Documents maintained in court case files are public records and subject to public inspection. California Rules of Court, Rule 2.400(a) states that all papers in the court files may be inspected by the public in the office of the clerk.
Rule 2.550(a) states that unless confidential or sealed by law,
all court records are presumed open.
PLEASE NOTE:
The information set forth below only relates to inspection and copying of documents filed with the court or court records in a particular case, such as pleadings, orders and judgments. If you are seeking access to information related to court administration, refer to the section on this page:
Access to Judicial Administrative Records.
The public may view and obtain copies of the following case types:
Criminal
Civil
Domestic / Family Law
( Divorce, Child Custody, Legal Separation, and Domestic Violence)
Mental Health (Civil and Criminal)
Minor Offenses ( Traffic and Infractions )
Paternity - Judgment only for non-parties
( The parties and attorneys of record may obtain copies of court minutes and selected court documents by appearing at the appropriate counter with photo identification. The records will not be mailed. )
Probate
Small Claims
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Before starting your file search, please be aware of the following:
Juvenile Court Files
All Juvenile Court records are confidential. The minor, his or
her parents or legal guardian(s), and attorneys of record may obtain copies of court minutes and selected court documents by appearing at the appropriate counter with photo identification. The records will not be mailed.
Aside from parties or agencies granted access as provided by law other
individuals must file a Petition For Disclosure of Juvenile Court Records. 
(JC Form # JV-570 ). The completed form may be presented in person or by mail but must contain an original signature. If the petition is granted, viewing and/or obtaining copies may be done only by appearing in person with proper photo identification. Copies of records will not be mailed.
Sealed Records
Court proceedings are a matter of public record. However, the court has the power to seal court records. When a judge seals a record, the public is prevented from viewing specified files or documents without first obtaining a court order.
Destroyed Files/File Purging
We routinely purge court records pursuant to
Government Code section 68152.
Review this document for the length of time a record is kept (which varies)
and for policies governing file destruction.
View the List of case types and length of time record is kept.
Off-site Storage/Retrieval Fee
Because of limited space, many case files are stored at an off-site location after a certain amount of time. If you are requesting such a case, there is a retrieval charge which could take up to one week to process.
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How to View a Court File
The public may request and view a file by filling out the
Records Search Request form and showing a valid driver's license or other valid photo I.D.
All files must be viewed within the clerk’s office during office hours.
Files cannot be removed from the court.
Any person who willfully removes, destroys or alters any court record is subject to the penalties imposed by Government Code sections 6200 or 6201.
How to Obtain a Copy of a Court Document or a Court File
The Amador Superior Court does not send out court files electronically or by fax. In addition, persons are not allowed to use cameras (including phones with cameras) to take pictures of the contents of a file.
Records may be requested by either of two methods:
In Person:
You may appear in person at:
Amador Superior Court, 500 Argonaut Lane, Jackson, CA. 95642
during office hours.
Request may also be placed in the lobby drop-box
when the Clerk's Office is closed.
By Mail:
Send the Records Search Request form to:
Amador Superior Court, 500 Argonaut Lane, Jackson, CA 95642
with the following information:
The case number.
The names of the parties involved.
The names of the documents that you want to have copied from the
court file.
You must include a self-addressed stamped envelope to have your
copies sent to you by mail. Be aware there is a research fee if the search takes more than 10 minutes (Government Code Section 70627(c)).
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Payments made by Mail:
Checks are payable to the Amador Superior Court.
If the amount owed is known, a check can be submitted with the dollar amount. If the amount is unknown, the check should indicate the amount the check cannot exceed. All checks must be preprinted with the marker’s name and address. If copy fees do not exhaust the amount of the check submitted, the extra funds will not be returned if the excess amount is less than $10.00. Written requests for records searches will not be completed and returned unless accompanied by a check or money order and a self addressed stamped envelope.
A receipt indicating the fee charged will be mailed back to you with
your copies.
Methods of Payment:
The Court accepts:
Cash
Checks
Money Orders
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California Rules of Court, Rule 10.500, sets forth comprehensive public access provisions applicable to judicial administrative records maintained by state trial and appellate courts, the Judicial Council, and the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).
Please direct your Judicial Administrative Record requests to:
Amador Superior Court
Attn: Public Information Request
500 Argonaut Lane, Jackson, CA. 95642
Requests may be submitted on the Public Information Request Form. Please provide as much detail as possible regarding the nature of the records requested.
Requests may be submitted by mail or by hand-delivery to the Court during office hours.
Requests may also be placed in the lobby drop-box between the hours of
8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.
The Court will make identifiable judicial administrative records available upon request, unless the records are exempt from disclosure under rule 10.500. Records may be subject to payment of a fee (see Fee Guidelines (PDF) and subdivision (e)(4) of rule 10.500).
