Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California, with about 109,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps police reports, council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Costa Mesa offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 3 city office pages for Costa Mesa, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, Police records, City Hall, Records requests, Other cities and Questions.
City or county record: where Costa Mesa records are kept
- Kept by the City of Costa Mesa: police reports, council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Orange County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Orange County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Costa Mesa City Clerk: council records and ordinances
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Costa Mesa.
- Website: costamesaca.gov/government/departments-and-divisions/city-clerk/mak... (page title: Online Public Records Request | City of Costa Mesa)
- Phone: (714) 754-5373
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Costa Mesa police reports and records
Incident reports, crash reports and the other records of the Costa Mesa police are requested from the department's records unit, usually in writing or through an online form. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted, and some states limit crash reports to the people involved and their insurers. The page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Costa Mesa police records.
- Website: costamesaca.gov/government/departments-and-divisions/police/departm... (page title: Records and Evidence Bureau | City of Costa Mesa)
- Phone: (714) 754-5373
- Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 1 PM to 3:30 PM
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Jail bookings and inmate lookups are usually handled by the county, not the city police. They are in the Orange County public records guide under jail and inmate lookups.
Costa Mesa City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: costamesaca.gov/community/about/contact-city-hall (page title: Contact City Hall | City of Costa Mesa)
- Phone: (714) 754-5000
- Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Costa Mesa
California public records law applies to the city government of Costa Mesa. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records, the police records unit for police reports and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
Other cities and towns in Orange County
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for these other cities and towns in Orange County. The Orange County public records guide covers the records the county keeps for all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Costa Mesa website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Costa Mesa offices listed above, and the city's own website is costamesaca.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
How do I get a police report in Costa Mesa?
Request it from the Costa Mesa police records unit at costamesaca.gov, phone (714) 754-5373. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted.
Where do I find Costa Mesa city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at costamesaca.gov, phone (714) 754-5373. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Costa Mesa?
Costa Mesa cases are heard by the courts that serve Orange County, and people arrested in Costa Mesa are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Orange County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Costa Mesa?
From the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records, the police records unit for police reports and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. California public records law applies to city governments.