Riverside County Court Docket Records

Riverside County Superior Court offers online access to court dockets through a public portal. Over 2.4 million people live in Riverside County. The court system handles thousands of civil, criminal, family, and probate cases each year. You can search dockets by case number for free. Name searches cost money. Document downloads also have fees. The main courthouse sits in the city of Riverside at 4100 Main Street. Additional courthouses serve other areas including Indio, Banning, and Temecula. Each location provides public terminals for searching dockets at no charge. You only pay if you want copies or use the online system for name searches and document access in Riverside County.

Online Docket Search Portal

Riverside County provides an online public access portal at epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov. This system lets you search for court dockets across all case types. If you have a case number, searches are free. Just enter the number and view the docket. Name searches cost one dollar for a single credit. You can also buy unlimited name searches for thirty days at two hundred fifty dollars. That option makes sense if you need to search many cases in a short time.

Search results show basic case information. You see the case type, filing date, and parties. Click on a case to view the full register of actions. That lists every docket entry from start to finish. Some documents are available for viewing or download through the portal. Document downloads cost one dollar per page for the first five pages. Pages after that drop to fifty cents each. No single document costs more than fifty dollars to download in Riverside County.

The portal works on computers and mobile devices. You do not need to create an account for basic searches. Just visit the site and start looking up cases. Some case types have restricted access under California law. Family law records may show limited information online. You might need to visit a courthouse to view full dockets and documents in sensitive matters to protect privacy.

Riverside County Courthouses

Riverside County has over fifteen courthouse locations. The main courthouse sits at 4100 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501. This handles major civil and criminal cases for the central part of the county. Other courthouses serve different regions. Indio has a courthouse for the Coachella Valley. Temecula serves the southwest area. Banning handles cases in the San Gorgonio Pass region. Each location processes certain case types based on where the case originated or where the parties live.

Public terminals at each courthouse let you search for dockets at no charge. Clerk staff can help you find cases. Bring your case number if you have it. That speeds up the search. If you only know a party name, staff can still help but it takes more time. You may pay a search fee if the lookup runs longer than ten minutes. Phone the court at (951) 777-3147 to find out which courthouse handles your case before you visit in Riverside County.

Office hours vary by location. Most courthouses are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Some locations have different hours. Call ahead to confirm. Buildings close on weekends and state holidays. Security screening happens at the entrance to each courthouse. You go through metal detectors. Court staff may check bags. Leave prohibited items at home to avoid delays when you visit for docket searches or hearings in Riverside County.

What Court Dockets Contain

A court docket is the official record of everything that happens in a case. It starts when the case gets filed. The first entry shows the filing date and case type. After that, every document and event gets added to the docket. Motions appear with filing dates. Hearings get listed with dates and outcomes. Trial settings show up when a case is scheduled. The judge's rulings are recorded. The final judgment or dismissal closes the docket.

Civil dockets track lawsuits. You see when the complaint was filed. Responses and answers come next. Discovery motions get listed as lawyers request documents. Settlement conferences appear if the parties try to resolve the case. Trial dates are set and sometimes continued. The judgment ends the case. Small claims dockets are shorter. Those disputes involve less than ten thousand dollars. Parties represent themselves. The whole case may finish in a few months with fewer docket entries than major civil litigation in Riverside County.

Criminal and Traffic Dockets

Criminal dockets start with an arraignment. That is when charges are read and the defendant enters a plea. Bail hearings get listed if the defendant seeks release before trial. Preliminary exams appear for felony cases. Plea agreements get recorded if the defendant settles. Trial dates show up when the case goes to a jury. Sentencing hearings conclude the docket after a conviction or plea. You can search criminal dockets the same way you search civil cases through the online portal or at courthouse terminals in Riverside County.

Traffic cases also generate dockets. A speeding ticket, DUI arrest, or other traffic violation creates a case. The docket shows the citation date, court dates, and final disposition. Many traffic cases get resolved quickly. The docket may only have a few entries. More serious violations like DUI have longer dockets with multiple hearings before resolution.

Family Law and Probate Dockets

Family law dockets handle divorce, custody, child support, and restraining orders. These cases can last many months. Multiple hearings may be required to resolve disputes. The docket grows with each status conference, motion, and trial setting. California law restricts public access to family law records. You may only see basic case information online. Full dockets and documents often require a courthouse visit to protect privacy in sensitive matters involving children or domestic violence.

Probate dockets track estate cases after someone dies. The docket starts when a will is filed or someone petitions to administer the estate. Hearings get scheduled to validate the will and hear from creditors. Asset distribution appears later on the docket. Contested probate cases have longer dockets when heirs dispute the estate. Conservatorship and guardianship cases also fall under probate. Those dockets show court oversight of people who need help managing their affairs due to age or disability in Riverside County.

Docket Access Fees

Riverside County charges for some online services. Case number searches are free. Name searches cost one dollar per search or two hundred fifty dollars for unlimited searches over thirty days. Document downloads cost one dollar per page for the first five pages, then fifty cents per page after that. No document costs more than fifty dollars to download through the portal.

If you visit a courthouse in person, you can search at public terminals for free. Paper copies cost fifty cents per page under California Government Code § 70626. Certified copies add a forty dollar certification fee plus the per page charge. Search fees apply if staff spend more than ten minutes looking for records. That costs fifteen dollars extra. Bring your case number to avoid search fees in Riverside County.

Contact Information

Reach the Riverside County Superior Court by phone at (951) 777-3147. Staff can help you find the right courthouse location for your case. Each courthouse has its own phone line for specific questions. The main court website at www.riverside.courts.ca.gov lists all locations with addresses, phone numbers, and hours. Office hours vary by location but most run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Buildings close on weekends and holidays. Plan your visit during regular business hours if you need help from staff with docket searches or document requests in Riverside County.

Major Cities in Riverside County

Several large cities sit within Riverside County. Court dockets for residents of these cities are handled by the county Superior Court. Select a city for local court information:

Nearby Counties

Riverside County borders several other counties. Each has its own Superior Court system with separate docket records: