Look Up El Dorado County Criminal Records

El Dorado County criminal history records are available through the Superior Court and the Sheriff's Office. The county stretches from the Sacramento suburbs east to Lake Tahoe and has about 190,000 residents. Placerville is the county seat. Criminal cases filed here go through the El Dorado County Superior Court, which provides an online portal for case searches. The Sheriff maintains a custody search tool for the county jail. This page explains how to find criminal records in El Dorado County using these tools and other sources.

El Dorado County Court Criminal Records

The El Dorado County Superior Court handles all criminal cases in the county. There are two courthouse locations. The main courthouse is in Placerville. A second location in South Lake Tahoe serves the eastern part of the county. The court provides a free online portal where you can search for criminal cases by name or case number. Results show the charges, hearing dates, filing information, and current status. The system covers cases from both courthouse locations.

The El Dorado County Superior Court public portal lets you search criminal and traffic cases at no charge.

This portal covers cases from both the Placerville and South Lake Tahoe courthouses in El Dorado County.

For copies of court records, visit the clerk's office at either location. You can also mail a request with the case number and fees included. Standard copies cost 50 cents per page. Certified copies are $40 per document. The clerk can help you find older records that may not be in the online system. El Dorado County has been digitizing records over time, but some historical cases still require a manual search at the courthouse. If you plan to visit the South Lake Tahoe location, check the court website for current hours since that location may have limited days of operation.

El Dorado County Sheriff Custody Search

The El Dorado County Sheriff operates the county jail in Placerville. The Sheriff provides a custody search tool on its website where you can look up current inmates. The tool shows the person's name, charges, booking date, and bail amount. It updates as bookings and releases happen throughout the day.

The El Dorado County Sheriff custody search shows who is currently in the county jail.

El Dorado County also houses some inmates from neighboring Alpine County, which does not run its own jail. When someone is arrested in Alpine County, they are often transported to the El Dorado County Jail. So the custody list may include people from outside El Dorado County. The Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas. The city of Placerville has its own police department, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department handles cases in that city. All of these agencies book their arrestees into the county jail.

If the person you are looking for is not in county jail, they may be in state prison. Use the CDCR inmate search to check. This free tool covers everyone in the California state prison system, including people sentenced from El Dorado County.

Note: Alpine County arrestees may appear in the El Dorado County custody search since Alpine has no jail of its own.

How to Get Criminal Records in El Dorado County

There are multiple ways to get criminal history information in El Dorado County. The free court portal is the best starting point for most people. It covers criminal and traffic cases across the county. For more detailed records or official background checks, other sources are needed.

The California DOJ Live Scan process gives you the most complete criminal history available. You get fingerprinted at a Live Scan site and pay the $25 DOJ fee plus a rolling fee. Under Penal Code 11105, the DOJ maintains the statewide criminal record repository. El Dorado County has several Live Scan locations in Placerville and the surrounding area. Results typically arrive in 2 to 3 business days and include records from every county in California. This is much broader than searching just the El Dorado County court system.

Police reports are obtained from the specific agency that investigated the case. The Placerville Police Department, South Lake Tahoe Police, and the El Dorado County Sheriff each keep their own report files. Contact the correct agency for their request process and any associated fees.

El Dorado County Criminal Record Fees

Court fees in El Dorado County are set by state law and match every other Superior Court in California. The costs are the same whether you go to the Placerville or South Lake Tahoe courthouse.

• Court name search (over 10 minutes): $15
• Copies per page: $0.50
• Certified copy per document: $40
• Exemplification: $50
• DOJ background check: $25 plus Live Scan rolling fee

If you cannot afford the fees, file a fee waiver request at the courthouse. Show proof of low income or enrollment in public benefits. The judge decides whether to approve the waiver. If approved, it covers filing fees and some copying costs. It does not cover DOJ fees or fees from law enforcement agencies. The online court case search portal is free for everyone.

Clearing Records in El Dorado County

California offers several paths to clear a criminal record. If you have a conviction in El Dorado County, Penal Code 1203.4 lets you petition the court for dismissal after you finish probation. The court changes the guilty plea to not guilty and dismisses the case. This is sometimes called expungement, though the record is not erased. It is changed to show a dismissal. You file the petition at the El Dorado County Superior Court.

AB 1076 added automatic relief for some cases. The DOJ reviews records and clears eligible cases without requiring any filing. This covers certain completed probation cases and felonies reduced to misdemeanors. If you are not sure whether your El Dorado County case qualifies, contact the public defender's office or a local legal aid group for guidance.

Arrest records can be sealed under Penal Code 851.87 when charges were dismissed or never filed. File the petition at whichever El Dorado County courthouse handled the original case. Once granted, the arrest is sealed and does not show on most background checks. The Megan's Law website tracks registered sex offenders in El Dorado County and the rest of California. That registry is separate from court records and is always public.

Cities in El Dorado County

El Dorado County has two incorporated cities: Placerville and South Lake Tahoe. Neither meets the population threshold for a dedicated criminal records page. All criminal cases from El Dorado County go through the Superior Court. The Placerville courthouse handles the western part of the county, while the South Lake Tahoe location covers the east.

Nearby Counties

El Dorado County borders several counties from the Sacramento area to the Sierra Nevada crest. If a criminal case was filed in a neighboring county, you need to check that county's court system. Jurisdiction depends on where the crime occurred.