Sierra County, CA Courts and Public Records

The Superior Court of California, County of Sierra is the single trial court for Sierra County. It hears criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, mental health, and juvenile cases.

Have the person's full legal name, any aliases, and date of birth ready before you search. The court keeps its records at 100 Courthouse Square in Downieville, and it does not run an online case search.

Sierra County's Superior Court received 556 new filings in fiscal year 2024-25 and reported 524 dispositions. Its filings per authorized judicial position rank 58 of 58 counties.

The largest driver of the change was criminal (-90 filings), followed by civil (+18).

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

Total filings changed +0.9% between FY 2020-21 and FY 2024-25, from 551 to 556. The largest annual change was +23.9% in FY 2022-23. The latest change, FY 2024-25, was -10.9%, led by criminal filings (-90).

Criminal cases make up the largest share of Sierra County filings at 82.7% of the 556 filed in FY 2024-25.

Juvenile delinquency cases were the fastest-growing category at +300.0%, while juvenile dependency cases fell fastest at -80.0%.

Sierra County accounted for 0.01% of the 5,306,078 cases filed statewide in California superior courts in FY 2024-25, and its filings fell 10.9% while statewide filings grew 8.5%.

Sierra 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.

These figures cover offenses reported by all law enforcement agencies in Sierra County, as published by the California Department of Justice (OpenJustice). Violent and property offenses combined rose 94.1%, from 17 in 2023 to 33 in 2024.

The Sierra County violent crime rate of about 481.9 per 100K is above the statewide rate of about 477.1, while its property crime rate of about 578.2 per 100K is below the statewide rate of about 2069.1.

Sierra County has 1 Superior Court location. Check your citation, notice, or case paperwork for the assigned courthouse before you go.

All Sierra County trial matters are heard by the Superior Court of California, County of Sierra, and the location assigned to your case determines where you go. Federal cases and parking tickets are handled outside this court.

Yes, most Sierra County court records are public, with exceptions. California Rules of Court, rules 2.500 to 2.507, give the public access to electronic trial court records, while juvenile, sealed, and confidential records stay restricted.

Public records

Most case records are open to the public on request. Criminal and civil name searches are run through the court's Name Search and Records Request Form, and copies cost $0.50 per page after a written request for specific documents.

Restricted or confidential records

Juvenile, sealed, and confidential case records are restricted under state law and court order. Family, probate, and mental health files are partly confidential, so only parties or authorized persons may see some documents.

Online access

Sierra Superior Court has no online case search, so case records must be requested by mail or in person at the court's records page.

In-person access

Visit the Court Executive Officer at 100 Courthouse Square, Second Floor, Downieville, or mail the request to PO Box 476, Downieville, CA 95936.

Fees

The court lists a $15.00 search fee per name or alias and $0.50 per page for copies. Civil fees follow the statewide civil fee schedule, and government agencies may be exempt under Government Code section 70633(c) when the request is on agency letterhead.

Use the official Sierra County Superior Court resources below to search cases by case type, and ask the court for documents that are not online.

1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, or juvenile.
2. Confirm there is no online case search, then use the Name Search and Records Request Form for a name search.
3. Send the form by mail to PO Box 476, Downieville, or bring it to 100 Courthouse Square, Second Floor.
4. Pay the $15.00 search fee per name or alias, and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for mailed requests.
5. Use Pay Now at sierra.epay-it.com only for paying a citation, not for viewing case files.

Sierra County traffic tickets and fines can be paid through the court's official options listed below, depending on the case.

1. Online: Use Pay Now at sierra.epay-it.com with your case or citation number, name and date of birth, or plate number.
2. Mail: Send a check or money order payable to "Sierra Superior Court" to Sierra Superior Court, PO Box 476, Downieville, CA 95936. Write the case number on the check. The court does not accept cash by mail.
3. Ability to pay (infractions only): Request a reduction, payment plan, more time, or community service at MyCitations. Misdemeanor and felony fines are not eligible.

Parking tickets are handled by the agency that issued the ticket, not by the Superior Court. The court's payment page does not list phone or in-person payment options.