How many superior courts does California have?

58, one in each county. In 1998 voters approved Proposition 220, which let each county merge its superior and municipal courts into one unified trial court. All 58 counties had unified by February 2001.

How do I find which judge has my case?

Use your county superior court's case search or ask the clerk. Courts differ in how they assign civil cases. Some assign one judge for all purposes and others send each hearing to a department. The court's local rules say which.

Do California judges have to issue tentative rulings?

No. Rule 3.1308 says it does not require any judge to issue them. A court that offers a tentative ruling procedure in civil law and motion matters must follow one of the two procedures in the rule and describe it in its local rules.

Can I ask for a different judge?

In many civil cases a party can file a peremptory challenge under Code of Civil Procedure section 170.6 without proving bias, and the deadline is short. Disqualification for cause is governed by sections 170.1 and following. Read the statutes or ask a lawyer before you file.

JudgeFinder / guidesCounty guide

California county courts: find your judge

By JudgeFinder Editors · Published October 7, 2026 · 4 min read

California has 58 superior courts, one in each county, and each runs its own website, case search, local rules and judge assignments. To find your judge, start at the Judicial Branch of California's superior court page, open your county court's site, search for your case, and read the court's local rules for how hearings and tentative rulings work. Rules that apply statewide sit on top of those local details.

Start with the right court

The Judicial Branch of California's Superior Courts page says California has 58 trial courts, one in each county. Before 1998 each county had separate superior and municipal courts. That year voters approved Proposition 220, which let judges in each county merge them into a single unified superior court, and by February 2001 all 58 counties had done so.

That page also links to the tools you will use most:

Find Your Court for traffic payments, jury information and self-help desks
Judges roster for who sits on the bench
Local rules for the procedures of each court

Most civil, criminal, family and probate cases begin in the superior court of the county where the dispute arose or where a party lives. If you are unsure which county is correct, ask the court's self-help center.

How the judges got there

Superior court judges serve six-year terms and are elected by county voters on a nonpartisan ballot. When a seat opens during a term, the Governor appoints a replacement, and the state's courts office says most superior court judges first reach the bench by appointment. An incumbent running unopposed does not appear on the ballot. To be eligible a person must have been a California-admitted attorney or served as a California judge for at least ten years.

That history is public. County election pages show who is on the ballot, and the Governor's office announces appointments. For the wider picture, see our guide to federal and state judges.

Find the judge on your case

Courts handle assignment in different ways. Some assign a civil case to a single judge for all purposes. Others send each motion or trial to whichever judge or department is available. Your court's local rules say which approach applies. Then:

Open the county court's online case search and look up your case number or party name. Some case types are confidential or limited online.
Look for the department number and the name of the judicial officer on the case summary or the hearing notice.
Check the court's site for that department's procedures, such as how to reserve a hearing date.
If you cannot find the information online, call or visit the clerk's office with your case number.

Departments are numbered rooms, not people, so the judge sitting in a department can change.

Tentative rulings

A tentative ruling is the judge's preliminary decision on a motion, issued before the hearing. California Rule of Court 3.1308 governs them in civil law and motion matters.

A court that offers tentative rulings must follow one of two procedures.
Under the first, the court makes its tentative ruling available by a method it designates no later than 3:00 p.m. the court day before the hearing. Unless the court has directed argument, a party who wants oral argument must notify the court and the other parties by 4:00 p.m. that day.
Under the second, no notice of intent to appear is required. The tentative ruling does not automatically become the ruling if no one gives notice, and the ruling does not become final until the hearing.
The court must say in its local rules which procedure it uses, how to get the rulings and when they will be available.
All judges in a court or branch that adopts a procedure must use the same one.
The rule does not require any judge to issue tentative rulings.

The notice deadline is the part people miss. Read your court's local rule for the exact method, such as a web page or phone line, and calendar the deadline the day you file your motion or receive an opposition.

Asking for a different judge

California has two common routes, and both have strict rules.

Peremptory challenge. Code of Civil Procedure section 170.6 lets a party ask for a different judge without proving bias. In many civil cases the motion is due within 15 days after notice of the all-purpose assignment, and other deadlines apply at other stages. The statute sets the form and limits.
Disqualification for cause. Sections 170.1 and following list the grounds, such as a financial interest or personal bias, and set the procedure.

A lawyer or the court's self-help center can tell you which applies to your stage. Our overview of recusal in federal court explains the federal equivalent.

What JudgeFinder covers

JudgeFinder's index lists California state courts, but no state court has linked judges yet, and its judge profiles cover federal judges. For a California trial judge, use the county court's site and the state's judges roster. The data sources page states current coverage and the date it was checked.

Frequently asked questions

How many superior courts does California have?: 58, one in each county. In 1998 voters approved Proposition 220, which let each county merge its superior and municipal courts into one unified trial court. All 58 counties had unified by February 2001.
How do I find which judge has my case?: Use your county superior court's case search or ask the clerk. Courts differ in how they assign civil cases. Some assign one judge for all purposes and others send each hearing to a department. The court's local rules say which.
Do California judges have to issue tentative rulings?: No. Rule 3.1308 says it does not require any judge to issue them. A court that offers a tentative ruling procedure in civil law and motion matters must follow one of the two procedures in the rule and describe it in its local rules.
Can I ask for a different judge?: In many civil cases a party can file a peremptory challenge under Code of Civil Procedure section 170.6 without proving bias, and the deadline is short. Disqualification for cause is governed by sections 170.1 and following. Read the statutes or ask a lawyer before you file.

Sources

General information from public sources, not legal advice. Rules differ by court and change. Check the court's current rules or ask a lawyer. See federal judge records and the data notes.