Napa County Court Records

Napa County Superior Court processes court dockets for all cases filed in the county. You can find civil lawsuits, criminal prosecutions, family law matters, and probate cases through the court system. The court sits in the city of Napa at 825 Brown Street. Docket records contain case filings, hearings, rulings, and other events that track a case from start to finish. Napa County falls under the First Appellate District. Staff at the courthouse can help you search dockets in person. Paper copies cost fifty cents per page. If you need certified documents for legal matters, you pay an extra forty dollar fee plus the per page charge.

Court Docket Access

Napa County Superior Court maintains case records at the main courthouse in downtown Napa. The court uses paper and electronic systems to track dockets. Most recent cases exist in digital form. Older matters may only be on paper. The courthouse has public terminals where you can look up cases at no charge during business hours.

If you know your case number, bring it with you. Case searches go faster with a number. Staff can also help you search by party name. That takes more time. The clerk office may charge a search fee if the lookup runs longer than ten minutes. Court hours run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The building closes on weekends and state holidays. Plan to arrive early if you need documents the same day. Busy periods can mean longer wait times to get help from staff.

The Napa County Superior Court website at www.napa.courts.ca.gov provides information about the court system. You can find office hours, filing procedures, and contact details. The site lists phone numbers for different divisions. Civil matters go to one line. Criminal cases use another. Family law has a separate number. This helps you reach the right staff when you call with questions about your case docket.

Napa Courthouse

The main courthouse sits at 825 Brown Street in Napa, CA 94559. This building handles all case types for the county. Civil cases include personal injury claims, contract disputes, property matters, and business litigation. Criminal cases range from misdemeanors to serious felonies. Family law covers divorce, custody, child support, and restraining orders. Probate handles estates, wills, and conservatorships. Each division keeps its own docket system but all records stay in one building for Napa County.

Public parking sits near the courthouse. Bring coins or use a parking app if required. Security screening happens at the entrance. You go through metal detectors. Court staff may check bags. Leave prohibited items at home. Phones are usually allowed but must stay silent in courtrooms. Plan extra time for security when you visit the courthouse to search dockets or attend hearings in Napa County.

Types of Dockets in Napa County

Civil dockets list all events in a lawsuit. You can see when the case was filed. You find the names of parties and lawyers. The docket shows motion dates, hearing dates, and trial settings. Complex cases have long dockets with many entries. Some run for years before settling or going to trial. Small claims cases have shorter dockets. These are disputes under ten thousand dollars. Parties represent themselves. The whole case may finish in a few months.

Criminal dockets track a prosecution from arrest to final disposition. The docket shows the arraignment date when charges are read. It lists bail hearings. Preliminary exams appear if the case is a felony. Plea dates get recorded if the defendant settles. Trial dates show up when the case goes before a jury. Sentencing hearings conclude the docket in most cases. Traffic violations also generate court dockets. A speeding ticket or DUI arrest creates a docket entry in the system for Napa County.

Family law dockets manage divorce and custody matters. These cases can last a long time. Multiple hearings may be needed to resolve property division, spousal support, and child custody. Each hearing gets listed on the docket. Probate dockets track the settlement of estates after someone dies. The docket shows when a will is submitted. It records hearings about distribution of assets. Contested probate cases have longer dockets with more hearings and filings in Napa County.

Court Fees for Docket Copies

Napa County follows state fee rules. Copies cost fifty cents per page. This is the standard rate set by California Government Code § 70626. The clerk prints documents for you at this price. You can get copies of pleadings, motions, orders, or docket sheets.

If you need a certified copy, the fee jumps to forty dollars plus fifty cents per page. Certified copies carry an official stamp and signature. Many agencies and courts require certification for legal purposes. Search fees apply when staff spend more than ten minutes looking for records. That adds fifteen dollars to your total cost in Napa County.

Contact Information

Reach the Napa County Superior Court by phone at (707) 299-1140 for civil matters or (707) 299-1180 for criminal matters. Call during business hours to ask about case status, filing procedures, or docket access. You can also visit the courthouse in person to speak with staff at the clerk window. Email is not always monitored so phone or in person contact works best for quick answers about court dockets in Napa County.

Note: Napa County does not provide online docket search at this time. You must visit the courthouse or call to get case information.

Nearby Counties

Napa County borders several other counties. Each runs its own Superior Court with separate docket systems: