About the San Bernardino County Superior Court
California unified its trial courts in 1998 under Proposition 220. Now there is one Superior Court per county. The San Bernardino County Superior Court hears every trial-level case. That covers felonies, misdemeanors, infractions, civil suits, family law, probate, juvenile matters, mental health hearings, traffic, and small claims.
The court serves more than 2 million residents. The service area takes in 24 cities and 104 unincorporated communities. Total area: 20,105 square miles. That is bigger than nine U.S. states. To cover that ground, the court runs 13 facilities from Needles on the Colorado River to Chino in the west valley. The main hub is the San Bernardino Justice Center at 247 West Third Street.
San Bernardino is one of 58 California Superior Courts. Each follows the same state rules but keeps its own judges and clerk staff. Day-to-day case lookup runs through the Court Access Portal (CAP). For older files, the court keeps paper records at each district where the case was filed.
California Court Hierarchy and Where San Bernardino County Superior Court Fits
The California court system has three main levels. At the top sits the California Supreme Court. Below that are six Courts of Appeal split into districts. At the trial level are the 58 Superior Courts. San Bernardino is in the Fourth Appellate District, Division Two. Division Two is based in Riverside and hears appeals from San Bernardino, Riverside, and Inyo County trial courts.
Two appeal paths exist. Limited civil, misdemeanors, and infractions go first to the Superior Court Appellate Division in Rancho Cucamonga at 8303 Haven Avenue. Felonies, unlimited civil, family judgments, and probate orders go to the Court of Appeal in Riverside. From there a case can be petitioned to the California Supreme Court. Most cases stop at the Court of Appeal.
San Bernardino County Superior Court Locations
The court runs 13 facilities. Each one handles a set of case types based on its district. The Justice Center is the largest. High desert and mountain districts serve outlying areas. The table below lists the main courts with address and phone.
| Court / Division | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Justice Center | Probate, Civil, Criminal | 247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0212 | 909-521-3388 |
| San Bernardino Family Law | Family | 351 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0245 | 909-521-3136 |
| Appeals / Appellate Division | Appellate | 8303 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 | 909-384-1888 |
| Barstow District | Traffic, Small Claims, Civil | 235 East Mountain View Street, Barstow, CA 92311 | 760-718-3700 |
| Big Bear District | General Trial | 477 Summit Boulevard, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315 | Verify at court locations page |
| Fontana District | Civil, Criminal, Traffic | 17780 Arrow Boulevard, Fontana, CA 92335 | 909-350-9322 |
| Joshua Tree District | Civil, Criminal, Family | 6527 White Feather Road, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 | 760-974-3047 |
| Victorville District | Civil, Criminal, Family, Juvenile | Address and phone listed on the court's locations page | |
| Needles District | General Trial | Address and phone listed on the court's locations page | |
| Chino District | Civil, Criminal, Traffic | Address and phone listed on the court's locations page | |
| Rancho Cucamonga District | Civil, Criminal, Family | 8303 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 | 909-384-1888 |
| Redlands District | Traffic, Small Claims | Address and phone listed on the court's locations page | |
| Juvenile Court | Juvenile Delinquency / Dependency | Address and phone listed on the court's locations page | |
Divisions of the San Bernardino County Superior Court
The court groups cases by division. Each division has its own filing window, its own judges, and its own local procedures. A case keeps its division through trial unless a judge transfers it.
Civil Division. Handles unlimited civil ($35,000 and up), limited civil (over $12,500), small claims (up to $12,500 for individuals; $6,250 for businesses), and unlawful detainer. Also takes name change petitions, civil harassment orders, and writs.
Criminal Division. Hears felony, misdemeanor, and infraction cases. Felony cases start with arraignment, then a preliminary hearing, then trial. Misdemeanors skip the preliminary step. Branch criminal calendars run at Victorville, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, and Joshua Tree.
Family Law Division. Based at 351 North Arrowhead Avenue. Hears dissolution, legal separation, custody, child support, parentage, domestic violence restraining orders, and adoption. California is a no-fault divorce state under Family Code 2300.
Probate Division. At the Justice Center. Handles estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and LPS mental health proceedings. A drop box sits on the south side of the building.
Juvenile Division. Separate courthouse at 900 East Gilbert Street. Juvenile case files are confidential under Welfare and Institutions Code 827.
Traffic and Small Claims. Handled at most district locations. See traffic court records for ticket lookup.
Superior Court vs. Appellate Division vs. Court of Appeal
California has no separate municipal court, justice court, or JP court. All trial-level cases run through the Superior Court. The next level up depends on case type. Limited civil, misdemeanor, and infraction appeals go to the Superior Court Appellate Division. Bigger cases skip that step and go straight to the Court of Appeal.
| Superior Court | Superior Court Appellate Division | California Court of Appeal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Trial court of general jurisdiction | Reviews limited civil, misdemeanor, infraction appeals | Reviews unlimited civil, felony, family, probate appeals |
| Civil Jurisdiction | All amounts; limited under $35,000; unlimited $35,000+ | Limited civil appeals only | Unlimited civil appeals |
| Criminal Jurisdiction | Felony, misdemeanor, infraction | Misdemeanor and infraction appeals | Felony appeals |
| Family Cases | Yes: all family law | No | Yes, on appeal |
| Jury Size | 12 (criminal); 12 or fewer by stipulation (civil) | No jury: three-judge panel | No jury: three-justice panel |
| Location for San Bernardino | 13 facilities countywide | Rancho Cucamonga | Fourth District, Division Two, Riverside |
One panel cannot hear cases from the level above. So a felony appeal cannot go to the Superior Court Appellate Division. It must be filed with the Court of Appeal in Riverside.
Case Number Codes Used by the San Bernardino County Superior Court
Every case carries a two-letter jurisdiction code tied to the filing district. These codes survived the 1998 unification. Knowing the code helps a record search land in the right district file. Cases filed before 1998 may not show up online.
- SS: San Bernardino (general)
- DS: San Bernardino Civil
- JS: San Bernardino Criminal
- RS: Rancho Cucamonga
- VS: Victorville
- BS: Barstow
- MS: Joshua Tree (Morongo Basin)
- NS: Needles
- CS: Chino
- FS: Fontana
- ES: Redlands
- PS: Probate
- HS: Big Bear
A case number like RFL012345 means a Rancho Cucamonga family law case with local number RS012345. When in doubt, check the prefix and call the listed district.
Civil Jurisdiction of the San Bernardino County Superior Court
California splits civil cases into limited and unlimited. The split sets which rules apply, how much discovery is allowed, and what filing fee the case gets. Limited civil covers money disputes between $12,500 and $35,000. Unlimited civil covers anything above $35,000. Small claims runs under simpler rules with no lawyers in court.
A case starts with a complaint. The defendant files an answer or a demurrer. Then comes discovery, motions, mediation, and if needed, trial. After judgment either side can appeal. Unlawful detainer cases run on a fast track with a 5-day response window. The Court Access Portal handles e-filing through Odyssey eFileCA. For lookup help see court records and court dockets.
Specialty and Collaborative Courts
The San Bernardino County Superior Court runs collaborative courts that mix judicial oversight with treatment and community services. The goal is to fix the root cause and cut the chance of new charges.
Mental Health Court. A problem-solving court for people with serious mental illness facing criminal charges. The judge works with community mental health staff. Each case has a treatment plan with regular court check-ins. Compliance can lead to reduced or dismissed charges.
Work Release Program. Run by the Sheriff but tied to court sentencing. Lower-risk offenders can serve a sentence on volunteer work crews instead of jail. Contact phone: 909-473-2580.
Electronic Confinement Unit. GPS-monitored home confinement for qualified persons. Some in-custody people can move to GPS after finishing structured courses.
Other collaborative programs (drug court, veterans court, juvenile treatment, reentry) run at certain districts. See criminal records for related case lookup.
Federal Court Coverage for San Bernardino County
Federal cases out of San Bernardino County do not go to the Superior Court. They go to a separate federal court system with its own clerks, judges, and case lookup tools.
The official federal case access tool is found at pacer.uscourts.gov.
PACER is the pay-per-page federal case system. It covers district, bankruptcy, and appellate filings nationwide at $0.10 per page with a quarterly cap.
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California is found at cacd.uscourts.gov.
The Central District covers seven counties including San Bernardino. The Eastern Division courthouse in Riverside handles many San Bernardino-origin cases.
The Central District CM/ECF filing portal is found at ecf.cacd.uscourts.gov.
CM/ECF is the case management and electronic filing system. The public can view docket entries through PACER.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California is found at cacb.uscourts.gov.
San Bernardino bankruptcy filings (Chapter 7, 11, 13) run through this court. The Riverside Division handles most cases tied to the county.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is found at ca9.uscourts.gov.
Federal appeals from the Central District go to the Ninth Circuit, based in San Francisco. From there a case can be petitioned to the U.S. Supreme Court.
How a Case Moves Through the San Bernardino County Court System
A case goes through fixed steps. The order depends on case type. Both civil and criminal flows can stop early on a plea, settlement, or dismissal.
Criminal flow: Arrest › Booking › Arraignment › Preliminary Hearing (felony only) › Pretrial › Trial › Sentencing › Appeal
Civil flow: Complaint › Answer or Demurrer › Case Management › Discovery › Motions › Mediation › Trial › Judgment › Appeal
Family flow: Petition › Response › Temporary Orders › Discovery › Settlement Conference › Trial › Judgment of Dissolution
Probate flow: Petition › Notice to Heirs › Letters Issued › Inventory › Creditor Notice › Accounting › Final Distribution. See probate records for filing details.
Each step has a deadline. The calendar moves fast in unlawful detainer and small claims; both can reach trial in 30-60 days.
San Bernardino County Superior Court Hours, Holidays, and Contact
Public counter hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. across all district courts. Lobby doors open at 7:30 a.m. so the security line clears before the counter opens. Last-minute filers should plan to arrive by 3:30 p.m. The Justice Center administrative records office on the 11th Floor (Communications & Public Affairs) stays open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The court is closed on all state and federal holidays, including New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, plus Christmas. Filing deadlines that land on a holiday roll to the next court day.
Parking near the Justice Center is at a premium. The court lists five lots near 3rd Street and Arrowhead Avenue. Two are three-hour spots; three are all-day. Confirm posted rates before arrival; the court does not validate.