Clearing a criminal record in San Mateo County
San Mateo County petitions are filed at the Hall of Justice and Records (Southern Branch) in Redwood City, our flat fee covers whatever the court charges to file, and you do not need to live here, or come to court, to clear a case from here.
Where a petition is filed in San Mateo County
Record-clearing petitions are filed in the county where you were convicted, which means San Mateo County petitions go to the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo (court website).
Hall of Justice and Records (Southern Branch)
400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 261-5100
What San Mateo County charges to file
San Mateo County does not publish a filing fee for a record-clearing petition that we were able to verify as of 2026-10-10. A good number of California counties charge nothing at all. Either way our fee is all-in, so if a fee applies we pay it.
Local notes for San Mateo County
- San Mateo County's name comes from spanish for Saint Matthew.
- San Mateo is one of only 15 California counties governed under a home-rule charter rather than general law.
- San Mateo is one of the few California counties without a traditional in-house Public Defender; indigent criminal defense is provided through the contracted Private Defender Program (PDP) instead.
Who else is involved
- The petition is served on the San Mateo County District Attorney, which has a statutory window to respond.
- San Mateo County Private Defender Program (PDP) handles indigent defence in the county.
- The court publishes self-help information if you would rather do this yourself.
Cities we serve in San Mateo County
San Mateo, Daly City, Redwood City, South San Francisco, San Bruno, and everywhere else in the county. Where you live does not matter — the petition goes to the court that handled the conviction.
Common questions
Do I have to come to court in San Mateo County?
Usually not. The firm appears for you where the court sets a hearing, and many of these are decided on the papers without anyone appearing at all.
I live somewhere else now. Can I still clear a San Mateo County case?
Yes. The petition is filed where the conviction happened, not where you live. You do not need to travel, and plenty of our clients no longer live in California at all.
How long does it take here?
Two to four months is typical across California, and it varies by court and by how busy the criminal division is. We tell you what we are actually seeing in your county rather than quoting a brochure number.
Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.