confidential review or unavailable document, use the records/copy route.

Do not treat a docket line as the whole outcome. “Motion filed” does not mean the motion was granted. “Hearing set” does not mean the hearing happened. “Charge filed” does not mean conviction. Search for the later order, judgment, dismissal, sentence, disposition or minute order.

Case type changes the route

Which Contra Costa Record Route Fits Your Case?

Case or record need	Best official route	What to verify	Local note
Unlimited / limited civil	Court Public Portal for case information, documents and minutes where available.	Case number, party role, filing date, department, document title and final status.	For certified copies, use Civil Records / Court Records instructions.
Small claims	Court Public Portal for records, documents and minutes where available.	Hearing date, judgment, service status and payment or satisfaction entries.	Branch location may depend on where the dispute started.
Probate	Public Portal for registers of actions; Court Records for documents.	Estate name, decedent, petition, letters, hearing notes and tentative rulings.	Probate tentative rulings are generally available 3–5 court days before hearing.
Limited unlawful detainer	Not available online according to the court’s civil online-case page.	Assigned filing location, case number, party names and public-access eligibility.	Copies route to the assigned filing location: Martinez, Pittsburg or Richmond.
Criminal records	Criminal Clerk’s Office locations: Martinez, Pittsburg or Richmond.	Defendant name, DOB when required, case number, filing branch and final disposition.	Use the criminal-record copy request route when available online information is not enough.
Traffic citation	Traffic Portal, Traffic Hearing Search, pay-fines page, or financial-hardship request.	Citation number, case number, due date, fine, hearing option and ability-to-pay request status.	Traffic matters are assigned by where the citation was issued.
Electronic recording or transcript	Order Electronic Recordings or transcript vendor route.	Hearing date, department, case number and whether the hearing was electronically recorded.	A transcript or electronic recording is different from a filed document copy.
Tentative ruling	Tentative Rulings page for applicable civil and probate matters.	Department, hearing date, case number and deadline to contest or request argument.	Civil tentative rulings are Law & Motion only.

Documents and certified records

How to Get Contra Costa Court Documents or Certified Copies

If the online portal does not provide what you need, move from “search mode” to “copy request mode.” The court’s Records page directs users to Court Records when minutes, case documents or orders are not available online. The civil copy page explains that certified copies must be provided by the court for certification; you cannot bring in a home copy to be certified.

Non-criminal records

Court Records in Martinez

Court Records for non-criminal cases is listed at Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Room 103, Martinez, CA 94553. The court lists Court Records hours as 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Court Records location

Criminal records

Criminal Clerk locations

Criminal case records route through criminal clerk locations in Martinez, Pittsburg and Richmond. Use the criminal-record instructions before visiting or mailing a request.

Criminal records instructions

Prepare these details before requesting copies

✓

Case number
The strongest identifier for portal search, Court Records and certified-copy requests.

✓

Case name or party names
Include plaintiff/defendant, petitioner/respondent, estate name, defendant name or business name.

✓

Document title
Examples: complaint, judgment, minute order, dismissal, probate letters, sentencing entry or order.

✓

Filing or hearing date
Useful when several documents have similar titles.

✓

Copy type
Say whether you need plain copies, certified copies, recordings or transcripts.

✓

Self-addressed stamped envelope
Use it for mail requests when the court or form asks for return mailing.

Scanning-delay note: the court’s Order a File & Records page says the Records Department is scanning case files from microfiche, microfilm and paper documents, which may delay documentation requests.

Traffic portal and payment issues

Contra Costa Traffic Case Search, Fines and Hearings

Traffic uses a separate portal from ordinary civil case lookup. The online-services page lists Traffic Portal, Pay Traffic Fines and Request Reduction of Traffic Fines as separate traffic services. The Traffic division page also states that traffic fines and fees may be paid at the clerk’s office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Search Traffic Portal

Search traffic cases, view citation information and use traffic-specific options.

Open Traffic Portal

Hearing Traffic Hearing Search

Use hearing search when you need traffic calendar or hearing-date information.

Search traffic hearings

Payment help Fine reduction / payment plan

If you cannot afford to pay, the court allows online or form-based requests for reduction, more time, payment plan or community service.

Financial hardship options

Traffic system transition note: the court posted 2026 traffic-system transition notices. If a traffic payment or ability-to-pay option is temporarily unavailable, use the live traffic page or phone prompts rather than assuming the case disappeared.

Local courthouse routing

Contra Costa Courthouses and Record Locations

Contra Costa is a branch-court county. Where a case is filed or heard can depend on case type, city, ZIP code, citation location, and department assignment. Use the court’s live Locations page before visiting.

Location	Address	Common use
Wakefield Taylor Courthouse	725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553	Court Records, central Martinez courthouse services and selected civil routing.
Spinetta Family Law Center	751 Pine Street, Martinez, CA 94553	Family law courthouse functions.
A.F. Bray Courthouse	1020 Ward Street, Martinez, CA 94553	Martinez court departments and criminal/court functions.
George D. Carroll Courthouse	100 – 37th Street, Richmond, CA 94805	Richmond branch criminal, civil and traffic functions.
Richard E. Arnason Justice Center	1000 Center Drive, Pittsburg, CA 94565	Pittsburg branch criminal, civil and traffic functions.
Walnut Creek Juvenile and Traffic Center	640 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94596	Juvenile and traffic center functions.
Court Records — Non-Criminal Cases	725 Court Street, Room 103, Martinez, CA 94553	Non-criminal Court Records review and records/copy routing.

County pattern: Martinez is the records and central courthouse hub; Richmond and Pittsburg handle branch-case work; Walnut Creek is important for traffic/juvenile routing.

Before driving: check the court’s location page and the “Where to File” page. Contra Costa filing locations can depend on city or ZIP code, especially for small claims, unlawful detainer and traffic matters.

Troubleshooting

No Case Found? What to Try Next

“No result” does not always mean no court record exists. It may mean the wrong portal, wrong case type, wrong branch, restricted access, old paper/microfilm records, pop-up blocker trouble, or a case category that is not online.

Problem	Likely reason	Best next move
Portal window does not open	Browser pop-up blocker may prevent the case window.	Turn off the pop-up blocker for the court portal and retry.
Case number search fails	Wrong format, missing prefix, old case number style, or wrong system.	Copy the number exactly from the original notice or filing; then try name search.
Name search returns too many matches	Common names, business-name variations or broad search filters.	Compare case type, party role, filing date, branch and latest docket activity.
Limited unlawful detainer not found online	The court says limited unlawful detainer cases are not available online.	Call the Clerk’s Office or go to the assigned filing location for copies.
Probate document is missing	Probate registers of actions are online, but probate documents require Court Records.	Contact Court Records with the probate case number and requested document title.
Criminal record not available online	Criminal records route through criminal clerk locations and access rules.	Use the criminal-record instructions for Martinez, Pittsburg or Richmond.
Older file delay	Records Department scanning of microfiche, microfilm and paper documents can delay requests.	Submit a specific request with case number, names, year and document title.

Read the result correctly

Contra Costa Court Record Terms

Case numberThe court-assigned identifier used for portal search, copy requests and clerk questions.

Register of actionsThe chronological list of case events, filings, hearings, orders and other actions.

Minute orderA court record of what happened or was ordered at a hearing.

Tentative rulingA proposed ruling in certain civil or probate matters that may become the court’s ruling unless timely contested under the court’s rules.

Filing locationThe courthouse or branch assigned to the case based on case type, city, ZIP code or citation location.

Certified copyA court-issued authenticated copy for official use. A downloaded record is not automatically certified.

Electronic recordingAn audio record of a hearing when the hearing was electronically recorded, ordered through a separate process.

TranscriptA written record of oral proceedings, obtained through the court reporter or electronic-recording transcript route.

Verification habit: match the case number, party role, court branch, filing date and latest docket entry before relying on a result. For official proof, ask for a certified copy through the court’s records process.

Official sources

Official Contra Costa Court Sources Used

These links are included because they help complete a real task: case lookup, traffic search, copies, records, tentative rulings, electronic recordings, transcripts, filing-location routing and courthouse visits.

Contra Costa Superior Court Home Online Services Court Public Portal Records Online Case Information Certified Copies of Civil Documents Criminal Court Records Traffic Portal Traffic Hearing Search Traffic Financial Hardship Tentative Rulings Order Electronic Recordings Court Reporter Transcripts Where to File Court Locations California Rule of Court 2.504

Frequently asked questions

Contra Costa Superior Court Case Search & Records FAQs

1. Where do I search Contra Costa Superior Court case records?

Use the Contra Costa Court Public Portal to search court records and hearings. It is the court’s official public portal for available case information. Traffic citations use a separate Traffic Portal.

2. Can I search Contra Costa cases by name?

Yes, where the portal and access rules allow name-based searching. A name result is only a lead. Compare the case number, case type, party role, filing date, courthouse or branch, and latest docket activity before relying on the result.

3. Are Contra Costa civil documents available online?

For civil online case information, the court says unlimited and limited civil case documents and minutes are available on the Court Public Portal and can be downloaded for no fee. Availability still depends on the case category and public-access rules.

4. Are limited unlawful detainer cases available online?

No. The court’s civil online-case page states that limited unlawful detainer cases are not available online. For information, call the Clerk’s Office, and for copies go to the assigned filing location in Martinez, Pittsburg or Richmond.

5. How do I get probate documents in Contra Costa County?

The Court Public Portal provides probate registers of actions, but the court says probate case documents must be obtained through Court Records. Prepare the case number, estate or party name, document title and hearing or filing date when available.

6. Where do I get criminal court records?

Criminal court records route through criminal clerk locations. The court’s criminal records page directs users to Martinez, Pittsburg and Richmond criminal clerk offices for criminal court records.

7. Where is non-criminal Court Records located?

Non-criminal Court Records is listed at Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Room 103, Martinez, CA 94553. The court lists Court Records hours as 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

8. Is an online Contra Costa court record an official certified court record?

Not automatically. California Rule of Court 2.504 says that, unless electronically certified by the court, a trial court record available through electronic access is not the official record of the court. Use the court’s copy or certification process when official proof is required.

9. How do I search a Contra Costa traffic case?

Use the Contra Costa Traffic Portal for traffic cases and the Traffic Hearing Search page for hearing-date searches. The court also provides online routes to pay fines and request fine reduction, payment plans, more time or community service when financial hardship applies.

10. Why can’t I find my case online?

Common reasons include wrong portal, wrong case type, pop-up blocker issues, a restricted or confidential case, a limited unlawful detainer matter, a criminal record that must be requested from the branch, an older paper/microfilm file or a case that requires Court Records rather than online access.