Getting a Copy of a San Marcos Divorce Record

Yes. The San Diego Superior Court treats family case files as public records that are open to inspection, except for documents that are confidential or sealed by law. How you reach a file depends on when the case was filed:

• Imaged cases filed on or after August 24, 2015: some documents can be ordered online.
• Other cases and documents: these are handled by a mail request or a visit to the business office.

San Marcos divorce records are held by the North County Division at 325 S. Melrose Drive in Vista. The court's ZIP Code List places 92069, 92078, 92079 and 92096 in that division.

There is one exception. Child support cases brought through the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) are filed at the Central Division, at the Central Courthouse in San Diego. A DCSS file is requested from that division. Working with DCSS covers how those cases are handled.

You mail a request to the business office where your case was filed. The court's Divorce Frequently Asked Questions page describes this process for a final decree or judgment and for other family law documents. For a San Marcos case, that office is usually the North County Division.

The request names the documents you want. It also includes payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage for the copies to be mailed back.

Partly. The court's Family Law Imaging Frequently Asked Questions page says documents cannot be viewed online.

For imaged cases filed on or after August 24, 2015, the Family Register of Actions may show non-confidential case data. A register of actions is the court's running list of what has been filed and done in a case. The Accessing Court Records page says some documents can be bought through that register and mailed to you. Anything not offered there is reached by mail or at the business office.

The Family Law Imaging FAQ states: "All newly initiated Family Law cases filed from August 24, 2015, and thereafter are imaged." An imaged case is one where every document has been scanned, so the file is viewed electronically rather than on paper.

Imaged cases can be viewed and printed only on kiosks in the Family Law Business Offices. Copies can also be requested by mail. In the court's case search results, "[IMAGED]" appears in the title of an imaged case.

The central item is your San Diego Superior Court case number. According to the court's two FAQ pages, a mail request includes:

• the case number
• a list of the specific documents wanted
• payment for the fees
• a self-addressed stamped envelope

The imaging FAQ adds that payment can be made by check, money order or credit card. Credit card payments use SDSC Form ADM-253.

If you do not have the case number, the Accessing Court Records page describes how to find it. For files from 1974 to the present, you can use the court's online case search or go to the court location where the case was heard.

Yes. The court charges several kinds of fees:

• a per-page fee for copies
• a separate fee to certify a copy, which is the court's stamp confirming it is a true copy of the filed document
• a processing fee on every mail request, according to the imaging FAQ
• a retrieval fee for older files kept in off-site storage

The Divorce FAQ says certification fees for a divorce decree differ from those for other documents. Amounts change, so the court's current fee schedule and the business office where the case was filed are the places to confirm the exact fee and accepted payment methods. Anyone worried about cost can read about free family law help available through the court.

A case filed before August 24, 2015 does not fall under the imaging rule. That means its documents are generally not available through the online register. The mail request described on the Divorce FAQ page is the usual way to get a copy, sent to the business office where the case was filed.

Some older files are kept in off-site storage. The court charges a fee to retrieve them, and the Accessing Court Records page notes that retrieving stored records can take several days. Calling the North County Division business office is how to confirm where a particular file is kept.

No. The mail request, the online register and the kiosks are all open to people asking on their own behalf.

Confidential documents are limited to the parties and their attorneys of record. A former spouse can view those documents personally by showing a valid driver's license at the counter. A lawyer becomes more relevant when the record is needed for something new, such as a request to change an order or a question about what the judgment actually requires. Divorcing with young children describes how San Marcos cases with children move through the North County Division.