Find Free San Diego County Public Records: Criminal, Court, Marriage & More

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Free San Diego County Public Records Search

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

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Track down free San Diego County public records today using this streamlined resource.

While public information is made available by the state and federal freedom of information statutes, knowing how to find the records you seek and familiarizing yourself with the lookup process can greatly expedite the search process.

This brief resource provides the necessary tools and guidance to seamlessly obtain records of arrests, mugshots, warrants, probation, criminal history information, property and property tax records, background check reports and court cases in San Diego County, California.

How To View Free San Diego County Arrest Records & Mugshots via Online Inmate Search Tools

The California Public Records Act (PRA) ensures transparency pertaining to personal public records and government information statewide, allowing for members of the public to view and obtain desired documents unless they’ve been made confidential.¹

San Diego County arrest records are compiled of information collected from arrest reports and jail information; these records are included under the PRA and can be reliably found through local law enforcement agencies within the county.

It’s beneficial for searchers to know the arrestee’s full name as well as an estimate of where and when they were detained.

See if Someone Was Arrested via the San Diego County Sheriff’s Inmate Search Tool

The Inmate Search Tool is offered by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office (SDCSO) and allows anyone to search for current inmates incarcerated in any of the county detention facilities managed by the SDCSO.²

Individuals can conduct searches of the jail roster by typing the first two letters of an inmate’s first and last name. Upon completing the search, users will see a display of an inmate’s entire arrest record including:

• Address
• Arresting Agency
• Bail Information
• Bond Amount
• Booking Number
• Case Number
• Charge
• Demographics (Age, Date of Birth, Eye & Hair Color, Height, Weight, Sex, Ethnicity)
• Detention Facility
• Full Name
• Housing Unit
• Projected Release Date
• Sentencing Details
• Time & Date of Booking

Interested parties can also find out if someone is in jail or request documents pertaining to arrests via the public records center, submitting a written record request to one of the patrol station locations, or submitting a record request form (available in English or Spanish).

Arrest records are available dating back at least 10 years (longer for certain record types).

Request forms must be accompanied by a copy of a valid form of identification and the appropriate fee payment–$20 per arrest report with the first copy free to parties involved in the incident–and can be submitted in person or by mail at the addresses listed below.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
9621 Ridgehaven Court
San Diego, California 92123

Phone: 858.974.2222
Hours: Weekdays 8 a.m. – Noon & 1 – 4:30 p.m.

Their mailing address is:

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
ATTENTION: Records & Identification Division (Cases Section)
PO Box 939062
San Diego, California 92193-9062

Payments for records can be made in cash (in person only), certified checks or money orders made out to the “San Diego County Sheriff.” Arrest records will be disbursed in 10 business days or fewer.

The San Diego Sheriff’s Office also offers jail records such as a Daily Population Report displaying the number of inmates in each of the facility locations and a Most Wanted List that allows searchers to find someone’s mugshot and view fugitives’ charges.

Access Jail Records & Arrest Reports Through Municipal Police Departments Within San Diego County

Recent arrest reports are primarily available through the sheriff’s office and resources, but city police departments can also provide these reports if they are the arresting agency.

Chula Vista is the only city that hosts its own jail and provides online inmate information such as charges, bail amounts and arrest details. Copies of police records can be purchased for $1 each, with a money order or check payable to “City of Chula Vista.”

Chula Vista Police Department & City Jail
315 Fourth Ave.
Chula Vista, California 91910

Police Dept. Phone: 619.691.5151
Jail Phone: 619.691.5228
Fax: 619.691.5281

Arrest records can still be found through any other city’s police department by contacting them directly–often through submitting an electronic record request, emailing, calling or sending a written request by mail. To find out how to reach these local police agencies, individuals can type “[city name] police contact information” into any search engine.

If searchers find that the arrest or inmate records they require are maintained by neighboring counties, they can consult the instructions for accessing various California state records without incurring any costs; this resource covers background checks, criminal history, court cases, marital records, probation information, property records, and more.

By referring to this resource, individuals can streamline their search process and locate the necessary information more efficiently, even if the records are not hosted by the county they initially searched.

How To Retrieve Marriage & Divorce Certificates in San Diego County

In San Diego County, marriage records and divorce certificates are both publicly available, but are hosted by different record custodians.

Marriage records are hosted by the San Diego County Clerk-Recorder and divorce records are hosted by the superior court of the county. The process to access marital records for both of these agencies is seen below and online requests can also be done through the state-approved vendor VitalChek.

Furthermore, there are stipulations as to who can access this information although non-certified records can tell you if someone is married or divorced.

Obtain Marriage Records via the San Diego County Clerk-Recorder

The San Diego County Clerk-Recorder maintains the county’s marriage records and will have them ready for public request 10 business days after the marriage ceremony is held.³

Certified, non-confidential certificates of marriage can be retrieved by:

• The person(s) named on the certificate
• A parent or guardian of the subject(s) named on the certificate
• Individuals granted court-ordered access to the record
• An attorney of the record’s subject(s)
• Members of authorized governmental or law enforcement agencies if the record relates to official business matters

Certified, confidential marriage records can only be obtained by:

• The registrants named on the certificate
• Individuals granted access to the marriage record by court order (a copy of the court order must be submitted to the county recorder as proof)

Any requester who does not fit the requirements to obtain any type of certified marriage record (whether confidential or not) will either receive an informational copy which will have “Informational – Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity” printed on it, or simply a letter that confirms the marriage did occur. 

For individuals that are authorized to access certified confidential or non-confidential certificates of marriage, requests can be made in person, online or by mail. The process for each type of request is outlined below:

In Person: Requests can be made at any of the Clerk-Recorder office locations throughout San Diego County by following the steps below.

1. Complete the Application for Marriage Certificate Form and add your signature with the clerk-recorder as a witness
2. Present a current government-issued form of identification
3. Pay the $17 fee per certificate by cash, credit, debit, money order or check payable to “San Diego Recorder/County Clerk”

Note: Applicants will be charged an extra $2.50 for credit and debit card payments 

San Diego County Clerk-Recorder – Main Office
1600 Pacific Hwy, Ste. 260
San Diego, California 92101

Phone: 616.237.0502
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Weekdays 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

In addition to the main Clerk-Recorder’s Office, marriage records in Broward County can also be obtained from several alternate Clerk-Recorder office locations throughout the county.

Online: The San Diego County Clerk-Recorder’s office partners with and endorses VitalChek as an online option for obtaining marriage and divorce records.⁴ Requesters should select “Authorized Copy” when ordering if a certified document is needed and can add “San Diego County Recorder” as the relevant government agency when asked.

VitalChek charges $12.95 for shipping on top of the $17 marriage record fee.

By Mail: Individuals can fill out the Application for Marriage Certificate Form and mail it to the address below with the $17 payment by money order or check written to the “San Diego Recorder/County Clerk.”

If requesting a certified copy, individuals must fit the criteria listed above, fill out the “Sworn Statement” portion of the marriage record application, and have a Notary Public complete the “Certificate of Acknowledgement” section. (If requesting an informational copy, these additional steps are not necessary)

San Diego County Clerk-Recorder
Attention – Vital Records
PO Box 121750
San Diego, California 92112 – 1750

Look Up Divorce Records via the Superior Court of San Diego County

San Diego County divorce records are maintained by the Superior Court of San Diego County as long as the divorce was finalized within the county.

Copies of divorce records or “decrees” can be accessed through this court online, in person or by mail. Online case records pertaining to recent divorces are viewable electronically, but the courthouse hosts much older records.

In Person: For divorce case records dating from 1880 to 1974, interested parties must visit the Central Courthouse as it hosts older records. Copies there are generally $.50 per page with a $15 additional charge for certification of divorce decrees.

Central Courthouse
Older Records Section
1100 Union St., Floor 14
San Diego, California 92101

Phone: (619)844-2700
Hours: Weekdays 8:30am – 4pm

To obtain certificates of divorce from 1974 on, searchers can review the San Diego Superior Court courthouse locations to see which branch the divorce was filed with and stop by to request records in person.

Requesters should be prepared to share the applicable case number, a current photo ID, and pay the appropriate court record fees. Individuals will be contacted when the documents are ready, at which point they can visit the courthouse again to retrieve them.

Sealed or confidential records of divorce will only be disbursed if the requester has a copy of a valid court order. 

Online: Perform a free online court record access to find divorce-related documents on the electronic court index.⁵ This portal displays case records from civil, criminal, mental health, probate and family court hearings in image format from 2011 to present. Records may be printed for one’s own use, but will not be certified or official divorce decrees.

By Mail: To obtain public divorce records by postal mail, send a written request to whichever of the San Diego Superior Court courthouse locations heard the divorce case and finalized it.

Include the case number, involved parties, and number and type of record copies being requested. Searches under 10 minutes come at no expense to the requester, but court record fees apply if it takes the clerk-recorder more than 10 minutes to find the record in question.

To recap, be sure to include each of the following items in the stamped and self-addressed envelope and mail it to the address listed above.

• Divorce Case Number
• Names of Involved Parties
• Record Type
• Quantity of Copies
• Appropriate payment made out to the “Superior Court”
  • Checks, money orders, or credit card payments accepted; credit card payments must be accompanied by the credit card payment form.

If available, requested copies will be delivered to the requester by mail as soon as possible, though the process may take several weeks.

Public records in San Diego County that deal with marriage or divorce are also available through third-party services. These sites can come in very handy as they’re not limited to a specific county or even state search and can therefore give more comprehensive results, check aliases and even check for online records that might not be publicly accessible.

Lastly, if individuals aren’t having any luck with the options mentioned above, they could try to find out if someone is married by reaching out to churches in the area where the marriage ceremony was held as local churches used to maintain records of marriage before the courts did. In addition to being able to check if someone is married, church records could assist with tracing genealogy or one’s family tree too.

How To Request Criminal Records in San Diego County California

Criminal history reports are available through several county agencies, but these reports will be limited to the local area and are not exhaustive criminal records since they won’t include any criminal charges from other counties or states.

That being said, these local criminal records can be accessed via the court system and both county and municipal law enforcement agencies.

Access the Court Index To Review Criminal Cases via the California Superior Court

Copies of criminal records originating in San Diego County can be viewed via the court index or retrieved from any of the criminal court locations.^5,6 While the index allows for a free criminal record check of electronic court case documents, copies of reports obtained from any of the courthouses come with varying record fees depending on the quantity of copies and whether or not they’re certified.

Look Up Criminal Records Through Local Law Enforcement Agencies in San Diego County

San Diego County criminal records are also hosted and distributed by the sheriff’s office; this type of report displays any and all of a subject’s prior criminal activity such as arrests, court proceedings and detentions as long as these events were within the county.⁷

Note: Only the subject of the record may obtain copies of the criminal record.

To do so, individuals can submit the following to the sheriff’s office in person or by mail on weekdays between 8am-noon or 1-4:30pm:

• Records Service Request Form (English) or Records Service Request Form (Spanish)⁸
• Photocopy of valid government-issued photo identification (or simply present ID if in person)
• Payment of the $14 San Diego criminal history report fee by credit card, money order or certified check payable to “San Diego County Sheriff” (these payments as well as cash or debit are accepted in person; an extra processing fee will be charged for payments by card)

San Diego County Sheriff’s Office
9621 Ridgehaven Court
San Diego, California 92123

Phone: 858.974.2222
Hours: Weekdays 8 a.m. – Noon & 1 – 4:30 p.m.

Mailing Address:
San Diego County Sheriff’s Office
ATTN – Records & Identification Division (Bookings Section)
PO Box 939062
San Diego, California 92193 – 9062

San Diego County public record requests for criminal records are also accepted by email at [email protected]; the records should be ready for pickup within 10 business days.

City police departments are able to provide criminal records as well (as long as they were the agency that performed the arrest), but these will not be complete criminal records as they’ll only have information related to the incident or arrest.

In Escondido, a city in San Diego County, searchers can request local criminal records from the online police records center maintained by the Escondido Police Department Records Division. Copies of arrest and criminal reports cost $15 each.

Escondido Police HQ
Records Division
1163 N. Centre City Pkwy
Escondido California 92026

Phone: 760.839.4722
Hours: Weekdays 8am – 5pm

To find similar reports in other cities throughout San Diego County, individuals can type “[city name] criminal records” into a search engine and browse for relevant results or custodian contact information.

View Criminal Records via State Resources in California

Beyond the county criminal history reports, California residents can also look up their own state criminal record but searchers are unable to look up someone’s criminal record unless they are the subject of the report.

The only exceptions to this are law enforcement and other authorized agencies such as for certain types of employment screening.

Anyone can access California criminal records for themselves by submitting a Criminal History Report Application to the State’s Department of Justice (DOJ) after having sets of official fingerprints taken at one of the San Diego County Live Scan fingerprinting locations and paying a $25 fee for the record.

Additional fingerprinting fees will be charged by the live scan site as well, but the cost varies between locations so be sure to check online or call ahead for the specific location’s fees.

Although the above method is only available for one’s own criminal history information, searchers curious if someone has a criminal record can utilize any of the search tools and record custodians below to browse public criminal records hosted by state and federal repositories:

• The California Department of Corrections’ CDCR inmate locator allows for users to search for incarcerated subjects in California state prisons. Searches are available by either CDCR number or surname and will display relevant inmate profiles with information like current correctional facility, parole eligibility date and age.
• The California Megan’s Law website or the California Sex Offender Registry shows convicted sex offenders throughout the state. This search tool can be used by entering either the subject’s address or name. Search results will show each sex offender’s:
  • Aliases
  • Birthdate
  • Demographics (Eye & Hair Color, Height, Weight, Sex & Ethnicity)
  • Last Known Address
  • Mugshot
  • Offense Code & Description
  • Offender Name
  • Risk Assessment Level
  • Physical Descriptors (Scars, Tattoos, etc.)
  • Year of Last Conviction
  • Year of Last Release
• The National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) is another sex offender registry but hosts information on offenders throughout the country rather than just California; it’s able to be searched by location or name.
• Users can conduct a BOP inmate search of individuals currently or formerly (1982 to present) held in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities nationwide.⁹ Searchers can review information on this portal after performing a search of the inmate’s BOP number or name.

How To Get a Background Check Done in San Diego County

Background checks can be performed for a multitude of professional as well as personal reasons and can help determine what has occurred in a certain individual’s past.

Although both types of background checks are available, the purpose for the check dictates whether certain stipulations need to be adhered to–such as getting written permission from the subject beforehand.

A few key differences and highlights of each type are listed below:

Personal Background Checks

• Do not require that the subject of the background check give their permission
• Beneficial when checking into coworkers, potential dates or people around the neighborhood
• Are barred from being used to harass or threaten the subject
• Performed by accessing public records on the subject, such as arrest and criminal records, information on court cases, conducting inmate searches or viewing warrant or sex crime details
  • Third-party services will also be able to grant information on subjects as they can review public records, online indexes and even social media profiles efficiently and effectively, can protect the requestor’s privacy and are not bound to certain jurisdictions

Professional Background Checks

• Give a detailed overview of someone’s prior education, court proceedings, and other public records including criminal information
• Can only be obtained after written consent has been granted by the subject of the background check
• Help to provide insight on an applicant when being considered for licensure, employment, security clearance, or housing
• Allow the subject of the check to dispute or report the information within if inaccurate or misleading
• Primarily offered as “Level 1” name-based checks or “Level 2” checks that necessitate fingerprints being sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) for a check against the national database
• Are required to adhere to certain laws pertaining to background checks, as listed below along with certain entities and official agencies that can be reached in case of fraud or discrimination:
  • California State Labor Offices and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights are both available to assist citizens within San Diego County who believe they’ve been discriminated against in a work or trainee setting
  • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) works to prevent discrimination in employment as it pertains to one’s disabilities, race, sexual or gender identity, religious beliefs and other related characteristics or demographics –concerned individuals may  file a charge of employment discrimination with the EEOC if they believe they’ve faced workplace discrimination
  • The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law ensuring that consumer information is disbursed or listed accurately, efficiently and transparently; individuals are able to report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if they feel they’ve been wronged
  • Californians are protected under the Fair Chance Act, which serves to prevent potential employers from asking an applicant about their criminal past unless the job has already been offered; someone can walk through the complaint process of the California Civil Rights Department if desired

Since San Diego County and the state of California both prohibit anyone from obtaining any background check but their own, only authorized agencies can retrieve background checks though the California Department of Justice (DOJ).

These agencies–if given prior approval–can ask applicants or registrants to undergo  Fingerprint Background Checks through the DOJ, which offers Level 1 checks that are fingerprint-based but stay within the DOJ or Level 2 fingerprint-based checks submitted to the DOJ, which forwards the prints to the FBI for a more comprehensive and reliable background check.

Level 1 Background Checks–require that the requesting employer or authorized entity provide the applicant with Form BCIA 8016, which should be completed prior to the applicant having their fingerprints taken at any of the San Diego County Live Scan sites and sent to the DOJ to run a check through their statewide database.

Level 2 Background Checks–while similar, require one further step: the prints are forwarded from the DOJ to the FBI where they’ll be checked on a national scale and the original agency who requested the background check should receive a document of the findings as soon as they’re available.

Though not many cities in San Diego County offer background checks, some do; however, these are only local city-wide background checks and are not nearly as reliable nor thorough as official checks through the DOJ.

For instance, an Escondido background check will be conducted by the Escondido Police Department – Records Division once applicants stop by the agency in person, display a valid form of ID, and pay the $22 local background check fee by check, cash or money order.

Escondido Police & Fire HQ
1163 N. Centre City Pkwy
Escondido California 92026

Phone: 760.839.4722
Hours: Weekdays 8am – 5pm

To check if other cities have their own local background checks, searchers can type “[city name] California background check” into a search engine and browse the results to see if any are offered.

How To Run a Free San Diego County Warrant Search

San Diego County public records include warrant information and the sheriff’s office offers a Warrant Search Tool that can be used by entering an individual’s first, middle, and/or last name into the search boxes; full names will narrow the search more effectively, but partial names may be searched as well.¹⁰

Once a search has been conducted, users of this free feature will be able to view warrants issued by any of the San Diego Superior Court branches (updated 4 times daily) and include both adult and criminal defendant warrants.

Relevant warrants will be displayed in the database including a wanted person’s information such as the type of crime they’re wanted for, the issuing court, bail amount and warrant number.

Though most warrants can be found online, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office can also be contacted by phone or in person for warrant inquiries.

Requesters should be able to provide the first and last name of the individual as well as their date of birth and assigned warrant number, if known. To gain information on warrants in person, interested parties can visit the office at the address below and be prepared to show a valid government-issued ID.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
Records & Identification Division
9621 Ridgehaven Court
San Diego, California 92123

Warrant Office Phone: 858.974.2110 
Hours: Weekdays 8am-Noon & 1-4:30pm

If a written response from the sheriff’s office is desired, requesters should complete and submit a Records Service Request Form to the Records & Identification Division in person at the address above or by mail to:

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
Attention – Records & Identification Division (Warrants Section)
PO Box 939062
San Diego, California 92193 – 9062

Mailed requests for records must be accompanied by a copy of a valid form of identification and a $14 payment if a written request is desired (payable by money order or check to the “San Diego County Sheriff’s Department”); these payment methods as well as cash are accepted if requests are made in person.

Warrant information should be disbursed within 10 business days.

To determine if someone has a warrant issued by another law enforcement agency, individuals can check at the city and state levels as well.

To find information on warrants in individual cities throughout San Diego County, individuals can contact local municipal police departments or search “[city name] California warrant lookup” online to see if an online lookup feature exists.

For example, the Records Division of the Escondido Police Department provides not only arrest and crime reports, but also warrant confirmation to requesters who submit an electronic request or ask for information in person.

Escondido Police Department
1163 N. Centre City Pkwy
Escondido California 92026

Phone: 760.839.4722
Hours: Weekdays 8am – 5pm

Another option for checking for a warrant on oneself is for a concerned individual to request their own criminal record via the California Department of Justice, as these criminal records display warrant details. Live Scan Fingerprints will need to be taken and come at a cost, in addition to the $25 record fee so it’s advisable to try the free options above first.

For more examples and guidance, check out the tutorial on obtaining warrant information on anyone wanted in San Diego County.

How To Check if Someone Is on Probation in San Diego County CA

California public records include probation information concerning the release from jail to supervision within the community. In San Diego County these records are hosted by the San Diego County Probation Department for both adults and juveniles.

Although probation information is not available via an online directory, the probation office locations can be called or visited for helpful details on a local probationer. The main office’s contact information can be found below as well:

San Diego County Probation Department
Probation Admin. Center
9444 Balboa Avenue, Ste. 500
San Diego, California 92123

General Phone: 858.514.3148
Adult Probation Records: 619.515.8202
Juvenile Records: 858.694.4319

The San Diego Superior Court’s online case search can also be utilized to find particular probation information. This public index is searchable by party name, case number or District Attorney case number.

How To View Court Records in San Diego County via the Court Case Index

In California, the court structure is organized into 58 Superior Courts of trial (one per county), with the Courts of Appeal above them and then the highest court in the state–the California Supreme Court.

A court case index is available to the public and maintained by the Superior Court of San Diego County.^5,11 This San Diego County case search can be conducted by entering party names relating to the case, case numbers or District Attorney case numbers, but searchers might benefit from knowing that juvenile case records will not be included.

Information hosted online includes:

• Case Location (which court hosts the record)
• Case Number
• Case Title
• Case Type
• Date of Filing
• Involved Parties

While the index can be searched for free, the court fee schedule can be referenced for costs of copies. San Diego residents can also view San Diego County judicial records in person by visiting the records section of any of the Superior Court locations  and displaying a valid form of identification.

San Diego County court records heard by the 4th District Court of Appeals can be searched electronically through the 4th Appellate District Division 1 case search by case number, attorney, party name or case caption such as “Lee v Thompson.”¹²

Searches will return a case summary including the filing date, oral argument date and time and the case number, type, and caption. Other links will be shown on this page that go into further detail, such as the docket summary, brief, court dates, disposition and details about the trial court, parties and attorneys.

Information on cases heard by the state’s highest authority can be reviewed via the California Supreme Court docket search where searchers can look up cases by party name, case name, or docket number.

If all else fails, individuals can contact any of the San Diego County Clerk-Recorder offices for assistance in tracking down court documents or case details in person, by phone at 619-237-0502 or by email at [email protected].

How To Retrieve San Diego County Birth, Death & Other Vital Records

San Diego County public records pertaining to both birth and death are hosted by the San Diego County Recorder’s office and can be obtained by following the steps below.

Request San Diego County Birth Records

A certificate of birth for births that occurred within San Diego County can come in the form of either a certified copy which can be used to prove the subject’s identity or simply an informational copy which confirms that the birth did occur in that particular jurisdiction.

Certified copies can be obtained by the following individuals:

• The subject named on the certificate
• Parents or guardians
• Domestic partners, spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, grandparents of the individual named on the record
• Parties approved by court order
• Law enforcement, government agencies or attorneys (if for official business)

Certified copies can be requested in person by submitting a completed Application for Birth Certificate to any of the San Diego County recorder locations; the application must be signed with the clerk/recorder as a witness and a valid form of ID shown.

Birth records cost $32 each and can be purchased with cash, money order or a check made out to the “San Diego Recorder/County Clerk” or by credit or debit but a $2.50 processing fee will apply.

Vital records regarding birth can also be ordered by mail:

1. Fill out the Application for Birth Certificate
2. For certified copies only: must fit the requirements above, complete the “Sworn Statement” section of the application and have the “Certificate of Acknowledgement” portion completed by a notary public (this step does not apply if requesting an informational copy)
3. Mail the application and $32 payment by check or money order to:

San Diego Recorder/County Clerk
Attention – Vital Records Division
PO Box 121750
San Diego California 92112-1750

To order birth records online, individuals can use the state-endorsed service VitalChek to purchase certified copies by clicking “Authorized Copy”, selecting the government agency “San Diego County Recorder” and paying the $32 certificate fee along with a $12.95 shipping expense.

Look Up Death Records in San Diego County

Death records originating in San Diego County can be obtained by members of the public, but informational copies will be granted to requesters who do not have authorization for certified documents. Certified death records can be accessed by:

• The decedent’s parent or guardian
• Spouse, domestic partner, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild of the decedent
• Individuals granted access by court order
• Members of government and law enforcement agencies if needed to conduct official business
• Attorneys of the decedent or anyone given the right by legal statute
• Funeral establishment employees if acting within the scope of employment
• Power attorney for healthcare and others if legally given access to the certificate

Death record requests can be made by following the steps outlined above for birth certificates, with the only differences being that the requester should use a  Death Certificate Application and the fee is $24.

Birth and death records should not be ordered from the clerk-recorder until 3 weeks after the event occurred. 

The San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency offers birth and death records as well, available in person or by mail for $32 per birth record, $24 per death record and $21 for a fetal certificate of death.¹³

Physical Address:

San Diego County Health & Human Services Office
5560 Overland Ave., Ste. 130
San Diego, California 92123

Hours: M-F 9am-5pm

Mailing Address:
County of San Diego – Vital Records
PO Box 429001
San Diego California 92142

Third-party platforms are very helpful in retrieving birth and death records as well for a nominal fee and can save the searcher a lot of time and effort. However, these will not be official or certified documents.

How To Find Property Records via the San Diego County Assessor

Interested parties can check public records regarding  property information via the office of the San Diego County Assessor.¹⁴

ParcelQuest can be utilized to perform a free public records search; members of the public can conduct 25 free property searches monthly, after which a small fee will be assessed. Parcel maps can also be purchased and certified if needed for a small fee.

An official records index is another helpful online tool offered by the assessor’s office and can be used to request property ownership or map records by mail.

Any assessor office locations may be visited to make in person requests or view property records firsthand at the public kiosks. Lastly, searchers can call the public information line at 619.236.3771 to submit land ownership record requests or other property-related inquiries.

To order parcel maps by mail, requesters must include the APN (assessor’s parcel number) or map number and a money order or check made out to the “San Diego Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk” for the appropriate fees and send the request to:

San Diego County Assessor
Attention – Mapping Division
PO Box 121750
San Diego California 92112 – 1750

San Diego County public records are available in many types and forms and can each be requested through the relevant public records repository: county arrest and criminal records via the bookings search or San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, state criminal records from the California Department of Justice (for oneself) and vital records and property information through the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk.^2,3