Los Angeles Civil Court Records

Civil court records for Los Angeles are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. The court manages all civil cases filed by residents and businesses in Los Angeles, including breach of contract disputes, personal injury claims, property litigation, and business matters. The Superior Court provides online access to civil case information through its public portal. You can search cases by name or case number. Records go back to the early 1980s for most case types. Document images are available for cases filed from 2000 onward in many divisions. Filing fees start at $225 for limited civil cases and reach $435 for unlimited civil matters over $35,000.

Civil Court Jurisdiction

Civil cases for Los Angeles are filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The court system includes more than 40 courthouse locations throughout the county. The main civil courthouse is the Stanley Mosk Courthouse located at 111 N. Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. This facility handles many unlimited civil cases involving amounts over $35,000.

Cases are filed at the courthouse that serves the geographic area where the dispute arose or where the defendant resides. Many neighborhoods in Los Angeles have nearby courthouses for convenience. The court website provides a directory of all locations with addresses and phone numbers.

Los Angeles County Superior Court is one of the largest trial court systems in the United States. It processes hundreds of thousands of civil filings each year. The court uses the Tyler Technologies case management system for electronic record keeping.

Search Civil Records Online

The Los Angeles Superior Court provides online access through its Civil Index portal at lacourt.ca.gov. You search by name to find cases. The system shows litigant names, case numbers, filing dates, court locations, and document counts. Updates happen daily. Each name search costs $4.75.

Document downloads are available for many cases through the portal. The fee is $1.00 per page for the first 5 pages of a document. After that, each extra page costs $0.40. The max fee per document is $40.00. Not all cases have document images in the system. Older cases or cases from certain courthouses may not have digital copies available.

The system contains unlimited civil records from 1983 forward. Limited civil records begin in 1991. Small claims records start in 1992. Family law and probate records also date to 1983, though family law access is restricted due to privacy rules.

Filing Civil Cases

Los Angeles County requires electronic filing for most civil cases. The e-filing portal at portal-lasc.journaltech.com is powered by Journal Technologies. You must create an account to file documents. The system accepts PDF files 24 hours a day. Documents filed before midnight on a court day are considered filed that day.

Filing fees are paid through the portal by credit card or e-check. A complaint in an unlimited civil case costs $435. The answer also costs $435. Limited civil fees are lower. The fee depends on the amount in dispute. Cases under $10,000 cost less than cases between $10,000 and $35,000.

Some self-represented parties may file in person instead of electronically. Check the court website for exceptions to the e-filing requirement. Most attorneys must file electronically under local court rules.

Los Angeles City Records

The City of Los Angeles maintains separate administrative records unrelated to court cases. City Clerk records include contracts, ordinances, and city business documents. You can request public records from the city at recordsrequest.lacity.org. The City Clerk office is located at 200 N Spring Street, Room 360.

City records are not the same as court records. If you need to file a lawsuit or search for civil litigation, you must go through Los Angeles County Superior Court. The city does not maintain civil case files or court dockets. Those records are at the county courthouse.

To contact the City Clerk, call (213) 473-8440. The office handles questions about city government records. For civil court matters, contact the Superior Court instead.

Getting Copies of Court Records

You can get copies of civil records several ways. Online document downloads are available through the Civil Index portal for cases with digital images. In-person requests are accepted at any courthouse where you can view case files. Bring photo ID. Court security checks ID at the entrance.

Copy fees are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost an extra $40 on top of the per-page fee. If you need a certified copy of a marriage dissolution judgment, the fee is $15 instead of $40.

Mail requests are also accepted. Send a letter to the courthouse where the case was filed. Include the case number, the documents you want, and your mailing address. Enclose payment for estimated costs. The court will process your request and mail copies back to you. Processing times vary based on court workload.

For very old records before 1965, the court maintains an archive. Call (213) 974-1378 for pre-1965 records. For records from 1965 forward, call (213) 893-0809. Archive staff can locate older files that are not in the regular courthouse storage.

Help and Legal Resources

The Los Angeles Superior Court provides self-help resources on its website at lacourt.ca.gov. The site includes guides for different case types, forms, and procedural information. The court cannot give legal advice, but clerks can answer questions about procedures and requirements.

If you need a lawyer, the Los Angeles County Bar Association operates a referral service. You can also contact legal aid organizations that serve low-income residents. Public law libraries are located at several courthouses where you can research case law and statutes.

For technical help with the online portal, email onlineServices@lacourt.org. Include details about any error messages you see. The online services team responds during regular business hours.

Nearby Cities

Other major cities in Southern California with populations over 100,000: