Santa Barbara County Inmate Lookup

Santa Barbara County inmate population records are handled by the Sheriff's Office, which operates the main county jail in Santa Barbara and the Northern Branch Jail near Santa Maria. The sheriff provides a free "Who's in Custody" search tool on the department website that shows current inmates by name. Santa Barbara County stretches along the California coast with a population of about 450,000. The jail system processes bookings from across the county. You can search for inmates online, use VINELink, or call the sheriff directly at (805) 681-4260. This page walks through the main tools for finding Santa Barbara County inmate population data.

Santa Barbara Sheriff Custody Search

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff posts a "Who's in Custody" tool on the department website. This is the primary way the public checks on inmates in the county jail system. You search by name and the tool returns a list of matches. Each result shows the person's charges, bail amount, booking date, and which facility holds them. Santa Barbara County runs two jail facilities. The main jail sits at 4434 Calle Real in Santa Barbara. The Northern Branch Jail is near Santa Maria and serves the northern part of the county. Both facilities feed into the same search system.

The search tool is free. You do not need to create an account. It works on any device with a web browser. Santa Barbara County updates the custody list as bookings and releases happen throughout the day. If a person was just arrested in Santa Barbara County, they may not appear right away. Booking takes time. There can be a delay of a few hours between arrest and when the record shows up in the search tool. The system only shows current inmates. Once someone leaves Santa Barbara County custody, they drop off the results. For past bookings, contact the sheriff's records unit at (805) 681-4260.

How to Search Santa Barbara Inmates

The "Who's in Custody" tool is the best starting point for Santa Barbara County inmate population searches. If it does not show the person you need, try VINELink next. VINE works statewide across all California counties. You search by name and VINE checks every county jail. This is helpful when you do not know if someone is in Santa Barbara County or was moved to another facility. Register for alerts and VINE contacts you when an inmate's status changes. Call 1-877-411-5588 to use VINE by phone.

State prison inmates from Santa Barbara County appear in the CIRIS inmate locator run by CDCR. CIRIS covers all California state prisons and is free to use. It does not include county jail data. So if someone is held at the Santa Barbara County jail, they will not show up in CIRIS. The two systems serve different parts of the inmate population. County jail handles pre-trial detainees and short sentences. State prison handles convicted people serving longer terms. Santa Barbara County is also home to the United States Penitentiary at Lompoc, which is a federal facility. Federal inmates are searched through the BOP inmate locator, not CIRIS or the county system.

The BSCC Jail Profile Survey tracks Santa Barbara County jail population numbers over time. It shows monthly data on average daily population, rated capacity, and total bookings. This is a useful tool for seeing how Santa Barbara County jail population has changed year to year.

Note: Santa Barbara County's Northern Branch Jail expanded the county's jail capacity when it opened. Both facilities show up in the same online search.

Santa Barbara Records and Law

Booking records in Santa Barbara County are public. Government Code 6254(f) requires California law enforcement to share booking information with the public. That includes names, charges, bail, and booking dates. This is why the Santa Barbara County Sheriff can post inmate data online. The law supports public access to this kind of information.

Full criminal histories are not public in California. Penal Code 11105 keeps criminal background records under DOJ control. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff does not release full criminal histories. Only certain agencies and the person themselves can view those files. What you see in the Santa Barbara County inmate search is a current view of jail population. It shows who is in custody right now. It is not a criminal background check. If you want your own record, go to a Live Scan provider in Santa Barbara County and submit fingerprints to the DOJ for $25.

Santa Barbara Custody Portal

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's "Who's in Custody" page is available at sbsheriff.org shown below.

The search page lets you look up inmates by name at the Santa Barbara County jail. Results include charges, bail, and the facility where the person is held. The tool covers both the main jail and the Northern Branch Jail.

Nearby Counties

Counties next to Santa Barbara run their own jails and inmate search systems. Check these pages for inmate population tools in neighboring areas.