Procedures

Question 1

Civil - new case filing- provide 1 additional complete copy of pleading …

Answer 1

The additional copy (total of an original plus 3 copies) of the pleading shall not be file marked but shall be stamped with the date of filing and marked as “Public Access Copy – Not Official Court Document”. The additional copy shall then be placed by the filing clerk in the Court’s Public Access Bin on the day of filing where it shall be available for public inspection subject to the restrictions of California Rules of Court, Title 2, Division 4. Pleadings placed in the Public Access Bin shall remain there for two weeks, after which, they shall be discarded by the filing clerk.

Question 2

Probate estates/trusts

Answer 2

Add name of trustor, petition, and/or trustee

Do NOT add beneficiaries
When a petition for probate of Will is e-filed, a copy of the will must be submitted with a cover sheet and the original must be delivered to the clerk’s office no later than 3 weeks before hearing. Failure to deliver original will to the clerks office may result in your petition hearing being continued or dismissed

Question 3

Research window information

Answer 3

Accessing Civil Case Files

The Court makes most civil case records available online at Public Portal - Superior Court of California, County of Stanislaus.
Harassments can only be viewed at the counter in the civil clerk’s office or on a court kiosk.
Some older, inactive cases are stored at off-site locations. A Research Request Form may be required to access these cases and it can take several days to retrieve the file(s). A valid, photo ID is required to view physical files.
Research and Copy Requests
Fees:
Search Fee $15.00
Ordering files from off-site:
Regular (1-2 week delivery) $10.00
Urgent (4 hour delivery) $55.00
Emergency (2 hour delivery) $95.00
Copies per page $0.50
Certification per document $40.00
Required Items:
• Case number or year filed
• Full name of plaintiff or defendant
Large copy requests (100+ pages):
• Must be paid in advance
• Require a $50.00 deposit
When making a request by mail please include a:
• Research Request Form or a letter requesting which documents, specifically, should be copied
• Self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage for returning copies
• Check or money order payable to Stanislaus County Superior Court which includes the $15.00 search fee as well as copy fees.
If copy request fees are unknown, customers may submit a blank check with a note “not to exceed” and the amount of anticipated costs.