San Jose Jail Records Online

San Jose is the largest city in Northern California and the third largest in the state. The San Jose Police Department operates a city jail for short-term holding, but most inmates are transferred to Santa Clara County facilities for longer custody. When SJPD makes an arrest, suspects are booked at the city jail on West Mission Street before being moved to the Main Jail or Elmwood Correctional Facility. You can search for jail mugshots and booking records through the Santa Clara County online inmate locator system. The county runs the fifth largest jail system in California, with around 2,900 inmates on average. These databases provide public access to booking photos, custody status, charges, and bail information for people arrested in San Jose and throughout the county.

Santa Clara County Operates San Jose Jails

The San Jose Police Department has a city jail at 201 West Mission Street. This facility handles initial booking and short-term holding. Most arrestees are transferred to Santa Clara County jail facilities within 24 to 48 hours. The county operates the Main Jail at 150 West Hedding Street in San Jose and Elmwood Correctional Facility at 701 South Abel Street in Milpitas.

To search for San Jose jail mugshots, use the Santa Clara County inmate locator online. This database covers all county detention facilities. You can search by name, booking number, or date of birth. The system shows custody status, charges, bail amounts, and booking photos for inmates.

The Main Jail in downtown San Jose is the primary booking facility for the county. Call (408) 299-2305 for information about inmates at this location. Elmwood houses lower security inmates and those in work programs. Call (408) 957-5900 for Elmwood information. Both facilities are part of the same jail system operated by Santa Clara County.

Note: The online system goes down for maintenance on Mondays from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM. Plan your searches around this scheduled downtime.

San Jose Police Records

The San Jose Police Department maintains arrest reports and case files separate from jail records. If you need police reports or investigation documents, contact SJPD Records. They handle public records requests for incident reports, arrest records, and case files related to San Jose arrests.

SJPD Records is at 201 W. Mission Street, San Jose, CA 95110. Call 408-277-4143 during business hours. The City Jail phone number is 408-277-8900 if you need information about someone recently arrested and not yet transferred to county custody. This is mainly for people arrested within the last few hours.

For booking photos and custody status after someone is moved to county facilities, use the Santa Clara County system. SJPD does not maintain long-term jail records. Once an arrestee is transferred out of the city jail, all their information appears in the county database. This includes their mugshot, charges, bail, and current location within the San Jose area jail system.

Searching Santa Clara County Inmates

Go to the county's Find Inmate page online. Enter the person's first name and last name. You can also search by booking number or date of birth if you have that information. The system searches all Santa Clara County facilities including those in San Jose.

Search results show a list of matching inmates. Click on a name to see the full record. The detailed page includes a booking photo if available. You will also see the person's physical description, booking date, charges, bail amount, and which facility is holding them. The system indicates whether they are at Main Jail, Elmwood, or another county location.

Common names may return many results. Use the booking date to narrow down the matches. If you know when someone was arrested in San Jose, look for entries around that date. You can also filter by facility if you know where the person is being held in the county system.

For older bookings, the records may not appear in the online database. The system typically shows people currently in custody or recently released. If someone was arrested months ago and is no longer in jail, contact the Sheriff's Records Office at (408) 808-4705 for archived San Jose booking records.

Inmate Tracking Services

VINE provides free notifications for Santa Clara County jail inmates. Visit vinelink.dhs.gov to register. You can sign up for text or email alerts when an inmate is released or transferred between facilities. The service works for all county jails including those in San Jose.

Call 877-411-5588 to reach VINE by phone. This automated line lets you check custody status without using the internet. You can search by name or booking number. The system tells you if someone is still in custody and where they are located in the county jail system. The hotline operates 24 hours a day for San Jose and other California counties.

Santa Clara County also has direct jail phone numbers. Main Jail is (408) 299-2305. Elmwood is (408) 957-5900. Sheriff's Records is (408) 808-4705. These numbers provide custody information and answer questions about inmates arrested in San Jose and held in county facilities.

California Booking Records Law

Government Code 6254(f) requires disclosure of basic booking information in California. Law enforcement must release the person's name, physical description, date of birth, arrest time and date, booking time and date, arrest location, charges, and bail amount. Santa Clara County must provide this data to anyone who requests it for San Jose arrests.

Booking photos are public records unless an exemption applies. The Sheriff can release jail mugshots to the public. Most Santa Clara County mugshots appear in the online database without restrictions. You do not need to explain why you want the information or show identification to search for San Jose booking photos.

Penal Code 13665 limits how police share mugshots on social media. Law enforcement cannot post booking photos of nonviolent crimes on platforms like Facebook or Twitter. If they do, they must remove them within 14 days. This restriction does not affect official jail databases. The county inmate locator remains available to the public for San Jose records.

Civil Code 1798.91.1 bans mugshot extortion schemes. It is illegal to charge fees to remove booking photos from websites. Some companies used to post Santa Clara County mugshots and demand payment to take them down. California law now prohibits this practice. Violations can result in civil lawsuits and penalties against the companies.

Contacting Inmates in San Jose Jails

Santa Clara County uses GTL for inmate phone calls and video visits. You need to create an account on the GTL website to communicate with someone in custody. The company charges fees for calls and video sessions at San Jose area jails. Check their website for current rates and policies.

To send money to an inmate, use the GTL system or the county's approved deposit methods. You will need the inmate's full name and booking number. Deposits usually post within a few hours to a day. Inmates can use the funds for commissary purchases, phone calls, and video visits at Main Jail or Elmwood.

Video visitation is available at Santa Clara County facilities. You may need to schedule sessions in advance through GTL. Each jail has different rules about visitation. Check the Sheriff's website for current policies on visiting inmates in San Jose area facilities. Some visits may still be in person depending on the facility and security level.

Other Santa Clara County Cities

Many other cities in Santa Clara County use the same jail system. If you are searching for someone arrested in these cities, use the Santa Clara County inmate locator. All local police departments book arrestees into county facilities operated by the Sheriff.

Santa Clara Sunnyvale Fremont Mountain View Milpitas Palo Alto

The online database covers all of Santa Clara County. You can find booking information for anyone arrested in San Jose or other cities within the county. The search does not separate results by city. All bookings appear in the same system regardless of which police department made the arrest.