Guides · Updated August 15, 2026
California Arrest Records: Where and How to Search
Get a clear answer on where to find a California arrest record: DOJ for your own history, CIRIS for custody, and the county or court for everything else.
Trying to look up a California arrest record and hitting a wall isn't on you: California has no single statewide public arrest-record search. The right source depends on what you actually need. Your own history goes through a California DOJ fingerprint-based request, confirming someone is currently in custody goes through CIRIS, and looking up someone else's arrest or a filed case usually means the arresting county sheriff or police department, or the superior court where charges were filed.
Each of those sources only covers its own piece: a personal record, a custody check, or one specific case. The rest of this page sorts out which door fits your situation, so you're not guessing which agency to contact first.
Where to look up a California arrest, court, warrant, or custody record
Find your situation below to see which agency holds that record.
| What you need to check | Where to start | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Your own arrest or conviction history | California DOJ record review (fingerprint-based) | Requires fingerprinting and a state fee; DOJ sends the result directly to you. |
| A particular local arrest or booking record | The records unit of the police department or sheriff's office that made the arrest | What's public, what you'll need to provide, and any fees vary by agency, so check that department's records page before you go. |
| Whether someone is currently in custody | CIRIS, the CDCR custody search | Free online lookup by name that covers people in state-prison custody; county jail holds are tracked separately. |
| A court case or its status | The relevant California Superior Court's case search | Search by name or case number; some case types show only limited details online and may require a courthouse visit. |
| An active warrant | The county sheriff or the court where the case was filed | Official access and confirmation steps vary by county, so follow the sheriff's or court's published instructions. Not finding a warrant listed online doesn't confirm that none exists. |
An arrest record, a court record, a warrant, and a custody record aren't the same thing, which is why one search rarely tells the whole story. Each one is created for a different purpose and held by a different agency. For a broader look at what these records show nationwide, see arrest records: what they show and where to search.
What each type of record shows
Arrest or Booking Record
Created by the police or sheriff's agency that made the arrest. It typically includes a name, date of birth, booking number, arresting agency, and the charge recorded at booking. An arrest means someone was taken into custody, not that they were convicted of anything.
California's Department of Justice separately compiles fingerprint-based state summary criminal history information from arrest, charge, and disposition data reported statewide. You can generally request your own DOJ record through a fingerprint-based application (see how to run a background check on yourself for what that involves), but this isn't a public lookup for someone else's history.
Court Record
Created after prosecutors file a case in superior court. It can show filed charges, hearing dates, and how the case ended. If prosecutors never filed charges after an arrest, there's no court case to find, even though the arrest happened.
Warrant
A court order, not a finding of guilt. An arrest warrant is typically issued after a judge finds probable cause. A bench warrant can be issued when someone fails to appear or does not comply with a court order. Neither type proves that the person committed a crime.
Custody or Incarceration Record
A locator for where someone is currently held. CIRIS, operated by CDCR, covers people in California state-prison custody. It is not a complete arrest or conviction history, and it does not include county-jail holds, which county sheriffs track separately.
What you need before you search
Each source uses different information to identify the right person or case:
- California DOJ own-record request: Fingerprints and identifying details that confirm the record is yours.
- Superior court portal: Usually a full legal name or case number; search options vary by county.
- Local police or sheriff's agency: Often a full name, date of birth, booking or report number, or an appointment, depending on the record.
None of these systems share one database, so each covers a different piece of the picture. A result from one doesn't replace the others, and a first name plus a city is rarely enough to confirm you have the right person.
Why a record might not show up
An empty search can have several explanations:
- No court case was filed. An arrest can occur without prosecutors filing charges.
- The record was sealed. Public access may change after a sealing order or automatic relief.
- The online portal is limited. Some courts show only certain case types or details online.
- The search details do not match. A different spelling, birthdate, county, or alias can keep the correct file from appearing.
- The agency can withhold the file. California public-records rules allow some investigation-related records to remain outside public view.
An empty result: what it means and what it cannot prove
An empty result doesn't prove that nothing happened. Dismissal, diversion, and other relief that clears a record don't always update every agency's copy at the same time. One source can show a case as resolved while another still reflects an earlier status.
California Courts explains that clearing an arrest that did not lead to a conviction has its own process. Penal Code 11105 separately controls what DOJ can disclose from its statewide summary, and those rules don't automatically decide what a county court or local police department can show.
If you need a broader picture
If you're trying to get a clearer picture of someone you're dating, TheTeaReport can pull together identity details and public-record signals in one place. It's a starting point alongside official searches, not a replacement for them: verify anything that matters directly with the relevant county agency or the superior court where a case may have been filed. If you're checking your own record instead, the DOJ's fingerprint-based process above is the direct route.
Sources and further reading
- California DOJ: Public Records and Reviewing Your Criminal Record: Explains how to request your own California record and how that differs from looking up someone else's history.
- CIRIS: California Incarcerated Records & Information Search: CDCR's free online tool for locating someone currently in state prison custody.
- San Diego County Sheriff: Local Criminal History Request: Shows San Diego County's form and process for requesting your own local criminal history. Access rules differ for other record types and agencies.
- California Courts: How to Look Up a Court Case: Links to each county superior court's own case search by name or case number.
- Sacramento Superior Court: Criminal Records: Details name-search forms and fees for a specific superior court's criminal case records.
- California Penal Code Section 11105: Defines what DOJ's state summary criminal history includes and when an arrest is withheld from that summary.
- Judicial Branch of California: Public Records: Explains that each of the 58 superior courts keeps its own records and how confidentiality and sealing can limit access.
Common questions about finding a California arrest record
Is there a free way to look up a California arrest record?
It depends on what you're checking. Confirming custody status through CIRIS, the CDCR search tool, is free and online. Beyond that, costs and requirements vary by court and by local agency: some charge a fee for a public-access or per-name search and others don't, and the process changes county to county. Check the specific court's or sheriff's records page for what it currently requires.
Can I see mugshots or booking photos online?
It depends on the agency and the case. There's no single statewide database of booking photos, and access differs by county and department. If you need to confirm one, the arresting agency's own inmate locator or records unit is the right place to start. If a photo turns up through a search engine or a third-party site instead, treat it as unverified until you can match it against official case or booking details from the agency itself.
How do I find out if someone is currently in jail or prison in California?
For state prison custody, CIRIS is the official CDCR tool and it's free to search by name. It won't show county jail holds, though, since those are managed locally. Los Angeles County, for example, runs its own Inmate Information Center for that purpose. For any other county, you'd need to contact that county's sheriff department directly.
Can I request someone else's arrest record the same way I'd request my own?
No, and this trips a lot of people up. California DOJ's own guidance draws a clear line between reviewing your own record, which uses a fingerprint-based request sent straight to you, and looking up someone else's history, which generally has to go through the county or court that handled the case instead. There's no DOJ portal for pulling up another person's record on demand.
Why did my search come back empty even though I know an arrest happened?
An empty result doesn't disprove an arrest. Often it's a mismatch: wrong county, or a name and birthdate that don't quite match what's on file. Sealing and expungement aren't the same thing, and neither guarantees a record vanishes everywhere it's held. If the search comes up empty, a direct request to the arresting agency or filing court is the more reliable next step.
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