San Diego Public Records

San Diego County was formed in 1850 when California became a state, but it was first settled by Europeans in the late 1760s. A wealth of historical records is available as a result. San Diego County public records are open to the public, although official vital records, such as birth, death and marriage records, are restricted. These vital records may be obtained from the County Clerk Recorder’s office, if you are an authorized person. Anyone wishing to access historic public records for San Diego County should visit the San Diego History Center’s Document Library, which is located in Balboa Park.

Here you will find San Diego County cemetery records, vital records and obituaries. To access San Diego County court records, the local Superior Court offers limited web access to divorce records, civil and criminal court records. The actual file must be requested by mail or in person.

About San Diego County Public Records

Vital records are restricted in an attempt to curtail identity fraud, since many are requested for identification purposes. However, California allows anyone to request an informational copy of a San Diego birth record, death or marriage record from the County Clerk Recorder because these cannot be used to establish identity. California public records are mostly open and available, and public records from San Diego County are no exception.

Accessing San Diego County Online Public Records

San Diego County court records are maintained by the local Superior Court. Although there is an online public access site to court records, the information is limited to looking up the case number, where the case file is located, and the type of case. Searchable online public records in San Diego County are limited to court records, but complete records must still be requested in person or by mail.

Perform a Public Records Search in San Diego County

The San Diego History Center’s Document Library is a vast collection that includes historic public records. These are available to the public to research at will, although the library does charge a small admission fee. Here, a San Diego public records search will yield cemetery records, obituaries and vital records.