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North County Regional Center, Vista: Criminal Cases in North County


The North County Regional Center at 325 South Melrose Drive, Vista, CA 92081 is a full-service branch of the San Diego Superior Court. The court describes its venue as covering most of northern San Diego County, and the building is shared with the Sheriff, Probation and the District Attorney (sdcourt.ca.gov).

Where criminal business is handled

  • Criminal records: North Building, 1st floor. Civil, family and small claims are in the South Building; traffic is in the Annex (Court Records Locations).
  • Criminal business office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Phone: (760) 201-8600 (Criminal Business Offices).

Which cases go to Vista

On the court’s ZIP-code list (SDSC ADM-254, rev. 1/25), North County Division ZIP codes include Vista (92081, 92083, 92084), Oceanside (92054, 92056–92058), Carlsbad (92008–92011), Escondido (92025–92027, 92029), San Marcos (92069, 92078), Encinitas (92024), Cardiff by the Sea (92007), Solana Beach (92075) and Rancho Santa Fe (92067, 92091). Del Mar’s ZIP code (92014) appears under Central, but the list’s criminal exception sends cases arising in Del Mar to the North County Division (Local Rule 1.2.2(H)(2)). Rancho Bernardo and Poway are Central Division ZIP codes, so their cases are usually heard downtown instead.

How a San Diego Superior Court felony case usually moves

  • Arraignment. A person arrested and held in custody must be taken before a judge without unnecessary delay, and within 48 hours after arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays (Penal Code § 825).
  • Preliminary hearing. In a felony case, both sides are entitled to a preliminary examination within 10 court days of the arraignment or plea, whichever is later, unless the time is waived (Penal Code § 859b).
  • Trial time limits. A felony case must generally be brought to trial within 60 days after arraignment on the information, unless the defendant agrees to a later date (Penal Code § 1382).

Related pages

Talk to the office

The Law Office of Vikas Bajaj, APC is at The Bajaj Building, 2150 First Avenue, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92101. Vikas Bajaj has nearly 25 years of experience and personally handles each client’s case. Call (619) 525-7005 or use the contact form.

Attorney advertising. This page is general information about court locations and procedure, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Court addresses, hours and phone numbers come from the court websites linked on this page; confirm them with the court before you go, because courts change them. Every case is different, and no particular result can be promised.

What happens next

  1. Call or send the form. Reach the office at (619) 525-7005 or use the contact form.
  2. A confidential consultation with Vikas. You speak directly with attorney Vikas Bajaj about your situation.
  3. A plan for your case. You leave with a clear plan for the next steps.