Orange County Courthouses

Central Justice Center

Note:The Central Justice Centers handles traffic violations, criminal prosecutions, civil lawsuits and small claims matters. It serves the cities of Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin, Villa Park, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Westminster. This facility offers free Wi-Fi and cubicle access. However, the cafeteria gets packed around lunch time and the food is overpriced and atrocious; bring your own lunch or try some tasty Venezuelan food just a ten minute walk away.

Parking: You can park one block west of the courthouse for free as long as it's not a Tuesday (due to street cleaning), while nearby lots are $4-$5.

North Justice Center

Note: The North Justice Center handles traffic violations, criminal prosecutions, limited civil and small claims matters. It serves the cities of Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton , La Habra , La Palma, Los Alamitos, Placentia, Stanton and Yorba Linda. This facility has free W-Fi access. For a stress break, there are several verdant walking trails in the nearby area.

Parking: Plenty of free parking within walking distance.

West Justice Center

Note: The West Justice Center handles traffic and criminal matters. It serves the cities of Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster. This facility has free Wi-Fi. If you only need to pay for a ticket, there are windows located outside with relatively quick moving lines.

Parking: Free parking is available across the street from the courthouse next to the library, at the corner of 13th Street and All American Way.

Harbor Justice Center

Note: The Newport Beach Harbor Justice Center exclusively handles traffic and criminal matters. It serves the cities Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine, and all the cities in South County. This facility does not have a cafeteria, but there is a Burger King across the street.

Parking: Unlike most other courthouses, the Harbor Justice Center offers plentiful free parking.

Lamoreaux Justice Center

Note: The Lamoreaux Justice Center handles Juvenile matters, family law, probate, mental health, domestic violence and elder/dependent adult restraining orders. The Orange County Superior Court Self-Help Center is located inside this facility, as is Family Court Services, which provides free mediation to work with families in an effort to resolve issues related to the custody of their children. Bella's Kitchen is a cash-only cafeteria inside the facility, but try heading to the Block across the street for better dining options.

Parking: Parking is rough at the Lamoreaux Justice Center. There is a parking structure nearby, but it is expensive and you should expect long lines to enter; get here early. Alternatively, there is parking across the street at the Outlets in Orange Mall, but it's a bit of a hike to the courthouse.

Community Court

Note: The Community Court specializes in addressing the underlying issues present in the lives of people who come before the court on criminal, juvenile, or dependency matters. They offer comprehensive services to help offenders who are mentally ill, addicted or homeless.

Civil Complex Center

Note: The Civil Complex Center only handles complex civil lawsuits, which are cases that require extra judicial management. These cases are generally in areas such as antitrust, securities, construction defects, toxic torts, mass torts and class actions.

Department CJ1, Orange County Men's Jail

Note: Department CJ1 is actually located inside the Men's Central Jail Complex. It handles select misdemeanor and felony criminal matters. As this is a full security facility, expect to be searched upon entering; and please leave any potential weapons at home.

California Court of Appeals, 4th District, Division Three

Note: The Court of Appeals handles exclusively appellate work, or cases that have already been decided but one of the parties disagrees with the outcome. The Fourth District encompasses Orange County, San Diego and Riverside. Unlike most other Districts, the Fourth District divides itself into three geographic Divisions, and Division Three has jurisdiction over Orange County. Try using their Self-Help website for an overview of appellate procedure.

Ronald Reagan Federal Building & Courthouse

Note: The Central District of California encompasses most counties from San Luis Obispo to Orange County. This gorgeous courthouse deals exclusively with federal cases. Make sure you bring a government issued ID if you want to get inside.