Los Angeles Inmate Search

Los Angeles inmate population records come from two systems. The city of Los Angeles is unique in California because the LAPD runs its own jail facilities separate from the county sheriff. The Los Angeles County Sheriff also holds inmates from the city in its large county jail system. If you need to find someone in custody in Los Angeles, you may have to check both. The LAPD operates 10 jail facilities across the city, while the county sheriff runs the biggest jail system in the nation. Between the two, Los Angeles holds more people in local custody than most states do on their own.

Los Angeles County Jail Search

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department runs the county jail system that serves all of Los Angeles. This is the largest jail system in the United States. On a typical day, the county holds more than 12,000 people across several facilities. Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown LA is one of the biggest jail buildings in the world. The Men's Central Jail sits right next to it. Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood holds female inmates. North County Correctional Facility in Castaic is another major site. When someone gets arrested by any law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County, they usually end up in the sheriff's custody within 24 to 48 hours. City police departments process people through their own booking, then transfer them to county.

The sheriff runs an online search tool called the Inmate Information Center. You can look up any person held in Los Angeles County custody. Go to the LASD Inmate Information Center and search by name or booking number. Results show the inmate's charges, bail amount, court date, and which facility they are in. The system updates several times per day. If someone was just booked, it may take a few hours for the record to appear in Los Angeles County's online tool.

Note: The county system does not show people held in LAPD city jails. Those are separate facilities with their own records.

LAPD City Jail Facilities

Los Angeles is one of the few cities in California that runs its own jail system. The LAPD operates 10 jail facilities spread across the city. These are short-term holding facilities. Most people stay in an LAPD jail for 24 to 96 hours before the county picks them up. The largest LAPD facility is the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. It can hold several hundred people at once. Each LAPD division station also has a small jail. The Valley Bureau and South Bureau stations see heavy use. You can call the LAPD Jail Division at (213) 356-3400 to ask about someone in city custody. Give the person's full name and date of birth if you have it. Staff can tell you if that person is currently in an LAPD facility in Los Angeles.

LAPD jails handle initial bookings for arrests made by city officers. The process works like this. An officer makes an arrest in Los Angeles. The person goes to the nearest LAPD jail for booking. Fingerprints and photos are taken. The person sees a magistrate within 48 hours. If charges move forward, the inmate transfers to county custody. Some people post bail and get released right from the LAPD facility. Misdemeanor arrests sometimes process entirely through the city jail without ever reaching the county system in Los Angeles.

Statewide Inmate Search Tools

If you cannot find someone in Los Angeles local jails, they might be in state prison. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation runs CIRIS, the state's inmate locator. This free tool covers all 34 state prisons in California. Search by name or CDCR number. Results show the current prison location, admission date, and parole hearing schedule. CIRIS does not cover county jails or city jails in Los Angeles. It only tracks state prison inmates.

VINELink is another statewide option for Los Angeles inmate population searches. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. It works across all 58 California counties. You can search by name and get custody status updates. VINE also sends automatic alerts when an inmate's status changes. Call 1-877-411-5588 or use the website. This is useful when you are not sure which facility in Los Angeles holds the person you are looking for. The BSCC Jail Profile Survey tracks jail population data statewide, including counts for Los Angeles County facilities.

You can start a statewide search at the CIRIS inmate locator page below.

CIRIS is the only free state-level tool for finding California prison inmates. Use it alongside the Los Angeles County sheriff search for full coverage.

Los Angeles Inmate Records Laws

California law makes basic inmate population data public. Under Government Code 6254(f), booking information and arrest data are open to public inspection. This includes the person's name, charges, bail amount, and booking date. That is why the Los Angeles County Sheriff can post jail rosters online. The LAPD also releases booking data for its city jails under this same law. Anyone can request this information. You do not need to give a reason or show ID.

Full criminal history records are different in Los Angeles. Penal Code 11105 restricts access to criminal history data maintained by the California DOJ. You cannot get someone else's criminal record through a public records request. Only law enforcement, certain employers, and licensing agencies can access those files. You can check your own record by submitting fingerprints and paying a $25 fee through the DOJ. In Los Angeles, Live Scan fingerprinting locations are available at many police stations and private service providers across the city.

Visiting Inmates in Los Angeles

Los Angeles County jail visits work on a schedule set by each facility. Check the sheriff's website for current visiting hours. Most county facilities allow in-person visits on weekends. Video visits are also available and can be scheduled online. The county switched to a video system at several locations. In-person visits still happen at some Los Angeles facilities, but hours have been cut back in recent years.

For LAPD city jails, visiting is more limited. Since these are short-term facilities, regular visiting schedules do not apply the same way. Call the LAPD Jail Division at (213) 356-3400 to ask about visiting a specific person in Los Angeles city custody. Phone calls from California state prison inmates are free as of January 2023. County jail calls in Los Angeles still carry fees, though rates have dropped. Families can also send messages through electronic messaging systems that the county uses. Mail goes to the facility where the inmate is held. Always include the inmate's full name and booking number on any mail sent to a Los Angeles jail.

Nearby City Inmate Records

Several cities near Los Angeles also have inmate population records you can search. Some share the same county jail system through the Los Angeles County Sheriff.

For full county jail details, see the Los Angeles County inmate population page.