Tuolumne County Dockets

Court dockets for Tuolumne County cases are maintained at the Superior Court in Sonora. The courthouse is located at 12855 Justice Center Drive in Sonora, CA 95370. This is the only court location in the county. All case types get filed here including criminal, civil, family, probate, and traffic matters. Online case search is not available at this time. You must visit the courthouse in person or call the clerk office to search for docket information. Public terminals at the courthouse let you look up cases for free. The clerk can print copies for you at the standard state rate of fifty cents per page in Tuolumne County.

Access Court Records

Tuolumne County does not currently have an online case search portal. The court website at www.tuolumne.courts.ca.gov provides general information about the court. For case searches you need to call or visit. The phone number is 209-533-5555. Clerk staff will help you find a case if you give them a case number or party name. They can tell you basic information over the phone such as case status and next court date.

Many smaller California counties have not set up online portals yet. Tuolumne County is one of them. The case volume is lower than large urban counties so the investment in online systems has not been a priority. Public access terminals at the courthouse give you the same search ability as the clerk staff have. You can use these terminals at no charge. They show case dockets, party names, and filing dates. You only pay if you need printed copies.

The copy fee is fifty cents per page. This is set by state law under California Government Code section 70627. All California courts charge this rate for plain paper copies. Certified copies cost more. The certification fee is forty dollars plus the fifty cent per page copy charge. Certified copies are needed for official purposes. Regular copies work fine for your own records in Tuolumne County.

Sonora Courthouse

The courthouse sits at 12855 Justice Center Drive in Sonora. This is a modern facility that replaced the old courthouse. It has multiple courtrooms, a clerk office, and public areas. Parking is available on site. Court hours run Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Some clerk windows may close from noon to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. Call ahead to confirm hours if you plan to visit for a specific purpose.

When you visit, go to the clerk office. Staff can help you find a case or file new documents. They cannot give legal advice. They can tell you what forms you need and what the filing fees are. If you need help understanding court procedures or your legal rights, talk to a lawyer. The court website may list legal aid resources for people who cannot afford to hire an attorney in Tuolumne County.

Security screening is required to enter the courthouse. You must pass through metal detectors. Bags get checked. Do not bring weapons, large bags, or prohibited items. The court website should list what you can and cannot bring inside. Arrive early if you have a court hearing so you have time to get through security and find the right courtroom.

Types of Dockets

Civil dockets track lawsuits and disputes. These include contract cases, personal injury claims, property disputes, and business litigation. The docket lists every filing, motion, and hearing. You can see the entire history of the case from filing to judgment. Many civil cases settle before trial. The settlement appears on the docket as a dismissal or stipulated judgment entry.

Criminal dockets cover prosecutions. The docket shows the charges, arraignment date, bail amount, and all court appearances. Plea deals show up as plea entry dates and sentencing hearings. Trials appear with jury selection dates and verdict dates. Most criminal cases resolve with pleas. Trials are less common but they generate more docket entries as the case moves through pretrial motions, jury selection, trial days, and verdict in Tuolumne County.

Family law dockets handle divorce, custody, support, and restraining order cases. Probate dockets manage estates, conservatorships, and guardianships. Traffic cases also generate dockets. A speeding ticket or other citation creates a case file. You can look it up by citation number or your name. The docket shows your court date and any fines or penalties ordered by the judge.

Small claims dockets track disputes under ten thousand dollars. Parties represent themselves. The process is faster than regular civil court. The docket shows filing date, hearing date, and judgment. Most small claims cases wrap up within a few months. The judge hears both sides and issues a decision on the spot or soon after the hearing.

Court Fees for Dockets

Viewing case files at the courthouse is free. Public terminals are available at no charge during court hours. You pay when you want printed copies. The copy fee is fifty cents per page. Certified copies cost forty dollars plus the per page fee. This is the standard rate across California courts under state law.

If a clerk search takes over ten minutes, the court may charge a fifteen dollar search fee. This rarely happens for basic case lookups. It might apply if you ask staff to search through many years of records or check multiple systems for old cases. You can avoid this fee by using the public terminal yourself to locate the case before asking the clerk for help in Tuolumne County.

Appeals from Tuolumne County

Appeals from Tuolumne County Superior Court go to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Fresno. This appellate court covers Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne counties. The Fifth District reviews trial court decisions for legal errors. You can search appellate cases at appellate.courts.ca.gov. Most cases never get appealed. Appeals cost money and take many months. Only parties who believe the judge made a serious legal error pursue appeals in Tuolumne County.

Contact Tuolumne County Court

Call the court at 209-533-5555 for case information. The address is 12855 Justice Center Drive, Sonora, CA 95370. Visit the court website at www.tuolumne.courts.ca.gov for general information and updates. Email contacts may be listed on the website if you prefer to send questions in writing. Most clerk offices respond faster to phone calls for urgent case inquiries in Tuolumne County.

Cities in Tuolumne County

Tuolumne County has no cities with populations over 100,000. All court dockets for county residents are maintained at the Sonora courthouse regardless of which city or town you live in.

Nearby Counties

Tuolumne County borders these counties: