CA · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in California?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in California using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator: California Incarcerated Records & Information Search
VINELink: Covers California
Last verified: 2026-07-23
Jurisdiction: California

Which system is holding them in California?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

This is the key point in California: someone just arrested is in a COUNTY JAIL run by that county's sheriff, NOT in CDCR state prison, so CIRIS will not show them.

California has 58 counties, each running its own jail system; many large sheriffs publish an online 'Who's In Custody' / inmate lookup (for example Los Angeles and San Diego county sheriffs), but there is no single statewide county-jail search.

For a recent arrest, use the arresting county sheriff's inmate lookup or VINE.

California's statewide VINE service (approaching full county coverage, provided by county offices and CDCR) gives near-real-time county-jail and prison custody status.

Most large California county sheriffs (e.g., Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Sacramento) offer an online 'Who's In Custody' jail lookup; statewide VINE fills county gaps, but for a few small jails a phone call to booking is the reliable path.

Search VINELink (choose California)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

CIRIS is the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's official public search for people in CDCR (state prison) custody.

It replaced the older 'inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov' tool.

Search by name or CDCR number to see current location, age, commitment county, admission date, and parole-hearing information.

It covers people in CDCR state prison custody only, not county jails or people just arrested.

Open the California inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a California state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Finding your person in California, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

Step 1

Figure out which system is likely holding them

A person arrested in the last hours or days is almost always in the COUNTY jail where the arrest happened, not state prison. A person already sentenced to and delivered to state prison is in CDCR custody. A person facing federal charges is in federal custody. In California this distinction matters a lot because state prison and county jail are entirely separate systems.
Step 2

For a recent arrest, use the county sheriff's inmate lookup or VINE

Find the sheriff's office for the county where the arrest happened and use its 'Who's In Custody' / inmate lookup if it has one. Or use VINE at vinelink.com, which pulls near-real-time custody status from participating California jails and prisons and lets you register free for custody-change alerts and can be reached 24/7 by phone.
Official source
Step 3

For someone in state prison, search CIRIS

Use the CDCR CIRIS search and enter the name or CDCR number. It covers only people in CDCR state prison custody, not county jails or brand-new arrests.
Official source
Step 4

If the charge is federal, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator

The federal BOP inmate locator at bop.gov covers people held in federal custody and is separate from California state and county systems.
Official source
Step 5

If no online tool shows them, call the county jail's booking or records line

A person booked in the last few hours may not appear online yet. Call the county sheriff's booking/records desk to confirm the booking, booking number, any bail amount, and next court date. Use the California Courts 'Find My Court' locator for the county court's hearing information.
Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

The person's full legal name, plus any middle name, alias, or spelling variations (common names return many results).
Their date of birth, which official locators use to distinguish similar names.
If you have it, the CDCR or county booking number for the most exact match, though a name search is enough to start.

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

Use only official government sources: CDCR CIRIS, the county sheriff's own 'Who's In Custody' lookup, VINE at vinelink.com, or the Federal Bureau of Prisons. All are free.
Be wary of paid 'California inmate search' and mugshot websites that outrank the official ones. They often charge fees for information the official sites give free and may show stale, incomplete, or already-expunged records.
Custody information changes constantly; a very recent booking may not appear online right away, so call the county jail booking or records line if you cannot find the person.

If you need to bail them out in California

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in California.

Commercial bail available

In California, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

California retains a money-bail system alongside broad non-money release.

After an arrest, options can include a citation release, release on your own recognizance (OR) or supervised OR, or money bail satisfied by cash posted with the court or a surety bond posted through a licensed bail agent for a fee.

Under the California Supreme Court's decision In re Humphrey (2021), a court must consider a person's ability to pay and non-monetary conditions, and generally may not set money bail in an amount the person cannot afford without making specific findings.

Commercial bail bond agents legally operate statewide: in November 2020, voters rejected Proposition 25, which overturned Senate Bill 10 and kept California's money-bail system, and the commercial bail industry, in place.

A surety bail bond carries a non-refundable premium regulated by the California Department of Insurance, commonly 10% of the bail amount. Cash bail posted directly with the court is returned, less any fees, once the case's bail conditions are met.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official California contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

If there is also a warrant to deal with

Two companion guides pick up where this one leaves off — checking for a warrant, and resolving it on your own terms.

Check for a warrant in California Worried the person has an open warrant too? Check first, state by state. Resolve a warrant in California If they need to resolve a warrant, this walks through turning yourself in calmly.

Common questions about finding someone in California

How do I find someone who was just arrested in California?

This is the key point in California: someone just arrested is in a COUNTY JAIL run by that county's sheriff, NOT in CDCR state prison, so CIRIS will not show them. California has 58 counties, each running its own jail system; many large sheriffs publish an online 'Who's In Custody' / inmate lookup (for example Los Angeles and San Diego county sheriffs), but there is no single statewide county-jail search. For a recent arrest, use the arresting county sheriff's inmate lookup or VINE. California's statewide VINE service (approaching full county coverage, provided by county offices and CDCR) gives near-real-time county-jail and prison custody status.

How do I find someone in state prison in California?

CIRIS is the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's official public search for people in CDCR (state prison) custody. It replaced the older 'inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov' tool. Search by name or CDCR number to see current location, age, commitment county, admission date, and parole-hearing information. It covers people in CDCR state prison custody only, not county jails or people just arrested.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in California?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers California. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in California?

The person's full legal name, plus any middle name, alias, or spelling variations (common names return many results). Their date of birth, which official locators use to distinguish similar names. If you have it, the CDCR or county booking number for the most exact match, though a name search is enough to start.

Does California have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in California: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 13 sources