[4]: 84  A second courthouse was built in 1856 as a two-story granite and brick building in the Greek Revival style;[6]: 20  it occupied the block bounded by Church, Pine, Washington, and Main overlooking the city's retail district on Broad.

[8] In 1937, it underwent a more thorough remodeling under the guidance of architect George C. Sellon, funded by the Works Progress Administration and gaining an Art Deco / Streamline Moderne facade.

[9]: 10 The existing Nevada City courthouse complex, built and remodeled between 1864 and 1964, is approximately 70,000 sq ft (6,500 m2) in total; it is considered "unsafe, undersized, substandard, overcrowded, lacks parking, and is functionally deficient", being non-compliant with seismic and fire codes and fails to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

[11] A planning study was completed in June 2022 to examine options to bring the Nevada City courthouse into compliance, including remodeling the existing complex or building a new courthouse, either at the existing site or at a new site near the County Government Center in Nevada City.

[9] The judges of the Nevada County Superior Court expressed their support for option 2, which would be a new building at the existing site.