Access Stockton Divorce Records

Stockton divorce records are maintained by San Joaquin County Superior Court. The courthouse is at 180 East Weber Avenue, Suite 204, in Stockton. This court handles all family law cases for the city and the rest of San Joaquin County. Court records date back to 1850 and include divorce cases from throughout the county's history. You can search for divorce cases online through the county case portal. The portal shows basic case information and a list of filings but does not display full documents. To get copies of divorce decrees or other court papers, you need to contact the court clerk. Certified copies of divorce judgments cost $15. Regular copies are $0.50 per page. If the clerk has to search for a case, there is a $15 search fee. Mail requests typically take 20 business days to process according to the court.

San Joaquin County Superior Court

San Joaquin County Superior Court keeps all divorce records for Stockton. The courthouse is located at 180 East Weber Avenue, Suite 204, Stockton, CA 95202. Court hours are 8am to 4pm on weekdays. You can call (209) 992-5697 with questions about family law records. The court has maintained records since 1850, making it one of the older court systems in California.

When you file for divorce in Stockton, your case gets entered into the county computer system. All the forms you submit become part of the court file. This includes the petition, response, financial disclosures, settlement agreements, and the final judgment. The clerk keeps these files and makes them available according to California law. Some documents may be sealed or confidential, but the divorce decree itself is a public record that anyone can request.

San Joaquin County has an online case search portal at cms.sjcourts.org/fullcourtweb/start.do. This tool lets you search for cases by party name, case number, or other criteria. The system shows case information like the filing date, case type, parties involved, and upcoming hearings. You can view a register of actions that lists every document filed in the case and when it was filed. The portal does not show full document images, but it gives you enough information to know what is in the file.

To get copies of documents, you must contact the court clerk. You can request copies by mail, email, or in person. For mail requests, write to San Joaquin County Superior Court, 180 E Weber Ave., Suite 204, Stockton, CA 95202. Include the case number or the names of both parties, your contact information, and what documents you need. For email requests, send your inquiry to the court. The clerk will respond with instructions on how to pay and when to expect your documents.

How to Get a Divorce Decree

A certified copy of a divorce decree costs $15 in San Joaquin County. This is the standard fee set by California law. The fee includes the certification and the pages of the judgment. If you need other documents from the case file, those cost $40 for certification plus $0.50 per page for copies. Public agencies pay a reduced rate of $10 for a certified divorce decree.

To request a certified divorce decree, you need the case number or the names of both parties. If you have the case number, the clerk can find the case quickly. If you only have names, the clerk will search the index. There is a $15 search fee if the search takes more than a few minutes. Providing the approximate year of the divorce helps narrow the search and can save time.

You can request copies in person, by mail, or online. In-person requests are handled at the courthouse during business hours. Walk up to the clerk's window and tell them you need a certified copy of a divorce decree. Give them the case number or the party names. If the file is on site, they can process your request fairly quickly. If the file is in storage, it will take longer. Mail requests take about 20 business days according to the court website. This is longer than some other counties, so plan ahead if you need the records by a certain date.

Online Search Portal

The San Joaquin County case portal is free to use. Go to cms.sjcourts.org/fullcourtweb/start.do and select your search type. You can search by party name, case number, citation number, or attorney name. Party name search is most common. Enter the last name of one spouse. You can add a first name to narrow results. The system will return all matching cases.

Each case result shows the case number, filing date, case type, and parties. Click on a case to see more details. The case details page shows the register of actions, which is a chronological list of everything filed in the case. You can see when the petition was filed, when the response came in, when hearings were held, and when the judgment was entered. This timeline helps you understand the case history.

The portal does not display full documents. You can see that a petition was filed and when, but you cannot view the petition itself. To get actual copies of documents, you must order them from the court clerk. The online search is useful for verifying that a divorce happened and for getting the case number, which you need when you order copies.

Divorce Filing Process

To file for divorce in Stockton, you must meet California residency requirements. You or your spouse must have lived in California for at least six months and in San Joaquin County for at least three months. These requirements are set by California Family Code Section 2320. If you meet them, you can file a petition for dissolution of marriage at the San Joaquin County Superior Court.

California is a no-fault divorce state. You do not need to prove that your spouse did anything wrong. The legal grounds for divorce are irreconcilable differences or incurable insanity. Almost all divorces are filed on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. You file the petition and summons, serve your spouse with the papers, and wait for a response. Your spouse has 30 days to file a response.

California law requires a six-month waiting period before a divorce can be finalized. This period starts when your spouse is served with the petition. Even if you and your spouse agree on everything, the court cannot enter the final judgment until six months have passed. This waiting period is set by California Family Code Section 2339. Once the six months are up and all issues are resolved, the judge signs the judgment. The divorce is then final. You can request a certified copy of the divorce decree from the court clerk.

What Information You Need

To find a divorce record from Stockton, gather as much information as you can. The case number is the best thing to have. If you do not have it, you need at least one party's full name. Here is what helps:

• Case number if available
• Full first and last name of one spouse
• Approximate year of divorce
• Date of marriage if known

Common names can return many results. If you search for someone with a name like Maria Garcia, you might get dozens of cases. Adding the year narrows it down. If you know the divorce happened around 2012, tell the clerk or enter that in the search filter. The system will show only cases from that time period. If you have the exact case number, the search becomes very simple. Just type in the case number and the portal will pull up that specific case.

Historical Records

San Joaquin County has kept court records since 1850. This means divorce records from over 170 years ago may still exist. Very old records might be on microfilm or stored in special archives. If you need a divorce record from many decades ago, contact the court clerk and explain what you are looking for. They can tell you if the record still exists and how to get a copy.

Older records take longer to retrieve. The court may need to pull files from off-site storage or search through old indexes. Processing times for historical records can be several weeks or even months depending on the age and condition of the files. Be patient and allow extra time if you are researching old divorce records.

Privacy and Confidentiality

California law protects certain information in divorce files. The divorce decree is a public record. Anyone can request a copy. Other documents may have restrictions. Child custody evaluations are often confidential. Financial disclosures may be sealed in some cases. Domestic violence restraining orders have special access rules. When you request records, the court provides what is available under the law.

If you are a party to the divorce case, you have access to most of the file. You can get copies of documents you filed and most of what the other party filed. Some things may still be sealed even for parties. If you are not a party to the case, you can get the divorce decree and some other public documents, but you cannot get sealed or confidential filings without a court order.

Fees and Payment

San Joaquin County charges the following fees for divorce records:

• Certified divorce decree: $15
• Certified divorce decree for public agency: $10
• Other certified documents: $40 plus $0.50 per page
• Search fee: $15
• Regular copies: $0.50 per page

The court accepts checks, money orders, and credit cards. Make checks payable to San Joaquin County Superior Court. If you mail a request, include payment with your letter. The court will let you know if you owe more or if they need to refund you. If the court cannot find the record you requested, they will return your payment. Do not send cash through the mail.

Processing Times

San Joaquin County states that mail requests take about 20 business days to process. This is roughly four weeks. In-person requests can be faster if the file is on site. If you need records urgently, visit the courthouse in person and ask if they can expedite your request. The clerk may be able to help depending on how busy they are and whether the file is readily available.

If the file is stored off-site, add extra time for retrieval. Older cases are more likely to be in storage. The court will notify you if there are delays. For routine requests that are not urgent, just submit your request and wait for the court to contact you with the documents or with payment instructions.

Contact Information

To contact San Joaquin County Superior Court about divorce records, call (209) 992-5697. Court hours are 8am to 4pm on weekdays. The courthouse address is 180 East Weber Avenue, Suite 204, Stockton, CA 95202. The court website is sjcourts.org. You can find the records management page at sjcourts.org/divisions/records-management. The online case search portal is at cms.sjcourts.org/fullcourtweb/start.do.

Court staff can answer questions about how to get copies, what fees apply, and how long processing will take. They cannot give legal advice. If you need help with a legal matter, contact a lawyer or a legal aid organization. The court can provide information about the records process but they cannot help you with your case.