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.
National City is a city in San Diego County, California, with about 58,000 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 National City 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 National City, 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 National City records are kept
- Kept by the City of National City: police reports, council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by San Diego 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 San Diego County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
National City 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 National City.
- Website: nationalcityca.gov/government/city-clerk/public-records (page title: Public Records | National City, CA)
- Phone: (619) 336-4228
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
National City police reports and records
Incident reports, crash reports and the other records of the National City 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 National City police records.
- Website: nationalcityca.gov/government/police/divisions/records (page title: Records | National City, CA)
- Phone: (619) 336-4400
- Address: 1200 National City Boulevard, National City, CA 91950
- Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM - 5:00 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 San Diego County public records guide under jail and inmate lookups.
National City 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: nationalcityca.gov/government/city-clerk (page title: City Clerk | National City, CA)
- Phone: (619) 336-4228
- Address: 1243 National City Boulevard National City, CA 91950-4301
- Hours: Monday - Thursday: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to National City
California public records law applies to the city government of National City. 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 San Diego County
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for these other cities and towns in San Diego County. The San Diego County public records guide covers the records the county keeps for all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official National City website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official National City offices listed above, and the city's own website is nationalcityca.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
How do I get a police report in National City?
Request it from the National City police records unit at nationalcityca.gov, phone (619) 336-4400. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted.
Where do I find National City city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at nationalcityca.gov, phone (619) 336-4228. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for National City?
National City cases are heard by the courts that serve San Diego County, and people arrested in National City are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the San Diego County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from National City?
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.