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Jesse Collins

Where are the San Diego Superior Court courthouses, and how do I handle a ticket or find a case?

4 min read Checked November 8, 2026 Report a correction

The main courthouses are downtown: the Central Courthouse at 1100 Union St. and the Hall of Justice at 330 W. Broadway. Traffic tickets can be paid online at sdcourt.ca.gov. General info: 619-844-2700.

Main info line
619-844-2700
Clerk hours
8:30–4

Weekdays, most offices

Central Courthouse
1100 Union St.

Opened 2017

Hall of Justice
330 W. Broadway

Civil

The short version

  • The Central Courthouse (1100 Union St.), opened in 2017, handles criminal, family, probate and traffic matters.
  • The Hall of Justice (330 W. Broadway) handles civil cases and is joined to the Central Courthouse by a third-floor skybridge.
  • Branch courthouses serve North (Vista), East (El Cajon), South (Chula Vista) and Kearny Mesa.
  • Clerk business offices are generally open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; general info is 619-844-2700.
  • Traffic tickets can be paid, extended or sent to traffic school online after the court's courtesy notice arrives.

The Superior Court of California, County of San Diego hears every kind of state case in the county: traffic, criminal, family, civil, probate, small claims and juvenile. It isn't run by the city or the county; it's part of the state court system, with divisions spread across the region.

  • Central Courthouse

    Address
    1100 Union St., downtown
    Mainly handles
    Criminal, family, probate, traffic, appeals; Self-Help Center

  • Hall of Justice

    Address
    330 W. Broadway, downtown
    Mainly handles
    Civil cases, small claims, jury services

  • South County

    Address
    500 Third Ave., Chula Vista
    Mainly handles
    Mixed caseload for South Bay

  • North County

    Address
    Vista
    Mainly handles
    Mixed caseload for North County

  • East County

    Address
    El Cajon
    Mainly handles
    Mixed caseload for East County

  • Kearny Mesa

    Address
    Kearny Mesa
    Mainly handles
    Traffic and minor offenses

  • Juvenile

    Address
    Meadow Lark Dr., Kearny Mesa area
    Mainly handles
    Juvenile dependency and delinquency

San Diego Superior Court location pages and contact list, checked Nov. 8, 2026. Check your notice for the exact courthouse and department.

Got a traffic ticket?

How a San Diego traffic ticket works

  1. 01

    Wait for the courtesy notice

    A few weeks after the citation, the court mails a notice with the amount, the due date and whether you're eligible for traffic school.

  2. 02

    Pay, extend or request traffic school online

    The court's website handles payments, extensions, traffic school requests and appointments.

  3. 03

    Can't afford it?

    Ask the court about an ability-to-pay review, which can reduce the amount.

  4. 04

    Want to fight it?

    You can contest by written declaration or in court. Parking tickets are different: those go to the city, not the court. See contesting a parking ticket.

Finding a case or record

Many civil, family and probate case indexes can be searched on the court's website. Copies of files are requested from the business office of the division where the case was filed; the Central civil records office at the Hall of Justice takes copy requests until 3:30 p.m. Criminal history and jail questions are different: see inmate search and visiting.

Summoned for jury duty? See San Diego jury duty: postponing, pay and parking.

Main courthouses
1
2
3
4
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors

Downtown

Branches

Pins shared with our jury duty tip.

Is this still right?

We last checked this tip against its sources on November 8, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.

Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.

This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.

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