If you’ve ever been inside the Nevada City Courthouse, you know the charm is there—but so is the “please don’t sneeze or the ceiling might just crumble” vibe. Turns out, that’s not just in our heads. The building, which has been standing since 1864, is officially on the naughty list for being “functionally deficient.” Translation: it’s overcrowded, doesn’t meet safety or accessibility codes, has no sprinkler system, and parking is like a joke with no punchline, awful.

The Annex building, added in 1964, isn’t much better. Outdated, underwhelming, and definitely not designed with modern needs (or wheelchairs) in mind.

The Plan for a Shiny New Courthouse

After a lot of studying (and probably even more coffee), the big decision came down: we’re getting a brand-new courthouse on a brand-new site. The Judicial Council decided against trying to patch up the old one—it’s time for something safer, bigger, and built for the 21st century.

Yes, that’s right… if all goes well, we’ll have a ribbon-cutting in about seven years. Long enough for a local kid to go from learning to walk to learning to drive.

Potential New Sites

Three sites are in the running:

Old USDA Forest Service Office – Central, but still in need of some serious upgrades.

Cement Hill / Hwy 49 near Hirschman – A little more elbow room.

Hwy 49 & Coyote Corner – Potential for better parking and access.

Each location is being scored on accessibility, security, environmental impact, and how easy it’ll be for locals to actually get there without a full tank of gas.

What Happens to the Old Courthouse?

Don’t worry—it’s not getting boarded up and left to haunt tourists. The county owns about 49% of the building and has been hosting community meetings to brainstorm its future. Ideas on the table include turning it into a museum, a cultural center, office space, classrooms, or even housing in the Annex.

The “Highest and Best Use” study is guiding the next steps, and public feedback has been huge. So yes, your opinion actually matters here—this isn’t one of those “we’re just asking to be polite” surveys.

Our courthouse has been part of Nevada County’s story for over 150 years. It’s seen trials, marriages, protests, and plenty of drama that never made the papers. But now, it’s time to make sure justice happens in a space that’s safe, accessible, and actually meets modern needs.

And if the old building becomes a museum or community hub? That’s just one more reason to wander downtown on a Saturday.

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Want to have a say in what happens to the old courthouse?

Keep an eye out for the next public meeting—and while you’re at it, subscribe to stay in the loop on this and every other “big deal” in Nevada County.