California has one of the most restricted statewide criminal history systems in the country for general public access -- and one of the most accessible county-level systems at the same time. The state DOJ maintains a comprehensive RAP sheet database, but the public cannot search it for other people. What you can access freely are county court records and sheriff booking rosters, which together cover most of what families, attorneys, and individuals actually need. This guide explains what exists, who can see what, and where to look.
What Makes California Arrest Records Public
The California Public Records Act, codified in Government Code Sections 7920.000 through 7931.000, gives the public the right to inspect and copy non-exempt government records. Arrest records are government-generated documents and fall within that framework. Local law enforcement agencies -- police departments and county sheriff offices -- maintain booking records and arrest logs that are accessible to the public in most circumstances.
The California Department of Justice maintains the statewide criminal history system, known as RAP sheets -- Records of Arrest and Prosecution. These are comprehensive fingerprint-matched files that pull data from more than 45,000 agencies across all 58 counties. The problem for the general public is that access to RAP sheets through the DOJ is restricted. You can request your own record. Law enforcement, courts, and authorized licensing agencies can request records on others. Private citizens and most employers cannot walk up and request a full criminal history on someone else through the DOJ system.
What you can access freely and without a DOJ account are county superior court records, county sheriff booking rosters, and the CDCR state prison database. Those three tools cover most situations.
Exemptions from public access include juvenile records, sealed or expunged records, active investigation materials, and victim and witness identifying information.
What a California Arrest Record Contains
An arrest record is a booking document created at the time someone is taken into custody. It is not a verdict and carries no presumption of guilt.
A typical California arrest record -- as seen through a county booking roster or court filing -- includes the person's full legal name, date of birth, physical description, the arresting agency, the date and location of the arrest, the charges as filed at booking, booking number, and bail information. Booking photographs are part of the county booking record and are generally accessible through county sheriff online rosters, which in most California counties update every 15 to 30 minutes.
The full DOJ RAP sheet contains considerably more -- aliases, prior arrests and convictions across jurisdictions, dispositions, parole status, and fingerprint data. But that level of detail is available only through the fingerprint-based Live Scan process for authorized purposes.
How to Search California Arrest Records
For your own record, the DOJ process is the official route. You submit fingerprints through a certified Live Scan provider -- found at police stations, UPS stores, and other locations statewide -- and pay a $25 DOJ processing fee plus the Live Scan operator's fee, which typically runs $20 to $40 additional. The DOJ mails the result to you. Allow two to four weeks. Check status through the DOJ applicant portal at applicantstatus.doj.ca.gov using the ATI number from your Live Scan session.
For researching someone else, the practical free tools are the county superior court online case search and the county sheriff's booking roster. Every California county maintains its own superior court website with a searchable case database. You can search by name and find criminal case filings, charges, and case dispositions without any fee or account. This is the most complete picture of how a case resolved -- more reliable for case outcomes than a county arrest roster.
County sheriff websites provide free online booking rosters for people currently in county jail. Most update multiple times a day. Larger counties like Los Angeles, San Diego, Alameda, and Sacramento have robust online systems. Smaller counties may require a phone call. For anyone arrested in the past 24 to 72 hours, the county sheriff's booking system is where you start.
For broader multi-source background searches that aggregate court, arrest, and public record data across all 58 California counties without searching each individually, TruthFinder is a practical option. It pulls from publicly available records and returns results faster than navigating county-by-county.
VINELink at vinelink.com provides real-time custody tracking. It connects to the CDCR state prison system and many county facilities, and lets you register for free notifications when an individual's status changes.
County Jail Records in California
California has 58 counties and each county sheriff manages the local detention facilities. County jails hold people who have recently been arrested, those awaiting trial, and individuals serving sentences of one year or less. Anyone arrested recently will be in county custody -- not state prison -- for at least the first several days, often longer.
When someone is convicted of a felony and sentenced to more than one year, they transfer from county custody into the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, known as the CDCR. The CDCR California Incarcerated Records and Information Search, called CIRIS, is the official free public tool for locating anyone in state prison. It is accessible at ciris.cdcr.ca.gov. You can search by name and results show the person's CDCR number, age, current facility, commitment county, admission date, and Board of Parole Hearing dates and outcomes. For assistance, the CDCR Identification Unit is reachable at 916-445-6713, Monday through Friday.
If the person's conviction information is needed beyond what CIRIS shows, contact the superior court in the county where the case was heard.
Federal Arrests in California
Federal arrests in California are made by agencies including the FBI, the DEA, U.S. Marshals, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, and others. California has four federal judicial districts: Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern. After federal sentencing, individuals enter the Bureau of Prisons system rather than the CDCR.
The BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the official free tool for locating anyone serving a federal sentence. Search by name or BOP register number. For case-level records, the PACER system at pacer.gov provides access to federal court filings with a registered account.
Federal arrest and conviction information is not part of the California DOJ RAP sheet system or the county court databases. If the person was arrested on federal charges in California, start with PACER and the BOP locator.
Arrest Records Versus Conviction Records
An arrest record documents that law enforcement took someone into custody. A conviction record documents a court's finding of guilt. In California, these are separate records and they do not automatically update each other.
You can have a California arrest record with no conviction. Charges can be dropped, cases dismissed, and juries acquit. In all of those situations the arrest entry persists in public databases unless the person takes legal action to seal or clear it. The arrest will continue to surface in county court searches and background checks regardless of the outcome in court.
California's Fair Chance Act adds another dimension: employers subject to that law are prohibited from asking about arrests that did not result in a conviction, participation in diversion programs, or sealed or expunged records. That legal protection does not make the arrest record disappear -- it limits how employers can use it.
A Note on Expungement and Record Sealing
California has several distinct legal remedies for people with arrest and conviction records, and the terminology is sometimes misleading.
Penal Code Section 1203.4 is what most people call California expungement. It lets those who completed probation petition to have a conviction dismissed. The conviction still appears on the DOJ RAP sheet but is annotated as dismissed under PC 1203.4. This is not a true erasure -- the record remains visible in RAP sheets and to law enforcement. It does not restore gun rights or end sex offender registration requirements. It does help with many job and housing applications.
For arrests that did not result in a conviction, Penal Code Section 851.87 allows arrest record sealing. You do not need to prove factual innocence -- just that no conviction resulted. Once sealed, the arrest generally does not appear on standard background checks.
Proposition 47 allows resentencing for certain older nonviolent drug and theft felonies. Proposition 64 covers past marijuana convictions. None of these remedies happen automatically -- all require filing petitions with the court.
If you have a California arrest or conviction record and want to understand your options, InmateAid's guides on expungement and record sealing cover the framework in more detail. Mugshot removal is a separate but related concern addressed in InmateAid's resources on that topic -- county sheriff booking photos are among the most widely aggregated in the country given California's volume.
Frequently asked questions
Are California arrest records public?
Partly. County-level booking records and court filings are generally accessible to the public. The California DOJ's comprehensive RAP sheet system, which contains the full statewide criminal history, is restricted -- the public cannot use it to search other people's records. Practical free tools are county superior court case searches and county sheriff booking rosters.
How do I search California arrest records?
Search the superior court website for the county where the arrest occurred for case filings and dispositions. Check the county sheriff's booking roster for recent arrests. For someone in state prison, use CDCR CIRIS at ciris.cdcr.ca.gov. For multi-county background searches, TruthFinder aggregates public record data across jurisdictions. For real-time custody status, VINELink at vinelink.com provides free notifications. For your own complete DOJ record, go through the Live Scan process at a certified provider.
What does a California arrest record contain?
A county arrest record typically includes the person's full legal name, date of birth, physical description, the arresting agency, the date and location of the arrest, charges as filed at booking, booking number, and bail information. Booking photographs are part of county sheriff rosters in most California counties. The full DOJ RAP sheet contains more detail but is accessible only for authorized purposes.
Is an arrest the same as a conviction in California?
No. An arrest documents that someone was taken into custody. A conviction reflects a court's finding of guilt. You can have a California arrest record with no conviction if charges were dropped, the case was dismissed, or you were acquitted. The arrest entry remains in public records unless sealed under Penal Code 851.87.
How do I find someone in a California county jail?
Check the sheriff's office website for the county where the arrest occurred. Most California counties publish free online booking rosters that update multiple times daily. For someone transferred to state prison, use the CDCR CIRIS search at ciris.cdcr.ca.gov. VINELink at vinelink.com also connects to many county facilities statewide for real-time status and notification registration.
Can I search federal arrest records in California?
Federal court records are available through PACER at pacer.gov. For someone serving a federal sentence, the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the free official search tool. Federal arrests are not part of the California DOJ or county court databases.
How long does an arrest stay on record in California?
California arrest records remain in the DOJ RAP sheet and county databases indefinitely unless addressed through a legal remedy. Sealing under Penal Code 851.87 removes an arrest from most background checks. A PC 1203.4 dismissal for a conviction annotates but does not erase the record. None of these happen automatically -- all require a court petition.
What is California expungement under PC 1203.4?
Penal Code 1203.4 is California's primary post-conviction relief for people who completed probation. It allows the court to dismiss the conviction and withdraw the guilty plea. The record still exists on a DOJ RAP sheet and is visible to law enforcement, but is annotated as dismissed. It does not restore gun rights, end sex offender registration, or erase the record. It helps with many job and housing applications but is not a true erasure.
Can a California arrest record be sealed?
Yes. Penal Code 851.87 allows sealing of arrest records when no conviction resulted -- including cases where charges were never filed, the case was dismissed, or the person was acquitted. You do not need to prove factual innocence. Once sealed, the arrest generally does not appear on standard background checks. The petition is filed with the court in the county where the arrest occurred.
Why does my record show an arrest but no conviction?
An arrest record is created at booking regardless of what happens in court. If charges were dropped, the case dismissed, or you were acquitted, the arrest entry still exists in public records unless sealed under PC 851.87. It will appear on county court searches and background checks. A PC 851.87 sealing petition is the legal remedy for qualifying non-conviction arrests. ---
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