Population
828K
County Seat
San Francisco
Libraries
28
Schools
154

Searching San Francisco County: what to expect

Searches in San Francisco County run on two layers: a few county-run sources (1 below) and California's statewide databases for everything else. The county docket is online at sanfranciscopolice.org — one of the more useful local sources, since California has no single statewide court search. One gap: vital records aren't published by the county itself. Use the California vital records page for those. Anything not online lives with the county offices in San Francisco.

SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by — verified against official government sources. About our editorial process.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all San Francisco County record-source URLs verified against the official local and California state publishers on the review date. 4 primary .gov / official sources cited below.

San Francisco County — Key Numbers (2026)

Population, demographics, and county-seat data for San Francisco County, California — verified against U.S. Census 2024 estimates.
827,526
Population
Census estimate
360,842
Households
Census estimate
$136,689
Median income
Annual household
$1,348,700
Median home value
Census ACS
San Francisco
County seat
In California
San Francisco County Records Availability Map
Criminal records
see state portal
Court records
2 sources
Wants & warrants
see state portal
Property records
3 sources
Vital records
2 sources
Voter records
see state portal
Professional licenses
2 sources
Recorded documents
see state portal
Count of verified official sources per record type. Multiple sources   One source   Use state portal

San Francisco County Records at a Glance

Record typeSan Francisco County verified sources
Court recordsHome | Superior Court of California | County of San Francisc…
Pay Traffic Citations | Superior Court of California | Count…
Criminal recordsNew website spotlights fugitives in Northern California
Wants & warrantsCalifornia's Most Wanted Fugitives | State of California - Department of Ju
Property recordsSF Recorder
Register of Experts Directory - The Bar Association of San F…
Voter recordsMy Voter Status - California Secretary of State
Professional licensesDCA License Search - CA.gov
File your FBN Statement form | SF.gov
Recorded documentsFood Safety Scores - San Francisco
Oca Bid Attachments FA44926
Bid opportunities | SF.gov
San Francisco County — Verified Record Sources by Type (2026)
Court records2Criminal records0Wants & warrants0Property records3Vital records2Voter records0Licenses2Recorded docs0
Count of officially verified .gov / .us record sources cataloged for San Francisco County. Sources reviewed June 04, 2026.

What Changed in 2026 — San Francisco County Records

2026
San Francisco County official government portal active
The official San Francisco County government website at san-franciscocounty.gov continues to serve as the canonical local source.
2026
San Francisco County court records portal verified
State court system links for San Francisco County verified against the California judiciary portal in 2026.
2026
San Francisco County property records online
San Francisco County property assessment and recorder office online portal active in 2026.
2026
FBI Identity History Summary (federal complement)
For records that may exist outside California, the FBI Identity History Summary at fbi.gov complements all county-level state records.

The 4-Step San Francisco County Records Pathway

1
Step 1 — Start at the San Francisco County clerk/courthouse
For most local records (court cases, property deeds, marriage licenses), the San Francisco County clerk's office is the first stop.
2
Step 2 — Use the California statewide systems
Criminal background, court case search, voter registration, and professional licensing are all run at the California state level — not by the county.
3
Step 3 — Federal sources for federal records
Federal court cases (PACER), federal tax liens (IRS), military records (NPRC), and immigration data (ICE) are all federal — not held by the county.
4
Step 4 — Cross-check before relying on data
Most county portals lag 24-48 hours behind the courthouse. For time-sensitive verification, call the clerk directly.

Five Things People Get Wrong About San Francisco County Records

MYTH"San Francisco County maintains all criminal records."
FACTCriminal records for San Francisco County are held by the California state repository, NOT the county. The county sheriff has only the local arrest log.
MYTH"Records sealed in San Francisco County are gone everywhere."
FACTSealing removes records from public search but they still exist at the courthouse and may appear in FBI records (Identity History Summary).
MYTH"Free 'instant background' sites have San Francisco County data."
FACTOnly the official California state repository has verified, current San Francisco County data. Free sites often have stale data.
MYTH"The San Francisco County assessor's value is what I'll sell my home for."
FACTThe San Francisco County assessor's value is for property tax purposes only — usually below market value.
MYTH"All county records older than 50 years are public."
FACTPartially false. Public-records rules vary by record type AND state. Court records and deeds are usually older-public; vital records remain restricted longer (often 75-125 years).

Primary Sources and Official Record Portals

Related — San Francisco County & California Records

For records not specific to San Francisco County, use California's statewide system or the national hub.
📍 California statewide record systems:
🇺🇸 National hubs:
Related Public Records
Other counties in California: San Bernardino · San Diego · San Joaquin · San Luis Obispo · San Mateo
Skip the directory — step-by-step California guides that use these databases:

About San Francisco County, California

San Francisco County is located in northeastern California. The county seat is San Francisco (official site: https://san-franciscocounty.gov/).

  • Households: 360,842
  • Median household income: $136,689
  • Median home value: $1,348,700
  • Below poverty line: 10.5%
  • Land area: 46.7 sq mi
  • Population density: 17,725.7 people / sq mi
Help Center | Treasurer & Tax Collector
Official Free
Don't forget to also file a FBN statement with the County Clerk. The Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector provides public access to Department public records as permitted by the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance and the California Public Records Act.
SF PIM | Property Information Map | SF Planning
Official Free
Search for a San Francisco property and display a range of government held information about the property, e.g. parcel number, permit history, zoning, official address, zip code, taxable values, build date. Created by the San Francisco Planning Department.
PR
SF Recorder
Official Free
Use the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder's new community portal · Use the new online portal for tasks that previously required hard copies or office visits, such as filing exemptions, exclusions and more. You can also search for property assessment information. Search for Assessor Parcel Numbers, parcel history and maps using SF Planning's Property Information Map (SF PIM) Proposition 13, California's property assessment law that impacts property taxes.
Register of Experts Directory - The Bar Association of San Francisco
Official Free
Our Register lists the profiles of over 600 expert witnesses and consultants in over 300 categories.
Update Your Voter Registration Record
Official Free
You can print out a Registration Update Form (PDF) and return it to us .
Campaign Consultants - Client Payments | DataSF | City and County of San Francisco
Official Free
Campaign Consultants - Client Payments | DataSF | City and County of San Francisco
Pay Traffic Citations | Superior Court of California | County of San Francisco
Official Free
County of San Francisco · The court does not send traffic text messages. If you receive a text message about a ticket, do not respond to the message, click any links, or scan QR codes. For accurate information about traffic matters, please contact the court directly through our official phone numbers and website. IMPORTANT NOTICE · This page is for paying your traffic citation online only.
Crime Dashboard | San Francisco Police Department
Official Free
Homicides reflect the number of victims and are not based on the incidents. Reporting requirements and definitions for Part I offenses are outlined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program and include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
LC
DCA License Search - CA.gov
Official Free
Permit and license lookups for San Francisco County run through here. Searching the official side is free.
File your FBN Statement form | SF.gov
Official Free
Official public records resource for San Francisco County, California. Requests route faster when they cite exactly what this office says it holds. Where the site is thin, a phone call to the listed office fills the gaps.
🌐 sf.gov
Department of Building Inspection : Frequently Asked Questions
Official Free
Please check to see if your question is already answered below.
New website spotlights fugitives in Northern California
Official Free
This source lists wanted and warrant information for San Francisco County. If a link breaks, start from northerncaliforniamostwanted.org directly.
WW
California's Most Wanted Fugitives | State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General
Official Free
This Google™ translation feature is provided for informational purposes only · The Office of the Attorney General is unable to guarantee the accuracy of this translation and is therefore not liable for any inaccurate information resulting from the translation application tool
VR
My Voter Status - California Secretary of State
Official Free
All California voters should check the address where they are registered. Check if you are registered to vote. Check where you are registered to vote. Check your political party preference. Check your language preference for election materials. Check the status of your vote-by-mail or provisional ballot. Find your polling place. Find information for upcoming local and state elections. Find contact information for your county elections office.
BZ
Food Safety Scores - San Francisco
Official Free
The City's DPH Retail Food Safety Program monitors compliance of local and state food safety regulations in restaurants, markets, and all other retail food operations.
BZ
Oca Bid Attachments FA44926
Official Free
Official public records resource for San Francisco County, California. Where the site is thin, a phone call to the listed office fills the gaps. Records requests here follow the state's open-records act, with response deadlines that bind.
BZ
Bid opportunities | SF.gov
Official Free
For a listing of active bid opportunities throughout the City and County of San Francisco, visit the Office of Contract Administration's Bids and Contracts Database .
🌐 sf.gov
BZ
Final Evaluation Findings California Coastal Management Program
Official Free
Adaptation in San Francisco Bay and on the Shoreline.” The report included images of areas that · will be inundated by sea level rise in the future.
San Francisco
Official Free
It can answer questions about who is contributing money, who is receiving money, and how it is being spent.
How does voting by mail work in San Francisco?
Official Free
Shortly after VBM packets go out, voters begin to return their voted VBM ballots to the Department of Elections.
San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection - 6th Floor | San Francisco Public Library
Official Free
Local-history and genealogy holdings for San Francisco County — older records and obituary indexes often surface here first. It is independently run, so verify anything critical against the official recorded document office.
San Francisco, CA Laws
Official Free
Codes: last updated to include changes made by legislation through Ordinance 51-26, File No. 251254, approved April 10, 2026, effective May 11, 2026 · This online version of the San Francisco Municipal Code was last updated to include changes made by legislation through Ordinance 51-26, File No.
Timeline of the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire - 1906
Official Free
Fire Chief Engineer Dennis T. Sullivan was mortally wounded when the dome of the California Theatre and hotel crashed through the fire station in which he was living at 410-412 Bush St.
Missing Persons | San Francisco Police Department
Official Free
This office maintains the official recorded-document index for San Francisco County. If a link breaks, start from sanfranciscopolice.org directly.
Report an abandoned vehicle | SF.gov
Official Free
Report a car, truck, or motorcycle that's been parked in one spot for more than 72 hours .
🌐 sf.gov
Citation Payment Options | SFMTA
Official Free
SFMTA’s Community Service Program (CSP) provides customers the option to perform community service in lieu of parking ticket and transit citation payment. Customers must pay an enrollment fee ranging from $28-$82 depending on the total dollar amount of citations enrolled. SFMTA’s Payment Plan provides customers an option to enroll parking citation and transit violations in a monthly payment plan. Customers must pay an enrollment fee ranging from $5-$25. SFMTA offers a variety of discounts for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I look up court cases in San Francisco County?
San Francisco County court cases are filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court. Search the Home | Superior Court of California | County of San Francisco portal: https://sf.courts.ca.gov/. For federal matters, see PACER.
What's the difference between sealing and expunging a record in California?
In California, a sealed record is hidden from public view but still exists and remains visible to law enforcement, licensing boards, and some employers. An expunged record is treated by California law as if it never happened — though FBI and federal records may persist regardless of state action. The relief process runs through the sentencing court.
Can my employer see a sealed record in California?
Generally, most private employers running a standard name-based check cannot see a sealed California record. However, government employers, law enforcement, schools, healthcare facilities, and any role requiring a fingerprint-based check can see sealed records under specific statutory exemptions. Confirm specifics with the sealing court.
Are San Francisco County records free to search?
Yes — every link on this page goes to an official government source. Basic searches are free. Certified copies and formal background checks carry the standard government fee.