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.
Novato is a city in Marin County, California, with about 52,000 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 Novato 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 Novato, 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 Novato records are kept
- Kept by the City of Novato: police reports, council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Marin 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 Marin County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Novato 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 Novato.
- Website: novato.gov/government/city-clerk/public-records-act-request (page title: Public Records | City of Novato, CA)
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Novato police reports and records
Incident reports, crash reports and the other records of the Novato 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 Novato police records.
- Website: novato.gov/government/police-department/forms (page title: Records Requests | City of Novato, CA)
- Phone: 415-897-4361
- Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8am - 5pm.
- 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 Marin County public records guide under jail and inmate lookups.
Novato 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: novato.gov/government/contact-city-hall (page title: Contact City Hall | City of Novato, CA)
- Phone: 866.523.8386
- Address: 922 Machin Avenue Novato, CA 94945
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Novato
California public records law applies to the city government of Novato. 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 Marin County
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for these other cities and towns in Marin County. The Marin County public records guide covers the records the county keeps for all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Novato website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Novato offices listed above, and the city's own website is novato.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
How do I get a police report in Novato?
Request it from the Novato police records unit at novato.gov/government/police-department/forms, phone 415-897-4361. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted.
Where do I find Novato city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at novato.gov. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Novato?
Novato cases are heard by the courts that serve Marin County, and people arrested in Novato are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Marin County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Novato?
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.