What to expect at the San Diego Central Courthouse for a criminal or family case

The San Diego Central Courthouse, 1100 Union Street, San Diego, is the Central Division's building for criminal, family, probate and appeals cases. Criminal business offices are on the first floor (felonies) and second floor (misdemeanors), at (619) 844-2400, and family law is on the fourth floor, with the family business office at (619) 844-2777 and Family Court Services at (619) 844-2888. The court says many of its business office phones are answered from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.

The Central Division takes criminal and family cases from the ZIP codes the court assigns to it, which include downtown San Diego (92101), Carmel Valley (92130), Rancho Bernardo (92127) and La Jolla (92037). This page covers the building and the day of a hearing. For how San Diego County cases are divided between the four courthouses, how arrests and jails work, and how San Diego clients reach the Irvine office, see the page on criminal and family cases in San Diego County.

Your day at the Central Courthouse, step by step

1. Before you leave home. Find the department and time on your paperwork. The court says you or your attorney, or both, must appear on the date and time shown, and warns that a failure to appear may lead to a warrant for your arrest or a civil assessment. San Diego Superior Court facilities open at 7:30 a.m.
2. Getting there. From Interstate 5 southbound, the court's directions are to exit at Front Street (Civic Center), turn right onto West B Street and then left at the first cross street onto Union Street.
3. Parking. The court says public parking lots around the courthouse charge a fee, metered parking is available on the surrounding streets, and a limited number of disabled street parking spaces are available.
4. What to bring to a criminal hearing. The court's list includes your case number, proper identification (a driver's license or picture ID, with no nicknames or aliases), a copy of the citation, the courtesy notice, receipts, bail bond or cash bail papers, jail release papers, and a check, cash or credit card for fines and fees.
5. Where to report. Go directly to the courtroom you have been assigned. If your name is not on that day's calendar, report to the clerk's office.
6. In the courtroom. Shirts and shoes are required and cell phones must be turned off; tank tops, T-shirts, food, drinks, chewing gum and weapons are not allowed. The court advises defendants not to bring small children, since some departments do not allow people under 18, or extra visitors, since there may not be room.
7. An interpreter. The court's policy, given available resources, is to provide an interpreter at no cost for courtroom proceedings, but a request must be made for each proceeding; a party may use the Interpreter Request/Cancellation form ADM-348 and should do so as far in advance as possible. If an interpreter is not available, the court may continue the case or use a telephone interpreting service.

The court observes these remaining 2026 holidays: Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11; Thanksgiving, Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27; and Christmas Day, Friday, December 25.

Criminal cases at the Central Courthouse

The court's case type page explains who decides whether to file charges. For misdemeanors in central San Diego, it is the San Diego City Attorney; for felonies, it is the District Attorney. If no charges are filed, the person is released; if charges are filed, the person may post bail, be released on his or her own recognizance with a future date, or remain in custody until the arraignment. At the arraignment the defendant is told the charges, advised of constitutional rights, appointed an attorney if he or she cannot afford one, and enters a plea of not guilty, guilty or no contest.

The court is not the jail. The Sheriff's San Diego Central Jail is a separate facility at 1173 Front Street, and the court's own FAQ sends families with questions about someone presently in jail to the Sheriff. Bail before the first appearance follows the warrant or the countywide schedule (Pen. Code § 1269b(b)); the court's current bail schedule took effect January 1, 2026. The page on how bail works in California explains the rest. Copies of court records can be requested at the counter of the location where the case was filed, or by mail, and fees may apply.

Family cases at the Central Courthouse

The court says family law matters in central San Diego are processed on the fourth floor. The family business office opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. For ex parte (emergency) family orders, the paperwork must be submitted in person by noon the day before the hearing; notice must be given no later than 10:00 a.m. the court day before, and the documents must be served by 12:00 p.m. the court day before. For ex parte hearings at Central, the court tells parties to check in directly in the courtroom. The calendar department lines are (619) 844-2973 for Departments 602, 603, 604, 704 and 903, and (619) 844-2960 for Departments 601, 701, 702 and 703.

When custody or visitation is contested, the court must set the issues for mediation (Fam. Code § 3170(a)). In San Diego, Family Court Services provides this as child custody recommending counseling with a Family Court Counselor, in a session the court says lasts about 1.5 to 2.5 hours. If the parents agree, the agreement is reported to the court; if not, the counselor makes a recommendation and the hearing proceeds. The court asks parents not to bring children unless a counselor has requested it. More on how custody is decided is on the page about child custody and visitation in California.

The Family Law Facilitator's Office gives help at no cost to people who do not have an attorney, with forms and general legal information. It does not assist parties who have an attorney of record on file, it cannot help with minor children present, and the court warns that demand is typically very high and wait times can be significant.

For a domestic violence restraining order, the court says there is no fee to apply. A clinic on the fourth floor, Room 417, helps with the forms, and the court advises applicants to be prepared to spend at least half a day to a full day at the courthouse. Bring, if available, the other person's address, date of birth and physical description, photographs of any injuries and the police report. The page on domestic violence charges in California explains how a criminal case and a family restraining order can run side by side.

What changes the answer?

• Your ZIP code. The court's ZIP Code List decides whether a case belongs at Central or at the North County, East County or South County courthouse, with listed exceptions such as criminal cases arising in Del Mar, which go to North County.
• Misdemeanor or felony. For a misdemeanor in central San Diego, the City Attorney decides whether to file charges and the second-floor office handles the case; for a felony, the District Attorney decides and the first-floor office handles it.
• In custody or not. A person held in custody must be taken before a judge within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays (Pen. Code § 825(a)(1)).
• A domestic violence charge. The criminal court must consider a protective order on its own motion (Pen. Code § 136.2(e)(1)), and the family court on the fourth floor can issue its own order (Fam. Code § 6320). See what a criminal protective order means for your home.
• A DUI. The DMV hearing request is due within 10 days of receiving the suspension notice (Veh. Code § 13558(b)), separate from the court date; see the 10-day DMV deadline.
• Citizenship. Before a guilty or no contest plea, the judge must read the immigration advisement in Pen. Code § 1016.5(a). The page on immigration consequences of a California criminal case explains the statutes; the office does not give immigration advice.
• Documents in Persian. An exhibit written in a foreign language must be accompanied by an English translation certified under oath by a qualified interpreter (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1110(g)).

A worked example

For example, imagine a woman in Carmel Valley, ZIP code 92130, who was born in Isfahan and has two young children. This is a hypothetical, not a real case. After a violent argument, she decides to ask for a domestic violence restraining order, and her husband is separately cited by San Diego police.

Because 92130 is in the Central Division, she goes to the Central Courthouse. She arranges child care, since the court says these topics may not be appropriate for minor children and child care space at the courthouse is limited. At the fourth-floor clinic in Room 417 she fills out the forms, bringing the police report and photographs. She plans for a long day, as the court advises. She also files form ADM-348 so a Persian interpreter is booked for her hearing, rather than relying on her sister.

The City Attorney decides whether to charge her husband with a misdemeanor, and his case is handled through the second-floor criminal office of the same building. If their Iranian marriage certificate is filed as an exhibit in a later divorce, it must come with a certified English translation, and the page on divorcing in California after marrying in Iran covers that case.

Mistakes people make at the Central Courthouse

• Calling in the afternoon. The court says many business office phones are answered from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Going to the jail for court information, or to the court for jail information. The jail is a Sheriff's facility at 1173 Front Street; questions about someone in custody go to the Sheriff.
• Missing the ex parte cutoff. Ex parte family paperwork must be submitted in person by noon the day before the hearing.
• Bringing children. Some departments do not allow people under 18, and the facilitator cannot help with minor children present.
• Not requesting an interpreter for each hearing. A request must be made for every proceeding, and form ADM-348 is the court's form for it.
• Expecting the Family Law Facilitator to help a represented party. It does not assist parties with an attorney of record.

What to do this week

1. Check the department and time on your paperwork and plan to arrive after the building opens at 7:30 a.m.
2. Gather the documents on the court's list, including identification and any release or bail papers.
3. File form ADM-348 if you need a Persian interpreter.
4. Arrange child care for the day of the hearing.
5. For a family emergency order, note the noon submission and 10:00 a.m. notice deadlines.
6. After a DUI arrest, count 10 days from receiving the DMV notice.
7. Contact the office through the contact page or by phone to speak in English or Persian; the office has no San Diego location. More about the attorney is on the page about Sourena Sarbazevatan.

Guides for Central Courthouse cases

• Criminal defense and family law practice areas
• How a DUI case works in Orange County and San Diego
• Assault and battery charges in California
• Theft or fraud charges in California and their penalties
• Drug charges in California and what Prop. 36 changed
• Traveling abroad, for example to Iran, while a California case is open
• Clearing a criminal record with a dismissal under Penal Code 1203.4
• How divorce works in California, from filing to final judgment
• How child support and spousal support are decided in California
• How property is divided in a California divorce
• Whether a mahr (mehrieh) is enforceable in a California divorce
• Whether a divorce granted in Iran is recognized in California

Frequently asked questions

What time does the Central Courthouse open?

The court lists 7:30 a.m. as the opening time for its facilities, including the Central Courthouse. Business offices keep their own hours; the criminal and family business offices are listed at 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays.

Is the San Diego Central Jail inside the courthouse?

No. The Sheriff lists the San Diego Central Jail at 1173 Front Street, a separate facility; the courthouse is at 1100 Union Street. For someone presently in jail, the court refers families to the Sheriff.

Where do I go for a family case?

To the fourth floor, where the court processes family law matters in central San Diego. The family business office is in Room 450 and Family Court Services is in Room 430.

Can the Family Law Facilitator help me if I have an attorney?

No. The court says the facilitator does not assist parties who have an attorney of record on file.

How long does child custody recommending counseling take?

The court says a Family Court Services session lasts about 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

Can I get an interpreter for free?

Yes. The court's policy, given available resources, is to provide an interpreter at no cost for courtroom proceedings; a request must be made for each proceeding, and form ADM-348 can be used to make it.

Does the attorney have a San Diego office?

No. The office is in Irvine; San Diego clients contact it by phone or through the contact page, in English or Persian.

The Law Office of Sourena Sarbazevatan represents people in Orange County and San Diego in criminal defense and family law matters, in English and Persian (Farsi). Call (949) 591-9596 or use the contact page.