Sutter County Divorce Records

Sutter County Superior Court keeps all divorce case files at the courthouse in Yuba City at 1175 Civic Center Boulevard. When you need copies of divorce decrees or want to search for case details, contact the clerk's office at 530-822-3306 during office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The court charges fifteen dollars for a certified copy of a family law judgment, plus fifty cents per page for photocopies. Cases filed before 1994 require a manual search that costs an additional fifteen dollars if you don't have the case number. Processing time runs from one to four weeks depending on whether the file is on-site or in storage, and mail requests should include payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope along with the case number or both party names and the approximate year of the divorce.

Contact Sutter Superior Court

The courthouse is at 1175 Civic Center Boulevard in Yuba City. Phone the clerk's office at 530-822-3306. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office closes for lunch and on court holidays, so call ahead if you're planning a visit.

Yuba City is the county seat and the only location where Sutter County Superior Court operates. All divorce cases filed in the county are stored here. There are no branch courthouses. Residents from other parts of the county, such as Live Oak or Meridian, must contact the Yuba City courthouse for divorce records.

When you call or visit, have your case number ready if possible. If you don't have it, provide both party names and the year the divorce was filed. The clerk needs this info to find your file. Cases from 1994 onward are in the computer system. Earlier cases require a manual search through physical files or microfilm.

How to Request Divorce Records

Start by gathering all the information you have. The case number makes the process faster. If you don't have it, you'll need both party names and the approximate year of the divorce. Cases from before 1994 require a manual search, which costs an extra fifteen dollars.

In person, go to the courthouse at 1175 Civic Center Boulevard. Bring photo ID. Fill out a record request form at the clerk's window. Pay the fee. If the file is on-site, you may get the copy the same day. If it's in storage, the clerk will mail it to you once they retrieve it.

By mail, send a written request with the case number or party names and year. Include a check for fifteen dollars plus fifty cents per page. Add fifteen dollars more if your case is pre-1994 and you don't have the case number. Make the check payable to Sutter Superior Court. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return mailing. Address your request to Sutter County Superior Court, 1175 Civic Center Boulevard, Yuba City, CA 95993.

Processing time is one to four weeks depending on the age of the case and whether it's in storage. Recent cases are processed faster. Older cases may take the full four weeks or more if the file is hard to locate.

Certified copies have an official court stamp and signature. You need certification for legal purposes like changing your name, remarrying, or proving marital status. Regular copies work for personal records but not for official transactions.

Costs for Divorce Records

Sutter County charges standard California fees for divorce records:

• Certified family law judgment: $15.00
• Other certified documents: $40.00
• Copies: $0.50 per page
• Search fee for pre-1994 cases: $15.00 (if no case number)

The fifteen-dollar fee for certified divorce judgments comes from Government Code Section 70674. The fifty-cent per page copy fee is in Government Code Section 70627, which also allows a fifteen-dollar search fee for lengthy searches.

Payment can be by check or money order. Make checks payable to Sutter Superior Court. Write the case number on the memo line if you have it. The court may accept credit cards in person, but call ahead to confirm. Do not mail cash.

If you're unsure of the total cost, call the clerk's office and ask. They can tell you how many pages the divorce decree has and confirm the fee. This prevents delays from sending too little money or waiting for a refund if you send too much.

Cases Before 1994

Sutter County has divorce records going back over a century. Cases filed from 1994 onward are in the computer system and easier to find. Cases before 1994 are stored in physical files or on microfilm. These require a manual search by the clerk.

If your divorce is pre-1994 and you don't have the case number, the clerk will charge fifteen dollars for the search in addition to the copy fees. This covers the extra time needed to locate old files. Allow more processing time for these cases, as the clerk may need days or weeks to find the file.

The California Department of Public Health has limited divorce data from 1962 through June 1984. They don't keep full court files, just a Certificate of Record showing party names, county, date, and case number. If your divorce falls in that window, you can order a certificate from CDPH Vital Records at P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. The fee is eighteen dollars. Processing takes many weeks, sometimes over six months. After June 1984, CDPH has no divorce records. You must go through the county court.

When requesting old records, give as much detail as you can. Include both party names, maiden names if known, and the year or decade of the divorce. The more info you provide, the easier it is for the clerk to locate the file.

California Divorce Laws

California is a no-fault divorce state. The only grounds are irreconcilable differences or incurable insanity, as stated in Family Code Section 2310. Nearly all divorces cite irreconcilable differences. You don't have to prove wrongdoing.

Residency requirements come from Family Code Section 2320. One spouse must live in California for six months and in Sutter County for three months before filing. Once you file and serve 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. Anyone can request a copy unless the case is sealed by court order, which is rare.

Help with Divorce Matters

Sutter County Superior Court offers a Family Law Facilitator who provides free assistance to self-represented parties. Contact the clerk's office at 530-822-3306 to ask about the Facilitator's schedule and services. They can help with forms, answer procedural questions, and explain divorce requirements.

The California Courts website at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov has guides on filing for divorce, responding to a petition, and handling custody and support issues. You can download forms and read step-by-step instructions.

Legal aid organizations may offer free or low-cost help to low-income residents. Contact legal services in Sutter or Yuba County to see if you qualify for assistance with family law matters.

If you need a private attorney, the State Bar of California has a lawyer referral service at calbar.ca.gov. You can search for licensed attorneys who practice family law in Sutter County.

Divorce Records in Surrounding Counties

Sutter County borders several other counties. If your divorce was filed elsewhere, contact that county's court. Yuba County to the east has its courthouse in Marysville. Butte County to the north is in Chico. Colusa County to the west is in Colusa. Placer County to the southeast is in Roseville. Each has its own court system and record procedures.

Make sure you know which county handled your divorce. The county where the petition was filed keeps the records. This may not be where you live now. If you're unsure, call the Sutter County clerk's office and ask. They can sometimes check or point you in the right direction.

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