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Kern County, California Public Records

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Find the right office in Kern 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 Kern 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

Kern County Criminal Records

The courts that sit in Kern County hear its criminal cases, and the court clerk keeps the charges, the dispositions and the sentences on file.

kern.courts.ca.gov
Open official site Kern County Criminal Records
Official

Police & jail

Kern County Sex Offenders

The California Megan's Law website, run by the state Department of Justice, lists the sex offenders required to register in Kern County and can be searched by name, address or ZIP code.

meganslaw.ca.gov
Open official site Kern County Sex Offenders
Official

Property records

Kern County Property Tax Search

The Kern County Tax Collector bills and collects the property taxes, and the records show the parcel, the owner and what is charged and paid on it each year.

kcttc.co.kern.ca.us
Open official site Kern County Property Tax Search
Official

City records

Kern County Fictitious Business Records

Kern County Fictitious Business Records, the office that registers businesses, with entity and trade name searches and copies of the filings it holds.

kerncountyclerk.com
Open official site Kern County Fictitious Business Records
Official

Court records

Kern County Family Law

Divorce and family law cases from Kern County are filed with the clerk of court, who keeps the pleadings, the orders and the judgments in each case.

kern.courts.ca.gov
Open official site Kern County Family Law

Everything else, organized

More official Kern County record sources

9 more Kern County sources not listed above.

More county sources

Local record guide

About public records in Kern County

County profile

Kern County at a glance

State
California
County seat
Bakersfield
Population
909,235
Area
8,161 sq mi
Founded
1866
Cities and towns
37

Kern County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Kern County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of Kern County.

Police Departments. Kern County is served by Kern County Sheriff's Office and several municipal police departments. These agencies coordinate with the Sheriff's Office on major crimes and regional security issues, making sure of full law enforcement coverage across Kern County.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Kern County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 1350 Norris Road, Bakersfield, CA 93308, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas and provides countywide services including jail operations, courts security, and search and rescue. Arrest records in Kern County are public documents subject to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Section 6250 et seq.), and requests can be submitted to the Sheriff's Office or respective municipal police departments. Under California Penal Code Section 832.7, certain records are accessible, though some information may be redacted for ongoing investigations.

Criminal Records. Kern County Superior Court and the Sheriff's Office maintain these records, which are accessible for background checks.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Kern County are maintained by Kern County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly or through their online portal.

Jail & Inmate Records. Inmate information and booking details can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office website, which provides an online inmate locator tool.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Kern County are taken and retained by Kern County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These booking photos are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office website or by submitting a formal request.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Kern County

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

From the old mine records

What is on record in Kern County

Old mine sites
1,117
Sites with no status in the records
58
Still producing
195
Main minerals
Gold; Tungsten; construction sand and gravel
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
4,227
Shafts and tunnels
1,919
What they are
prospect pit, mine shaft, adit, open pit mine
Maps surveyed
1942 to 1994
Records behind them
5,880 records for 5,597 sites, the rest are the same working written down twice
Sources
USGS mineral file and USGS topographic mine features

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 1,370 named mine sites inside the county, 1,117 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 4,227 holes drawn inside the county, 1,919 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Gold; Tungsten; construction sand and gravel.

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.

600 of 5,557 shown
Kern County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. Purple is a shaft or a tunnel. Hover a dot for its name.
California mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Kern County (307 shown, 917 more named and 4,120 unnamed on the map)

Rows taken off the old survey maps open the USGS record of what sits at that spot, because no single feature on those maps has a page of its own. Rows from the mine records open their own USGS page.

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.

Straight answers

Kern County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

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

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Kern County Sheriff's Office or a city police department in Kern 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 Kern 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 Kern 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 Kern 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 Kern County, California?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Kern County are kept by the Kern 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 Kern 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 Kern 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.

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.

BakersfieldDelanoRidgecrestWascoRosamondShafterArvinCalifornia CityMcfarlandLamontTehachapiTaftMojaveLake IsabellaFrazier ParkWeldonBoronBodfishWofford HeightsLost HillsMaricopaButtonwillowInyokernLebecKernvilleOnyxEdisonKeeneTupmanWoodyJohannesburgRandsburgFellowsGlennvilleCalienteCantilEdwardsInyo CountySan Luis Obispo CountySanta Barbara CountySan Bernardino CountyTulare CountyLos Angeles CountyKings CountyVentura County