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Nevada County, CA Courts and Public Records

Table of Contents

The Superior Court of California, County of Nevada is the single trial court for Nevada County. It hears criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, juvenile, and appeal matters.

FieldDetails
Court NameSuperior Court of California, County of Nevada
Main Phone(530) 362-4309
Websitewww.nevada.courts.ca.gov
Judicial Officers6 authorized judges and 1.6 subordinate judicial officers (7.6 total authorized judicial positions) as of June 30, 2025 (Judicial Council, FY 2024-25)
Courthouse Locations2 (Nevada City, Truckee)
HandlesAppeals, civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, probate, jury, and traffic and infraction matters
Does NOT HandleFederal cases (U.S. District Court) and parking tickets (issuing agency)
Online Case SearchCase Access Portal
Criminal Records RequestsContact the Clerks Office at (530) 362-4309 during office hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Pay Traffic Tickets OnlinePay Fines & Fees (online credit card payment)

How to Search Nevada County Court Records

Have the full name, the case number if you know it, and the approximate dates ready before you search Nevada County court records.

Online

Go to Case Access Portal to look up cases by name or case number.

Review the case summary and docket for status and parties.

Confirm any fee shown on the portal before you pay.

Best for: Quick lookups of case status and parties

In Person

Go to 201 Church Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, or the Truckee courthouse at 10075 Levon Avenue, Truckee, CA 96161.

Bring the case number and party names if you have them.

Ask the clerk for the division that handles your case type.

Best for: Records and copies not available online

By Mail or Email

Call (530) 362-4309 during Clerks Office hours to confirm the steps before you send a written request.

Include the case number, party names, and your return address.

Call the court first to confirm which form the clerk needs.

Best for: Requests when you cannot visit in person

Search by Name on CaliforniaCourtAccess.org

Go to CaliforniaCourtAccess.org and enter a full name.

Search across record types at once without a case number.

Confirm results in the official court portal, since they are not official court records.

Best for: Finding leads without a case number

Nevada County Court Statistics (FY 2024-25)

Nevada County's Superior Court received 15,369 new filings in fiscal year 2024-25 and reported 13,088 dispositions. Its filings per authorized judicial position rank 47 of 58 counties.

15,369

Total filings in FY 2024-25 (FY 2023-24: 14,594)

13,088

Total dispositions in FY 2024-25 (FY 2023-24: 13,436)

2,022

Filings per judicial position (rank 47 of 58 counties; 1 = most)

+5.3%

Change in total filings vs FY 2023-24 (14,594)

MetricFY 2024-25FY 2023-24Change
Total Filings15,36914,594+5.3%
Total Dispositions13,08813,436-2.6%
Criminal Filings (includes traffic)11,95111,551+3.5%
Civil Filings (includes small claims)1,9711,681+17.3%
Family Law Filings1,0611,043+1.7%
Probate Filings218198+10.1%
Mental Health Filings4912+308.3%
Juvenile Filings (delinquency and dependency)10592+14.1%
Authorized Judicial Positions7.67.6No change

The largest driver of the change was criminal (+400 filings), followed by civil (+290).

How Have Court Filings Changed in Nevada County?

Total filings in Nevada County moved up over the five fiscal years shown; dispositions are shown beside filings.

Fiscal YearTotal FilingsTotal DispositionsYoY Filing Change
FY 2024-2515,36913,088+5.3%
FY 2023-2414,59413,436+34.1%
FY 2022-2310,8809,293-1.4%
FY 2021-2211,0369,728-13.0%
FY 2020-2112,68012,769-14.6%

Total filings changed +21.2% between FY 2020-21 and FY 2024-25, from 12,680 to 15,369. The largest annual change was +34.1% in FY 2023-24. The latest change, FY 2024-25, was +5.3%, led by criminal filings (+400).

What Types of Cases Are Filed in Nevada County?

Criminal cases make up the largest share of Nevada County filings at 77.8% of the 15,369 filed in FY 2024-25.

Case TypeFilings FY 2024-25Share of TotalYoY Change
Criminal11,95177.8%+3.5%
  Traffic infractions9,82964.0%+3.7%
  Traffic misdemeanors5793.8%-26.4%
  Felonies5233.4%+30.1%
  Nontraffic misdemeanors and infractions1,0206.6%+15.4%
Civil1,97112.8%+17.3%
  Unlimited civil6644.3%+14.3%
  Limited civil (includes unlawful detainer)1,1117.2%+22.5%
  Small claims1961.3%+1.6%
Family law1,0616.9%+1.7%
Mental health490.3%+308.3%
Probate2181.4%+10.1%
Juvenile delinquency760.5%+33.3%
Juvenile dependency290.2%-17.1%
Appeals and habeas corpus140.1%-17.6%

Mental health cases were the fastest-growing category at +308.3%, while traffic misdemeanors cases fell fastest at -26.4%.

How Does Nevada County Compare With California Overall?

Nevada County accounted for 0.29% of the 5,306,078 cases filed statewide in California superior courts in FY 2024-25, and its filings grew 5.3% while statewide filings grew 8.5%.

MetricNevada CountyCaliforniaComparison
Total filings15,3695,306,0780.29% of statewide filings
YoY change in filings+5.3%+8.5%-3.2 points vs state
Filings per judicial position2,0222,636-23.3% vs state
Dispositions per judicial position equivalent1,5531,741-10.8% vs state
Criminal share of filings (includes traffic)77.8%70.1%+7.6 points vs state
Civil share of filings (includes small claims)12.8%19.5%-6.7 points vs state
Family law share of filings6.9%5.9%+1.1 points vs state

Nevada County's criminal share is higher than the statewide share and its civil share is lower. Its filings per judicial position are below the statewide figure.

Nevada County Crime Statistics (2024)

These figures cover offenses reported by all law enforcement agencies in Nevada County, as published by the California Department of Justice. Total reported crimes fell 12.2% from 1,351 in 2023 to 1,186 in 2024.

364

Violent crimes in 2024

822

Property crimes in 2024

~356.2

Violent crime rate per 100K residents

-12.2%

Change in total reported crimes vs 2023

Offense2024Rate per 100K2023YoY Change
Homicide1~1.02-50.0%
Rape45~44.048-6.2%
Robbery15~14.726-42.3%
Aggravated assault303~296.5384-21.1%
Violent crimes total364~356.2460-20.9%
Burglary175~171.2180-2.8%
Larceny-theft498~487.3555-10.3%
Motor vehicle theft149~145.8156-4.5%
Property crimes total822~804.3891-7.7%

Per 100K residents, Nevada County recorded a violent crime rate of about 356.2 against the statewide rate of about 477.1, and a property crime rate of about 804.3 against the statewide rate of about 2,069.1.

Nevada County Courthouse Locations

Nevada County has 2 Superior Court locations. Check your notice or ticket for the assigned courthouse and division before you go.

CourthouseAddressPhoneVerified Services
Nevada City Courthouse201 Church Street, Nevada City, CA 95959(530) 362-4309Clerks Office, Self-Help Center and Law Library (same building)
Truckee Courthouse - Joseph Government Center10075 Levon Avenue, Truckee, CA 96161(530) 362-4309 (court main line)See location page

Locations and hours from the court's locations page.

Which Court Handles Your Case in Nevada County?

Superior Court of California, County of Nevada hears most Nevada County cases in its divisions, while parking tickets and federal cases are handled outside this court.

Your SituationGo ToKey Details
Traffic ticketTraffic and InfractionsPay online through Pay Fines & Fees, or request a payment plan through MyCitations.
Parking ticketAgency that issued the ticketThe court's Traffic and Infractions division does not handle parking tickets.
MisdemeanorCriminal DivisionCriminal matters are heard in the Criminal Division.
FelonyCriminal DivisionFelony cases are heard in the Criminal Division.
DUICriminal DivisionDUI charges are heard in the Criminal Division; check the charge on your paperwork.
Domestic violenceCriminal or Family Law DivisionCriminal charges go to the Criminal Division; family law matters go to the Family Law Division.
Civil lawsuitCivil DivisionCivil lawsuits are filed with the Civil Division.
Small claimsSmall Claims Advisor at the Self-Help CenterThe Self-Help Center includes a Small Claims Advisor at 201 Church Street.
EvictionCivil DivisionEviction (unlawful detainer) cases are filed with the Civil Division.
DivorceFamily Law DivisionMarital dissolution cases are heard in the Family Law Division; the Family Law Facilitator is at the Self-Help Center.
Child custody or supportFamily Law DivisionCustody and support matters are heard in the Family Law Division.
Probate or estateProbate DivisionProbate matters are heard in the Probate division; contact the Clerks Office at (530) 362-4309.
Juvenile caseJuvenile DivisionJuvenile matters are heard in the court's Juvenile division.
AppealAppeals DivisionAppeals are handled by the court's Appeals division.

Are Nevada County Court Records Public?

Yes, most Nevada County court records are public, with exceptions. California Rules of Court, rules 2.500 to 2.507, govern public access to electronic trial court records.

Public records

Most civil, criminal, traffic, and small claims case information is open to the public, subject to the rules and to any court order.

Restricted or confidential records

Juvenile, sealed, and certain confidential family, probate, and mental health records are restricted. Access to them requires a court order or is limited by law.

Online access

Case Access Portal is the court's online case access tool. Documents not shown online must be requested from the Clerks Office at (530) 362-4309.

In-person access

Visit the Clerks Office at 201 Church Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, or call (530) 362-4309 to confirm which division holds your case.

Fees

Ask the Clerks Office at (530) 362-4309 for current record search and copy fees before you request records.

How to Search Nevada County Court Records Online

Use the court's official online portals to search Nevada County cases by case type, and request documents that are not available online from the clerk.

  1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, or juvenile.
  2. Open the official portal for that case type: Case Access Portal at nevada.courts.ca.gov.
  3. Search by party name or case number and note the case number from the results.
  4. Review the case information for status, parties, and scheduled dates.
  5. Contact the clerk to request documents that are not available online.
Case TypeWhere to SearchWhat You'll FindLimits
CriminalCase Access PortalCase informationDocuments need a request to the Clerks Office
TrafficCase Access Portal; pay at Pay Fines & FeesCase information and online paymentPayment is separate from record search
CivilCase Access PortalCase informationDocuments need a request to the Clerks Office
Small claimsSmall Claims Advisor at 201 Church StreetAdvice on small claims filingsCourt case records need a clerk request
Family lawFamily Law Facilitator at the Self-Help Center, 201 Church StreetHelp with family law formsConfidential details are restricted
ProbateClerks Office, (530) 362-4309Case records by requestNot confirmed as online; contact the Clerks Office
JuvenileClerks Office, (530) 362-4309Case information through the clerkJuvenile records are restricted

How to Pay Fines & Citations in Nevada County

Nevada County traffic and criminal fines can be paid through the methods the Superior Court of California, County of Nevada lists on its official pages.

  1. Online credit card payment: Payment Portal (look up a case and pay a balance due). An additional service fee applies.
  2. Payment plan: request an ability-to-pay review through MyCitations. Approved plans are no more than $25 per month, for infraction offenses only.

Parking tickets are handled by the agency that issued them, not by this court's Traffic and Infractions division.

Nevada County Court Records FAQ

How do I search Nevada County court records?

Use Case Access Portal to search by name or case number, or call the Clerks Office at (530) 362-4309.

Are Nevada County court records public?

Most are, under California Rules of Court rules 2.500 to 2.507, but juvenile, sealed, and certain confidential records are restricted.

How do I find a criminal case?

Search the Case Access Portal by name, or call the Clerks Office at (530) 362-4309 during office hours.

How do I find a court date?

Check your ticket or notice, search the case on the Case Access Portal, or call the Clerks Office at (530) 362-4309.

How do I pay a traffic ticket?

Pay online through the Payment Portal, or request a payment plan through MyCitations if you qualify.

How many cases are filed in Nevada County each year?

Nevada County recorded 14,594 filings in FY 2023-24, up 34.1% from 10,880 in FY 2022-23.

What is the most common type of case?

Criminal cases, including traffic, at 11,551 filings or 79.1% of the FY 2023-24 total, with traffic infractions alone at 9,478.

Is crime in Nevada County rising or falling?

Reported crimes fell 12.2% in 2024 to 1,186 from 1,351 in 2023, according to the California Department of Justice.

Courts in the County

Nevada County Superior CourtMore Info

Address:201 Church Street, Nevada City, CA, 95959
Phone Number:530-362-4309
Website:http://nccourt.net

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