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San Francisco County, California Public Records

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Find the right office in San Francisco County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested San Francisco County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Showing 12 official sources

Official

Police & jail

San Francisco County Sex Offenders

The San Francisco Police Department explains who has to register as a sex offender in the city and county and links the state Megan's Law search for offenders living in San Francisco.

sanfranciscopolice.org
Open official site San Francisco County Sex Offenders
Official

Court records

Divorces, Family Law court

The family law division of the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, hears divorce, custody, support and domestic violence cases, and the court clerk keeps the case files.

sfsuperiorcourt.org
Open official site Divorces, Family Law court

Everything else, organized

More official San Francisco County record sources

10 more San Francisco County sources not listed above.

More county sources

Local record guide

About public records in San Francisco County

A courtroom in the James R
A courtroom in the James R. Browning United States Court of Appeals Building, photographed in 2009. This is a federal courtroom, not San Francisco Superior Court.Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm- 11000 (ONLINE) [P&P]. No known restrictions on publication. See the catalog record for the full statement.

County profile

San Francisco County at a glance

State
California
County seat
San Francisco
Population
873,965
Area
47 sq mi
Founded
1850

San Francisco County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. San Francisco County Sheriff's Office is responsible for operating San Francisco County's jails, providing security for the courts, and serving civil processes.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 456, San Francisco, CA 94102 (phone: 415-554-7225, website: sfsheriff.com), operates San Francisco County jail facilities and provides court security, prisoner transport, and civil process services. The Sheriff identifies County Jail #2 at 425 7th Street in San Francisco and County Jail #3, formerly County Jail #5, at 1 Moreland Drive in San Bruno. Use the current Sheriff directory for custody location and visit arrangements. San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), headquartered at 1245 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94158 (phone: 415-553-0123, website: sanfranciscopolice.org), is the primary municipal law enforcement agency for the entire county. Arrest records and police reports can be requested under the California Public Records Act (Government Code Section 7920.000 et seq.), with requests submitted to the SFPD Records Division at the headquarters address or through their online records request portal.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in San Francisco County are maintained by the San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco County Sheriff's Office.

Jail & Inmate Records. The San Francisco jail system uses separate facilities; County Jail #2 is at 425 7th Street, and County Jail #3 is at 1 Moreland Drive in San Bruno. Inmate information can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office website, which provides an inmate locator tool.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in San Francisco County are taken and retained by San Francisco County Sheriff's Office during the booking process.

The San Francisco area Chamber of Commerce, located at 235 Montgomery Street, Suite 760 (phone: 415-392-4520, website: sfchamber.com), provides business resources, networking, and advocacy. The Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, is the primary trial court handling all criminal, civil, family law, probate, juvenile, and traffic matters within San Francisco County. The court is headquartered at the Civic Center Courthouse located at 400 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (main phone: 415-551-4000, website: sfsuperiorcourt.org). Property and land records for San Francisco County are maintained by the Office of the Assessor-Recorder, located at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 190, San Francisco, CA 94102 (phone: 628-652-8100, website: sfassessor.org and sfar.org). Professional licenses (contractors, cosmetologists, real estate agents, etc.) are issued by California state licensing boards, with information available through the Department of Consumer Affairs at dca.ca.gov. San Francisco County Planning Department at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 1400 (phone: 415-558-6378, website: sfplanning.org) handles building permits, zoning verification letters. California law requires marriage ceremonies to occur within 90 days of license issuance. The California Department of Public Health Vital Records Office in Sacramento is an alternative source for all California vital records and can be reached at 916-445-2684 or cdph.ca.gov/vitals.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in San Francisco County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in San Francisco County

Old mine sites
7
Past producers, now closed
3
Prospects and occurrences, never worked
4
Main minerals
construction sand and gravel; Gold; Mercury
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
2
Shafts and tunnels
1
What they are
adit, gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated
Maps surveyed
1988 to 1993
Sources
USGS mineral file and USGS topographic mine features

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 7 mine sites inside the county: 3 past producers, now closed, 4 prospects or occurrences that were never worked; the old survey maps add 2 holes drawn inside the county, 1 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are construction sand and gravel; Gold; Mercury.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area.

Marin County San Francisco N 20 miles
San Francisco County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. The small open circles with a name are the towns and the pale shapes around the edge are the neighbouring counties, both from the Census Bureau. Hover a dot for its name.
California mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in San Francisco County (7 shown, 2 unnamed on the map)

California abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Know before you ask

San Francisco County records: the figures and the rules

Each figure below was read on the official source linked beside it, October to November 2026. A fee or rule the source does not state is left out rather than guessed, and offices can change their schedules, so confirm on the source before you pay or travel.

What copies cost

Birth certificate
$31 per public copy, Clerk or recent-birth Public Health route.source
Certified deed copy
$1 certification added to applicable copy charge; certified copies are not instant downloads.source

Deadlines and the law

Vital record order, standard service
County Clerk birth/death receipt about 4 to 6 weeks; Public Health under-three birth mail receipt 5 to 10 business days.source
The law behind it
California Public Records Act, Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.535(a)-(b)source

Who holds what

Deeds and recording
San Francisco Assessor-Recorder in the consolidated City and County.source
Property assessment
San Francisco Assessor-Recorder.source
Jail and inmate records
San Francisco Sheriff; County Jail #3 is in San Bruno.source
Statewide court case search
Individual Superior Court portalsLocal court determines online civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic coverage.

San Francisco combined city and county record services

Choose the vital service by record age

The County Clerk birth service handles its stated older-record group and directs children under three to Public Health. Its own online form is for pickup only; the vendor route offers delivery. The published receipt estimate is four to six weeks.

The Public Health birth service handles children under three at City Hall, Room 160. Mail receipt is estimated at five to ten business days. These are different service routes even though both currently list the same certificate price.

The current Clerk fees list $31 for a birth copy, $26 for a death copy and $19 for a confidential marriage record. Each additional copy carries the same product charge.

Public marriage and land records use the Assessor-Recorder

The public marriage-copy service charges $19. Its page gives conflicting processing estimates, so confirm timing with the office before relying on a delivery date. Confidential marriage records instead belong with the County Clerk.

The recorded-document instructions offer free online previews after identity-verified registration and $1.81 online copies per document. Counter or mailed copies cost $9.70 for the first page and $0.39 for later pages, with $1 certification. Certified copies are not available as an instant download.

Use the current office and jail names

The recording counter is in City Hall, Room 190, and accepts documents from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This differs from general office hours.

The Sheriff jail directory calls the San Bruno facility County Jail #3, formerly #5. It remains a San Francisco facility despite its location outside the city. The California guide supplies state record routes.

Where to go

San Francisco County offices that hold the records

Each office below was read on its own site. A field the office does not publish is left out rather than filled in from a directory.

County Clerk certificate service

Older birth/death records in its stated coverage and confidential marriage records.

Address
City Hall, Room 160, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone
415-554-4950
Hours
Monday through Friday, processing 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; information only 4 p.m. to 5 p.m

Office page: sf.gov

Public Health Office of Vital Records

Recent birth and death service; separate instructions from the County Clerk.

Address
City Hall, Room 160, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone
415-554-2700
Hours
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m

Office page: sf.gov

Assessor-Recorder

Land instruments, assessment services and public marriage certificates.

Address
City Hall, Room 190, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone
628-652-8100
Hours
Monday through Friday, general office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; recording 8 a.m. to 4 p.m

Office page: sf.gov

County Jail #3

San Francisco custody facility outside the city, formerly County Jail #5.

Address
1 Moreland Drive, San Bruno, CA 94066

Office page: sfsheriff.com

Labor Department file

Wage and hour cases in San Francisco County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 771 investigations in San Francisco County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $20,274,718 in back wages agreed for 12,969 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.

Investigations closed
771
Back wages agreed
$20,274,718
Workers due back wages
12,969
Civil money penalties
$573,955
Employers on the record
600
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
YourPeople Inc.San Francisco1$3,364,871735
First Republic BankSan Francisco2$1,996,7791,577
Crowne Building MaintenanceSan Francisco1$1,460,6133,631
Levi Strauss & CompanySan Francisco2$1,023,989598
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.San Francisco4$1,013,593605
Wins of California, Inc.San Francisco1$933,478248
Revel Systems Inc.San Francisco2$778,785328
San Francisco Baseball Associates L.PSan Francisco1$544,71574
Solidus Network Inc.San Francisco1$524,160320
Beverly Residential Care Home, LLCSan Francisco3$323,55014
Lucky River RestaurantSan Francisco1$285,7328
Osha Thai EMBARCADERO, INCSan Francisco1$264,27764
DoorDash IncSan Francisco6$205,456335
Blueprint Studios Trends Inc.San Francisco1$189,27987
Landmark Education LLCSan Francisco1$187,56945
Trusted, Inc.San Francisco1$186,119109
Generation Pix, Inc.San Francisco2$184,6554
ZIRX Technologies, Inc.San Francisco1$145,796204
Mjc Sf LLCSan Francisco1$128,51838
Casa GuadalupeSan Francisco1$111,40525
San Francisco Baseball Associates, LLCSan Francisco2$110,39778
Lam Hai-Ky Restaurant, Inc.San Francisco1$102,98728
Unilava CorporationSan Francisco1$97,0011
Gonzales HomeSan Francisco3$93,2929
M & V Investments, Inc.San Francisco2$90,24144

The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 600 on the San Francisco County record; 193 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 575 more with smaller records are on the California wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.

Straight answers

San Francisco County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in San Francisco County, California?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the San Francisco Sheriff's Office or a city police department in San Francisco County. Ask that agency for its record. Under Penal Code 13665, a police department or sheriff's office may not share on social media the booking photos of a person arrested on suspicion of a nonviolent crime unless an exception applies, and must remove booking photos it shared on social media within 14 days unless an exception still applies.

How do I get a criminal background check in San Francisco County, California?

The California criminal history record comes from the California Department of Justice. Record Review of your own record only: submit fingerprint images through Live Scan and follow the DOJ Record Review instructions. Fee: $25 processing fee to the DOJ, plus the Live Scan agency's fingerprint fee; a fee waiver may be available.

How can I look up sex offenders in San Francisco County, California?

Search the California Megan's Law Website (Department of Justice), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in San Francisco County, California?

Register with the county elections official (county elections office or registrar of voters) or through the California Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. The deadline to register is 15 days before Election Day; after that, same day (conditional) registration and voting is available at the county elections office.

How do I look up property records in San Francisco County, California?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in San Francisco County are kept by the San Francisco County Recorder. Property values are set by the County Assessor, and tax bills come from the County Tax Collector. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in San Francisco County, California?

Certified birth and death certificates for California come from the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records (CDPH VR). Copies may be obtained in person at the county office (County Registrar or Recorder) where the birth was registered, for events in that county. By mail with form VS 111 to California Department of Public Health, Vital Records, MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410, or in person at the county office where the event was registered; since July 1, 2026 CDPH VR no longer accepts applications sent through online third party vendors. Fee: $31 for each certified copy of a birth record.

How do I find business license records in San Francisco County, California?

Business entity filings are searched with the California Secretary of State (bizfile Online). Most California cities and counties require a business license, permits or registration to do business within their limits.

Will San Francisco mail a birth order from the Clerk online form?

The Clerk instructions say those orders require pickup. Use the separately described vendor route when delivery is needed.

Which San Francisco office handles a child under three?

The Public Health certificate service identifies its recent-birth route at City Hall, Room 160.

Who handles an older San Francisco death certificate?

The County Clerk service covers deaths more than three years ago in its stated date range. Recent deaths go to Public Health.

Do San Francisco public and confidential marriage copies share a custodian?

The County Clerk office page assigns confidential marriage copies to the Clerk. Public marriage copies are handled by the Assessor-Recorder.

Is San Francisco online document preview available without registration?

The recorded-copy instructions require an identity-verified account for previews. Guest users may still purchase records.

Can I instantly download a San Francisco certified deed copy?

The copy service excludes certified copies from instant download. Ordinary purchased PDFs are a different product.

What is the current name of the San Francisco jail in San Bruno?

The Sheriff facility page identifies County Jail #3 at 1 Moreland Drive and explains that it was formerly County Jail #5.

Does the San Francisco recording window remain open until office closing?

The office instructions distinguish document recording from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and general office hours ending at 5 p.m.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.

Contra Costa CountyAlameda CountySan Mateo CountyMarin County