Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Novato, California, in Marin County, has about 52,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The divorce record of a couple from Novato is a file of the Superior Court's family law division, kept by the Superior Court clerk, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records and common questions.
Related guides: Novato public records, Marin County divorce records, Novato arrest records, Novato warrants, Novato inmate search, Novato criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Novato Is Filed and Kept
A divorce in California is a court case, so the file and the final judgment of a divorce from Novato stay with the Superior Court's family law division. The Superior Court clerk keeps it, and the case index tells whether a divorce was filed and when.
For Marin County the court records page SearchSystems verified is at marin.courts.ca.gov/divisions/court-records-exhibits (page title: Court Records & Exhibits | Superior Court of California | County of Marin), phone (415) 444-7080, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
California has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Novato
The copy another court or an agency asks for is a certified copy of the judgment, issued by the Superior Court clerk, reached through the court at (415) 444-7080.
For divorces granted between 1962 and June 1984 the California Department of Public Health can issue a Certificate of Record, which confirms the names, the county and the case number but is not a copy of the judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of a divorce decree from Novato?
From the Superior Court's family law division, through the Superior Court clerk (marin.courts.ca.gov). For divorces granted between 1962 and June 1984 the California Department of Public Health can issue a Certificate of Record, which confirms the names, the county and the case number but is not a copy of the judgment.
Are divorce records public in California?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Novato?
The Superior Court's family law division. The file is kept by the Superior Court clerk.
Does California issue divorce certificates?
For divorces granted between 1962 and June 1984 the California Department of Public Health can issue a Certificate of Record, which confirms the names, the county and the case number but is not a copy of the judgment.
Is this the official Novato website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.