How to search Orange County court records

Orange County runs its own case-search portal, separate from California's statewide system. There's no charge and no account required.

county-run free criminal data

Open the official Orange County portal →

What's actually there

Civil case index reaches back to 1996 for unlimited/complex civil actions and 2005 for limited civil. Criminal and traffic run through a separate search tool.

Other official lookups for Orange County

• Criminal & traffic cases
• Civil case access

Why look at the county instead of the state?

Most criminal prosecutions happen at the county level, and California's statewide system either doesn't cover Orange County in full or doesn't cover trial courts at all. See the California guide for the full picture.

Federal cases

This portal only covers Orange County's own courts. For federal criminal, civil or bankruptcy cases, use CourtRecordsFree's live federal search instead.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to search Orange County court records online?

Yes. Orange County's portal is free to use, with no account required.

Does this include criminal records?

Yes, Orange County's portal includes criminal cases alongside civil.

Links move. If the Orange County portal link above is dead, tell us on the corrections page.