Find Marin County Criminal Records

Criminal history records in Marin County are maintained by the Superior Court and the Sheriff's Office. Marin County is just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge and has about 260,000 residents. The county seat is San Rafael. Criminal cases filed here go through the Marin County Superior Court, which has an online case search portal. The Sheriff operates the county jail and publishes a booking log. This page explains how to search criminal records, look up inmates, and request background checks in Marin County.

Marin County Court Criminal Records

The Marin County Superior Court handles all criminal cases filed in the county. The Civic Center courthouse in San Rafael is the main court location. Criminal cases include felonies, misdemeanors, and traffic matters with criminal charges. Each case gets a number when it is filed. The court tracks charges, plea entries, hearings, and final outcomes. Marin County offers an online case portal where you can search for criminal cases by name or case number. The search is free and open to the public. It shows basic case details like charges, hearing dates, and current status.

The Marin County Superior Court e-portal gives free access to criminal case information online.

This portal covers criminal, civil, and other case types filed through the Marin County court system.

To get copies of criminal case documents from Marin County, you can visit the clerk's office at the San Rafael courthouse. Give the clerk the case number for the quickest service. If you need a name search, the clerk will look it up. Name searches that take more than 10 minutes cost $15. Plain copies are 50 cents per page. Certified copies are $40 each. You can also submit a written request by mail. Include a check or money order for the expected fees and as much case detail as you can provide. The clerk processes mail requests in the order they are received.

Marin County Sheriff Booking Log

The Marin County Sheriff runs the county jail and publishes a booking log online. The booking log shows recent arrests, charges, and booking dates. This is a fast way to find out if someone was recently arrested in Marin County. The log is updated regularly as new bookings and releases happen.

The Marin County Sheriff booking log lists recent jail bookings in the county.

The California DOJ also handles fingerprint-based background checks that pull records from Marin County and every other county in the state.

If someone is no longer in county jail, they may be in state prison. Use the CDCR inmate search to find people in the California state prison system. This covers anyone sentenced from Marin County to a state facility. The search is free and shows the inmate's current location, CDCR number, and county of commitment. San Quentin State Prison is physically located in Marin County, but inmates there come from all over California.

Note: San Quentin is a state prison run by CDCR, not by the Marin County Sheriff, so use the CDCR search for San Quentin inmates.

How to Get Criminal Records in Marin County

Getting criminal history records in Marin County depends on the type of record. Court case records come from the Superior Court. Arrest and booking records come from the Sheriff or local police. A complete statewide criminal history report comes from the California DOJ. Here is how each works.

For a statewide background check, visit a Live Scan location. The California DOJ manages the state criminal record database. Marin County has several Live Scan sites in San Rafael and other towns. You get your fingerprints taken, pay the $25 DOJ fee plus the site's rolling fee, and results come back within a few business days. Under Penal Code 11105, the DOJ maintains the statewide criminal record repository with records from all 58 California counties, including Marin.

Police reports come from the agency that handled the case. The San Rafael Police Department handles reports within San Rafael. Novato, Mill Valley, and other cities have their own police departments. The Marin County Sheriff covers unincorporated areas. Contact the right agency to request a copy of a police report.

Marin County Criminal Record Fees

Court fees in Marin County follow the statewide schedule. Every California Superior Court charges the same amounts for court records. Fees from police and the Sheriff are set locally. Here is what to expect when requesting criminal records.

Standard fees for criminal records in Marin County:

• 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 the fees are a hardship, apply for a fee waiver at the Marin County courthouse. Bring proof of low income or public benefits. The judge reviews the application and decides. If granted, the waiver covers court fees and certain copy charges. It does not cover DOJ background check fees or police report costs.

Record Clearing in Marin County

California law allows certain criminal records to be cleared or sealed. If you have a conviction in Marin County, you may qualify for dismissal. Under Penal Code 1203.4, you can petition the court to dismiss a conviction after completing probation. The conviction then shows as dismissed on your record rather than as a conviction. This helps with employment and housing applications. AB 1076 has introduced automatic relief as well. The DOJ reviews eligible records and dismisses qualifying convictions without the person filing a petition in Marin County or anywhere else.

If you were arrested in Marin County but never charged or the case was dismissed, you can ask to seal the arrest. Penal Code 851.87 allows you to petition the Marin County Superior Court to seal the arrest record. Once sealed, the arrest does not appear on most background checks. The process can be done on your own or through a lawyer. Marin County has several legal aid organizations that may help with record clearing at no cost.

The Megan's Law website provides a public registry of registered sex offenders in Marin County and throughout California. Required by Penal Code 290, the registry is free to search by name or address.

Cities in Marin County

Marin County has several cities and towns, including San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Larkspur, Corte Madera, and Tiburon. None of these cities have a population over 100,000, so there are no separate city criminal history pages for Marin County on this site. All criminal cases go through the Marin County Superior Court in San Rafael.

Nearby Counties

Marin County borders several other counties in the Bay Area. Criminal cases are filed where the crime took place. If you think a case was handled in a neighboring county, check these options.