Butte County Dockets Online

Butte County Superior Court lets you search court dockets online through a public case portal. The system covers cases from 1988 to the present. Two main courthouses handle filings. The North Butte County Courthouse sits in Chico. The main courthouse is in Oroville. You can search for civil, criminal, family, and probate cases. The portal runs on Tyler Technologies software. Many California counties use the same system. Access it at portal-cabutte.tylertech.cloud/Portal. Basic searches are free but document downloads cost money. Call (530) 532-7013 for questions about cases or court procedures.

Search the Case Portal

The main court website is www.butte.courts.ca.gov. This site has general info about court hours, locations, and rules. To search cases, you use a different URL. The case portal is at portal-cabutte.tylertech.cloud/Portal. This is the official public access system for Butte County court dockets.

The portal lets you search by name or case number. Type in a last name to see all cases with that party. Results show case numbers, filing dates, and case types. Click on a case to view the docket. The docket lists all filings, hearings, and orders. Some info appears for free. Document downloads require payment. Fees vary based on page count and document type.

Butte County cases date back to 1988 in the portal. Older cases may exist but are not online. For records from before 1988, you need to contact the courthouse directly. Staff can search paper archives. This takes time and may cost a search fee if it takes more than ten minutes.

Courthouse Locations

Butte County operates two main court facilities. The North Butte County Courthouse is in Chico. Call (530) 532-7008 for this location. Many cases from the northern part of the county get filed here. The main courthouse sits in Oroville, the county seat. Its phone is (530) 532-7002. Both courthouses have clerk offices that can help you search cases at public terminals.

Visit either courthouse to access free public terminals. No charge applies for searching at the courthouse. You only pay if you print documents. Copies run fifty cents per page. Certified copies add a forty dollar fee on top of the per page charge. Bring the case number with you if you have it. This speeds up the search process.

Parking at both courthouses can fill up during busy times. Arrive early if you have a scheduled hearing. Security screening happens at the entrance. Do not bring weapons or prohibited items. Cell phones are allowed but must stay silent in courtrooms.

Types of Court Dockets

Butte County dockets cover all case types. Civil dockets include personal injury lawsuits, contract disputes, real estate cases, and business litigation. These can run for years. Each motion, hearing, and filing shows up on the docket. Complex cases may have hundreds of docket entries before they settle or go to trial.

Criminal dockets track prosecutions for crimes. You see arraignment dates, bail decisions, preliminary hearings, and trial settings. Many criminal cases end with plea bargains. The docket shows the plea date and sentencing hearing. Family law dockets handle divorce, child custody, support orders, and restraining orders. Probate dockets deal with estates, wills, conservatorships, and guardianships.

Traffic cases appear in the system too. A speeding ticket generates a case number and docket. Small claims cases track disputes under ten thousand dollars. These move quickly compared to other civil cases. The docket shows filing, hearing, and judgment dates all within a few months usually.

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

Appellate Court Review

Butte County is in the Third Appellate District. If you lose a case in Superior Court, you may appeal to the Court of Appeal. The Third District sits in Sacramento. It covers twenty three counties across northern and central California. Appeals can take a year or more to resolve. Oral arguments happen in Sacramento. The court issues written opinions that become part of published case law.

Search appellate cases at appellate.courts.ca.gov. Appellate dockets are public. You can read briefs, watch oral argument videos, and download opinions. Most people hire lawyers for appeals. The process is complex and requires following strict rules for briefs and deadlines.

Court Fees and Filing Requirements

Butte County follows standard California fee schedules. Copies cost fifty cents per page. Certified copies add forty dollars. Search fees run fifteen dollars if a clerk spends over ten minutes looking for records. Filing a new civil case costs several hundred dollars depending on case type. The clerk can give you exact filing fees when you bring your paperwork.

Download free court forms from www.butte.courts.ca.gov. The site has local forms and links to statewide forms. Fill out forms before you visit the courthouse. Bring extra copies. You need one for the court, one for yourself, and one for each other party. The clerk will not fill out forms for you but can tell you which forms to use.

• Copies: $0.50 per page
• Certified copies: $40.00 plus copy fee
• Search fee: $15.00 if over ten minutes
• Civil filing fees: varies by case type

Contact Butte County Court

The main court phone is (530) 532-7013. For the North Butte County Courthouse in Chico, call (530) 532-7008. The Oroville courthouse phone is (530) 532-7002. Office hours run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. Offices close for lunch in some departments. Check the court website at www.butte.courts.ca.gov for detailed hours and contact information for specific departments.

Butte County Cities

Butte County includes several cities and towns. Chico is the largest city. Oroville is the county seat. Other communities include Paradise, Gridley, and Biggs. None of these cities have populations over 100,000. All court cases from these areas get filed at Butte County Superior Court.

Nearby Counties

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