Santa Barbara County Court Directory: Santa Barbara Superior Court

The Santa Barbara Superior Court system is made up of eight courthouses in four cities throughout Santa Barbara County.  The primary courts are in downtown Santa Barbara with the Anacapa division handling civil matters including personal injury, contract disputes, family law, probate, and juvenile law.    The Figueroa division handles criminal, traffic, and small claims.  The two courts are located right next to each other and the Anacapa division is definitely the showpiece of the two buildings. With high ceilings, columns, and spacious larger than life hallways, it has that old school “Abe Lincoln could have argued a case here” feel.

The Figueroa division is more of the modern model of civic efficiency, taking care of my business because I got a buzz from the fuzz kind of court.   Traffic tickets are heard in the Figueroa division, as well as DUI cases, and all other felonies and misdemeanors. The Figueroa Division receives a high volume of alcohol related incidents from the Isla Vista area populated by UCSB students. Tickets and arrests for DUI, public intoxication, driving on a suspended license, drug possession, and minors in possession of alcohol tend to track the campus calendar with incidents picking up around the holidays.

The Santa Maria Courts in north Santa Barbara County follow a similar model for dividing the court calendar with one division handling civil cases and the other building handling criminal cases and traffic tickets. Both Santa Barbara and Santa Maria have separate courts for juvenile court matters. Juvenile court includes both delinquency cases under WIC 602 and dependency cases under WIC 300. The less populated, outlying areas of Lompoc and Solvang each have a small courthouse handling a little bit of everything. These courts handle traffic tickets, criminal matters, unlawful detainer or eviction cases, small claims, and civil suits of limited jurisdiction.

If you’re facing a charge in Santa Barbara County, it’s in your best interest to have an experience criminal defense attorney by your side. You can browse our lawyer’s listing to find the right attorney for your particular case!