San Francisco DUI Records
San Francisco County DUI records exist in the Superior Court system and sheriff custody records. The city and county are combined into one jurisdiction. The court portal covers cases from 1987 to present and lets you search by name or case number. Online searches are free but document copies cost money if you visit the courthouse. The sheriff maintains an inmate locator showing current custody status. San Francisco Police Department handles most DUI arrests in the city. California Highway Patrol also makes arrests on highways and bridges. All cases get filed at the unified Superior Court located at the Civic Center courthouse. The court processes criminal cases at 850 Bryant Street while civil matters go to 400 McAllister Street.
San Francisco County Facts
Superior Court Case Information
The San Francisco Superior Court operates an online case information portal covering cases from 1987 to present. The system is at webapps.sftc.org/ci/CaseInfo.dll. This portal lets you search for criminal cases including all DUI charges. The search tool works for finding basic case information at no cost.
Search by defendant name or case number. Name searches return a list of matching cases. The results show case numbers, filing dates, and case types. Click on a case to see charges, hearing dates, and disposition. DUI cases appear with Vehicle Code Section 23152 charges. The system covers both felony and misdemeanor cases filed in San Francisco.
The portal shows case information but does not provide document downloads. To get copies of police reports, court filings, or other documents, you must visit the courthouse or submit a formal records request. The Civil Records office is at 400 McAllister Street, Room 103, San Francisco, CA 94102. Call 415-551-3802 for questions about criminal records.
Criminal cases get processed at the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street. This is separate from the civil courthouse. The Hall of Justice houses criminal courtrooms, the District Attorney's office, and public defender services. Most DUI arraignments and hearings occur at this location.
Sheriff Inmate Information
The San Francisco Sheriff's Department operates county jail facilities. The sheriff maintains an online tool to find people in jail. This locator shows current inmates in custody. Search by name to see if someone is in jail right now. The system displays booking information, charges, and bail status.
Most DUI arrestees post bail quickly and do not stay in jail long. If they remain in custody, the inmate locator updates to show their current status. The county jails are located at different facilities throughout San Francisco. The inmate locator shows which facility is holding each person.
San Francisco Police Department makes most DUI arrests in the city. California Highway Patrol handles arrests on state highways, bridges, and some city streets. The sheriff provides custody services but does less patrol work than in other counties. All criminal cases get filed at San Francisco Superior Court regardless of which agency made the arrest.
Police Department Records
San Francisco Police Department maintains arrest records and incident reports for DUI cases. You can request police reports through the SFPD public records system. The department offers free incident reports in many cases. This makes SFPD more accessible than some other California police agencies that charge fees.
SFPD also uses a separate portal at sanfrancisco.nextrequest.com for public records requests. This system handles California Public Records Act requests for various types of documents. Submit your request online and the department responds within the time frames required by law. Most requests get a response within ten days, though extensions are possible for complex requests.
To request a police report, you need basic information about the incident. Provide the date, location, and case number if you have it. The more details you provide, the faster SFPD can locate the report. Some reports may be restricted while investigations are ongoing. The department decides what information to release based on privacy laws and investigation needs.
How to Search San Francisco
Start with the court portal. Enter the defendant's name to search for criminal cases. The system returns all matches from 1987 forward. Look for DUI charges under Vehicle Code Section 23152. Click on a case to see full details including charges, court dates, and outcomes.
If the court search finds nothing, check the sheriff inmate locator. The person might be in custody before charges get formally filed. The booking information appears in the inmate system even if the court case is not in the portal yet. This helps confirm an arrest happened even when court records are not available yet.
For police reports, use the SFPD records request system. Include all details you have about the incident. The department processes requests in the order received. Simple requests for incident reports usually get fulfilled quickly. More complex requests for investigation files may take longer.
Record Fees and Costs
Court case searches are free online. You can look up as many names and cases as you want at no charge. The court does not require registration or payment for basic case information. Document copies from the courthouse cost money. Standard photocopies are 50 cents per page. Certified copies cost more based on the document type.
Sheriff inmate searches are free. The online locator requires no payment or account. If you need copies of booking documents, the sheriff may charge fees. Contact the Records Division for current pricing on those materials.
SFPD incident reports are often free. The department does not charge for many types of police reports. More complex records requests may have fees for staff time and copies. The department notifies you of any costs before fulfilling your request. You can decide whether to proceed based on the estimated fees.
DMV driving records cost $2 online or $5 by mail. DOJ criminal record checks cost $25 plus Live Scan fingerprinting fees. These are state level records not controlled by San Francisco.
San Francisco Contacts
The Superior Court Civil Records office is at 400 McAllister Street, Room 103, San Francisco, CA 94102. Call 415-551-3802 for questions about criminal records. The Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street houses the criminal courts. This is where DUI cases get heard and processed.
San Francisco Police Department records requests go through their website at sanfranciscopolice.org or the NextRequest portal. The SFPD headquarters is at 1245 3rd Street, 1st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94158. Call 415-553-1415 for general questions about police records.
The Sheriff's Department website at sfsheriff.com has links to the inmate locator and contact information for jail facilities. For general sheriff questions, use the contact information provided on the website.
For DMV license suspension questions, call the Driver Safety Branch at 833-543-7703. This statewide number handles Admin Per Se hearings. Request a hearing within ten days of your DUI arrest to challenge the automatic suspension.
City and County Combined
San Francisco is unique because the city and county are the same jurisdiction. There is no separate county government. The San Francisco Sheriff serves both city and county functions. The Superior Court handles all cases from within city limits since the city boundaries match the county boundaries.
This means you only need to search one court system for all DUI cases in San Francisco. There are no separate city or county courts. All criminal cases go through the same Superior Court system. The sheriff handles all custody and jail operations with no separate city jail system.
Neighboring Counties
San Francisco County is surrounded by water on three sides. It borders San Mateo County to the south and Marin County to the north across the Golden Gate Bridge. Check these counties if a DUI arrest happened near the county line.