Search Fresno County Criminal and Arrest Records

How to Search Fresno County Criminal Records

Three offices hold the bulk of Fresno County criminal records. The Sheriff handles booking and jail data. The Superior Court Criminal Division holds the case file once charges are filed. The California DOJ holds the statewide rap sheet. A full search often uses all three.

The court's public portal is the main start point. Open the Case Information page and follow the link to publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov. The court's example notes that case numbers like 03CECG00001 SJK should be entered as 03CECG00001 with the judge initials dropped.

The Criminal Division page above shows arraignment, plea, preliminary hearing, sentencing, and interpreter options.

1. Pick the right source. Sheriff for booking and jail, court portal for the case file, California DOJ for the statewide history.
2. Gather names, dates, and any case or booking number. A date of birth helps narrow a common last name.
3. Open publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov. Search by case number first, then by party name.
4. Note the case status, the charges, the next hearing date, and the department.
5. For a certified copy, visit the clerk counter at 1100 Van Ness Avenue or send a written request to the Criminal Division.

The portal display is not the official record. For a certified file, ask the clerk in person. A full DOJ rap sheet on yourself goes through a Live Scan request.

Felony, Misdemeanor, and Infraction Cases

California sorts crimes into three tiers. The tier sets where the case is heard and how long a sentence can run. Felonies can carry state prison time, or in narrow homicide cases the death penalty. Misdemeanors top out at one year in county jail. Infractions carry no jail and a fine often capped near $250 plus assessments.

Some charges are wobblers. A wobbler may start as a felony and be reduced to a misdemeanor at sentencing. Check both the charged level and the level at disposition.

The Fresno County Criminal Process

A felony or misdemeanor case in Fresno follows a set path. Arrest and booking come first. The DA reviews and decides whether to file. The defendant is then arraigned. A preliminary hearing in a felony tests whether probable cause supports a hold. Trial, plea, or dismissal follows. Sentencing closes the case.

The ACTION Center sits behind the Jury Assembly Room at 1100 Van Ness Avenue. It runs sentencing-order processing, AOWP, anger management, batterer's treatment, DV review, community service, drug testing, DUI classes, electronic monitoring, and fines. After a judge signs an order, the ACTION Center is often the next stop.

1. Arrest and booking. Penal Code 851.5 gives the arrested person at least three completed phone calls.
2. DA review. The DA reviews and decides whether to file a complaint.
3. Arraignment. The defendant hears the charges, learns bail, and enters an early plea.
4. Preliminary hearing. In a felony, the judge decides if probable cause supports holding the case for trial.
5. Pretrial and motions. Discovery and motions. Many cases resolve here.
6. Trial. Jury or judge. The People must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
7. Sentencing and ACTION Center. The judge imposes the sentence. The ACTION Center processes orders, classes, monitoring, and fines.

Diversion and specialty court tracks can pull a case off this path on their own timelines.

Arrest Records and Charges vs Convictions

An arrest is not a conviction. Many arrests never lead to filed charges. Many filed cases end in dismissal or acquittal. A clean read needs both halves: what was alleged, and what was decided.

An arrest record and a court file are also not the same. The Sheriff or city police make the arrest record at booking. The court file starts when the DA files a complaint. An arrest with no filing leaves only a booking record. A sample Fresno record holds the fields below.

Mugshots and Booking Photos

A mugshot in Fresno County is a Sheriff record taken at jail intake at the Main Jail at 1225 M Street. The Sheriff posts limited booking data through the Inmate Information Center. The Sheriff has said it will not release a mugshot of another agency's arrestee without that agency's consent. A Fresno PD arrest can land at the Sheriff's jail without the photo being public through the Sheriff portal.

Government Code 7923.600 also lets law enforcement withhold investigatory records when release would interfere with an active case. For Fresno County arrests, the Sheriff Records line at (559) 600-8400 is the start point.

Sealing or Dismissing a Fresno County Criminal Record

California does not have a general "expungement." The state uses several remedies and each one means a different thing. Calling them all the same hides real differences in what gets erased, what stays, and who can still see the record.

The image above shows Penal Code 851.91, the main sealing path for an arrest with no conviction. The four main paths are compared below.

The LegInfo page for Penal Code 1203.4, the post-conviction dismissal route, is shown below.

To petition to seal an arrest with no conviction under Penal Code 851.91, the steps below are the usual Fresno County path.

1. Confirm there was no conviction on the charged offense.
2. Check whether the arrest is already auto-sealed under PC 851.93 through the California DOJ.
3. Get your California DOJ rap sheet through a Live Scan request on yourself.
4. Fill out Form CR-409, the petition to seal an arrest, from the California Courts Self-Help Guide.
5. File the petition with the Fresno Superior Court Criminal Division at 1100 Van Ness Avenue.
6. Serve the District Attorney and the arresting agency.
7. Attend the hearing. The judge can grant sealing as a matter of right or in the interests of justice.
8. If granted, get a certified copy and send it to background check vendors who may still hold old data.

The Public Defender's Post-Conviction Assistance program helps with some sealing and 1203.4 cases. Central California Legal Services and the court self-help office are other resources.

Juvenile and Confidential Criminal Records

Juvenile records in Fresno County are not ordinary public records. Welfare and Institutions Code 827 makes the juvenile case file confidential. Only listed persons, listed agencies, or those with a court order can inspect a juvenile file. A casual portal search will not return a juvenile delinquency or dependency case. W&I 781 sets the juvenile sealing process.

Other restricted Fresno criminal data includes adoption records under Family Code 9200, mental health and CARE Act files, and active law enforcement files under Government Code 7923.600. California Rules of Court 2.500 to 2.507 keep driver license, SSN, financial, warrant, victim, witness, and DOB data off the public index.

Specialty Courts

Fresno County runs several specialty and collaborative courts. These tracks combine judicial oversight with treatment, monitoring, and graduated sanctions. Most sit under the Superior Court's Collaborative Courts Division.

• Veterans Treatment Court. Implemented June 17, 2016. An intense 12-to-18-month rehabilitation track for justice-involved veterans, run with the VA Central California Health Care System.
• DUI Court. A post-plea program for eligible DUI defendants.
• Adult Behavioral Health Court and Mental Health AB1810 Court. For adults with serious mental illness who face charges.
• CARE Act Court. Began taking CARE petitions on December 2, 2024.
• Family Behavioral Health Court and Unity Court. Listed under Collaborative Courts.

District Attorney and Public Defender

The District Attorney files and prosecutes Fresno County criminal cases. The Public Defender provides court-appointed defense for qualifying defendants. Both offices play a daily role in the file.

DA Lisa A. Smittcamp was sworn in on January 5, 2015 and is the second woman elected DA in Fresno County. Her third term concludes in 2028 after AB 759. The DA's Office now staffs Veterans Treatment Court.

The Public Defender represents indigent defendants in qualifying matters and handles many mental health proceedings, including involuntary commitment and conservatorship.

Direct contact for the three main offices is below.

Background Check Considerations

A casual lookup is not a formal background check. A check that drives a credit, hiring, tenant, or insurance decision is governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and needs a licensed consumer reporting agency. A portal search shows a snapshot. It may not show sealed or set-aside dispositions and may lag behind a recent court order.

Related Fresno County Searches

For active warrant questions, see Fresno County warrant records. For citations and DUI tracks, use traffic court records. To find someone in jail, see inmate records. For full court files, see court records. For hearing calendars, see court dockets. For federal cases, see superior court. Common questions are on the FAQ page.