Searching San Mateo County Court Records
Most people start with the wrong tool. The Superior Court runs two public sites, and they do not talk to each other. MIDX is the index. Odyssey is the case detail portal. Use both, in that order, and the lookup is fast. The notes below cover the right field rules, the case-number quirks, and what the public side of Odyssey actually shows.
The court page that ties these tools together is the main San Mateo County court records guide. Family law and juvenile files have their own rules, which the next few items cover.
How do I search San Mateo County court records online?
Start with MIDX at web.sanmateocourt.org/midx for non-confidential appeals, civil, criminal, family law, probate, and small claims index data. Search by case number, person name, business name, or filing date. Then move to the Odyssey Public Portal for the register of actions and, where allowed, documents. MIDX is index-only and does not link straight into Odyssey. The full walk-through lives on the court records page.
What is the difference between MIDX and Odyssey?
MIDX is the public records index. It helps you find a case number and check that a case exists. Odyssey shows the register of actions and, for some case types, non-confidential documents. The public Odyssey portal needs no login. Attorney and pro per access has extra steps. Use MIDX first to find the case, then Odyssey for the file. The court dockets page covers what the register of actions shows.
Are San Mateo family law documents online?
The court says family law documents are currently kept off the public Odyssey portal. MIDX may show index data for non-confidential family law cases, but the file itself is restricted by California remote-access rules and local portal policy. To view or copy a family law file, go to Records Management in person or send a mail request. More detail sits on the marriage and divorce records page.
Court Copies, Fees, and Records Management
The Records Management counter at 400 County Center handles in-person file review, mail copy requests, and certified copies. Fees are set by the court. The blank-check rule for mail is unusual and worth a careful read. The next four answers map the cost, the hours, and the off-site retrieval window.
Judicial Council forms drive most counter and mail requests. The screenshot below links to the official statewide forms page.
The California Judicial Council forms portal hosts every state-approved form used in San Mateo County, from copy requests to small claims filings.
The page lists each form by number and case type, so you can grab the right copy request, fee waiver, or name change packet before a trip to the Hall of Justice.
How do I request copies of court records by mail?
Mail Records Management at 400 County Center, 1st Floor Room A, Redwood City, CA 94063. Send the case number, parties, filing date or document description, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a blank Superior Court check with a "not to exceed" amount on the memo line. The court fills in the right fee and replies within thirty days. Do not send cash. See the Clerk of the Superior Court page for the full process.
What does a court copy cost?
The Superior Court lists $0.50 per side for copies, $40 to certify a copy, and $50 for exemplification. Comparing a copy with the original is $1 per side. A search longer than ten minutes is $15. Pulling an off-site file is $10 per file. Certified dissolution copies have a $15 fee. Full schedules are on the public records page.
How many files can I view at Records Management?
You may view public files at the Records Management Division, 1st Floor Room A, Hall of Justice, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The court limits each visit to five files at a time. Return the first group and you may request five more. The court does not search files for you, so bring case numbers from MIDX. The Clerk of the Superior Court page has the full counter rules.
What if my file is off-site?
Off-site files must be requested in person at Records Management with a $10 fee per file. The court says off-site files are usually ready within 72 hours and are held for five working days before going back to storage. Some old civil, family, and probate ranges may be available digitally at the counter even when listed as off-site. The court records page covers older case-number ranges.
Jail Searches, Warrants, and the Sheriff
The Sheriff's Office runs the jail, the inmate locator, and the active warrants page. Court warrants come from the Superior Court Criminal Division. Custody status changes flow through VINELink. Each tool has a different scope. The four answers below show which one fits which question.
How do I search for someone in San Mateo County jail?
Use the Sheriff Inmate Locator at smc-inmatelocator.org. Enter both first and last name. The middle name, gender filter, and phonetic checkbox help when spelling is unclear. You can also call Maguire Correctional Facility at (650) 363-4000 ext. 6070 with the name and correct date of birth. The locator runs around the clock. More on the tool is on the inmate records page.
What does the jail inmate profile show?
A live sample showed name, date of birth, gender, facility, case number, SMCSO number, booking number, next court date, projected release date, and a court dockets table with docket number, bail, and charge. It did not show a mugshot, housing pod, physical description, or arresting agency. Fields vary by case. See the inmate records page for full field lists.
How do I get custody status notifications?
The Sheriff Inmate Locator links to VINELink at vinelink.com for custody changes and criminal case alerts. Search by jurisdiction or name and register for phone, email, text, or app notifications. VINE is free and runs statewide. For population data and release tracking, see the released inmates and inmate population pages.
How do I find warrants?
Start with the San Mateo Superior Court Criminal Division Active Warrants page. Then search MIDX or Odyssey by case number or name. If a person has been booked on a warrant, the Sheriff Inmate Locator may show facility, charges, bail, and next court date. The full lookup process sits on the warrant records page. Same-day check-in rules at the criminal clerk's office also appear there.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate
This is the section that confuses the most users. Marriage licenses and marriage certificates are County Clerk-Recorder records. Divorce files are Superior Court family law records. Probate cases are Superior Court files too, but with their own division. The next four answers split the offices clearly.
Where do I get a marriage license?
Go to the County Clerk Division at 555 County Center, First Floor, Redwood City. Marriage license hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Both parties must appear with valid government-issued photo ID. The appointment line is (650) 599-1713. Blood tests are no longer required in California. The full license walk-through is on the marriage and divorce records page.
How do I get a certified marriage certificate?
Request it from the Clerk-Recorder in the county where the license was bought. San Mateo in-person requests need photo ID. Mail requests for official certified copies must be notarized and must include party names, date of marriage, county office, address, phone, and payment. A certificate can only be issued by the county that sold the license. See the marriage and divorce records page for fees and forms.
Where do I get divorce records?
Divorce files are Superior Court family law records, not vital records. Request copies from Records Management at 400 County Center, not from the County Clerk-Recorder. A certified copy of a dissolution record is $15. MIDX can show the family law case number, but documents are not on the public Odyssey portal. More detail is on the marriage and divorce records page.
Are probate records online?
Non-confidential and non-sealed probate case data and documents are on Odyssey public access. MIDX can search the probate index by case number, party name, business name, or filing date. Conservatorship and guardianship files may carry confidential investigator reports, medical data, or minor information that stays off the public portal. The full guide is on the probate records page.
Public Access, Restrictions, and Other Records
California Rules of Court and several Penal Code sections control which San Mateo County court records are public, restricted, or sealed. Federal cases and traffic cases sit in their own systems. The last group of questions ties those threads together.
What records are not public online?
The court keeps adoption, juvenile, and mental health cases off online access. Family law documents are not on the public portal. Sealed, confidential, and statutorily restricted records do not appear at all. The legal basis includes California Rules of Court remote-access limits and Welfare and Institutions Code section 827 for juvenile files. More on the framework is on the public records page.
Can I seal an arrest that did not lead to conviction?
California Penal Code section 851.91 lets eligible people petition to seal arrest and related records when the arrest did not result in conviction. The California Courts self-help site points to Form CR-409. Some records get automatic relief under Penal Code section 851.93. The petition goes to the Superior Court Criminal Division. The full process and form links sit on the criminal records page.
Where do I pay or look up a traffic ticket?
Traffic cases run through the court's traffic payment system, not MIDX. The Northern Branch at 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco, houses the Traffic Division. Pay online, by mail, or at the counter. A trial by written declaration is available for most infractions. The state driver record is a separate file held by the DMV, and federal cases route to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The full split sits on the traffic court records page, with broader structure on the Superior Court page.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office, see the Clerk of the Superior Court. For broader access rules, see public records. For records by topic, browse court records, court dockets, criminal records, warrant records, traffic court records, inmate records, released inmates, inmate population, marriage and divorce, or probate. Return to the San Mateo County court records home for the full site map.