Document Retrieval in San Francisco, CA

It depends on the size of the request and where the file is. The court processes a request of fewer than five pages from an on-site file while you wait; larger requests can take 12 to 15 court days, and files held off-site take longer, so tell us your deadline and we give you a realistic turnaround before you order.

Yes. Give us the case number and we identify where the file is held, confirm it is available, and request copies of the documents you need. If you only have the party names and a rough year, we can search the court index to find the case number first.

The San Francisco Superior Court keeps civil, probate and family law files in its Civil Records Division, and files at least two years old may be moved off-site, so the wrong location is a common cause of delay. Give us the case number, the parties, or the department, and we confirm where the file is held before we request a copy.

Requests come back empty for a short list of reasons: a wrong case number, a matter filed under a different party name, a file moved off-site, or a document that never entered the public file. We confirm the case and where it sits before we order, and if a request still turns up nothing, we tell you why and where to look next.

Yes. We pull case files, judgments, minute orders, and pleadings from the Superior Court, and we obtain recorded documents such as deeds and liens from the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder. One call covers whichever source your document sits in.

A conformed copy shows the court’s file stamp and date. A certified copy adds the clerk’s certification, which is what you need to record a judgment, enforce a lien, or lodge the document in another case. Tell us which the receiving party wants and we request it that way, with the certification fee confirmed before we order.

Yes. Deeds, deeds of trust, liens, and other recorded instruments are held by the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder at City Hall, separate from the courts. We request certified copies there. The Assessor-Recorder sells official and certified copies and offers free previews.

Yes. A San Francisco case at least two years old may be stored off-site. Viewing it requires a $6 retrieval fee under Local Rule 2.10, and the court asks for at least 15 business days before it notifies you that the file has arrived. We handle the request and allow for that turnaround, and we give you a realistic timeline before you order.

A valid government-issued photo ID, which the court requires to be left with the clerk while the file is viewed, with no exceptions, as the Civil Records page explains. Sealed and confidential records and files in use by the court are not available.

Limited unlawful detainer cases can, since April 20, 2020, on the court’s UD site. Access requires the codes on the notice to defendants or the payment receipt, or the name of at least one plaintiff and one defendant plus the premises address exactly as it appears on the complaint.

The court asks requesters to allow 30 days before submitting a second request for the same case number, because duplicate requests cause delays. We track the first request and follow it up instead of filing it twice.