Courthouse Security

• Metallic water bottles/cups

• Buck type knives - all size blades

• Swiss Army/utility - type knives - all size blades

• Butter and steak knives - all size blades

• Multi-tool type knives - all size blades

• Concealable/disguised knives - all size blades

• Switchblade knives/gravity knives

• Any firearms

• Stun guns

• Gun shaped lighters

• Toy or replica guns

• BB guns

• Pellet guns

• All bullets and ammunition

• Pocket knives

• Miscellaneous sharp items (includes knitting needles and crochet hooks)

• Scissors

• Razors

• Box cutters

• All "exacto" type tools

• Screwdrivers

• Pliers

• Wrenches

• Hammers

• Tear gas

• Mace

• Pepper gas

• Animal repellant

• Butane fuel

• Darts

• Letter openers

• Pieces of heavy-duty wire

• Heavy gauge chains

• Laser pointers

• Skateboards

• Skates

• Needles/Syringes (non-diabetics
  or without a prescription)

• Handcuffs

• Handcuffs keys

• Excess clothing beyond what is reasonable for personal use and current weather conditions

• Glass containers or objects

• Other miscellaneous items that present a safety concern as determined by Sheriff's Department supervisor

• Ice picks

Please note: This list is not completely exhaustive, and security has full discretion when deciding what may or may not be brought into the courthouse.

Screening station at the Courthouse

The Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne, has full-time security personnel who are stationed at the main entrance of the courthouse. Our goal is to ensure the safety of our visitors, staff, and Superior Court building, while facilitating your entry. 

All persons must go through entrance screening each and every time they enter the building.

Court Entrance Screening Process

When entering the building, remove any metal items from your pockets and your person. This includes metal belt buckles, boots, watches, cell phones, coins, or any other item that will not clear the metal detection equipment. Place your personal property, including laptops, in a plastic bin or on the conveyor belt.

If backpacks, satchels or purses are present, you may be asked to remove one or more items so the security officer can clearly see the contents. Please comply with all requests of the security officer.

If you have medical concerns, discuss them with the screening officer. (NOTE: The magnetometer is certified safe for pacemakers.)

Proceed through the walk-through metal detector.

If you trigger the detector's alarm, you will be asked to remove any objects you may have missed and walk through the metal detector again.

The security officer may also use a hand wand to detect any metal on your person.

No unauthorized objects will be allowed into the court building.

Security officers and court personnel are not allowed to hold any prohibited item for you. Should you bring any such item into the screening area, security personnel will require you to return the item to your car or throw it away via the security officer. All discarded property will be inventoried for destruction.