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California

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California · official local service finder

Prosecutors, probation & public defense in California

Find the appropriate county justice office and official contact channels. These offices have distinct roles.

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Before you start · 3 things to check
  • A district attorney prosecutes cases; a public defender provides defense services under the applicable appointment process.
  • Use the official office instructions to confirm eligibility, jurisdiction and the correct service contact.
  • Coroner and medical examiner office information does not include person-level death records or searches.

232 guides with reviewed service links · Reviewed local guides

Choose a county on the map

Highlighted counties have a reviewed service guide matching this selection. An agency may serve only a city or part of a county.

California58 counties
California county mapChoose a county to open its directory. Use the county search and list for smaller counties.Alameda County: open directoryAlpine County: open directoryAmador County: open directoryButte County: open directoryCalaveras County: open directoryColusa County: open directoryContra Costa County: open directoryDel Norte County: open directoryEl Dorado County: open directoryFresno County: open directoryGlenn County: open directoryHumboldt County: open directoryImperial County: open directoryInyo County: open directoryKern County: open directoryKings County: open directoryLake County: open directoryLassen County: open directoryLos Angeles County: open directoryMadera County: open directoryMarin County: open directoryMariposa County: open directoryMendocino County: open directoryMerced County: open directoryModoc County: open directoryMono County: open directoryMonterey County: open directoryNapa County: open directoryNevada County: open directoryOrange County: open directoryPlacer County: open directoryPlumas County: open directoryRiverside County: open directorySacramento County: open directorySan Benito County: open directorySan Bernardino County: open directorySan Diego County: open directorySan Francisco County: open directorySan Joaquin County: open directorySan Luis Obispo County: open directorySan Mateo County: open directorySanta Barbara County: open directorySanta Clara County: open directorySanta Cruz County: open directoryShasta County: open directorySierra County: open directorySiskiyou County: open directorySolano County: open directorySonoma County: open directoryStanislaus County: open directorySutter County: open directoryTehama County: open directoryTrinity County: open directoryTulare County: open directoryTuolumne County: open directoryVentura County: open directoryYolo County: open directoryYuba County: open directory
County directory Reviewed service guides available
Map for browsing; agency service areas may differ.
Map source

U.S. Census boundaries via U.S. Atlas · 2017 edition, simplified for display.

232 guides, grouped by county. Open your county below, or choose it above or type a city above to see each guide’s instructions, conditions and sources here.

Alameda4 guides
Alpine4 guides
Amador4 guides
Butte4 guides
Calaveras4 guides
Colusa4 guides
Contra Costa4 guides
County government · Contra Costa

Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office

Coroner or medical examiner

Coroner’s Division — Contra Costa family information (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa Coroner facility viewing restriction

Please note that the Contra Costa County Coroner's Office does not facilitate viewings of decedents at our facility, nor do we offer any viewing services.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Contra Costa death-certificate referral

Please be advised that the Coroner's Office does NOT issue death certificates. To obtain a death certificate, you may contact the Contra Costa County Vital Registration and Statistics Office, or you may request a copy through the funeral home handling the arrangements.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Contra Costa — family reports and property (opens in a new tab)
Contra Costa — report availability after closure

Copies of most Coroner, Pathology and Toxicology reports are available for release once the case is closed.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Contra Costa — property sent with remains to funeral home

The property recovered off the decedent will be inventoried and released along with the remains to the funeral home. You may retrieve the property once the remains are at the funeral home.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Del Norte4 guides
El Dorado4 guides
County government · El Dorado

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office

Coroner or medical examiner

El Dorado — coroner family instructions (opens in a new tab)
El Dorado — coroner business office and investigator contact

Coroner business office hours are Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5p.m., you may call the Coroner's Unit at (530) 642-4700 and request to speak to the investigating Coroner Detective.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Fresno4 guides
Glenn4 guides
Humboldt4 guides
Imperial4 guides
Inyo4 guides
Kern4 guides
Kings4 guides
County government · Kings

Kings County public defense programme

The county administers appointed indigent defense through contracted attorneys. This programme guide is not a separate staffed county public defender office.

Indigent defense — Kings contracted attorney programme (opens in a new tab)
Kings contracted counsel and appointment scope

The attorneys that are contracted for this purpose are appointed on cases to represent indigent individuals and advocate for them with the courts.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Lake4 guides
Lassen4 guides
Los Angeles4 guides
County government · Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Medical Examiner

Official county coroner office information. Confirm the appropriate contact, jurisdiction and any appointment or representation requirements with the provider.

Los Angeles — medical examiner family procedures (opens in a new tab)
Los Angeles — section business hours and property release window differ

The Personal Property Section is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and is closed weekends and holidays. Property release hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Madera4 guides
Marin4 guides
Mariposa4 guides
Mendocino4 guides
Merced4 guides
Modoc4 guides
Mono4 guides
Monterey4 guides
Napa4 guides
Nevada4 guides
Orange4 guides
County government · Orange

Orange County Sheriff's Office

Coroner or medical examiner

Orange — coroner family property and reports (opens in a new tab)
Orange — reports by email after closure; separate from in-person copies

Coroner records are released only after a case is closed. You may submit a request electronically by emailing Coroner_Requests@ocsheriff.gov and reports will be returned via email at no charge.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Placer4 guides
County government · Placer

Placer County Sheriff's Office

Coroner or medical examiner

Placer — coroner family and transfer information (opens in a new tab)
Placer — examination contracts do not transfer other counties’ family inquiries or report requests

Yuba, Sierra, Sutter, and Nevada county have a contract with Placer county for forensic examinations. This means that your loved one will have been brought to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Coroner’s Unit, for an autopsy or external examination, then returned back to the county of death. Please contact the Coroner’s office of the place of death for information about your loved one’s case and to request a copy of their Coroner’s report.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Placer — Records Unit report request after finalization

If you would like to receive a copy of the report, which includes the cause and manner of death, please reach out to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Records Unit at (530) 889-7812 to request the report when it is finalized.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
California state court · Placer

Placer Superior Court

Superior Court for Placer County. Court locations and divisions handle different case types; confirm the correct branch and service before visiting.

Traffic counsel — Placer infraction and misdemeanor limits (opens in a new tab)
Placer traffic infractions — source-specific counsel limit

If you are charged with an infraction and would like an attorney, you must contract with the attorney yourself.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Plumas4 guides
Riverside4 guides
Sacramento4 guides
County government · Sacramento

Sacramento County Coroner

Official county coroner office information. Confirm the appropriate contact, jurisdiction and any appointment or representation requirements with the provider.

Sacramento — coroner report and release instructions (opens in a new tab)
Sacramento — dedicated contact page distinguishes office hours, body release and appointments

Office Hours: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday Body Release Hours: 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday By Appointment: Weekends and Holidays

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
San Benito4 guides
San Bernardino4 guides
San Diego4 guides
San Francisco4 guides
County government · San Francisco

San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

Actual medical-examiner department of the consolidated City and County of San Francisco, separate from the Sheriff’s Office. Use the named department for family and forensic-examination information; jurisdiction is limited to deaths the office investigates.

San Francisco — certified forensic report requests (opens in a new tab)
San Francisco — open-case report request logged for later release

If not closed, we will log your request and email you the certified forensic reports as soon as they're available.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
San Joaquin4 guides
San Luis Obispo4 guides
San Mateo4 guides
County government · San Mateo

San Mateo County Private Defender Program

County public-defense programme delivered by the San Mateo County Bar Association as managed assigned counsel. This is not a county-staffed public defender office or a new independent government identity. Appointment and financial eligibility are determined through the Superior Court.

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Santa Barbara4 guides
Santa Clara4 guides
Santa Cruz4 guides
Shasta4 guides
Sierra4 guides
Siskiyou4 guides
County government · Siskiyou

Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office

Coroner or medical examiner

Siskiyou — coroner property and report procedures (opens in a new tab)
Siskiyou — report-request hours; amount unknown

You may obtain a copy by calling our office at telephone 530-842-8300 Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A fee may apply.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Solano4 guides
Sonoma4 guides
Stanislaus4 guides
County government · Stanislaus

Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office

Coroner or medical examiner

Coroner’s Division — Stanislaus family FAQ (opens in a new tab)
Stanislaus Coroner facility — no viewing or visitation

The Coroner's office does not permit viewing or visitation. The deceased will be released to a funeral home for viewing.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
Sutter4 guides
Tehama4 guides
Trinity4 guides
Tulare4 guides
Tuolumne4 guides
Ventura4 guides
Yolo4 guides
Yuba4 guides

Selected agencies, with sources checked individually. See all coverage and sources.