Yuba County Divorce Records

Yuba County Superior Court in Marysville maintains all divorce case files at the courthouse located at 215 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200. The clerk's office handles record requests in person during office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or by phone at 530-740-1800, Monday through Friday. To get a certified copy of a divorce decree, you can visit the courthouse with the case number or both party names and the year, or mail a written request with a check for fifteen dollars plus fifty cents per page made out to Yuba Superior Court along with a self-addressed envelope. Processing time is typically up to two weeks, and the court's online portal provides case information for divorces going back to 1999, making it easier to find your case number before requesting certified copies.

Contact Yuba Superior Court

The courthouse is at 215 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200, in Marysville. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 530-740-1800 for questions about divorce records or court procedures. The courthouse is in downtown Marysville near the Yuba County Government Center with public parking available.

Marysville is the county seat and the only location where Yuba County Superior Court operates. All divorce cases filed in the county are handled here. Residents from other parts of Yuba County, including Wheatland, Olivehurst, and Linda, must contact the Marysville 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 will search for your case and tell you what records are available and what the cost will be. If you don't have a case number, they charge a fifteen-dollar search fee.

How to Get Divorce Decrees

In person, come to the courthouse at 215 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200, during office hours. Bring photo ID and your case number or both party names and the year of the divorce. The clerk will help you fill out a request form. Pay the fee at the window. If the file is on-site, processing is usually quick. If it needs to be retrieved from storage, they'll mail the copy to you once it's ready.

By mail, send a written request with the case number or both party names and the year. Include a self-addressed envelope and a check for fifteen dollars plus fifty cents per page. Make the check payable to Yuba Superior Court. Write the case number on the memo line if you have it. Address your request to Yuba County Superior Court, 215 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200, Marysville, CA 95901.

Processing time is up to two weeks for most requests. Older cases or files in storage may take longer. If you need the records urgently, call ahead and ask if expedited processing is available.

Certified copies have an official court stamp and signature. You need certification for legal purposes like changing your name on official documents, remarrying, or proving marital status for benefits or property matters. Regular copies are fine for personal records but won't work for official transactions.

Search Cases Online

Yuba County's online portal has case information for divorces going back to 1999. You can search by party name or case number to find basic case details. The portal doesn't show full documents, but it gives you the case number and filing date, which helps when you request certified copies from the clerk's office.

To search, enter a party name or case number. The system returns matching cases. Click on a case to see what's available. If your divorce was before 1999, the case may not appear online. Call the clerk's office at 530-740-1800 and they can search manually for older cases.

Using the online portal before you request records saves time and money. If you find your case number online, you can include it in your request and avoid the fifteen-dollar search fee. The portal is free to use and you don't need to register or create an account.

Divorce Record Fees

Yuba County charges standard California fees for divorce records. A certified copy of a divorce decree costs fifteen dollars plus fifty cents per page. If you don't have the case number and the clerk needs to search for your case by name, they charge an additional fifteen dollars for the search.

These fees are set by state law. Government Code Section 70674 establishes the fifteen-dollar fee for certified divorce decrees. Section 70627 covers copy fees at fifty cents per page and allows a fifteen-dollar search fee when the clerk spends over ten minutes looking for a case.

Payment can be by check or money order made payable to Yuba 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 payment options. Do not mail cash. If you're unsure of the total cost, call 530-740-1800 and ask how many pages the divorce decree has.

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, which means the marriage is broken and can't be fixed. You don't have to prove wrongdoing by either spouse.

Residency requirements come from Family Code Section 2320. One spouse must live in California for six months and in Yuba 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. The six months starts from the date the respondent is served with divorce papers.

Divorce judgments are permanent public records. Government Code Section 68152 requires courts to keep divorce decrees forever. That means you can request a copy anytime, no matter how old the case is. Anyone can request a copy unless the case is sealed by court order, which is rare.

Older Divorce Cases

Yuba County has divorce records going back many decades. Cases from 1999 onward are in the online portal. Earlier cases require a manual search by the clerk's office. If your divorce is older than 1999, call the clerk at 530-740-1800 and ask them to search for your case. Give them both party names and the year or decade of the divorce.

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 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. Be patient and allow extra time for older cases that may be in storage or on microfilm.

Help with Divorce Matters

Yuba County Superior Court offers a Family Law Facilitator who provides free assistance to self-represented parties. Contact the clerk's office at 530-740-1800 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. The site also lists legal aid organizations for people who can't afford a lawyer.

Legal aid organizations may offer free or low-cost help to low-income residents. Contact legal services in Yuba or Sutter County to see if you qualify for assistance with family law matters. They can help with divorce, custody, support, and domestic violence issues.

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 Yuba County. Most attorneys offer a free or low-cost initial consultation.

Surrounding Counties

Yuba County borders several other counties. If your divorce was filed elsewhere, contact that county's court. Sutter County to the west has its courthouse in Yuba City. Butte County to the north is in Chico. Nevada County to the east is in Nevada City. 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 or where you lived at the time. If you're unsure, call the Yuba County clerk's office at 530-740-1800 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 in the state.