San Bernardino County Public Services

Finding a San Bernardino County office is not always difficult. The harder part is often determining which office actually handles the service you need. Property assessment and property tax collection involve different functions. Court records are handled through the Superior Court rather than a general county administrative office. Law enforcement, animal care, public works, and other local services can also depend on where a property, person, or incident is located.

Use this site to identify the right place to begin, understand which office or service handles the task, and see what information may be helpful before contacting an agency, submitting a request, making a payment, attending a court proceeding, or using an official government system.

Independent website: This site is not affiliated with San Bernardino County, the Superior Court of California, the State of California, or any federal agency. It does not collect government payments, issue official records, process applications, or make decisions about taxes, court cases, benefits, licenses, permits, or eligibility.

Before You Contact an Office

Most people start with a task rather than a department name. Matching that task to the correct office can save time and reduce unnecessary referrals.

Start With the Right Service

The table below shows common tasks, where to begin on this site, why that service is relevant, and what information may be useful before proceeding.

What you need	Where to start	Why	Useful information
Understand a property assessment or find a recorded document	Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk	This office handles property assessment functions, recorded documents, official records, and county clerk services.	Property address, parcel information, document details, or names connected with the record
Look up parcel or property information	Property Search	Use this service for assessor parcel information, property details, parcel maps, and related records.	Street address, parcel number, or owner information when available
Review a property tax bill or payment issue	Property Tax	Property tax billing and payment questions are separate from property assessment questions.	Parcel number, tax bill, payment information, or property address
Find a court case	Court Case Search	Court case information is maintained through the court system, and access can vary by case type.	Case number, party name, defendant name, or approximate filing information
Find someone in county custody	Inmate Locator	The Inmate Locator helps users locate someone held in a county detention facility.	Full legal name, date of birth, or booking number if known
Request a birth, death, or marriage record	Vital Records	Birth, death, and marriage records follow specific record-request and certification procedures.	Full name, date of event, location of event, and type of certified copy needed
Apply for or understand a marriage license	Marriage License	Marriage licenses have their own application requirements, appointment procedures, and validity periods.	Applicant names, identification, appointment information, and planned ceremony date
Apply for food, cash, or medical assistance	Transitional Assistance	Transitional Assistance handles major public benefit programs such as CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal.	Program needed, household information, income information, and existing case details if applicable

Common San Bernardino County Service Mix-Ups

Several county services have related responsibilities but are not interchangeable. Choosing the correct office can prevent an unnecessary referral or a search in the wrong system.

Assessment or Property Tax?

If the question is about property assessment, parcel information, recorded documents, or official property records, use the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk or Property Search.

If the question is about a property tax bill, payment, refund, collection matter, or other tax account issue, use Property Tax or the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector.

The main distinction is whether the question concerns the property's assessment or records, or the tax bill and payment process connected with that property.

County Records or Court Records?

A county record request is not the same as a request for information from a court case. County departments maintain records connected with their own responsibilities, while Superior Court case information is handled through the court system.

If you are looking for a civil case, criminal case, family law matter, juvenile matter, probate case, or related court proceeding, use Court Case Search or Superior Court.

If you need birth, death, or marriage records, use Vital Records. For recorded documents and county clerk functions, use the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk.

Inmate Locator or Jail Information?

Use Inmate Locator when the main goal is to determine whether someone is in county custody and to locate available booking or custody information.

Use Jail for broader information about detention facilities, visitation, custody procedures, and jail operations. The two topics are related, but one focuses on locating a person while the other focuses on the detention system itself.

Public Health or Environmental Health?

Public Health covers community health programs, disease prevention, clinics, health services, and related public health information.

Environmental Health Services is a better choice for food facility inspections, environmental health permits, plan reviews, and certain complaints involving regulated facilities or activities.

Before Looking Up a Court Case

The way you search for a San Bernardino County court case depends on the case type and the information you already have. A case number is usually the most direct identifier. When the case number is unknown, other search options may be available depending on the case type and the court system being used.

Before searching, it helps to know at least one of the following:

• The court case number
• The full name of a party or criminal defendant
• The general type of case
• The courthouse or approximate filing location, if known

The Court Case Search page focuses on locating case information, while Superior Court covers the broader court system, filing options, self-help services, and related procedures.

County, City, Court, or Another Agency?

San Bernardino County is both a geographic area and a county government. Those two meanings are not always interchangeable when deciding which agency provides a service.

An address can be located within San Bernardino County while law enforcement, building services, animal care, road maintenance, code enforcement, or other local functions are handled by an incorporated city or another public agency. In unincorporated areas, county departments may provide more of these services directly.

The Superior Court is also a separate court system. For a court case, filing, hearing, jury matter, family law issue, juvenile proceeding, or probate matter, use the relevant court resource rather than assuming a county administrative department holds the information.

Service areas can also matter for animal and infrastructure issues. See Animal Care and Public Works for county-related services in those areas.

Benefits, Health and Family Services

Public assistance and health programs are divided among several departments and service systems. Identifying the type of help needed can make it easier to find the correct program.

Use Transitional Assistance for information about major benefit programs such as CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal. Human Services provides a broader overview of county social-service programs involving families, older adults, children, health, and other assistance.

IHSS Public Authority focuses on resources for In-Home Supportive Services recipients and providers. Housing assistance is covered separately under the Housing Authority.

Program eligibility, available benefits, required documents, and application procedures can change. Official benefit decisions remain with the government agency administering the program.

How Information Is Checked

Pages on this site are developed using information published by the public agencies responsible for each service. When several offices are involved, their roles are compared so users can better understand which office handles each part of the process.

Particular attention is given to jurisdiction, contact information, required identifiers, online access methods, and services that are commonly confused. Official applications, payments, record orders, court transactions, permits, benefit decisions, and case-specific determinations remain with the responsible public agency.