The Santa Barbara County Law Library is comprised of two branches, one in Santa Barbara and one in Santa Maria. It is governed by a Board of Trustees pursuant to California Business and Professions Code Sections 6300 and following. The Law Library is funded through a fixed portion of civil filing fees in accordance with California Business and Professions Code Sections 6320-6326, which are collected and distributed by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The Law Library receives no taxpayer dollars.

Library Services & Facilities

What We Offer

Free & Open to the Public

The Law Library provides a range of resources and services to help the public access legal information. All services are available at no cost unless otherwise noted below.

Legal Research Materials: Access to legal databases (CEB OnLAW, LexisNexis, Westlaw), state and federal statutes, treatises, and practice and procedure publications from within the law library only.
Public Computers: Computers are available for public use at no cost to perform legal research, access court forms, and prepare legal documents.
Printing & Copying: Self-service printing and copying is available. Copies and prints are 20¢ per page and available in black and white only.
Conference Room: A conference room is available for reservation. See Fee Schedule section for details, pricing and to download the reservation form (PDF).
Reference Assistance: Library staff can help you locate resources, court forms, legal information, procedural and filing information, and more. Staff cannot provide legal advice.

Fee Schedule

Services & Pricing

The following services are available for a nominal fee:

Service Fee
Black & White Printing / Copying
Per page, letter size (8.5 × 11) or legal size (8.5 × 14); each side of page charged separately.
 $0.20 / page
Conference Room - No Reservation
Subject to availability on a drop-in basis.
 No charge
Conference Room - Reservation
Santa Barbara Conference Room Reservation Form (PDF)
Santa Maria Conference Room Reservation Form (PDF)
$15 per hour (up to 4 hours)
$50 per half day (4 hours)
$100 per full day (more than 4 hours)
Fax — Domestic
 $1.00 / page
Scanning to Email
 $1.00 / page

Payment accepted by cash or check. Payments by card are not accepted.

Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees

Governing Board

The Law Library is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed pursuant to California Business and Professions Code, Sections 6300-6303. The Board meets regularly to oversee the Law Library's operations, budget, and strategic direction. Board meeting dates and agendas are available on the Board Meetings page.

Hon. Thomas Anderle
Judicial Appointment
Hon. Jed Beebe
Judicial Appointment
Hon. Colleen Sterne
Judicial Appointment
Hon. James Rigali
Judicial Appointment
Hon. Karen A. O'Neil
Judicial Appointment
C. Michael Cooney, Esq.
Board of Supervisors Appointment
Supervisor Laura Capps
Board of Supervisors Appointment

Governing Statutes

Governing Statutes

Business & Professions Code §§ 6300–6363

County law libraries in California are established and governed by Business and Professions Code, Sections 6300 through 6363. These statutes address the establishment, funding, governance, and operation of county law libraries throughout the state.

Annual Budgets & Reports

Annual Budgets

Financial Records

The Board of Trustees adopts an annual budget for the Law Library each fiscal year. The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Approved budgets are available below.