How to Search San Bernardino County Criminal Records
The main public lookup is the Court Access Portal at cap.sb-court.org. Free case info shows on screen. Civil document images run $0.50 per page online. Criminal images are mostly sold at the court counter.
- Open the portal at cap.sb-court.org and pick Case Search.
- Use the quick search for a case number, citation, or name. Two-letter codes flag the district (SS, DS, JS for San Bernardino; RS for Rancho Cucamonga; VS for Victorville; BS for Barstow; CS for Chino; FS for Fontana).
- For a full case-mix lookup, switch to Advanced Search and set Case Category = Criminal. Add Filing Date From and Filing Date To. Layer Case Type or Status if needed.
- Click into a result to see the case tabs. The header print button pulls a docket sheet.
Statewide name search is not open. The California DOJ runs criminal history under Penal Code § 11105 for authorized users only. The public can request their own record by Live Scan.
CAP Criminal Case Tabs in San Bernardino County
Every criminal file in CAP opens with a case header and a row of tabs. Each tab holds a slice of the record.
| Tab | What It Holds |
|---|---|
| CASE INFO | Case type, case number, citation number, filing date, status, court location, judicial officer, next hearing |
| PARTIES | Defendant, aliases, masked DOB, party type |
| EVENTS | Filings and clerk events with date stamps |
| HEARINGS | Past and upcoming hearing dates and rooms |
| CAUSES | Charged counts, Penal Code or Vehicle Code sections, count level |
| ARREST/CHARGES/DISPO. | Arrest date, arrest agency, charges as filed, plea, disposition |
| BONDS/WARRANT | Bail set, bond posted, surety, bench warrants, capias |
| DOCUMENTS / OTHER DOCS | Visible only when data and access flags allow |
| RELATED | Co-defendant case numbers |
| FINANCIALS | Court fines, fees, restitution if data exists |
The header also shows a custody flag and a warrant flag when active. That gives a quick read before clicking through.
What a San Bernardino County Criminal Record Shows
A criminal case file in CAP holds the core facts of the case. The public view is trimmed for privacy. Some fields are masked. Some need a secured login.
Open fields cover case number, case caption, case type, filing date, status, court location, judicial officer, next hearing, citation number, charged counts, plea, disposition, sentence, probation status, bond amounts, and warrants. Events and hearings show clerk entries by date. Co-defendant case numbers show under Related.
Date of birth in the public criminal view shows as XXXX-XX-XX. Race, sex, height, weight, driver license number, state ID, and FBI number are held back unless the user has secured access. SSNs do not appear at all.
Types of San Bernardino County Criminal Records
The Superior Court files criminal matters by level and stage. Each type has its own paper trail in CAP.
- Felony case files. Prison-level offenses. Complaint, preliminary hearing, information, plea, trial, sentence.
- Misdemeanor case files. County-jail-level offenses. Often resolved at arraignment.
- Arraignment minutes. Clerk minute order from the first court date. Sets bail and the next date.
- Disposition records. Plea, verdict, dismissal, or transfer.
- Warrants. Bench warrants and capias for failure to appear or term violations. Listed under BONDS/WARRANT.
- Bond records. Bail set, surety bonds posted, cash bail. Sheriff also accepts bail under Penal Code § 1269b.
- Sentencing orders. Probation, fines, jail terms, prison commitments.
- Probation entries. Conditions, violations, modifications. Felony judgments often kept permanently under Gov. Code § 68152.
- Protective orders. Criminal protective orders entered with a DV or assault filing.
Charges vs Convictions
An arrest is not a conviction. A charge is not a conviction. The line matters for jobs, housing, and gun rights.
| Charges | Convictions | |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | A formal accusation by the prosecutor | A guilty plea, no contest plea, or guilty verdict |
| When it appears | At filing of the complaint or information | After plea or trial, on the disposition entry |
| Burden of proof | Probable cause to file | Beyond a reasonable doubt |
| Where it lives in CAP | CAUSES and ARREST/CHARGES/DISPO. tabs | ARREST/CHARGES/DISPO. tab under plea or verdict |
| Who can use it | Public can view; FCRA bars use for credit, jobs, tenant, or insurance from this site | Public can view; authorized employers may use DOJ history under § 11105 |
| Can it be cleared | Eligible arrests with no conviction may be sealed under Penal Code § 851.91 | Some convictions can get a post-probation dismissal under Penal Code § 1203.4 |
Some files show charges that were later dropped or amended. Read the disposition entry before drawing a conclusion.
Sealed vs Expunged San Bernardino County Criminal Records
The California terms get mixed up. There is no true expungement statute in California the way the word is used elsewhere. The state uses dismissal and sealing instead.
The California sealed records rule is on the courts site at courts.ca.gov.
Rule 2.550 sets the test a judge must apply before sealing a record: an overriding interest, a substantial probability of harm, and no less restrictive option.
| Sealed (CA) | "Expunged" / § 1203.4 Dismissal | Factual Innocence § 851.8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statute or rule | CRC 2.550 / 2.551; Penal Code § 851.91 for arrests | Penal Code § 1203.4 | Penal Code § 851.8 |
| What it does | Public file is hidden from view; redacted version may stay | Conviction is dismissed; record stays but is updated | Arrest record is sealed and destroyed |
| Who qualifies | Arrests that did not lead to a conviction; some juvenile matters | People who finished probation in good standing | People shown to be factually innocent |
| Does the record vanish | No, court keeps a sealed copy | No, the dismissal is recorded on the file | Closest thing to destruction in CA law |
| Effect on background checks | Most non-law-enforcement checks will not see it | Many employers cannot ask about it; gun rights not fully restored | Strongest relief, hardest to win |
Juvenile records get a separate track. WIC § 827 keeps juvenile files confidential by default.
Public Access Laws and San Bernardino County Criminal Records Statutes
Criminal court files in California sit under a stack of access rules. Some come from the Judicial Council. Some come from the Penal Code.
The DOJ criminal history dissemination statute is at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
Penal Code § 11105 lays out which agencies and employers can pull a state criminal history. It is not a public lookup.
- Penal Code § 11105. DOJ criminal history dissemination. Restricted users only.
- Penal Code § 1203.4. Post-probation dismissal of eligible convictions.
- Penal Code § 851.91. Sealing of eligible arrest records that did not lead to conviction.
- Penal Code § 851.8. Sealing and destruction on a finding of factual innocence.
- CRC 2.550. Standards a court must apply before sealing a record.
- CRC 2.551. Procedure for filing a sealing motion and for redacted versions.
- Welfare and Institutions Code § 827. Juvenile case-file confidentiality.
- Government Code § 68152. Retention schedule; felony judgments often permanent.
The post-probation dismissal statute is at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
Section 1203.4 is the closest thing California has to expungement. It does not erase the case. It changes the entry to a dismissal.
San Bernardino Sheriff and Booking Records
Booking happens at the Sheriff's Detention and Corrections Bureau. The current Sheriff-Coroner is Shannon D. Dicus, elected June 7, 2022. The Bureau runs four main adult jails with 7,400 beds and around 85,000 bookings a year.
Public booking fields include arrest date, arrest agency, arrest location, booking number, charges at booking, bail set, and housing facility. Sample profiles show booking number, sex, name, alias, DOB, age, height, weight, eyes, hair, arrest date, bail, and projected release date.
For a current jail roster lookup, see San Bernardino County inmate records. For active warrants, see San Bernardino County warrant records.
Background Checks and San Bernardino County Criminal Records
Two systems matter here. Court records on CAP are a case-by-case lookup. A real background check is a name-based pull against the DOJ rap sheet under Penal Code § 11105.
The DOJ history is purpose-limited. It goes to listed employers, licensing boards, peace officer hires, child-care and elder-care employers, and some volunteer programs. It is taken by Live Scan fingerprints. There is no public name search.
Important. This site is a privately run public-records portal. It is not a consumer reporting agency under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. Do not use anything here for credit, employment, tenant, or insurance decisions.
How to Petition for Sealing or Dismissal of San Bernardino County Criminal Records
The petition path depends on the relief sought. Arrest sealing and post-probation dismissal use different forms and statutes. Both are filed in the court that heard the case.
The arrest record sealing statute is at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
Section 851.91 covers arrests with no conviction. The petition asks the court to seal the arrest as a matter of right or in the interest of justice.
- Pull the case in CAP. Note the case number, filing court, and charges.
- Confirm eligibility. For § 1203.4 you must have finished probation, paid fines, and have no open case. For § 851.91 the arrest must not have led to a conviction.
- Fill out the right Judicial Council form. CR-180 / CR-181 for § 1203.4. CR-409 for § 851.91.
- File in the district that heard the case. There is no filing fee for an § 851.91 petition.
- Serve the District Attorney. The DA has time to object. The court may set a hearing.
- Get the signed order. Send a copy to the DOJ so the rap sheet is updated.
The sealing procedure rule is at courts.ca.gov.
Rule 2.551 covers the steps to file a sealing motion and to lodge records under seal during review.
Juvenile San Bernardino County Criminal Records
Juvenile case files are not public. Welfare and Institutions Code § 827 makes them confidential by default. Only listed persons and agencies can see them. Anyone else needs a court order.
The juvenile case-file statute is at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
WIC § 827 lists who may inspect a juvenile file: the minor, parents, counsel, listed agencies, and persons named by court order. Juvenile sealing is on a separate track and is broader than adult sealing.