SearchSystems Editorial

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.

About this guide

San Mateo County is a county in California with about 743,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 7 county office pages for San Mateo County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, District Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where San Mateo County public records live

Each kind of San Mateo County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in San Mateo County

A person arrested in San Mateo County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in San Mateo County.

SearchSystems has not yet verified an online jail or inmate page for San Mateo County. The sheriff's office is the place to ask, and the state inmate locator in the statewide sources below covers state prisons.

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Court records and case lookups in San Mateo County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in San Mateo County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for San Mateo County.

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County Clerk of San Mateo County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in San Mateo County.

  • Website: smcacre.gov/county-clerk-recorder (page title: County Clerk-Recorder | San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections | ACRE)
  • Phone: (650) 599-1713
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Deeds, land records and property values in San Mateo County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in San Mateo County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: County Recorder

Property values: County Assessor

  • Website: smcacre.gov/assessor/property-tax-look (page title: Property Tax Look-up | San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections | ACRE)
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Birth, death and marriage records in San Mateo County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in San Mateo County are issued by the office below. The California state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

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District Attorney for San Mateo County

The District Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in San Mateo County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

  • Website: smcgov.org/da (page title: District Attorney | County of San Mateo, CA)
  • Phone: (650) 363-4636
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Public records requests to San Mateo County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for San Mateo County.

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Statewide California sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the California state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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Cities and towns in San Mateo County

San Mateo County has 20 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of each linked city; the linked names open them.

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San Mateo County Arrest Records

The San Mateo County arrest records guide names the 21 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 13,525 arrests the 17 agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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San Mateo County Records Guides

SearchSystems has eight more guides to San Mateo County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: San Mateo County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), San Mateo County criminal records (the court file, the California criminal history and the local arrest records), San Mateo County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), San Mateo County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the California Public Records Act requires), San Mateo County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), San Mateo County DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), San Mateo County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and San Mateo County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official San Mateo County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

Where do I look up a court case in San Mateo County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for San Mateo County is at sanmateo.courts.ca.gov, phone 650-261-5100. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in San Mateo County?

The County Recorder, at smcacre.gov. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in San Mateo County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for San Mateo County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for San Mateo County vital records at smcacre.gov, phone (650) 363-4000, or from the California state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from San Mateo County?

Through the records request page at smcgov.org. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.

Population
743K
County Seat
Redwood City
Libraries
32
Schools
175