San Mateo Inmate Population

San Mateo inmate population records are held by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. The city has about 105,000 residents and sits on the peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose. San Mateo does not run a city jail. People arrested by San Mateo police go to the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City. This page walks through how to search for inmates, what statewide tools are out there, and the laws that shape access to custody records in San Mateo.

San Mateo County Jail Search

San Mateo County has one main jail facility. The Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City holds all county inmates. It sits at 300 Bradford Street. When the San Mateo Police Department arrests someone, they transport that person to Maguire for booking and processing. There is no temporary holding in San Mateo itself. Every arrest in the city leads to the same county facility. Maguire handles intake around the clock, so new bookings from San Mateo show up in the system at all hours.

The San Mateo County Sheriff runs a corrections division that manages all custody operations. Visit the corrections division page at smcsheriff.com for details on the jail and inmate lookup options. You can call the sheriff at (650) 599-3000 to check if someone from San Mateo is in custody. Phone staff confirm custody status and share booking details. The county also works with third-party jail management tools that provide real-time roster data.

The screenshot below shows the San Mateo County Sheriff corrections page where jail search options are listed.

This page links to current programs, visiting rules, and contact numbers for the Maguire facility. The jail usually holds between 500 and 800 inmates on a given day. That count includes people arrested in San Mateo, Redwood City, South San Francisco, and every other city in the county. To narrow results when searching, use the full name and any other details you have.

Note: If the online search is down, calling (650) 599-3000 is the fastest way to confirm someone's custody status.

Statewide Inmate Search Tools

The CIRIS inmate locator from CDCR covers all 34 state prisons in California. It does not include county jails. If someone from San Mateo was convicted and sentenced to state prison, CIRIS shows their current location, when they were admitted, and their parole schedule. Search by name or CDCR number. The tool is free. A person sentenced in San Mateo County Superior Court and sent to prison will list San Mateo as the commitment county in the system.

VINELink is the other big statewide option. It searches all 58 county jail systems across California. That makes it helpful when you don't know which county someone might be in. Maybe a person was arrested in San Mateo but transferred. VINE checks everywhere. It also lets you set up alerts. You register for notifications and get a call, email, or text when the inmate's status changes. That could be a release, a transfer, or a court date. Call 1-877-411-5588 for the phone version of the VINE service.

The BSCC Jail Profile Survey tracks monthly jail population numbers for every county. San Mateo County data shows average daily population, total bookings, capacity, and more. This is useful for people looking at San Mateo inmate population trends rather than individual inmate lookups. It goes back decades.

San Mateo Records Access Laws

California law makes booking data public. Under Government Code 6254(f), law enforcement must share arrest information with anyone who asks. That includes names, charges, bail amounts, and booking dates. This rule applies to the San Mateo Police Department and the San Mateo County Sheriff. Both agencies release arrest data without requiring you to give a reason or show ID. The county's online jail roster exists because of this law.

Full criminal histories are a different story. Penal Code 11105 restricts access to complete criminal background records. Only the person themselves, certain employers, and law enforcement can get them. To request your own record in San Mateo, go to a Live Scan fingerprint location and pay $25 to the DOJ. Several Live Scan providers operate in the San Mateo area. The DOJ processes the request and sends results, which usually takes a few days to two weeks.

Record clearing is possible in some cases. San Mateo residents can pursue expungement under Penal Code 1203.4 for eligible convictions. Expungement does not erase the record entirely but changes it to show the case was dismissed. The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County offers free help with this process for those who qualify.

Note: Jail rosters only show current inmates, so someone who has been released will no longer appear in the search results.

Visiting Inmates from San Mateo

Visiting at Maguire Correctional Facility follows a schedule set by the sheriff. You need a valid photo ID. The facility offers both in-person and video visits. In-person visits are behind glass for most housing units. Some inmates in minimum security may have access to contact visits. Video visits can be done remotely in some cases. Check with the jail directly for the most current schedule and rules.

Phone calls from the San Mateo County jail carry fees. The county contracts with a provider that sets per-minute rates. Families can add funds to an inmate's phone account online. Since January 2023, state prison calls in California are free, but that rule does not apply to county jails like Maguire. Commissary services and electronic messaging are available through approved vendors at the facility. To send mail, address it to the inmate at Maguire Correctional Facility, 300 Bradford Street, Redwood City, CA 94063, and include the inmate's full name and booking number on all mail.

The San Mateo Police Department handles records for city arrests. For copies of arrest reports or incident logs from San Mateo cases, contact the records division. Reports that involve ongoing investigations may be delayed or partially redacted, but basic booking data is public.

Nearby City Inmate Records

These cities near San Mateo have their own inmate population pages with jail search details.

San Mateo County Inmate Records

San Mateo is the county seat. Visit the county page for the full breakdown of jail facilities and inmate search options.