The register of actions shows “Order filed.” The document is not linked. Has the team reviewed the order?
It has identified an event. The contents of the order remain a separate task.
California court portals present several layers of case information, and those layers do not always become available together. A searchable case can have a detailed register of actions but only some of its documents available for download.
Three layers to recognize
A case summary usually provides identifying information: the case number, case type, parties, filing date, status, and sometimes the assigned judicial officer or department.
A register of actions, also called a docket, records activity in the case. Its entries may identify filings, orders, hearings, and other events. Entries are often short, and the wording alone may not explain the full procedural effect.
A document image contains the actual filing or court document available through the portal. That might be a motion, declaration, minute order, or signed order. A document list and a downloadable image are not interchangeable.
If the question is whether something happened, the docket may answer it. If the question is what the court directed, the team ordinarily needs the applicable order or other controlling record.
What access looks like in six counties
The examples below concern public civil records. They summarize the courts' published access guidance as checked on October 29, 2026. Availability depends on case type, filing date, confidentiality, imaging, and the specific document. The table describes court access, not a promise that any monitoring service retrieves every listed document.
| Court | Published online access | Document-access distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Case Document Images offers imaged records for specified case types, courthouses, and date ranges. | Downloads carry fees. The court says the image collection may not contain every document in a case; consult its coverage table for the particular courthouse and filing date. Court guidance |
| Orange | Civil Case Access includes case summaries and registers of actions, with different historical coverage for unlimited/complex and limited civil cases. | Most documents filed on or after January 1, 2008, may be viewed and downloaded for a fee. Earlier material may require contacting the filing court. Court guidance |
| San Diego | The court provides an index and separate register-of-actions access. | For most civil, small claims, and probate cases, users may preview the first document page and purchase downloads. A preview is not the complete document. Court guidance |
| Alameda | The eCourt Public Portal provides case details, the register of actions, minutes, future hearings, and available images. | Document images generally carry fees, with specified free items including civil law-and-motion tentative rulings. Portal guidance |
| Sacramento | The civil division directs users to its Public Portal for public cases and documents filed after November 13, 2007, including tentative rulings. | Older or unavailable material may require a records request. The court also explains retrieval of physical files. Court guidance |
| San Bernardino | The court provides case information and remote access to authorized civil document images. | The published document-sales page lists a per-page charge and warns that online information may be incomplete or unavailable. Older cases may have limited data. Court guidance |
One distinction cuts across the table: a record's public status does not guarantee that every page can be downloaded remotely. Restrictions and access arrangements depend on the record and the court. Avoid treating “not on this portal” as proof that a document was never filed.
Why the docket and document may not arrive together
The court may enter an event before the corresponding image becomes available. Older material may not have been imaged. A document may be restricted, or it may need to be obtained through a different court process.
Los Angeles's online-services FAQ expressly notes that only scanned documents are available through its image service and that imaging can be delayed. That is a useful reminder to track the status of document retrieval separately from the status of the docket check.
For an important entry without a document, record what is missing, who is obtaining it, and when the team will follow up. If the timing is urgent, use the court's authorized records or clerk-contact process rather than waiting indefinitely for an image link.
An entry is a starting point for review
Consider a hypothetical entry reading “Motion continued.” The entry may establish that a hearing changed. It may not reveal whether the court kept the original briefing dates, permitted a supplemental filing, or imposed another condition.
The reviewer should connect the entry to its document, read the relevant direction, and preserve both the source and the resulting calendar decision. The same discipline applies to a ruling that grants a motion in part or an order that requires notice to be given.
It also helps to distinguish court records from copies served by another party. A served copy can be useful, but the team should know which version it reviewed and whether it is the entered order relevant to the task.
What to ask a monitoring provider
Ask about docket coverage and document retrieval separately. Which case types are monitored? Which available documents are retrieved? Are court access charges included or handled separately? What happens when the docket changes but the document is not yet available?
The service should make those states understandable. “New entry detected,” “document retrieved,” and “document unavailable” lead to different next steps. A single completed indicator can hide unfinished work.
AlwaysPresent is built around court updates and retrieving documents where available. The practical goal is to help the team move from a detected change to the material it needs to review, with visibility into anything that still needs follow-up. Learn about AlwaysPresent.