Placer County Divorce Records

Placer County keeps divorce records at the Superior Court. The court has two main locations that handle family law cases. One is in Roseville and one is in Auburn. If you need to search for a divorce case or get copies of divorce papers from Placer County, you contact the court clerk. Most divorce records are available through the online case portal. You can search by name or case number. Some older files may require a trip to the courthouse or a written request by mail. The court charges standard California fees for certified copies of divorce decrees and other documents from the case file.

Where Placer County Stores Divorce Files

All divorce records in Placer County are kept at the Superior Court. The court has two locations. The Roseville branch is the main courthouse and handles most family law filings. It sits at 10820 Justice Center Drive in Roseville. Phone is (916) 408-6000. Hours are 8am to 4pm Monday through Friday. The Auburn branch also handles some family law matters and is located at 175 Fulweiler Avenue in Auburn. Both locations can help you get copies of divorce records.

When you file for divorce in Placer County, all the papers go into the court file. This includes the petition, response, financial statements, and the final judgment. The clerk keeps these files. If the case is recent, the file should be easy to access. Older cases may be stored in a different building or archived. You may need to give the clerk extra time to pull archived files. The court can search for your case if you know at least one party name and the approximate year the divorce was filed.

Placer County also offers an online case portal. You can view basic case information from home. The portal is at placer.courts.ca.gov/online-services/online-portal. Enter a name or case number to search. The system shows you the case type, filing date, and a list of documents filed in the case. You cannot download full documents through the portal. For that, you need to request copies from the clerk.

If you visit the courthouse in person, bring photo ID. Tell the clerk you need a copy of a divorce decree or other divorce documents. Provide the case number if you have it. If not, give both party names and the year the divorce was filed. The clerk will search the system and locate the file. If the file is on-site, you may be able to get copies the same day. The clerk can copy up to 25 pages while you wait. Larger files may take longer or require you to return later. You can also request copies by mail. Send a letter with the case number or party names, the year filed, and a check for the copy fees. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want the copies mailed back to you.

Fees for Placer County Divorce Records

A certified copy of a divorce decree costs $15 in Placer County. This fee is set by California Government Code Section 70674. It covers the certification and the first page. Additional pages cost $0.50 each. If you need other documents from the case file certified, the fee is $40 plus $0.50 per page per Government Code Section 70626. Regular photocopies without certification cost $0.50 per page.

If the clerk has to search for your case, there may be a search fee of $15 for searches that take over 10 minutes. This applies when you do not have a case number and the clerk must search by name only. Most searches do not take that long if you provide enough detail. Make checks payable to Placer Superior Court. The court does not accept cash by mail but may accept cash in person at the clerk window.

Processing times depend on whether you go in person or mail your request. In-person requests for on-site files are usually handled the same day if the file is easy to locate. Mail requests can take a few weeks. The court does not give exact timelines but most routine mail requests are filled within 10 to 15 business days. If your file is archived or off-site, it could take longer. The clerk will contact you if there are delays.

Search Divorce Cases Online

Placer County uses an online case portal for public access to court records. The portal shows family law cases and other case types. You can search by party name, attorney name, case number, or filing date. Results show basic case details such as case number, filing date, case type, and status. You can also see a list of documents filed in the case. The portal does not let you download documents. It is a search and index tool only.

To use the portal, go to the Placer County Superior Court website and click on the online portal link. The URL is placer.courts.ca.gov/online-services/online-portal. There is no fee to search the portal. You do not need to create an account. Just enter your search terms and click search. If the system finds matching cases, it will display a list. Click on a case to see more details. You can view the docket, which is a list of all filings and hearings in the case. This can help you confirm you have the right case before you request copies from the clerk.

Keep in mind that not all case details are available online. Some documents in family law cases are confidential under California court rules. For example, financial disclosures and child custody reports are not shown to the public. The portal will list these documents by name and date but will not let you see the content. If you need access to sealed or confidential documents, you may need a court order or permission from the parties. The clerk can explain what is available and what requires special access.

California Divorce Laws

California divorce law is found in the Family Code. To file for divorce in Placer County, at least one spouse must have lived in California for six months and in Placer County for three months before filing. This is stated in California Family Code Section 2320. If you do not meet this requirement, you must file in a different county or wait until you do.

California is a no-fault divorce state. You do not need to prove your spouse did something wrong. The legal grounds are either irreconcilable differences or incurable insanity. Most divorces cite irreconcilable differences. This is covered in Family Code Section 2310. Once you file, there is a mandatory six-month waiting period before the divorce can be finalized. This is required by Family Code Section 2339. The six months start from the date the other spouse is served with the divorce papers.

Court records in California are generally public. Divorce judgments and most filings are open to anyone who asks. However, some documents are confidential. This includes child custody evaluations, mediation reports, and some financial documents. Government Code Section 68152 requires courts to keep divorce judgments permanently. This means even very old divorce records should still exist in the court files.

Divorce Forms in Placer County

All California courts use the same set of divorce forms. These are created by the Judicial Council of California. The main forms for a divorce are the Petition (FL-100), the Summons (FL-110), and the Response (FL-120). You can download these forms for free from the California Courts self-help website at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorce-forms. The forms come with instructions.

The filing fee to start a divorce case in Placer County is $435 to $450 depending on whether you have children. If you cannot afford the fee, you can ask for a fee waiver. Fill out form FW-001 and submit it with your petition. The court will review your income and may waive the fee if you qualify. Placer County also has a Family Law Facilitator office that offers free help with divorce paperwork. Call the Roseville courthouse at (916) 408-6000 and ask for the facilitator.

Nearby Counties

If your divorce was filed in a neighboring county, you need to contact that county court. Placer County is next to several other counties. To the west is Sacramento County. To the north is Nevada County. To the east is the state line with Nevada. To the south is El Dorado County. Each county has its own Superior Court and keeps its own divorce records. You cannot get records from another county at the Placer County courthouse. Check the county where the divorce was filed and contact that court directly.