Criminal Cases in Solano County Courts
The Solano Superior Court Criminal Division files, processes, and keeps felony, misdemeanor, DUI, and infraction records. California does not send these matters to separate city municipal courts. The Fairfield Criminal Division handles Fairfield-side files at the Hall of Justice, while the Vallejo Criminal Division handles Vallejo and Benicia filings at the Solano Justice Building. The index records each filing and disposition, which is the current or final result of a charge.
A police report and a court file answer different questions. Police document the incident and arrest. The court file begins after formal charges and shows what prosecutors alleged, what happened at hearings, and how each count ended. All Solano DUI charges go through the Criminal Division. A booking may therefore exist before any matching Solano County criminal case appears.
Solano County Criminal Records Counters
Two counters serve Solano County criminal records. Search hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., except court holidays. A government photo ID is required, and the court limits requests to five cases per person each day. Phone hours differ from counter hours: 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Fairfield Criminal Division
Hall of Justice
600 Union Ave.
Fairfield, CA 94533
707-207-7380
Vallejo Criminal Division
Solano Justice Building
321 Tuolumne St.
Vallejo, CA 94590
707-561-7880
The correct counter usually follows the filing prefix. Staff can search the index, take a copy request, and explain whether a restricted file can be viewed. They cannot provide legal advice.
How to Search Solano County Case Records
The Solano Superior Court Public Portal requires a free account. Case number is the fastest key. A party-name search accepts a first name, last name, or company name with at least two characters and may be narrowed by filing dates. Portal data updates daily, but a new filing may lag.
- Register with an email, password, name, phone number, and acceptance of the portal terms.
- Sign in, choose Case Search, and enter the full case number when it is known.
- Otherwise, search by party name and narrow the results with a filed-date range.
- Select the blue case number and review its case-information tabs and docket entries.
- Use Local Form 4021 or visit the Criminal Division for official or certified copies.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Number | Text | No | Easiest method; include the local prefix. |
| Last Name | Text | No | At least two characters. |
| First Name | Text | No | At least two characters. |
| CompanyName | Text | No | At least two characters. |
| Filed Date Range | Date | No | Narrows cases by filing period. |
Solano Portal Daily Search Limit
The portal's official access notice caps general-public use at 45 cases per day. Justice Partner searches are not capped. Account creation is required, and the most current filing may not yet be visible. Plan a broad common-name search carefully because each opened result can consume part of that daily allowance.
The online view is research access, not automatically the official court record. California Rule of Court 2.504(b) says an electronically accessible trial-court record is not official unless the court electronically certifies it. Confirm a key date or outcome against court paperwork, and order a certified copy when official proof is needed.
The portal source page shown here illustrates those access limits.
That warning is why portal results should be treated as a locator for the clerk-held Solano County criminal case file.
What a Solano County Case File Shows
A Solano County criminal court case file is organized around the filed case, not the full history of a person. It identifies the court and parties, states the prosecutor's charges, and records events as the matter moves. The docket is a dated list of filings and hearings. The judgment and sentencing entries are usually the best places to confirm the outcome.
| Case Number & Court | The filing identifier and Fairfield or Vallejo division. |
|---|---|
| Charging Document | The complaint, information, or indictment stating filed counts. |
| Docket Entries | A dated register of hearings, motions, orders, and filings. |
| Hearing Dates | Past appearances and future calendar settings shown publicly. |
| Disposition & Judgment | The result of each charge, such as pending, dismissed, acquitted, or convicted. |
| Sentence & Conditions | Jail, prison, probation, fines, and other orders after conviction. |
Solano Criminal Case Number Prefixes
Local Form 4021 contains a search shortcut unique to Solano County criminal records. Cases from Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, Dixon, and Rio Vista begin with F, FC, or FCR. Cases from Benicia or Vallejo begin with V, VC, or VCR. The letters point toward the filing side of the county.
- F, FC, FCR
- Criminal case prefixes for the Fairfield side and the cities routed there.
- V, VC, VCR
- Criminal case prefixes associated with Benicia and Vallejo.
- Disposition
- The current or final result for a charge, not merely the fact that it was filed.
- Certified copy
- A copy authenticated by the court, unlike an ordinary portal printout.
Do not apply the criminal prefixes to civil, probate, or family cases. Those case types use other letter patterns. If an old number is incomplete, give the clerk the person's name, date of birth, and approximate filing years.
Stages of a Solano County Criminal Case
A criminal court case starts when the District Attorney files a complaint or a grand jury returns an indictment. At arraignment, the filed charges are addressed and counsel and release issues may be handled. Pretrial entries can show motions, conferences, and amended counts. A plea or trial leads to a disposition, followed by sentencing if there is a conviction.
Case flow: Charges Filed › Arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or Trial › Disposition › Sentencing
This sequence explains why an arrest and a filed case may not match one for one. Prosecutors can decline, change, or add charges. The court disposition, not the initial booking allegation, records the judicial result.
Solano Court Copies and Fees
The Criminal Division records page publishes the current copy path and Local Form 4021. The form may be mailed or taken to Fairfield or Vallejo. It asks for the case number or subject name and birth date, approximate filing period, exact documents, certification choice, requester contact details, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailed returns.
| Service | Amount |
|---|---|
| Record search over 10 minutes | $15 per name |
| Copy | $.50 per page or side |
| Double-sided copy | $1.00 |
| Certified copy | $40 per document |
The official fees and forms page shown below is the source to recheck before submitting payment.
Certified copies cost more because the court authenticates the document; a screenshot or ordinary printout does not carry that certification.
Missed Solano County Criminal Court
A missed appearance may lead the judge to issue a bench warrant. Solano's Criminal Division says a person may contact the criminal clerk by phone or email during its stated warrant-calendar windows to ask about placing an eligible matter back on calendar. For an eligible misdemeanor, the court says a new date may be set within two weeks.
Warrant caution: Confirm instructions with the Criminal Clerk. The court also says a person may appear at a law-enforcement agency and advise an officer about an outstanding bench warrant.
Search the case first so the case number and location are ready. Do not assume that paying an unrelated fine or sending a record request clears a warrant. Only the court can state what action resolves its order.
Solano Case Record Access and Restrictions
California Rule of Court 2.503 supports reasonable public access to electronic court records unless law or a sealing order restricts them. Rule 2.550 governs court-ordered sealing. Juvenile matters, victim and minor identifiers, confidential documents, and sealed cases may be absent or redacted.
An empty portal result is not proof that no file exists. Try the correct Solano prefix, widen the filing dates, and check spelling. Then ask the Fairfield or Vallejo Criminal Division to search its index. The clerk can explain whether a public record exists, though it may not disclose why a confidential item is withheld.
The official Criminal Division page pictured here remains the source for branch contacts and current access details.
Its division-specific route keeps a court-case search distinct from sheriff booking data and police incident reports.