Find San Diego Jail Mugshots

San Diego is California's second largest city. The San Diego Police Department handles arrests within city limits, but the San Diego County Sheriff operates the jail facilities. When SDPD arrests someone, they book them into one of seven county detention facilities. You can search for jail mugshots and inmate records through the Sheriff's online system. The county maintains San Diego Central Jail at 1173 Front Street and several other facilities throughout the region. These jails hold around 5,000 inmates on any given day. The online databases provide public access to booking photos, custody status, charges, and bail information for people arrested in San Diego. The systems update as new bookings occur each day across the city and county.

San Diego County Jail System

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department operates all detention facilities for the region. When San Diego Police arrest someone, that person goes into county custody. The Sheriff runs seven jail facilities across San Diego County. The main location is San Diego Central Jail downtown. This is where most bookings occur for arrests made in the city.

You need to search the San Diego County Sheriff inmate system to find booking photos and custody records. The Sheriff's website has an inmate locator tool. It covers all detention facilities in the county. You can search by name or booking number. The system shows current custody status, charges, bail amounts, and which facility is holding the person.

San Diego Central Jail is located at 1173 Front Street in downtown San Diego. The jail booking line is (619) 313-5610. For general inmate information, call (619) 615-2700. These numbers provide custody status and booking details for anyone arrested in the city. The phone lines operate during regular business hours.

The Sheriff maintains around 5,000 inmates daily across all facilities. This includes people arrested by San Diego Police and other agencies throughout the county. Anyone arrested in San Diego ends up in the county jail system within hours of booking.

San Diego Police Records

The San Diego Police Department maintains arrest reports and case files. If you need police records beyond jail booking information, you must contact SDPD directly. They handle public records requests for arrest reports, investigation files, and incident reports.

SDPD Records is at 1401 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101. Call 619-531-2846 or email sdpdreportrequests@pd.sandiego.gov for records requests. The department charges fees for copies. A full police report costs $12. An arrest report page costs 50 cents for the first page. These fees cover the cost of searching and copying.

For jail mugshots and custody information, use the San Diego County Sheriff system. SDPD does not maintain booking photos after someone is transferred to county custody. All inmate information appears in the Sheriff's database once booking is complete at a San Diego detention facility.

Note: Phone calls from San Diego County jails may show up as 727-349-1561 on caller ID. This number is often filtered as spam. Make sure to answer calls from this number if you are expecting contact from an inmate.

How to Search for San Diego Inmates

Start by going to the Sheriff's inmate locator on their website. You can search by first name, last name, or booking number. If the person has a common name, you may get multiple results from across San Diego County. Look at the booking date and charges to find the right person.

The system shows booking photos for most inmates. Click on the name to see the full record. The mugshot appears with the person's custody information. You can see their current location, charges, bail amount, and scheduled court dates. This information comes directly from the Sheriff's jail management system.

If you know the booking number, enter it in the search box. This gives you the exact record without sorting through matches. Booking numbers are assigned when someone is first processed into San Diego County custody. You might find this number on bond paperwork or court documents.

For recent arrests, check the booking log if available. Some systems show everyone booked in the last 24 to 72 hours. This list updates as new people are arrested in San Diego. Refresh the page to see the latest bookings at county facilities.

Inmate Notifications and Tracking

VINE offers free notifications for San Diego jail inmates. Visit vinelink.dhs.gov to sign up. You can get alerts by text or email when someone is released or moved to a different facility. The service covers all San Diego County Sheriff detention centers.

The VINE hotline is 877-411-5588. This automated phone line lets you check inmate status without a computer. You can search by name or booking number. The system tells you if the person is still in custody and which facility is holding them. The line works 24 hours a day for San Diego and other California counties.

For direct contact with the Sheriff, call (619) 615-2700. This is the main number for San Diego Central Jail. You can ask about custody status, visiting hours, and how to send money to an inmate. The staff can look up booking information and tell you which facility is holding someone arrested in San Diego.

Public Records Law in California

California law requires release of basic booking data. Government Code 6254(f) lists what must be public. This includes name, description, birth date, arrest date and time, booking date and time, arrest location, charges, and bail amount. San Diego County must provide this information to anyone who asks for it.

Mugshots are public records in most cases. The Sheriff can release booking photos unless a specific exemption applies. Most San Diego jail mugshots appear online without restrictions. You do not need to give a reason for searching or provide identification to access the databases.

Some limits exist on social media use. Penal Code 13665 restricts police from posting booking photos of nonviolent crimes on social media. If they do post them, they must remove them within 14 days. This law does not affect official jail databases. The Sheriff's inmate locator remains available to the public for San Diego County records.

Civil Code 1798.91.1 bans charging fees to remove mugshots from websites. Some companies used to post San Diego booking photos and demand payment to take them down. California law now prohibits this practice. It is illegal to charge someone to remove their booking photo. Violations can lead to lawsuits and civil penalties.

Contacting San Diego Inmates

San Diego County jails use Securus Technologies and JailATM for inmate services. These companies handle phone calls, video visits, and money transfers. You need to set up an account to communicate with someone in custody. Each service charges its own fees for San Diego facilities.

To send money to an inmate, visit JailATM or the Securus website. You will need the inmate's name and booking number. Deposits usually post within a few hours. Inmates use the money for commissary items and phone calls. Some facilities also allow funds to be used for video visitation.

Video visits may be available at San Diego County jails. Check the Sheriff's website for current policies. You might need to schedule visits in advance through the service provider. Each facility has different rules about visitation. Some require background checks or ID verification before approving visitors.

Mail can be sent to inmates at their facility address. Include the inmate's full name and booking number on the envelope. The Sheriff's website lists addresses for each detention center. Some facilities use third-party mail processing services. Check the website for specific mailing instructions for San Diego jails.

Other San Diego County Cities

Several other cities in San Diego County also use the county jail system. If you are looking for someone arrested in these cities, search the San Diego County Sheriff database. All local police departments book arrestees into county facilities.

Chula Vista Oceanside Escondido Carlsbad El Cajon

The Sheriff's inmate locator covers the entire county. You can find booking information for anyone arrested in San Diego or other cities within the county. The system does not separate results by city. All bookings appear in the same database regardless of which agency made the arrest.