California Jail Inmate Search & Inmate Lookup 2026

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California · County jail, state prison, federal and court lookup guide

California Inmate Lookup: Find the Correct Jail, Prison or Custody System

California does not have one search that covers every county jail, city holding facility, state prison, juvenile facility and federal detention center. The correct search depends on who made the arrest, where the person was booked and whether the person has been transferred or sentenced.

This guide explains the complete search path, the information displayed by CDCR, how to locate a missing person, how county and state custody differ, and what families need for mail, calls, money, visits, health concerns, court records and release questions.

Search California state prisons Find a county jail search Fix a failed lookup
Do not identify someone from a name alone. Match the birth date or age, booking or CDCR number, arrest date, commitment county and current facility. A jail booking is not proof of guilt, and an inmate-locator result is not a substitute for the criminal court record.
County jails

Search the sheriff or county corrections agency.

State prisons

Search CDCR’s CIRIS database.

Federal custody

Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator.

Court outcome

Search the superior court in the filing county.

CDCR locator help

916-445-6713

Custody router

Choose the system based on the person’s custody stage

1
Recently arrested

Search the county where the arrest occurred. The person will normally appear in a sheriff, county corrections or local detention search before any state-prison transfer.

2
Sentenced to state prison

Use CIRIS after CDCR has received, identified and entered the person. A newly sentenced person may remain temporarily in county custody while awaiting transport.

3
Federal arrest or sentence

Use the federal inmate locator. Federal custody is separate from California county jails and CDCR institutions.

4
No current custody

Search the criminal court case. The person may have been released, posted bond, completed the sentence or never entered custody.

Fastest route: Identify the arresting agency and county first. Search the county jail before CDCR unless you know the person has already been sentenced and transferred to state prison.

Choose the problem you need to solve

Important instructions are included in the article; outside portals are reserved for live searches, scheduling and transactions.

Result decoder

What a California CIRIS result means

CDCR locator fields and their limitations
Field What it identifies What it does not establish Best next step
CDCR number The person’s identifying number in the state-prison system. It does not identify a county-jail booking number. Use it on mail, money orders, facility questions and approved service accounts.
Current location The institution presently displayed by CDCR. It may not show a temporary court, hospital or transportation movement. Confirm before visiting or mailing time-sensitive items.
Age The age associated with the CDCR record. Age alone is not enough to identify someone with a common name. Compare the CDCR number and commitment county.
Admission date The displayed date of admission to CDCR custody. It is not necessarily the arrest date or conviction date. Use the superior court docket for the criminal case timeline.
Commitment county The county or counties associated with the state-prison commitment. It is not always the person’s residence or current prison county. Search that county’s superior court for conviction records.
Parole-eligible date A displayed eligibility month and year when applicable. It is not always a guaranteed physical release date. Distinguish parole eligibility from release and Board action.
No result CIRIS did not return a public matching state-prison record. It does not prove the person is not in custody somewhere else. Search county, federal, juvenile and court systems.
CDCR’s own warning: CIRIS may not reflect the true name, age, CDCR number, location, admission date, commitment county or parole-eligible date, and information about some incarcerated people may not be included.
Troubleshooting

No California inmate record found? Follow this search order

Arrest happened within the last several hours The person may still be completing fingerprints, medical screening, property inventory and county booking.
County search was used, but the person transferred Check CIRIS, another county, federal custody or the receiving state.
CIRIS was used too early A sentenced person may remain in county custody while awaiting CDCR reception and data entry.
Name is recorded differently Search the surname alone and try a maiden name, former surname, hyphen variation, suffix or alternate spelling.
The person was released Search the superior court case or county booking history rather than a current-custody roster.
The person is in a city holding facility Contact the arresting police department before assuming county intake is complete.
The case involves a minor Juvenile custody and delinquency records are generally confidential and do not appear in adult inmate searches.
The case is federal Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator and contact the U.S. Marshals Service or federal detention facility when pretrial custody is involved.
The person is hospitalized Public location details may be limited for privacy and security. Contact the responsible custody agency.
The locator may contain an omission Call CDCR’s Identification Unit with the full name and date of birth.
California custody-location call script “I am trying to locate [full legal name], date of birth [date]. The person may have been arrested on [date] by [agency] in [county]. I have [booking, court or CDCR number]. Can you confirm whether the person is currently held, released, transferred or listed under another name or identifier?”
Custody timeline

How a person moves from arrest to California state prison

Local arrest and temporary holding A city police department, sheriff, CHP or another agency may initially hold the person while reports and booking paperwork are completed.
County jail booking The county records fingerprints, property, charges, warrants, medical screening and the local booking number.
Court and pretrial custody The person may remain in county jail, post bail, receive release conditions or remain because of another hold.
Conviction and sentencing A superior court may impose county jail, probation, treatment, state prison or another lawful sentence.
Awaiting transportation A person sentenced to state prison can remain visible in the county system while CDCR intake and transportation are arranged.
CDCR reception center CDCR receives the person, reviews records, evaluates medical and classification needs and assigns a CDCR number or confirms an existing one.
Institution placement After reception processing, the person may transfer to a designated institution. CIRIS may change as the location changes.
Later transfers or release Housing can change because of classification, medical care, programming, security, court proceedings, parole or release.
Search overlap is normal: A county result may disappear before CIRIS is updated, creating a temporary period in which neither public search clearly shows the new location.
Conviction and case records

How to find the criminal case behind a California custody record

California has one superior court in each county. The Judicial Council does not maintain the county criminal records in one complete statewide public database.

Identify the filing or commitment county Use the county shown by the jail record, charging document, court notice or CIRIS commitment information.
Open that county’s superior court website Look for “Online Services,” “Case Search,” “Criminal Case Information” or “Court Records.”
Search by case number first A case number is safer than a name and reduces same-name errors.
Confirm the defendant and case type Compare the name, filing date, charge and courthouse division.
Review the register of actions Look for the complaint, information, amended counts, hearings, plea, verdict, judgment and sentence.
Order the document when the online summary is incomplete California remote access to criminal records can be limited. Some documents may be viewable only at the courthouse.
Jail, CDCR and court records answer different questions
Question Best record Reason
Is the person held now? County jail roster or CIRIS Custody databases show a current or recently recorded location.
What was alleged at arrest? Booking record and arrest report These show initial allegations and the arresting agency’s account.
What charge was formally filed? Superior court case The prosecutor’s filed charge may differ from the booking description.
Was the person convicted? Judgment or disposition Custody alone does not establish conviction.
What sentence was imposed? Sentencing order or abstract of judgment The court document controls the imposed sentence.
When may release occur? CDCR calculation and applicable parole process Credits, sentence structure and Board decisions can affect release.
Remote access may be limited. California courts may provide only a criminal case index, calendar or register of actions online. A courthouse terminal or clerk request may be necessary for the actual document.
Find the correct superior court
Youth records

Why juvenile custody does not appear in adult inmate searches

Juvenile delinquency and dependency records are generally confidential. A youth held through a county juvenile justice system will not normally appear in an adult sheriff jail roster or CDCR adult CIRIS result.

Start with the arresting agency

A parent, guardian or attorney should ask which county juvenile facility or probation department received the youth.

Contact juvenile probation

County probation departments commonly supervise juvenile detention and court referrals.

Use authorized access

Public access is restricted. Parties, attorneys and people authorized by law may receive information unavailable to the general public.

Do not publish or request a minor’s information as though it were an adult public booking. Juvenile confidentiality rules protect records that would be public in many adult criminal cases.
Federal custody

When to use the federal inmate locator

Federal criminal charge Search the Bureau of Prisons after the person enters BOP custody.
Pretrial federal detention The person may be housed in a federal detention center, contract facility or local jail under U.S. Marshals custody.
Immigration detention Immigration custody is separate from BOP, CDCR and ordinary county jail searches.
State sentence plus federal hold The visible county or CDCR record may show current custody while another jurisdiction controls later transfer.
Search federal prison custody
Institution verification

How to confirm the California prison and correct mailing address

Copy the institution name from CIRIS Record the full name and abbreviation rather than relying only on the city.
Open the CDCR Facility Locator Select the institution to view the physical address, main phone and mailing-address section.
Separate the physical and mailing addresses Many prison pages list different addresses for staff, legal mail, incarcerated-person correspondence and money orders.
Confirm the facility or housing unit Some institutions use a different post-office box for Facilities A, B, C, D, reception, segregation or medical housing.
Use the full name and CDCR number Include both on correspondence and payment instruments.
Recheck after a transfer Mail sent to an old institution can be delayed while forwarding is attempted.
Physical address warning: The street address shown for driving directions is often not the correct address for inmate correspondence or money orders.
Open the CDCR Facility Locator
Written correspondence

How to address California state prison mail correctly

CDCR permits written contact with people in state prison. Incoming letters are opened and inspected for contraband before delivery.

General address format
Incarcerated Person’s Full Name, CDCR Number
Institution Name
Correct Facility or Housing P.O. Box
City, CA ZIP Code

Mail preparation checklist

Use the name exactly as shown in CIRIS
Include the complete CDCR number
Confirm the current institution
Use the correct housing or facility box
Place the sender’s complete return address on the envelope
Do not use the physical driving address unless it is also listed for mail
Do not place money inside ordinary correspondence
Recheck the address after any transfer
Housing matters. Several California institutions publish different mailing boxes for separate facilities. A correct institution with the wrong facility box can delay delivery.
Address-verification call script “I am preparing personal correspondence for [full name], CDCR number [number]. CIRIS shows [institution]. Can you confirm the correct incarcerated-person mailing address and whether a facility or housing designation must be included?”
Calls and electronic messages

California state prison phone, tablet and message rules

Audio calls

CDCR states that audio calls from state prisons are free to the incarcerated person and the receiving family member or friend.

Who starts the call?

The incarcerated person initiates the outgoing call. Family members generally cannot call directly into the housing unit to speak with the person.

Call length

Ordinary telephone calls are generally limited to 15 minutes.

Electronic communications

  • CDCR has deployed or continues to support tablets at institutions.
  • Available tablet functions can depend on the institution, housing and operational status.
  • Inbound electronic messages, photographs or electronic cards are listed at $0.05 each.
  • An electronic message has a maximum length of 2,000 characters.
  • Messages, calls and photographs may be monitored, reviewed or restricted under institutional rules.
Do not discuss confidential legal strategy on an ordinary monitored call or message. Ask the attorney about the correct privileged communication process.
Blocked calls: Confirm that the receiving phone accepts calls from the correctional telephone system and that spam-blocking or carrier settings are not rejecting them.
Trust account deposits

Three ways to send money to a California state prison inmate

CDCR money-deposit methods compared
Method Published timing Fee or hold Important preparation
Electronic funds transfer Generally posts within 1–3 days. Provider fee applies. Use an approved provider and the exact CDCR number.
JPay lockbox Processing depends on receipt and payment type. No CDCR deposit fee; personal checks are held 10 business days. Use the deposit coupon and make payment payable to JPay.
Mail to the institution Subject to institutional processing. No fee; 30-day hold applies. Make payment payable to CDCR and write the name and CDCR number on it.

Electronic transfer

CDCR lists approved electronic providers for trust-account or restitution deposits. Electronic deposits are the fastest published method but include a provider charge.

No-fee JPay lockbox

Lockbox mailing address
JPay
2202 South Figueroa Street, Box 3001
Los Angeles, CA 90007
  • Complete the money-order deposit coupon with the sender’s name and address.
  • Make the money order, cashier’s check or personal check payable to JPay.
  • Do not include letters or notes; CDCR states that they will be discarded.
  • A JPay account is not required for mailed lockbox payments.
  • The maximum is $999.99 per deposit coupon.
  • Personal checks are held for 10 business days.

Mailing payment directly to the institution

  • Make the check or money order payable to CDCR.
  • Write the incarcerated person’s full name and CDCR number on the payment.
  • The sender’s name and address must appear on the check or money order.
  • A 30-day hold applies.
  • Use the institution’s specifically published money-order address.
Restitution deductions may apply. Money sent for discretionary use can be subject to court-ordered restitution and administrative deductions. The amount deposited may be less than the amount sent.
Special-purpose funds: Family-visiting and temporary-community-leave funds require separate institution instructions and should not be sent through an ordinary electronic transfer without confirmation.
Choose an approved deposit method
Quarterly packages

California state prison package rules

Family members cannot assemble and mail ordinary quarterly packages directly to people in California state prisons. Quarterly packages must be ordered through a CDCR-approved vendor.

Confirm the current institution and housing A recent transfer can cause an order to be delayed or rejected.
Confirm eligibility and privilege group Package eligibility can depend on classification, disciplinary status and institutional rules.
Select an approved vendor Use only the current vendor list maintained for CDCR packages.
Enter the complete identity information Provide the name, CDCR number, privilege group and current housing location.
Review product restrictions An item offered by a vendor may still be limited by the recipient’s institution or status.
Keep the order record Save the invoice, tracking information, item list and vendor support contact.
Books and religious texts: Publications may follow separate publisher or distributor rules and are not necessarily treated as an ordinary quarterly package.
Vendor dispute warning: CDCR states that purchases are made at the buyer’s risk and that product disputes are generally between the buyer and vendor.
State prison visitation

How to get approved and schedule a CDCR visit

Receive CDCR Form 106 from the incarcerated person The incarcerated person must sign the Visitor Questionnaire before sending it to the prospective visitor.
Complete every part honestly Disclose all arrests and convictions, even when an arrest did not result in a conviction. An undisclosed record can cause denial.
Return the application to the institution Mail it to the attention of the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant as instructed.
Wait for the background review CDCR’s Ombudsman guidance states that approval can take approximately four to six weeks.
Receive the decision When approved, CDCR notifies the incarcerated person, who is responsible for telling the visitor. A denied visitor receives a letter explaining the reason.
Check the institution’s visiting status Operational, medical, staffing or security conditions can affect whether visits are offered.
Claim the VSA account Approved visitors use their name, date of birth and email information to activate the Visitation Scheduling Application account.
Reserve an available appointment Select the approved visitor, incarcerated person, institution, date and available time, then save the confirmation number.

VSA scheduling window

  • The request period generally opens eight days before the visit.
  • The request period generally closes five days before the visit.
  • Northern-region scheduling opens at 6 a.m.
  • Central-region scheduling opens at 6:30 a.m.
  • Southern-region scheduling opens at 7 a.m.
  • The closing time is 11:59 p.m. on the applicable closing date.
  • Only available dates and appointment times appear in VSA.

General visit types

In-person contact visit

Most eligible general-population incarcerated people may visit in a shared visiting room. CDCR lists a limit of five visitors at one time.

Non-contact visit

Reception, segregation and certain restricted housing assignments may require a visit through a barrier.

Family visit

Extended family visits have separate eligibility, relationship, institutional and funding requirements.

Dress rules that commonly cause rejection

Do not wear blue denim or clothing resembling incarcerated-person attire
Do not wear law-enforcement or military-style clothing
Avoid strapless, halter, sheer or bare-midriff clothing
Skirts, dresses and shorts should not expose more than two inches above the knee
Avoid extremely tight or form-fitting clothing
Avoid metal that will not clear the detector, including some underwire garments
Do not wear wigs or hairpieces without required medical approval
Bring an alternate outfit in the vehicle
Former incarcerated people and people on parole or probation may need advance written permission. Do not travel to prison grounds until the institution confirms the required approval.
Visitor processing can stop temporarily. Staffing, emergencies or institutional operations can delay entry. Processing normally ends before the posted conclusion of visiting hours.
Check status and schedule a visit
Health and disability

What families can do about a CDCR medical concern

Immediate emergency

Communicate the specific urgent concern to the institution. Provide the person’s name, CDCR number, facility and the symptoms or event reported.

Health-care grievance

An incarcerated person who disagrees with care can use CDCR Form 602 HC, the Health Care Grievance form available in housing units.

Disability accommodation

An incarcerated person may submit CDCR Form 1824 to request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Medical privacy

Medical information is confidential. CDCR staff and the Ombudsman generally cannot disclose treatment details to a family member without authorization.

The incarcerated person may complete CDCR Form 7385
The form authorizes release of specified medical information
The form can be obtained through the institution’s health clinic
Authorization does not guarantee unrestricted access to every record
Medical-concern script “I am reporting a health concern involving [full name], CDCR number [number], housed at [institution and facility if known]. The person reported [specific symptoms or incident] on [date and time]. I understand treatment details may be confidential. Please route this concern to appropriate health-care staff and confirm that it was received.”
Be specific rather than general. Include the symptoms, reported event, time, known diagnosis, medication concern or mobility problem without demanding confidential treatment information.
Escalation path

How to raise a California prison concern effectively

Start with the responsible institution unit Contact visiting staff for a visit issue, health staff for a medical concern or the institution Public Information Officer for general routing.
Document the first effort Save the date, time, phone number, staff name, reference number and exact issue reported.
Contact the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant Use this level for visiting denials, VSA problems, processing issues or concerns involving visiting staff.
Write to the Warden Describe the unresolved issue, the attempts already made and the specific action requested.
Request Ombudsman assistance Use the Ombudsman when ordinary institution efforts have not resolved the issue or guidance is needed.
Use the incarcerated-person grievance process Family contact does not replace a grievance, health-care grievance or accommodation request that the incarcerated person must submit.
CDCR Office of the Ombudsman

916-445-1773

Mailing address
CDCR Office of the Ombudsman
P.O. Box 942883
Sacramento, CA 94283-0001
Submit one clear request per issue. CDCR asks users not to send multiple forms and make repeated calls about the same matter. Duplicate requests can complicate routing.
Submit an Ombudsman request Call the Ombudsman
Release information

Parole eligibility is not always a guaranteed release date

Earliest Possible Release Date

Generally relates to a person serving a determinate term after sentence calculations and applicable credits.

Minimum Eligible Parole Date

Generally identifies when a person serving an indeterminate sentence may become eligible for parole consideration.

Board decision

For people requiring parole consideration, reaching eligibility does not by itself guarantee immediate release.

Do not schedule transportation or housing from a displayed month alone. Confirm the current status through the responsible CDCR or parole process.
Same-name safeguards

Verify identity before sending money or publishing information

Full legal name matches
Birth date or age is consistent
Booking or CDCR number is verified
Arrest or admission date fits the known timeline
County of arrest or commitment is consistent
Current institution matches another official source
Use two independent identifiers at minimum. A photograph, common name or matching age alone is not enough for money, employment, housing, legal or publication decisions.
Frequently asked questions

California jail and inmate lookup questions answered

Is there one search for every California jail?

No. County jails are searched through local sheriff or corrections systems. CDCR’s CIRIS system covers selected information about people in California state-prison custody.

How do I locate a recently arrested person?

Search the county where the arrest occurred. Begin with the sheriff’s inmate search, then contact the arresting city police department if county intake has not been completed.

What information does CIRIS display?

A CIRIS result may display the name, age, CDCR number, current institution, admission date, commitment county and parole-eligible information.

Who can help when CIRIS returns no result?

Call the CDCR Identification Unit at 916-445-6713, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time, excluding holidays. Prepare the full name and date of birth.

How do I find the correct California criminal court case?

Search the superior court in the county where the criminal case was filed. California has 58 superior courts, one in each county, and each court maintains its own case records.

How should California state prison mail be addressed?

Include the full name, CDCR number, institution name, correct facility or housing post-office box, city, state and ZIP code. Confirm the address on the institution’s facility page.

Are calls from California state prisons free?

CDCR states that audio calls are free to the incarcerated person and the receiving friend or family member. The incarcerated person initiates the call, which is generally limited to 15 minutes.

What is the no-fee method for sending CDCR money?

The JPay lockbox does not charge a deposit fee. Use the deposit coupon, make payment payable to JPay and mail it to 2202 South Figueroa Street, Box 3001, Los Angeles, CA 90007. Personal checks are held for 10 business days.

How long does CDCR visitor approval take?

CDCR Ombudsman guidance says the review can take approximately four to six weeks. The incarcerated person must initiate the process by signing and sending CDCR Form 106 to the prospective visitor.

Does a CIRIS result prove the person’s conviction?

No. CIRIS is an informational custody locator. Confirm the conviction, counts, judgment and sentence through the superior court where the criminal case was filed.

Official-source verification

Information included from California agencies

This guide incorporates CDCR’s CIRIS search limitations, Identification Unit hours, institution-location process, inmate-mail format, free-call rule, electronic-message rate, money-deposit timing and holds, approved-vendor package rules, visitor application and scheduling process, clothing restrictions, health-care grievance and medical-release forms, Ombudsman contact information and California Courts guidance on county criminal records.

Use live searches for status

Current custody, housing, transfer, visit availability, court dates and release information can change after publication.

Use the article for preparation

Gather the correct identifiers, addresses, forms, timing rules and questions before contacting an agency.

Use official documents for proof

Obtain a court judgment, certified disposition or agency record when a formal institution requires evidence.

Accuracy, identity and legal-use notice

County Arrest Records is an independent informational guide. It is not CDCR, a California sheriff, county corrections department, superior court, federal agency or law firm.

Jail, prison, transfer, parole and court information can change. Confirm current status with the responsible agency before sending money, traveling, publishing information or making an employment, housing, legal, financial or safety decision.

A booking or custody record does not establish guilt. Every accused person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Official-source review completed August 5, 2026.

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