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.
San Rafael, California, in Marin County, has about 60,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in San Rafael is a court case in the Superior Court of California, County of Marin, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record and common questions.
Related guides: San Rafael public records, Marin County traffic tickets, San Rafael arrest records, San Rafael warrants, San Rafael inmate search, San Rafael criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in San Rafael Goes
Tickets in San Rafael go to the Superior Court of California, County of Marin. A paid ticket, a dismissal and a trial all end up in that court's records.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county 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.
California has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
Who Writes the Tickets in San Rafael
The Marin County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for San Rafael (filed by the FBI as San Rafael Police Department) write the traffic tickets in and around San Rafael.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Marin County: Union Pacific Railroad in Marin County (other agency); Marin Community College (campus police); the Highway Patrol's Marin Area Office (state police); the Highway Patrol's Marin Area Office writes the tickets on the state highways.
The Driving Record and the California Department of Motor Vehicles
The driving record is a separate document from the court file. It is kept by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which adds each conviction the court reports and handles suspensions; the court does not issue driving records.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the California Department of Motor Vehicles like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
A DUI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before the DMV (see San Rafael DUI).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from San Rafael?
With the Superior Court of California, County of Marin, whose page SearchSystems verified is at marin.courts.ca.gov, phone (415) 444-7080.
Who keeps my driving record in California?
The California Department of Motor Vehicles. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in San Rafael?
The Superior Court of California, County of Marin, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Is this the official San Rafael 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.