California Background Check and California Public Records

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What is a California Background Check?

A background check allows a person, business, or other entity to ensure an individual has integrity. The process involves inputting the person’s name into a single database or multiples in some cases. Each database should have similar information, but there can be discrepancies from one to another. The information available tends to include a history of current and prior addresses, birthday, liens, bankruptcies, property records, and criminal convictions. The person conducting the background check must determine which database to use because the information they need depends on what their reason is for conducting a background check.

What are California Public Records?

Information and documents that are not confidential and accessible to anyone who desires are California public records. Public records accumulate all throughout your life even if you aren’t aware of it. Your birth, marriage, death, and other significant events are documented with a paper trail. This doesn’t mean that everything is public. Some information or records are deemed private or confidential under federal and/or state law and not available to the general public.

Difference between a California and nationwide background check?

A single state background check is limited only to the state. It only finds information supplied there, but it isn’t effective if the individual has lived in other states. A single state background check is easier to do because there are fewer databases and records to investigate. A nationwide background check looks at databases from multiple states to provide a much more comprehensive and in-depth background check.

California Official Background Check and Public Record State Resources.

California Court Records: The state of California doesn’t offer a statewide search option for court records. With that said most counties in California provide access to county court records direct. See county resources below.
California Criminal Records: Statewide access to criminal background checks in Califonia is restricted. Individuals are able to request their own records at https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/record-review. Agencies who are interested in doing background check need to be authorized to submit applicant checks.
California Driving Records: Individuals can request their own records at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/forms/formsmost
California Business Lookup: Business search can be done online for free at https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/. Search by name or entity number.
Incarceration Records (CDCR California Department of Corrections): Prison records can be looked at for free at https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/ using a last name or cdcr number.
California Sexual Offender Registry: California offers two way to search for offenders. One is using a name search the other is using an address to see who lives around the neighborhood. See https://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/

Official Resources for Top 35 Counties in California.

Los Angeles County Background Check: Top City Los Angeles
Court Records: Search family law, civil, probate, and criminal court records at https://www.lacourt.org/paonlineservices/pacommerce/login.aspx?appId=IDX&casetype=CRM registration is required and there is a fee of $1 per search and $1 per document page. For free court summary, a case number is needed: Criminal case summary can be done at http://www.lacourt.org/criminalcasesummary/ui/ with a case number. Case access can be done with a case number at http://www.lacourt.org/casesummary/ui/index.aspx?casetype=appellate
Los Angeles County Arrest / Mugshots Records: To search Los Angeles county jail inmate information a last and first name is required. At – https://app5.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm
Property Records: Map and GIS records can be viewed at http://planning.lacounty.gov/gis

San Diego County Background Check: Top City San Diego
Court Records: Case numbers can be found at http://courtindex.sdcourt.ca.gov/CISPublic/enter however that portal won’t provide detailed case information. After a case number is found more information can be obtained online, in person, or by mailing a request. Types of records available include civil, criminal, family court, mental health, and probate. See http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/portal/page?_pageid=55,1641155&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Both first and last name is needed for the who’s in jail records at https://apps.sdsheriff.net/wij/wij.aspx
Property Records: Parcel lookup tool is at http://sdgis.sandag.org/map.aspx

Orange County Background Check: Top City Santa Ana
Court Records: Records can be searched for free using a court case number if avaialble at https://www.occourts.org/online-services/case-access/ records include civil, criminal, traffic, family law, probate, and small claims. Without a case number, a name search can also be done but will require the user the register. This portal does have fees associated with it see https://apps.occourts.org/ The fees are: $1.50 for 1 name search credit, $5.00 for 5 name search credits, $9.00 for 10 name search credits, $70.00 for 75 name search credits, $400.00 for unlimited name search credits for 30 days
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Search who’s in jail by name at http://ws.ocsd.org/Whoisinjail/Search.aspx
Property Records: Property documents can be found at https://cr.ocgov.com/recorderworks/ and a GIS map search is at http://tax.ocgov.com/tcweb/map_disclaimer_main.asp

Riverside County Background Check: Top City Riverside
Court Records: Public access to riverside county court records can be done at http://public-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/OpenAccess/. Civil and Criminal background checks can be done. Searches by case number are free and search by name have a cost. Prices are $1.00 for one name search credit, $3.50 for 5 name search credits, $5.00 for 10 name search credits, $25.00 for 75 names search credits, $250 per 30 days for unlimited name search credits.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Current jail information can be found using a last name at http://jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/
Property Records: County real estate records can be looked at https://gis.countyofriverside.us/Html5Viewer/?viewer=MMC_Public

San Bernardino County Background Check: Top City San Bernardino
Court Records: Civil, Criminal, and Traffic court information can be accessed at http://www.sb-court.org/divisions/civil-general-information/court-case-information-and-document-sales case information is free but to access the actual documents a fee of $.50 per page is charged.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Local jail inmates can be found by name at https://web.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/bookingsearch/bookingsearch.aspx

Santa Clara County Public Records: Top City San Jose
Court Records: Civil court case search at https://cmportal.scscourt.org/Portal. Traffic records at https://portal.scscourt.org/traffic, and criminal case search is at https://portal.scscourt.org/search. To gain access to actual documents which provide more details visit the local courthouse or by mailing a request.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Booking information can be found using name and birthday or by having the CEN / PFN numbers at https://eservices.sccgov.org/OVR/FindInmate/Find
Property Records: Interactive property map can be found at https://sccplanning.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html

Alameda County Public Records: Top City Oakland
Court Records: Alameda court public records can be using two portals online DomainWeb url https://publicrecords.alameda.courts.ca.gov/prs and Odyssey url https://publicportal.alameda.courts.ca.gov/publicportal.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Inmate locator for the local county jail records is at https://www.acgov.org/sheriff_app/
Property Records: Parcel viewer is found at https://www.acgov.org/assessor/resources/parcel_viewer.htm

Sacramento County Public Records: Top City Sacramento
Court Records: $1 for a name search at https://services.saccourt.ca.gov/PublicCaseAccess/. Case number search is free. Both Civil and Criminal records are available.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Inmate information can be found by having a first and last name at https://www.sacsheriff.com/inmate_information/SearchNames.aspx
Property Records: Parcel viewer is available at http://assessorparcelviewer.saccounty.net/JSViewer/assessor.html

Contra Costa County Public Records: Top City Martinez
Court Records: Criminal records are only available in person or mail. Civil records can be looked at online see http://www.cc-courts.org/civil/online-case.aspx
Arrest / Mugshots Records: In custody locator and reports can be looked at http://63.192.159.75/PublicReport/
Property Records: CCMAP is a tool which can be used to look up addresses at https://ccmap.cccounty.us/Html5/index.html?viewer=CCMAP

Fresno County Public Records: Top City Fresno
Court Records: Court records can be searched at https://publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov/FRESNOPORTAL/
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Search booking number or name at http://www.fresnosheriff.org/InmateInfoV2/search.aspx
Property Records: https://gisportal.co.fresno.ca.us/portal/home/

Kern County Public Records: Top City Bakersfield
Court Records: Criminal records search by case number or name at https://www.kern.courts.ca.gov/online_services/criminal_case_search and civil records are found at https://odyprodportal.kern.courts.ca.gov/portalprod
Arrest / Mugshots Records: In custody inmate display https://www.kerncounty.com/apps/detentions/display_inmate/inmate_srch.asp
Property Records: https://maps.kerncounty.com/H5/index.html?viewer=KCPublic

San Francisco Public Records: Top City San Francisco
Court Records: Search by case number or party name at https://webapps.sftc.org/captcha/captcha.dll
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Inmate locator can be used by having a booking number or name http://apps.sfgov.org/InmateInfo/
Property Records: Search by address, parcel, or planning application at http://propertymap.sfplanning.org/

Ventura County Background Check: Top City Ventura
Court Records: Docket search at https://secured.countyofventura.org/courtservices/CourtServiceHome.aspx. Civil and probate search at http://www.ventura.courts.ca.gov/CivilCaseSearch/.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Search by name or booking number https://www.venturasheriff.org/inmate-information/
Property Records: GIS and Mapping at https://www.ventura.org/gis-and-mapping/

San Mateo County Background Check: Top City Redwood City
Court Records: MIDX records index (civil, criminal, family law, probate, and small claims at https://www.sanmateocourt.org/midx/. Odessey court case data at https://www.sanmateocourt.org/online_services/odyssey_portals.php
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Inmate locator https://smc-inmatelocator.org/
Property Records: County GIS https://isd.smcgov.org/county-gis

San Joaquin County Background Check: Top City Stockton
Court Records: https://cms.sjcourts.org/fullcourtweb/start.do this public portal provides online access to court records and calendars.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Inmate information https://wic.sjgov.org/login
Property Records: http://sjmap.org/

Stanislaus County Background Check: Top City Modesto
Court Records: Search court records https://portal.stanct.org/Portal/
Arrest / Mugshots Records: In custody https://www.scsdonline.com/reports/InCustody.pdf
Property Records: https://sc-giscentral.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=457a86a9cbc244e09a783d272e5a33dd

Sonoma County Background Check: Top City Santa Rosa
Court Records: Search by party name or case number https://cmsportal.sonomacourt.org/iportal
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Jail inmate search by name or booking number https://inmatesearch.sonomasheriff.org/JailInmateSearch/Home/
Property Records: https://sonomacounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=06ac7fe1b8554171b4682dc141293962

Tulare County Background Check: Top City Visalia
Court Records: Case search by name and case number https://efiling.tulare.courts.ca.gov/?q=node/349
Arrest / Mugshots Records: https://tularecounty.ca.gov/sheriff/index.cfm/divisions/detentions1/detentions-operations/inmate-search/
Property Records: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e7d7da648dab43e1a9eb0233889b7c32

Santa Barbara County Background Check: Top City Santa Barbara
Court Records: https://portal.sbcourts.org/CASBPORTAL/
Arrest / Mugshots Records: https://www.sbsheriff.org/home/who-is-in-custody/
Property Records: https://www.countyofsb.org/mapping.sbc

Solano County Background Check: Top City Fairfield
Arrest / Mugshots Records: List of inmateshttp://shfinmatesearch.solanocounty.com/ListOfInmates.aspx
Property Records: https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/doit/gis/default.asp

Monterey County Public Records: Top City Salinas
Court Records: https://portal.monterey.courts.ca.gov/search
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Inmate information https://www.montereysheriff.org/inmates/
Property Records: https://maps.co.monterey.ca.us/Html5Viewer/index.html?viewer=PBI_Map.PBI_Map_Viewer

Placer County Public Records: Top City Auburn
Court Records: Search by name or company at http://webportal.placerco.org/ecourtpublic/?q=node/48.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: http://ftpincustody.placersheriff.org/InCustody.pdf
Property Records: https://www.placer.ca.gov/2842/Geographic-Information-Systems-GIS

San Luis Obispo County Public Records: Top City San Luis Obispo
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Search by name https://www.slosheriff.org/custody.php

Santa Cruz County Public Records: Top City Santa Cruz
Court Records: https://portal.santacruzcourt.org/portal search is free but to get complete records there’s a cost.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Web jail viewer http://jailviewer.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/
Property Records: http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Departments/GeographicInformationSystems(GIS).aspx

Merced County Public Records: Top City Merced
Court Records: Smart search online https://jpportal.mercedcourt.org/MERCEDPROD/Home/Dashboard/29
Arrest / Mugshots Records: Search by date or name https://booking2.co.merced.ca.us/newworld.inmateinquiry/merced
Property Records: GIS portal http://geostack-mercedcounty.opendata.arcgis.com/

Marin County Public Records: Top City San Rafael
Court Records: Traffic court records https://www.marincourt.org/MarinTrafficWeb/TrafficMain.aspx and
Arrest / Mugshots Records: See last 48 hour arrest and current in custody https://apps.marincounty.org/BookingLog

Butte County Public Records: Top City Oroville
Court Records: Smart search https://cabutteodyprod.tylerhost.net/Portal
Arrest / Mugshots Records: http://www.buttecounty.net/sheriffcoroner/bookinglogs the sheriff’s department post’s daily pdf files of arrests for that day.
Property Records: http://www.buttecounty.net/gis#

Yolo County Background Check: Top City Woodland
Court Records: Official public records search http://www.yolorecorder.org/recsearch

El Dorado County Background Check: Top City Placerville
Court Records: Criminal case index http://www.eldoradocourt.org/caseindex/case_index_criminal.aspx, civil case index http://www.eldoradocourt.org/caseindex/case_index_civil.aspx.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: https://appnet1.edso.org/custody/inCustody.php
Property Records: http://gem.edcgov.us/ugotnet/

Imperial County Background Check: Top City El Centro
Arrest / Mugshots Records: https://www.vinelink.com/#/home

Shasta County Background Check: Top City Redding
Court Records: Access to the Shasta County Superior Court’s electronic court records http://caselookup.shasta.courts.ca.gov:8080/cgi-bin/webcase01r
Property Records: https://www.co.shasta.ca.us/index/gis_index.aspx

Madera County Background Check: Top City Madera
Court Records: Madera County Clerk-Recorder online index featuring public land records and clerk filings can be found here https://maderacountyca-web.tylerhost.net/web/user/disclaimer
Inmate Search Online – https://inmatepublicview.maderacounty.com/

Kings County Background Check: Top City Hanford
Court Records: At https://cakingsportal.tylerhost.net/CAKINGSPROD/ financial case information for cases filed prior to October 24, 2014, will not be accessible through this web-portal.
Arrest / Mugshots Records: View past 24 hours, 72 hours, or view all in custody at http://inmatelocator.countyofkings.com/
Property Records: http://kingscountygis.com/parcel_query/

Napa County Background Check: Top City Napa
Court Records: This site includes searchable access to cases filed at the Napa Superior Court cases – https://portal.napa.courts.ca.gov/Secure/
Arrest / Mugshots Records: In custody report https://services.countyofnapa.org/CJNetWeb/Public/InCustodyReport
Property Records: http://gis.napa.ca.gov/Html5Viewer/Index.html?viewer=Public_HTML

Humboldt County Background Check: Top City Eureka
Property Records: https://humboldtgov.org/1357/Web-GIS

What shows up on a California back ground check?

The information a background check reveals depends on the extent of the screening and why the person is doing it. Someone might need to do a thorough check and examine multiple records, while another company might only need to do a standard criminal background check.

How long does a California background check take?

Expect the average background check to take from 3 to 5 business days, but the actual turnaround time can be shorter or longer. Some can take a few minutes while others can take weeks. Take into account factors such as the extent of the check, how many different records you have, and how busy county courthouses are.

How far back does a California back ground check go?

The length of time a background check can go back depends on the type of record. Non-conviction criminal information, according to the FCRA, is only allowed to show up for seven years. Criminal convictions don’t have a time limit, but most states follow the guidance of the FCRA and stick to seven years for criminal cases too.

How do I find free California public records online?

The Internet is a great start to find free public records. Look at local court records on the county website or go right to the county clerk’s office to see what you can find. If a record is public, you can find it with the right resources.

How can I do a free California back ground check?

Start by looking at state criminal records if you’re looking to do a free background check because criminal court cases are accessible to the public. Examine the state or county’s website and search for the individual’s name to determine if they have been actively involved in either civil or criminal court. If you discover that someone does have a record, follow up with the authorities to verify that the information you’ve found is accurate. Check the National Sex Offender Public Website or NSOPW to verify the person isn’t on the registry. The website is a comprehensive listing of all sex offender registries in one search engine.

Neighboring States.

Arizona Background Check, Nevada Background Check, Oregon Background Check.

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