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

Santa Cruz County is a county in California with about 262,000 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 8 county office pages for Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County public records live

Each kind of Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County

A person arrested in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Santa Cruz County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County.

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County Clerk of Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County.

  • Website: sccoclerk.santacruzcountyca.gov (page title: County Clerk Home)
  • Phone: 831-454-2060
  • Address: 701 Ocean Street, Rm. 310 Santa Cruz, CA 95060
  • Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Santa Cruz County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Santa Cruz 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

  • Website: recorder.santacruzcountyca.gov (page title: Santa Cruz County Recorder's Office)
  • Phone: (831) 454-2800
  • Address: 701 Ocean Street, Room 230, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Property values: County Assessor

  • Website: assessor.santacruzcountyca.gov
  • Address: 701 Ocean Street, Room 130, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
  • Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Birth, death and marriage records in Santa Cruz County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County

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

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Public records requests to Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County.

  • Website: santacruzcounty-ca.nextrequest.com (page title: Request Public RecordsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software)
  • Phone: (831) 454-2323
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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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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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Santa Cruz County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County has 4 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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Santa Cruz County Arrest Records

The Santa Cruz County arrest records guide names the 11 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 7,276 arrests the five 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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Santa Cruz County Records Guides

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Santa Cruz 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.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Santa Cruz County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Santa Cruz County at jailviewer.co.santa-cruz.ca.us. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Santa Cruz County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Santa Cruz County is at santacruz.courts.ca.gov. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Santa Cruz County?

The County Recorder, at recorder.santacruzcountyca.gov. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Santa Cruz County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Santa Cruz County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Santa Cruz County vital records at recorder.santacruzcountyca.gov, or from the California state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Santa Cruz County?

Through the records request page at santacruzcounty-ca.nextrequest.com. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.

Population
262K
County Seat
Santa Cruz
Libraries
13
Schools
81