San Francisco Court Dockets

San Francisco County and the City of San Francisco are the same jurisdiction. Court dockets for the entire city get processed through San Francisco Superior Court. The court runs separate online portals for civil and criminal cases. You can search both databases from the court website. Civil cases include lawsuits, probate, family law, and other non criminal matters. Criminal cases cover prosecutions, traffic tickets, and misdemeanor charges. The court sits in the Civic Center area at 400 McAllister Street. All court dockets are maintained at this central location and accessible through online search tools.

Search San Francisco Dockets

San Francisco runs two online case portals. Civil cases use one system. Criminal cases use another. Both are linked from the main court website but operate as separate databases. You need to know which type of case you want before starting your search. The systems do not cross reference each other.

The civil portal handles lawsuits, probate, family law, small claims, and other civil matters. You can search by case number, party name, or attorney name. Results show basic case information like filing date, parties, case type, and status. Click on a case to see the full docket register with all filings, hearings, and orders listed in chronological order.

The criminal portal covers prosecutions, traffic tickets, and misdemeanor cases. Search by defendant name or case number. The system shows arraignment dates, plea deals, sentencing, and other criminal proceedings. Some information may be restricted from public view depending on the case type and status. You might need to visit the courthouse in person to get full details on certain criminal dockets.

San Francisco Courthouse

The main courthouse sits at 400 McAllister Street in Room 103. This is the Civic Center Courthouse. All case types get filed here. The building has separate departments for civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic cases. Clerk offices operate on different floors. Signs in the lobby direct you to the right department for your case type.

Public terminals are available in the courthouse. You can search for cases at no charge. Staff can print copies for fifty cents per page. Certified copies cost forty dollars plus the per page fee. The clerk office stays open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. The office closes from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch. Plan your visit around these hours.

You can call (415) 551-3802 for general information. Different departments have different phone numbers. The court website at sf.courts.ca.gov lists contact info for each division. Parking is limited near the courthouse. Public transit is often easier than driving. Several Muni lines stop near the Civic Center.

Court Docket Categories

San Francisco Superior Court dockets cover all trial court cases. Civil dockets include contract disputes, personal injury lawsuits, property claims, and business litigation. A typical civil case has dozens or hundreds of docket entries. Each motion, hearing, and order appears on the docket. You can track a case from filing through trial to final judgment by reading the docket register.

Criminal dockets list prosecutions by the District Attorney. They show arraignment dates, bail amounts, preliminary hearings, plea negotiations, and sentencing. Many cases resolve with plea deals. The docket shows when the defendant pleaded guilty or no contest and what sentence the judge imposed. Traffic cases also appear in the criminal system. A parking ticket or moving violation generates a court date and docket entry.

Family law cases handle divorce, custody, support, and restraining orders. These dockets can run for years with many hearings and orders. Probate cases manage estates, conservatorships, and guardianships. Small claims dockets cover disputes up to ten thousand dollars. Parties represent themselves in small claims. Cases move from filing to hearing to judgment within a few months.

Consolidated Government

San Francisco is the only city county in California. The city and county governments merged in 1856. This means there is no separate county government. The Mayor and Board of Supervisors run both city and county functions. The Superior Court serves as both the city court and county court. All residents file cases in the same court system regardless of where they live within city limits.

This structure simplifies court access. You do not need to figure out which courthouse serves which part of the county. Everything goes through San Francisco Superior Court. Appeals from Superior Court go to the First Appellate District Court of Appeal. That court sits in San Francisco and covers several Bay Area counties. You can search appellate cases at appellate.courts.ca.gov.

Legal Help in San Francisco

The court has a self help center where staff answer questions about court procedures. They cannot give legal advice. They can explain how to fill out forms and where to file them. The self help center has computers with access to court forms and instructions. You can visit during regular business hours.

Legal aid organizations serve low income residents. Bay Area Legal Aid has an office in San Francisco. They handle cases involving housing, family law, public benefits, and consumer issues. You must meet income limits to qualify for free services. The Bar Association of San Francisco runs a lawyer referral service. They can connect you with a private attorney for a reduced fee initial consultation.

San Francisco City

San Francisco County and the City of San Francisco are the same jurisdiction. All court dockets for the city are maintained by the county Superior Court system. For local court information, see:

Nearby Counties

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