Alameda Court Docket Access

Alameda County Superior Court maintains court dockets for all civil, criminal, family, and probate cases filed in the county. You can search these dockets online through the eCourt Public Portal at no cost. The system lets you look up cases by name or case number. Over 1.6 million people live in Alameda County. The court serves Oakland, Fremont, Berkeley, Hayward, and many other cities. Three main courthouse locations handle most filings. The George E. McDonald Courthouse sits in Alameda. Two courthouses operate in Oakland. One is the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse. The other is the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse. You pay for searches and document downloads once you find what you need.

Online Case Search

The official site for Alameda County court records is www.alameda.courts.ca.gov. This site has links to forms, court locations, and hours. It also explains court rules and how to file papers. But it does not let you search cases directly from the home page.

To view dockets, you need to use the eCourt Public Portal. Access it at eportal.alameda.courts.ca.gov. The portal runs on the Tyler Odyssey case management system. This is the same software many California counties use. You can search by party name or by case number. The system shows basic case info for free. When you want to see the full docket or download documents, you pay a fee.

Name searches cost one dollar each. You can buy five searches for four dollars. If you do a lot of searching, you can pay three hundred dollars for unlimited searches over thirty days. Most people stick with the single search option. Case number searches do not cost extra if you already paid for a name search. Documents cost one dollar per page for the first five pages. After that, each page costs fifty cents. No document costs more than fifty dollars no matter how long it is.

Court Locations in Alameda County

Alameda County runs several courthouses. The George E. McDonald Courthouse sits in Alameda at 2120 San Antonio Avenue. You can call (510) 891-6005 for info on cases heard there. This courthouse handles civil cases and some criminal matters for the island city of Alameda and the surrounding area.

Oakland has two major court buildings. The Rene C. Davidson Courthouse is at 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland. Call (510) 891-6009 for questions. This building deals with civil cases, family law, probate, and small claims. The Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse sits nearby at 661 Washington Street, Oakland. Its phone is (510) 627-4700. Criminal cases go here. The building also handles traffic tickets and misdemeanor prosecutions. Both Oakland courthouses stay busy every day.

All courthouse clerk offices can help you search dockets at public terminals. You do not pay to use the terminals. You only pay if you print copies. The clerk prints them at fifty cents per page. If you need a certified copy for official use, you pay an extra forty dollars on top of the copy fee. Clerk offices open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. They close for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. in many locations.

Docket Records Available

Court dockets in Alameda County cover a wide range of case types. Civil cases include lawsuits for money, contract disputes, personal injury claims, and real estate matters. These dockets can grow very long if a case goes on for years. Each motion, hearing, and filing shows up as a new docket entry. Some complex business cases have hundreds of entries by the time they settle or go to trial.

Criminal dockets track prosecutions for felonies and misdemeanors. You can see arraignment dates, bail amounts, plea hearings, and trial dates. Many criminal cases end with plea deals. Those show up on the docket as disposition entries. Family law dockets handle divorce, child custody, support orders, and restraining orders. Probate dockets manage wills, estates, conservatorships, and guardianships.

Traffic cases also appear in the court system. A speeding ticket generates a docket with your court date and fine amount. Small claims dockets track disputes under ten thousand dollars. Parties represent themselves in small claims court. The docket shows when the case was filed, when the hearing took place, and what the judge decided.

Note: Some records are sealed by court order or made confidential by state law.

Appeals from Alameda County

If you lose a case in Alameda County Superior Court, you may appeal to the California Court of Appeal. Alameda County falls under the First Appellate District. The First District covers twelve counties in northern California. Its main courthouse is in San Francisco. You can search for appellate cases at appellate.courts.ca.gov. Appellate dockets show oral argument dates, briefs filed, and final opinions. Most appeals take a year or more to resolve.

Court Fees and Filing

Alameda County charges standard fees set by California law. Copies cost fifty cents per page. Search fees run fifteen dollars if a clerk spends more than ten minutes looking for records. Certifying a copy costs forty dollars plus the per page fee. If you file a new civil case, you pay a filing fee that can run several hundred dollars depending on the type of case.

The court website has forms you can download for free. These include family law forms, civil forms, and small claims paperwork. Fill out the forms before you go to the courthouse. Bring copies for yourself and for the other party in the case. The clerk will not fill out forms for you. They can tell you which forms to use but cannot give legal advice.

Contact Alameda County Court

Phone numbers vary by courthouse and case type. The George E. McDonald Courthouse in Alameda can be reached at (510) 891-6005. The Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland is (510) 891-6009. The Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in Oakland is (510) 627-4700. For questions about online access, check the court website at www.alameda.courts.ca.gov. The site lists emails and phone numbers for specific departments.

Major Cities in Alameda County

Several large cities sit within Alameda County. Court dockets for residents of these cities are maintained by the county Superior Court system. Select a city below to find local court information:

Nearby Counties

Alameda County borders several other counties. Each maintains its own court system: