Access Free San Bernardino County Records & Public Information

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Free San Bernardino County Public Records Search

Access San Bernardino County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

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Access San Bernardino County public records for free and gather information on anyone through official sources.

Thanks to The Freedom of Information Act and the California Public Records Act (CPRA) an abundance of information can be found, including but not limited to vital records (e.g., birth, death, marriage, and divorce records), criminal records (e.g., daily arrests, warrants, probation status, background check reports), property records and other court documents.^{1, 2}

No matter what’s being searched for, this article provides all the necessary details to find public records in San Bernardino County, California quickly and efficiently.

Written or authored by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who possesses a Juris Doctorate in Law from Widener University School of Law and is a Licensed Attorney.

How To Run a San Bernardino County Arrest Search

Arrests in San Bernardino County are typically made by local police departments and the individual will be taken to the county jail operated by the County Sheriff’s Office. Once they’re booked and processed, this information will be reported by the Sheriff’s Office.

While most police departments within the county do not publish online arrest records, there are times when requesting a police report from a local municipal police department is necessary.

With that being said, the process to search online records and request police reports are below but it’s important to understand that arrests should typically be searched on the county level before checking with local police departments and police reports for complaints, legal matters, insurance claims etc. should be made with the arresting agency or the local police department in most cases.

Both searches will yield better results if you figure out some basic information first.

The more information you have the greater the likelihood of successfully searching jail records to find out if someone is in jail and other relevant information. Here are a few pieces of information that can help prior to performing an inmate or arrest search:

• Person’s name
• Where they were arrested
• Agency that made the arrest

Utilize the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Inmate Locator

Once you gather all available information it’s time to perform your search. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provides an inmate locator tool for the entire county.³ This tool allows you to perform searches a couple different ways. One option is to search by booking number.

If you do not have a booking number you can search by an individual’s name. Here you can input any of the following information:

• Last Name
• First Name
• Middle Name
• Date of Birth
• Age
• Sex

Note: When searching by name you have to enter at least the first two letters of the individual’s first and last name along with their age or date of birth. This makes it important to have as much information as possible before performing your search.

Once you perform a search you can find free arrest history on the individual separated into four different sections. These sections include the following information.

Inmate Information

• Booking Number
• Name
• Date of Birth
• Weight
• Sex
• Alias
• Age
• Eyes
• Height
• Hair

Arrest Information

• Arrest date
• Arrest location
• Bail status
• Arresting agency

Current Housing Information

• Housing Facility
• Projected release date
• Release date
• Released To

Charges

• Case number
• Charge
• Hearing date
• Status and bail

If you are looking for up to date case information please refer to our section below on performing a San Bernardino County case search.

The case information provided by the inmate locator tool does not update case information once someone is released from jail. In addition, you should know that you are unable to find someone’s mugshot using this online search tool.

In addition to providing a comprehensive way to search their jail roster, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office also provides an Out of Custody search. Here you can search by date for inmates that were recently released from jail. The release log provides the individual’s

• Name
• Sex
• Age
• Height
• Weight

From there you can click on a person’s name to get additional information from San Bernardino’s public records repository of arrest information. If you need further assistance you can contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department through their non-emergency numbers (760-956-5001 and 909-387-8313). You can also visit them in person at the below address

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
655 East Third Street
San Bernardino, California 92415

If you know which jail the individual was incarcerated in you can also contact the jail directly. Here is the contact information for jails located in San Bernardino County.

Jail	Address	Phone Number
Central Detention Center	630 East Rialto Avenue San Bernardino, California 92415	909-386-0969
High Desert Detention Center	9438 Commerce Way Adelanto, California, 92301	760-530-9300
West Valley Detention Center	9500 Etiwanda Avenue Rancho Cucamonga, California 91739	909-350-2476
Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center	18000 West End of Institution Road Devore, California 92407	909-473-3689

Search Arrest Information Through City Police Departments & City Jails in San Bernardino County

If the person you are searching for was arrested in one of the larger cities in San Bernardino County you may need to search police reports directly with that city’s police department.

You may be able to find inmate information directly from the local police department before it’s reported on the county level. Or you can use any additional information you receive to assist your search with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department inmate tool.

Below is contact information for the police departments located in the largest cities in San Bernardino County.

Police Department	Physical Address	Phone Number
San Bernardino Police Department	710 North D Street San Bernardino, California 92401	909-383-5311
Fontana Police Department	17005 Upland Avenue Fontana, California 92335	909-350-7740
Ontario Police Department	2500 South Archibald Avenue Ontario, California 91761	909-395-2001
Rancho Cucamonga Police Department	10510 Civic Center Drive Rancho Cucamonga, California 91739	909-477-2800
Victorville Police Department	14200 Amargosa Road Victorville, California 92392	760-241-2911

The major cities in San Bernardino County do not have an online inmate search tool so you will have to either call or visit in person. Before you call or visit make sure you have all available information to assist them in providing you with any public police records in their custody.

The websites for the respective police departments do not have specific information on how to secure arrest logs or any other types of relevant information. The best starting point is to call them and ask them about their process for providing public records on San Bernardino county bookings and arrests with their police department.

How To Find San Bernardino County Marriage Records & Divorce Records

Marriage and Divorce Records in San Bernardino County are held by different custodians. The primary custodian for San Bernardino county marriage records is the Assessor Recorder County Clerk. The San Bernardino Superior Court is the custodian for divorce records.

Below we separately detail the process for searching both marriage and divorce certificates in San Bernardino County.

Access Marriage Records With the San Bernardino Assessor-Recorder-County-Clerk

Depending on if you’re searching for a certified copy of your marriage record or want to find out if someone is married, it is important to know where to look and what restrictions there are for accessing these records.

For instance, it’s important to know that San Bernardino County does not have an online search tool for searching marriage records.

The San Bernardino County  Assessor-Recorder-County-Clerk is the primary office for searching marriage records.⁴ Your access to copies of a marriage record in San Bernardino County depends on if you are requesting your own marriage record or someone else. Another factor is whether or not the marriage record you are searching for is public or confidential.

Parties getting married in California can request either a public or confidential marriage license.

An informational copy of a public marriage record can be requested by anyone. However, it’s important to note that an informational copy cannot be used to establish one’s identity. For instance, if you need the document to get a new social security card after getting married then you will need a certified copy.

There are three ways in which to request a copy of a marriage certificate. By mail you can follow the below steps.

1. Complete an application.⁵
2. Print the application. If requesting a certified copy you must have your application notarized.
3. Mail in your application along with a fee of $17 to
   • County Clerk
     222 West Hospitality Lane, First Floor
     San Bernardino, California 92415

If you would like to receive a copy of a marriage record in-person you still have to take certain steps prior to your visit. First you have to complete an online application.⁶ You must then book an appointment online.⁷

You can book your appointment at either of the following locations:

San Bernardino Hall of Records
222 West Hospitality Lane, 1st Floor
San Bernardino, California 92415
909-387-8306

High Desert Government Center Recorder Clerk
15900 Smoke Tree Street
Hesperia, California 92345
909-387-8306

Finally, you can also submit a request for a marriage record online through a third-party vendor, VitalChek.⁸ When making a request online you can have the marriage record sent to you directly. If you have any specific questions about submitting a request you can call VitalChek directly at 800-669-8312.

Despite uncertified copies being a part of San Bernardino County public records, there are restrictions if you are looking to obtain a certified copy of a marriage record. Only the following parties can receive a certified copy of a marriage record.

• The parties to the marriage
• Parties entitled to the record due to the issuance of a court order
• Law enforcement agency or other government representative conducting official business
• An attorney representing either party to the marriage

San Bernardino’s marriage records are limited to marriages that occurred within the county. If you need records from another county you can either reach out to the county in which the marriage was recorded or the California Department of Public Health.⁹ 

Alternatively, review our resource on obtaining free public records throughout the state of California for a more in depth description of how to acquire vital records in any county, as well as guidance on locating other public information like statewide court proceedings, criminal history, property records, investigating someone’s background, and more.

Search Divorce Records Through the San Bernardino County Superior Court

When it comes to public divorce records you will need to search San Bernardino County court records. The San Bernardino County Superior Court has a Court Access Portal in which you can search for divorce records online.¹⁰ Here you can search by

• Case Number
• Citation Number
• Party Search

It is important to note that the San Bernardino County Superior Court of California charges $.50 per page you are trying to access. However, this is the only way you can access these records online unless it is your case. In addition, the online records are primarily for records from 1998 to present.

If you are looking for older San Bernardino County divorce records or do not want to pay to access these records then you can go to the relevant district court in which the divorce decree was issued. Below is the contact information for district courts located in San Bernardino County.

Courthouse	Address	Phone Number
Barstow District	235 East Mountain View Street Barstow, California 92311	760-245-6215
Big Bear District	477 Summit Boulevard Big Bear Lake, California 92315	760-245-6215
Fontana District	17780 Arrow Boulevard Fontana, California 92335	909-350-9322
Joshua Tree District	6527 White Feather Road Joshua Tree, California 92252	760-974-3047
Needles District	1111 Bailey Avenue Needles, California 92363	760-269-4962
Rancho Cucamonga District	8303 Haven Avenue Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730	909-285-3520
San Bernardino District	351 North Arrowhead Avenue San Bernardino, California 92415	909-521-3136
Victorville District	14455 Civic Drive Victorville, California 92392	760-245-6215

How To Access Someone’s Criminal Record in San Bernardino County

To look up someone’s criminal record, which is a part of San Bernardino County public record, you may use the Court Access Portal.

While there is a fee for accessing someone else’s records you can perform a free criminal record check for yourself. The following steps outline the process of performing a criminal records search with the San Bernardino County Superior Court.

1. Login to Court Access Portal.
2. Click the “Advanced Search” option.
3. Select “Criminal” under the drop down box for case category.
4. Enter any additional information to narrow your search.

The Advanced Search tool allows you to search for San Bernardino County criminal records in a variety of ways. You can search by the defendant’s name or even an involved third party. In addition, you can filter your results in the following ways:

• Filing date range
• Case status (e.g., active, inactive, probation, etc.)
• Case Type
• Judge

Note: To perform name searches and advanced searches for criminal records you need to register for an account. You can register for an account with the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino for free. However, this is not a free service and is the only online option provided by San Bernardino County.

Another option is to go in person to search for criminal records. You can contact their criminal division at 909-384-1888. Here is the address for visiting in person.

Superior Court of California
County of San Bernardino
San Bernardino District – Criminal Division
247 West Third Street
San Bernardino, California 92415

Finally, you can perform a search through the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department inmate locator tool that was discussed earlier in this article. However, an individual’s criminal record will be limited using this tool since they are only the arresting agency.

How To Use California State Resources To Find Criminal Offenses

You can find additional information if you check public records throughout California. You may need these resources if you are unable to find what you are looking for in San Bernardino County or if you are unsure which agency is the correct records custodian.

For certain criminal records, a state agency may be the appropriate custodian. If that is the case you may have to perform a broader search through all public records in California. Here are your best options for looking up a person’s criminal record in California.

• California Superior Court – to find criminal records you will have to search through the specific county that is the custodian of the criminal record.
• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) – the CDCR contains criminal records for all individuals incarcerated in California.¹¹
• California’s Megan’s Law Website – here you can search for people that are classified as convicted sex offenders in California.¹²
• United States National Sex Offender Registry – this is a search tool for convicted sex offenders throughout the United States.¹³
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) – if you are looking for federal inmates use this search tool provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.¹⁴

If you need additional resources for searching criminal records and other public records in California then please visit our California Records Page.

How To Obtain a Background Check in San Bernardino County California

Before we discuss how to get a background check, it’s important to understand what is considered a background check. Background checks can be classified into two categories – personal and professional.

Personal background checks are informal and can be conducted using the information already provided in this article. Personal background checks are basically a search of public records. Anyone can conduct a personal background check and the information obtained can be used for virtually any reason.

The only caveat is that the information cannot be used for any illegal reason.

In contrast, professional background checks are more formal in nature. Here are some additional aspects that distinguish professional background checks from personal background checks.

• Professional background checks require written consent under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, while personal background checks do not.¹⁵
• Professional background checks cannot be used for any type of discriminatory purpose and is regulated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).¹⁶ The EEOC provides detailed instructions on how to file a charge through their online portal if you have been discriminated against.
• Professional background checks are performed by a third party such as a local or state agency.

Professional background checks may be needed for a variety of reasons. Here are some popular reasons for needing a background check.

• Applying for a job
• Those holding positions involving child or elder care
• Applying for a firearm license
• Rental application
• State licensing requirement

If you want to get a professional background check in San Bernardino county it will depend on what type of records you need. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department indicates that you can request records but it does not specifically state you can request a background check.

The Sheriff’s Department ‘s Records Division provides a clear and concise process for making San Bernardino County public record requests for criminal records.¹⁷ You can make a request in any of the following ways

• Online – you can use the county’s online portal to make a records request.¹⁸
• In person – Requests can be made in person at any local San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department station or their Headquarters’ Records Division. The Records Division is available Monday through Friday from 8:00AM – 5:00PM.
• Writing – You can also make a request by writing in to the below address
  • San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
    Records Division
    P.O. Box 569
    San Bernardino, California 92402

Some of the larger cities do explicitly provide background check services. For instance, the Fontana Police Department provides individuals with background checks.¹⁹

To make a request you first must fill out their Background Check Request Form.²⁰ Then you must mail this form, a photocopy of your state or federal identification and a check or money order for $23.00. The request must be mailed to the below address.

Fontana Police Department
Attn: Records
17005 Upland Avenue
Fontana, California 92335

It is important to note that at both the city and county level, the records are limited to those that were prepared by that specific agency. If you need a more thorough background check you may need to request a California background check through the State of California’s Department of Justice.²¹

How To Check if Someone Has a Warrant Out for Their Arrest in San Bernardino County

Sometimes your search is more specific than simply looking up someone’s criminal record. Sometimes you want specific information, such as if someone has a warrant. San Bernardino county does not have an independent warrant search tool.

However, you may be able to find relevant information using the inmate locator tool provided by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

There is no specific section for San Bernardino county warrants but you may be able to gather information relevant to your search. For instance, in the Charges section there is information on hearing dates and current status. Look here to see if there is any information on missed hearing dates or outstanding warrants.

If you cannot find what you are looking for using this online search tool then you may have to call the police departments directly to ask them if they can perform a warrant search.

Contact information for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the police department of some of the county’s larger cities is provided earlier in this article.

How To See if Someone Is Currently on Probation in San Bernardino County

Individuals on probation are not in the custody of a particular agency, however, they are obligated to adhere to certain requirements such as reporting to the appropriate agency on a regular basis. If you want to see if someone is on probation in San Bernardino County you have a couple of options.

First, you can use the inmate locator tool if you have specific information on the individual you want to check regarding their probation status. The inmate locator tool has release date information as well as their current status. If there is not specific probation information, you may be able to deduce whether or not they are on probation based on their charges and their release date.

You can also try contacting the San Bernardino County Probation Office directly with your inquiry.²² You can contact them by phone at 909-387-5874. You can also visit them in person at the below address.

San Bernardino County Probation
175 West Fifth Street, Fourth Floor
San Bernardino County, California 92415

Parole information is available at the state level through the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate locator. While it is different from probation, you may find this information useful when searching for specific information about the current status of an individual’s criminal record.

How To Look Up Court Records in San Bernardino County Online & in Person

San Bernardino county judicial records are separated by civil and criminal records. Civil records deal with anything from business disputes to domestic actions (e.g., divorce, custody, etc.).

Criminal records are specifically focused on records involving violations of San Bernardino County and California’s criminal statutes.

If you want to look up records you have two primary options. The first option is to search San Bernardino’s public index of cases through the Superior Court’s Court Access Portal. However, as we previously discussed, this is a paid service unless you are looking up your own case information.

If you are involved in a case and need to look up information such as a court date, this is a great resource. Otherwise, if you want to look up court records you are going to have to do so in person. In San Bernardino County courts are divided into districts and there are 14 different courthouse locations.

Each location handles specific types of cases so it’s important to know what type of records you are looking for before visiting a courthouse in person. Below is a list of all courts in San Bernardino County, their address, phone number, and what types of cases they handle.

How To Obtain Various Vital Records (Birth & Death Certificates) in San Bernardino County

Other than marriage and birth certificates, vital records include birth and death records as well. The fee for a birth certificate is $32 and for death certificates it is $24.

For recent birth or death records (past 2 years) you can make a request with the San Bernardino County Public Health Vital Records Office.²³ For requests by mail send in a completed application and payment made payable to the County of San Bernardino to the below address.

Department of Public Health
340 North Mountain View Avenue
San Bernardino, California 92415

For in-person requests you can go to the below address.

Department of Public Health
351 North Mountain View Avenue
San Bernardino, California 92415

Finally, you can also make a request for a birth or death record online.²⁴ This online request can be made directly with San Bernardino County’s Department of Public Health.

For records older than 2 years you will have to make your request through the Assessor Recorder County Clerk. Here are your three options for making a request for older birth or death records.

By Mail: Complete your application and have it notarized (if requesting a certified copy). Mail your application, along with a fee, to the below address

County Clerk
222 West Hospitality Lane, First Floor
San Bernardino, California 92415

In-Person: Complete an online application. Retain your order number and use that to book an appointment online. You can schedule an appointment at either of the following locations.

San Bernardino Hall of Records
222 West Hospitality Lane, 1st Floor
San Bernardino, California 92415
909-387-8306

High Desert Government Center Recorder Clerk
15900 Smoke Tree Street
Hesperia, California 92345
909-387-8306

Online: You can make a request through VitalChek, a third party vendor, if you want to request and receive your records online. It’s important to note there may be additional service fee charges beyond the fees provided earlier.

If you have specific questions about making an online request you can contact VitalChek directly at 800-669-8312.

Note: The fee charged for birth or death searches is retained regardless of whether or not they are able to secure the record you requested.

For certified copies of birth or death records you must meet one of the following criteria.²⁵

1. You are requesting your own birth record.
2. You are the parent or legal guardian of the person.
3. You are entitled to receive the record through court order, as an attorney or licensed adoption agency in compliance with Section 3140 or 7603 of California’s Family Code.
4. Members of law enforcement or another government agency that needs the record to perform official business.
5. Spouse, domestic partner, sibling, grandchild, grandparent or child of the person.
6. An attorney or any agency authorized to represent the person or their estate.
7. For death records, any funeral director ordering copies on behalf of any person mentioned above.

How To Find Property Records Through the San Bernardino County Assessor

The County Assessor is responsible for all property records in San Bernardino County and you can perform an online search using their Parcel Access Public Index.^27,.26 

The online portal allows for both a basic or advanced search. After performing a search you can view the following information.

• Parcel number
• Owner name(s)
• Effective date
• Parcel status
• Parcel type
• Property ID
• Tax status
• Use code
• Land access
• Size
• Land type
• District

You can also click “View Report” to get even more detailed information regarding a particular piece of property. Here you can find a legal description, parcel history, owner history and much more.

San Bernardino County also provides a property information management online directory that provides similar information.²⁸ For additional information you can contact the County Assessor at 909-387-8307 or visit in-person at the below address.

Assessor Recorder County Clerk
222 West Hospitality Lane
San Bernardino, California 92415

An Overview of San Bernardino County Public Record Custodians

There are a variety of public records in San Bernardino County you can access. Here is a summary of where you can find those records.

• Arrest Records
  • San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
  • Local Police Departments
• Criminal Records
  • Court Access Portal
  • Inmate locator tool
• Vital Statistic Records (Birth, Death and Marriage Records)
  • Assessor Recorder County Clerk
  • San Bernardino County Public Health Vital Records Office
• Divorce and other Records
  •  Court Access Portal
  • San Bernardino County Superior Court (see list of district courts provided earlier in this article)
• Property Records – San Bernardino County Assessor

Access to public records, whether a recent arrest report or marriage record, may be of vital importance in a lot of situations. They may be necessary to protect your family, apply for a job or handle the administration of an estate. This article provides detailed information and a comprehensive list of applicable resources for searching and obtaining San Bernardino County public records.