Superior Court

The San Bernardino County Superior Court handles a broad range of civil, criminal, family, juvenile, probate, traffic, child support, appellate, and other court matters throughout the county. Because different case types are assigned to different districts and divisions, using the correct courthouse and filing process can prevent rejected filings, unnecessary travel, and delays. This article explains how the court is organized, how to locate the correct division, where different cases may be filed, how to search for case information, how electronic filing and remote appearances work, what self-help services provide, and what to verify before contacting or visiting the court.

Superior Court Services

The Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino is the state trial court serving San Bernardino County. Its responsibilities are divided among several case types and courthouse locations rather than handled through one central office for every matter.

The court's major divisions include appeals, civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, mental health, probate, small claims, and traffic. The appropriate division depends on the legal matter involved. A person dealing with a criminal charge, for example, should not assume that the same clerk's office handles a family law filing or a small claims case.

The court also provides online services for case information, filing, traffic matters, jury status, remote access, probate notes, appointments, and other court functions. Some services can be completed online, while others require documents to be filed with a specific courthouse or division.

Civil Court Matters

Civil cases generally involve disputes in which one party seeks money, real or personal property, enforcement of a contract or obligation, damages for an injury, or protection of a civil right. San Bernardino County has civil operations associated with the San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, and Victorville districts, and certain limited civil-related matters are also accepted at other courthouse locations.

The correct filing location can depend on both the type of civil case and the geographic area connected to the matter. For example, the Civil Division of the Rancho Cucamonga District accepts limited and unlimited civil cases, Labor Board appeals, writs of mandate, and specified CEQA matters. The Civil Division of the San Bernardino District accepts limited and unlimited civil cases as well as several types of restraining-order and petition matters. The Civil Division of the Victorville District accepts limited and unlimited civil cases, Labor Board appeals, and writs of mandate for specified desert communities.

Small claims and landlord-tenant matters do not necessarily follow the same filing pattern as general civil cases. Barstow, Fontana, Joshua Tree, Needles, and other locations accept particular categories of these cases according to the court's filing-location rules. Before submitting paperwork, users should verify the filing category instead of selecting a courthouse based only on proximity.

Criminal Court Matters

The Superior Court has jurisdiction over misdemeanor and felony criminal charges. The court conducts proceedings including arraignments, at which an accused person is informed of the charges and advised of applicable rights.

Criminal cases are distributed among different districts. The Rancho Cucamonga District accepts felony and misdemeanor filings for its designated service area. The Criminal Division of the San Bernardino District accepts felony and misdemeanor matters and writs of habeas corpus for specified communities. Joshua Tree and Victorville also handle criminal matters for designated areas, with particular desert-area felony and misdemeanor cases assigned to Victorville.

Because geographic assignment matters, a criminal defendant or other court user should rely on the courthouse shown in the case information or on the court's official filing-location information rather than assuming that the San Bernardino Justice Center handles every criminal case in the county.

Family Law Cases

The Family Law Division handles matters including dissolution of marriage, commonly called divorce; domestic partnerships; legal separation; nullity; parentage; child custody and visitation; spousal and child support; domestic violence and elder abuse matters; guardianships; and adoptions.

Family law filings are accepted at multiple court locations depending on the type of case and the area served. The Family Law Division of the San Bernardino District accepts family law matters, adoptions, domestic violence restraining orders, emancipation filings, and freedom-from-custody matters for its assigned communities. Barstow, Joshua Tree, Needles, and other districts also accept specified family law filings.

Child support can be handled through dedicated child support court operations. The San Bernardino Child Support Division serves a broad group of communities, while Barstow has a Child Support Division for specified desert areas. Court-ordered child support is money that one or both parents may be ordered to pay to help support their children.

Juvenile Court Cases

Juvenile court is divided between delinquency and dependency matters. Delinquency cases generally involve a person under age 18 who has been cited or arrested by a law enforcement agency. Dependency cases involve allegations that a minor has been abused or neglected and may be removed from the custody of a parent or legal guardian.

Juvenile dependency matters for all cities in the county are handled through the Juvenile Court dependency operation in San Bernardino. Juvenile delinquency matters are divided geographically between San Bernardino and Victorville. The Victorville juvenile operation handles delinquency filings for designated High Desert and eastern county communities, while the San Bernardino juvenile court serves the areas assigned to that location.

Probate And Mental Health

The Probate Department handles decedents' estates, trusts, and conservatorships. Probate matters are filed and heard at the Fontana and Victorville districts according to the court's geographic assignment rules. The Probate Department also handles petitions to establish the fact of birth, death, and marriage and certain elder abuse petitions.

Some limited probate and guardianship matters may also be filed at the Needles District, including specified guardianship matters, small-value real-property affidavits, petitions concerning succession to real property, spousal or domestic partner property petitions, and petitions to determine the fact of death or marriage.

CARE Act proceedings are handled by the Probate Department, and all CARE Act matters in San Bernardino County are filed and heard at the Fontana District.

Mental Health Court is a problem-solving court that combines judicial supervision with community mental health treatment and other support services. The court's filing-location information states that Mental Health Court serves all cities in San Bernardino County and that public access to the facility is limited to court hearings.

Choosing The Correct Courthouse

San Bernardino County covers a very large geographic area, and courthouse assignment can depend on both the case category and the city or community involved. The court maintains an official court locations directory covering its districts and specialized divisions.

Major court locations include Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Fontana, Joshua Tree, Needles, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, and Victorville. Specialized operations include the Appeals and Appellate Division, child support, civil and criminal divisions, family law, juvenile delinquency, juvenile dependency, and Mental Health Court.

A nearby courthouse is not necessarily authorized to accept a particular filing. Users should identify three things before choosing a location:

The exact case type, such as criminal, family law, civil, small claims, probate, traffic, juvenile, or child support.

The city, community, or geographic area associated with the case.

Any special filing category, such as a restraining order, appeal, CEQA matter, writ, guardianship, or CARE Act proceeding.

The court's Where Can I File information identifies the filings accepted at each location and the communities served. This is particularly useful when filing a new matter because the correct location may differ from the courthouse a user has visited for another case.

Clerk Office Hours

For most of the court locations listed in the filing-location information, clerk's office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except court holidays. Specialized schedules apply at some locations.

The Big Bear District clerk's office operates from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. Civil harassment restraining orders for Big Bear and surrounding communities may be filed there, with a hearing set in Barstow within two court days. The court identifies Big Bear as a remote-video-proceedings location for the matters it handles.

Before making a courthouse trip, users should also account for judicial holidays. The court publishes its official court holiday schedule. When a court holiday specified by law falls on a Sunday, the court observes it on the following Monday; when it falls on a Saturday, the court observes it on the preceding Friday, according to the court's holiday information.

Case Information And Documents

People searching for an existing Superior Court matter can begin with the court's Case Information and Documents service. The court directs users from that page to its Court Access Portal for case information and available documents.

Searching an existing case is different from determining where a new case should be filed. The case-information service is intended for locating information and documents associated with a court case, while the court's filing-location information identifies the courthouse authorized to accept particular categories of new filings.

When looking for an existing matter, users should work from the identifying information contained in their court paperwork whenever possible. Court records and case numbers should not be confused with information issued by another agency. A criminal court case, for example, is a Superior Court proceeding; information such as a law-enforcement booking number serves a different purpose and should not be treated as a court case number.

Online Court Services

The court's online services section provides access to several court functions. Available categories include case information and documents, juror status, civil tentative rulings, electronic filing, Family Court Services, electronic appeals, online appointments, traffic ticket payments, probate notes, and remote access.

These services are separate functions. Paying a traffic ticket does not provide the same service as accessing court documents, and the case-information portal should not be treated as an electronic filing system. Users should select the service that matches the task they are trying to complete.

Forms And Filing Requirements

The court's Forms and Filing section provides access to filing-related materials including Judicial Council forms, San Bernardino County local forms, local court policies, local rules, general orders, appointed-services and claim forms, administrative records request information, and other court filing materials.

Local rules and filing requirements can affect how documents must be prepared or submitted. Court users should match the form and filing process to their case type rather than relying on a form used for a different court matter.

Electronic Filing Rules

The court permits electronic filing for qualifying documents through approved electronic filing service providers. Under the court's eFiling requirements, users may submit documents electronically 24 hours a day through an approved provider.

Electronic documents must meet specific technical requirements. The court states that:

Documents must be submitted in non-editable PDF format.
An individual document cannot exceed 25 MB.
A file upload cannot exceed 50 MB.
Users must provide the information required for court processing.
Filings must comply with applicable eFiling requirements and local rules.
Some document types are ineligible for electronic filing.

Appeal documents are not eligible for eFiling in civil, family law, probate, and landlord-tenant matters. Users working with an appeal should therefore avoid assuming that an electronic filing option available for other documents can also be used for appellate paperwork.

The eFiling process transmits uploaded documents to the appropriate court location for electronic processing. Electronic submission does not remove the need to select the correct case type, comply with filing rules, or determine whether the particular document is eligible for eFiling.

Self-Help Court Services

San Bernardino Superior Court provides free self-help services for people who do not have an attorney. Assistance is available for family law, child support, civil harassment, landlord-tenant, and small claims matters.

Self-help staff can explain court procedures, review forms that a user has completed, provide information and examples, and share referrals to community resources. The service can be useful for self-represented court users who need procedural information or help understanding court forms.

There are important limits. A person must not have an attorney to use the court's self-help services. Self-help staff do not provide legal advice and do not represent either side. Using the service does not create an attorney-client relationship, communications are not confidential, and staff may assist more than one party involved in the same case.

The court also identifies self-help assistance for specific locations and case types. For example, its phone roster lists self-help services associated with family law, small claims, landlord-tenant matters, and other self-represented cases. At the Needles District, in-person self-help services are available on the first Friday of each month, with virtual services available during the remainder of the month.

Remote Court Appearances

Some San Bernardino Superior Court proceedings can be accessed remotely. The court uses Zoom, Teams, and CourtCall for different calendars and proceedings. Remote access may be available through audio, video, or both, depending on the case and courtroom.

Remote appearance options include family law, civil, child support, small claims, landlord-tenant, probate, traffic, general civil settlement conferences, and juvenile dependency proceedings. The exact platform and procedure depend on the matter.

Users should distinguish between a remote appearance and listen-only courtroom audio. The court specifically describes its courtroom audio-streaming option as listen-in only and not a method for making an appearance in a proceeding. A party required to appear should therefore use the remote-appearance instructions applicable to the particular calendar instead of assuming that joining an audio stream satisfies an appearance requirement.

Jury Service Information

Jury administration is another Superior Court function. The court provides information about preparing for jury service, completing a jury summons, what to expect while serving, courthouse information, accommodations, and failure to appear or respond to a summons.

People summoned for jury service should follow the instructions associated with their summons and assigned courthouse. The court also warns about jury scams in which people posing as court employees attempt to obtain personal financial information by telephone.

Jurors who need accommodations such as hearing amplification or special seating may submit the court's request for accommodations or contact Jury Administration using the contact provided by the court.

Common Court Filing Mistakes

Many avoidable problems result from treating San Bernardino Superior Court as a single filing counter. Different divisions have different geographic assignments and accept different documents. Before filing or visiting, compare the case type with the court's filing-location rules.

Wrong District Selection

A courthouse may be geographically close but still be the wrong location for a particular filing. Probate matters, for example, are generally assigned to Fontana and Victorville according to the court's stated service areas, while all CARE Act proceedings are filed and heard at Fontana. General civil cases have separate filing assignments among Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, and Victorville.

Confusing Similar Case Types

General civil, small claims, landlord-tenant, family law, child support, juvenile, and probate cases are distinct court categories. A location that accepts one type may not accept another. Restraining orders also appear under several categories, including civil harassment, domestic violence, elder or dependent adult abuse, gun violence, workplace violence, and postsecondary school protective orders.

Using The Wrong Online Service

The Case Information and Documents service is for case information and available records. eFiling is for submitting eligible court documents. Traffic payment, jury status, probate notes, and remote access are separate online functions. Selecting the correct service at the beginning reduces the chance of attempting a transaction in a system designed for another purpose.

Ignoring File Restrictions

Electronic filings must comply with the court's PDF and file-size requirements. Submitting an editable file, exceeding the stated size limits, or attempting to eFile an ineligible document can prevent the filing from being processed as intended.

Assuming All Hearings Are Remote

The availability of remote technology does not mean every proceeding uses the same platform or permits the same type of remote participation. Users should identify the correct calendar and follow the specific remote-access instructions for that case. Listen-only audio is not a substitute for an appearance.

Missing Court Calendar Changes

Courthouse operations can be affected by judicial holidays, courtroom assignments, and court notices. Before an appearance or filing deadline that requires an in-person visit, users should review the Superior Court's current information for the relevant courthouse or division rather than relying solely on an earlier schedule.

Superior Court Offices

Appeals and Appellate Division
8303 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 384-1888

Child Support Division of the San Bernardino District
351 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0245
(909) 269-8789

Civil Division of the San Bernardino District
247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210
(909) 708-8678

Criminal Division of the San Bernardino District
247 West Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0240
(909) 384-1888

Family Law Division of the San Bernardino District
351 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0245
(909) 521-3136

Fontana District
17780 Arrow Boulevard, Fontana, CA 92335
(909) 350-9322

Needles District
1111 Bailey Avenue, Needles, CA 92363
(760) 269-4962

San Bernardino Juvenile Delinquency
900 East Gilbert Street, Bldg. 2, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0942
(909) 269-8840

San Bernardino Juvenile Dependency
860 East Gilbert Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0955
(909) 269-8900

Superior Court FAQs

Can I request an interpreter for my court hearing?

Yes. San Bernardino Superior Court provides interpreters for courtroom proceedings in all case types when interpreter resources are available. If you have difficulty understanding or speaking English during a proceeding, review the court’s official court information before your hearing for current interpreter-related instructions. Interpreter availability can depend on the language needed and available court resources, so the request should be addressed before the scheduled proceeding rather than assumed to be automatic.

When does the appellate division hear matters?

The court states that matters before the appellate division are generally heard on the fourth Friday of each month at 1:30 p.m. The judges of the division may set another time by an order entered in the minutes, so parties should rely on their current hearing notice and court record rather than treating the regular schedule as confirmation of a specific hearing date. Appellate matters are handled separately from ordinary trial-court proceedings.

What if I never received my traffic reminder notice?

Not receiving a reminder notice does not remove the obligation associated with a traffic citation. According to the court, a reminder notice is mailed to the address shown on the ticket, but failure to receive it does not excuse the requirement to pay or otherwise address the citation by the stated appearance date. Court users should follow the date printed on their citation and use the court’s online services when checking available traffic options.

Where can I get a pre-issued subpoena form?

The court states that pre-issued subpoenas are available through its Local Forms materials. Because local forms and procedures can differ from statewide Judicial Council forms, users preparing a subpoena should start with the court’s Forms and Filing section and select the form intended for the applicable proceeding. Using the current court-issued version can help avoid submitting an outdated or incorrect local form.

Are court exhibits kept at one courthouse?

No. The court states that exhibits are maintained at several locations throughout San Bernardino Superior Court. The Exhibits Department follows court procedures for preserving, protecting, and maintaining exhibits securely and confidentially. Anyone dealing with an exhibit from an existing case should identify the specific case and proceeding rather than assuming the exhibit is stored at the courthouse where another part of the case was handled.