Find Siskiyou County Divorce Records

Siskiyou County Superior Court handles divorce cases and maintains all related records for this northern California county. The main courthouse sits at 411 Fourth Street in Yreka, with the Family Law Division located at 311 Fourth Street where you can get help with divorce filings and record requests. When you need a copy of a divorce decree or want to look up case details, you can search the court's online case portal, visit the clerk's office in person, call 530-842-0411 for general information, or reach the Family Law Division at 530-842-8238. The court provides certified copies of divorce judgments for fifteen dollars plus fifty cents per page, and most records are available through the online portal at caseportal.siskiyou.courts.ca.gov where you can search by name or case number at no charge.

Search Cases Online

Siskiyou County offers a public case portal where you can look up divorce cases from your computer or phone. The portal is at caseportal.siskiyou.courts.ca.gov. It's free to search. You enter a party name or case number and the system shows you matching cases. Click on a case to see details like filing dates, hearing schedules, and the case status.

The portal covers family law cases including divorces, legal separations, and annulments. Some records have document images you can view online. Others just show a summary of filings. If you need official certified copies, you still have to request them through the clerk's office and pay the copy fees. The online portal is for looking up case info, not for downloading official documents.

To use the portal effectively, have at least one party name ready. The more specific you are, the better your results. If the person has a common name, add the case year or other details to narrow the search. The system returns all matches, so you may have to look through several results to find the right case.

Where to Get Divorce Records

The main courthouse is at 411 Fourth Street in Yreka. This is where you go for general court business. The Family Law Division is next door at 311 Fourth Street. For divorce-related questions or to request copies of divorce decrees, contact the Family Law Division at 530-842-8238. For general court inquiries, call 530-842-0411.

Yreka is the county seat and the only location where Siskiyou County Superior Court operates. There are no branch courthouses. All family law cases are filed and stored in Yreka. If you live in other parts of the county, such as Mount Shasta, Weed, or Dunsmuir, you still need to contact the Yreka courthouse for divorce records.

Office hours are typically Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a lunch break around midday. Call ahead to confirm hours before making a trip. The courthouse is in downtown Yreka, near other county offices. Street parking is available. Bring photo ID if you're requesting records in person.

Staff at the Family Law Division can help you with record requests. They'll tell you what forms to fill out and what fees to pay. If you know your case number, the process goes faster. If not, give them both party names and the approximate year of the divorce. They'll search the files and let you know if they find a match.

How to Order Divorce Decrees

Start by searching the online portal to get your case number. Once you have the number, you can request a certified copy of the divorce judgment. In person, go to the Family Law Division at 311 Fourth Street. Ask for a certified copy. Fill out the request form. Pay the fee. The clerk will make the copy and certify it with a stamp and signature. Most in-person requests are ready the same day.

By mail, send a written request with the case number, a check for fifteen dollars plus fifty cents per page, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Address your request to Siskiyou County Superior Court, Family Law Division, 311 Fourth Street, Yreka, CA 96097. Processing time for mail requests is one to three weeks depending on how busy the office is.

Make checks payable to Siskiyou Superior Court. Write the case number on the memo line. If you don't have the case number, include both party names and the year the divorce was filed. The clerk may charge an extra search fee if they need to spend time looking up the case.

Certified copies are needed for legal matters like changing your name on official documents, applying for benefits, or getting remarried. Regular copies are fine for personal records. Tell the clerk whether you need certification when you make your request.

Costs for Divorce Records

Siskiyou County charges the standard California fees for divorce records:

• Certified divorce decree: $15.00
• Copies: $0.50 per page
• Search fee: $15.00 if the clerk needs over ten minutes to find your case
• Public agency rate: $10.00 for certified copies requested by government offices

These fees come from California Government Code. Section 70674 sets the fifteen-dollar fee for certified divorce judgments. Section 70627 covers the fifty-cent per page copy fee and the fifteen-dollar search fee for lengthy searches.

Payment can be by check, money order, or credit card in person. Call ahead to confirm payment options. Do not mail cash. If you pay by check, make it out to Siskiyou Superior Court. If you're concerned about the total cost, call the clerk's office first and ask how many pages the divorce decree is. They can give you an estimate so you send the right amount.

Older Divorce Cases

Siskiyou County has divorce records going back over a hundred years. The online portal covers recent cases. For divorces from the 1980s or earlier, you may need to request files that are stored off-site or on microfilm. The clerk's office can retrieve these, but it takes longer. Allow extra time if your case is very old.

The California Department of Public Health kept basic divorce records from 1962 through June 1984. These are not full court files, just a Certificate of Record showing the parties, county, date, and case number. If your divorce falls in that time frame, you can order a certificate from CDPH Vital Records at P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. The fee is eighteen dollars. Processing can take many weeks, sometimes over six months. After June 1984, CDPH stopped collecting divorce data. You must go through the county court.

Some historical Siskiyou County records might be housed at the California State Archives or local historical societies. These sources are useful for genealogy research but cannot provide certified copies. For legal purposes, always get records directly from the Superior Court.

When requesting older records, give as many details as possible. Include both party names, maiden names if known, the year or decade of the divorce, and any other identifying information. The clerk may need time to locate files that aren't digitized yet.

California Divorce Laws

California is a no-fault divorce state. You don't need to prove wrongdoing by either spouse. The legal grounds for divorce are irreconcilable differences or incurable insanity, as stated in Family Code Section 2310. Nearly all divorces cite irreconcilable differences, which means the marriage can't be saved.

Before filing in Siskiyou County, one spouse must meet residency requirements. You need to live in California for six months and in Siskiyou County for three months. This comes from Family Code Section 2320. Once you file and serve the papers, there's a mandatory six-month waiting period before the divorce can be finalized. That's under Family Code Section 2339.

Divorce judgments are permanent public records. Government Code Section 68152 requires courts to keep divorce decrees forever. That means you can always request a copy no matter how old the case is. Some documents in the file may be sealed, especially those involving children, but the final judgment is almost always public.

The court charges standard fees set by state law. Anyone can request copies of public records. You don't have to be a party to the case. Divorce records are open to the public unless a judge specifically sealed them, which is rare.

Help with Divorce Cases

If you need legal advice or help with a current divorce case, the Siskiyou County Family Law Facilitator offers free assistance to self-represented parties. Contact the Family Law Division at 530-842-8238 to ask about the Facilitator's schedule and services. They can explain court procedures, help you fill out forms, and answer questions about divorce requirements.

The California Courts website at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov has guides on how to file for divorce, respond to a divorce petition, and navigate the family law process. You can download forms and read step-by-step instructions. The site also lists legal aid organizations that serve low-income residents.

For residents who can't afford a lawyer, Legal Services of Northern California may provide free or low-cost help. They handle family law matters including divorce, custody, and support issues. Check their website or call their intake line to see if you qualify for services. They have offices in several northern California counties and may serve Siskiyou County residents.

Local attorneys in Yreka and surrounding areas also handle divorce cases for a fee. The State Bar of California has a lawyer referral service at calbar.ca.gov where you can find licensed attorneys who practice family law in Siskiyou County.

Divorce Records in Surrounding Counties

Siskiyou County borders Oregon to the north and several California counties to the south and east. If your divorce was filed in a different county, you need to contact that county's Superior Court. Shasta County to the south handles cases in Redding. Modoc County to the east is in Alturas. Each county has its own court system and record-keeping procedures.

Make sure you know which county your divorce was filed in before requesting records. The county where the petition was filed keeps the case file. This may not be the county where you live now or even where you lived at the time of the divorce. One spouse may have filed in a county where they temporarily stayed to meet residency requirements. When in doubt, search the online portal or call the clerk's office to check.

You can find contact information for all California Superior Courts at courts.ca.gov/find-my-court. The directory lists addresses, phone numbers, and websites for every county court in the state.