Clearing a criminal record in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County petitions are filed at the Santa Cruz Courthouse, Criminal Division in Santa Cruz, our flat fee covers whatever the court charges to file, and if you qualify for the Public Defender's free record-clearing clinic you should use that instead of paying anyone.
Where a petition is filed in Santa Cruz County
Record-clearing petitions are filed in the county where you were convicted, which means Santa Cruz County petitions go to the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz (court website).
Santa Cruz Courthouse, Criminal Division
701 Ocean Street, Room 120, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 420-2200
What Santa Cruz County charges to file
Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County
- Santa Cruz County's name comes from the city of Santa Cruz, from Mission Santa Cruz (Spanish for "holy cross".
- Criminal cases are filed only in the Santa Cruz Division; the Watsonville Courthouse accepts payments on existing fines but not new criminal filings.
- The Public Defender's free 'Clean Slate Project' has a dedicated paralegal team; apply via [email protected].
Who else is involved
- The petition is served on the Santa Cruz County District Attorney, which has a statutory window to respond.
- Santa Cruz County Public Defender (Santa Cruz Defenders) handles indigent defence in the county.
Cities we serve in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Capitola, 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 Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz 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.