San Bernardino County, CA Jail Inmate Search & Roster

Find a San Bernardino County Jail Inmate and Verify Current Custody

If you are trying to find someone arrested in San Bernardino County, start with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Inmate Locator. It is the county’s official tool for checking current jail custody and is the best first step for getting the inmate’s booking number and current detention facility.

Important: San Bernardino County does not need a separate static “jail roster” for most searches. The Sheriff’s live inmate locator serves the same practical purpose by letting the public check current county jail custody.

A jail booking is an arrest record, not proof that the person committed or was convicted of the listed offense. Court records should be checked separately when you need the filed case or final disposition.

How to Search the San Bernardino County Jail Roster

1. Go directly to the Sheriff locator. Avoid starting with paid people-search or mugshot websites when the county provides an official search.
2. Enter the inmate information requested. Use the person’s legal name and other identifying details available to you.
3. Try legitimate name variations if necessary. The Sheriff notes that an inmate may sometimes be booked with or without a middle name.
4. Review the match carefully. Similar names are common, so do not assume the first result belongs to the person you want.
5. Save the booking number. The booking number is especially useful when scheduling a visit or contacting jail staff.
6. Note the current facility and housing information. An inmate may be moved after the original booking.
7. Recheck before visiting or mailing anything. Current housing should be confirmed shortly before taking action.

What the Inmate Search Can Help You Find

Once you locate the correct person, use the record to identify the information needed for your next step. Depending on the current booking, this can include the inmate’s booking number, facility, housing location and available custody information.

Keep the two systems separate:

• Sheriff inmate locator: use it for jail custody and booking information.
• Superior Court: use it for the filed criminal case, hearings and available court documents.

San Bernardino County Jail Locations

The Sheriff’s Detention and Corrections Bureau operates four main adult county detention facilities. The facility closest to the place of arrest is not necessarily where the inmate will remain.

If You Cannot Find the Inmate

Use this order instead of repeatedly entering the same search:

• Arrest happened very recently: allow time for transportation and booking, then search again.
• Name does not return a result: retry using the person’s correct legal name and reasonable middle-name variation.
• Person may have been released: current-custody results can change after bail, a court order or completion of processing.
• Transferred to California state prison: use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation incarcerated-person search.
• Federal custody: use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator where appropriate.
• Immigration detention: use the ICE Online Detainee Locator rather than a county jail database.
• Need help after booking: call the Sheriff inmate-information number at 909-350-2476.

How to Schedule a Jail Visit

Locate the inmate before trying to schedule a visit. You should have the inmate’s booking number, facility and housing information available.

1. Open the official Inmate Locator.
2. Find the correct inmate.
3. Look for the link to schedule a visit with that inmate.
4. The Sheriff currently states that the online scheduling link becomes available from Tuesday at midnight through Saturday at 11:59 p.m.
5. If you do not use online scheduling, call the Visiting Center at 909-887-0364.
6. The current Inmate Locator lists telephone scheduling between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
7. Schedule the appointment in advance and confirm the available day and time for the inmate’s facility.
8. Arrive at least 30 minutes early for check-in and screening.
9. Bring acceptable photo identification.

General visitor rules include security screening, proper clothing and valid identification. The Sheriff prohibits weapons, cell phones, photographic or recording equipment, tobacco and illegal drugs in visiting areas.

California Penal Code Section 4571 can restrict a person who has served time in a California state prison for a felony from entering jail grounds without written authorization. If this applies to you, check the Sheriff’s convicted-felon visiting procedure before arriving.

Bail and Release Information

The Sheriff accepts bail at county jail facilities and lists a dedicated Bail Information Line: 909-350-2476. Bail details can depend on the charges, court orders and holds attached to the booking, so check the inmate record and confirm the amount before arranging payment.

The Sheriff identifies several bail methods, including cash bail, approved checks or money orders where applicable, property bonds and bail bonds. For a property bond, court procedures may also be involved.

Sheriff personnel do not choose a bail-bond company for you. If using a private bail agent, independently verify the company and the total fee or collateral terms before signing.

General release windows

• People completing a court-ordered sentence are generally released between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m..
• Court-ordered releases, cite releases, own-recognizance releases and cases that were not filed are generally processed the same day between 6:00 a.m. and midnight.
• People who need medical, mental-health or structured-living release planning may be released at another time on a case-by-case basis.
• Cash bail and bail bonds are accepted 24 hours a day at county jail facilities.

These are general guidelines rather than a guaranteed pickup time. Warrants, other agency holds, court paperwork, medical needs and normal jail processing can affect an actual release.

How to Put Money on an Inmate Account

Money deposited into an inmate account can be used for approved commissary purchases. The Sheriff states that deposit kiosks are available in the lobby of the county jails.

Do not assume that every payment method shown on an old third-party jail page is still accepted. The Sheriff’s current Corrections page should be checked before sending funds.

Phone Calls from a San Bernardino County Jail

Inmates have access to telephones for permitted legal and personal calls while in custody. They generally make outgoing calls rather than receiving ordinary incoming calls from family or friends.

• Telephone availability can depend on housing operations and jail security.
• Calls may be restricted during lockdowns, medication distribution, meals or disciplinary restrictions.
• Do not give sensitive financial information to anyone merely because a call appears to come from a jail-related number.
• For a genuine emergency involving an inmate, contact the inmate’s current facility and explain the situation to jail staff.

How to Send Mail to an Inmate

Confirm the inmate’s current jail and booking number before mailing a letter because inmates can move between facilities.

The Sheriff permits regular and legal correspondence subject to security inspection and jail rules. Do not send cash, contraband or unapproved objects in ordinary inmate mail.

Before sending photographs, books, publications, cards or anything beyond a normal letter, check the Sheriff’s current inmate-mail rules. Facilities can reject items because of content, packaging, security risks or the way the item was mailed.

Inmate Property

The Sheriff limits which personal-property items can be picked up or dropped off. Its general Corrections guidance identifies items such as clothing, money, prescription medication and legal documents as property categories handled under jail procedures.

For property to be released, the inmate normally must authorize the release. The person collecting the property should bring identification and contact the inmate’s facility before traveling.

Medical or Mental-Health Information for Someone in Jail

If a family member has important medication or mental-health information, first locate the inmate and obtain the booking number and location. The Sheriff’s inmate-information instructions ask families to provide identifying details such as the person’s full legal name, date of birth, booking number and location when submitting relevant health information.

Include only information useful to the medical or mental-health team, such as diagnosis, prescribing doctor, medication name, dosage, schedule, known adverse reactions and other clinically relevant history.

How to Check Charges, Court Dates and the Criminal Case

A jail booking number is not the same as a Superior Court case number. The jail locator answers the custody question. For the criminal court case, use the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino.

1. Locate the inmate first and save the correct name and available booking information.
2. Open the San Bernardino Superior Court’s official Case Information & Documents page.
3. Continue to the Court Access Portal.
4. Search using the available party or case information.
5. Match the court case carefully to the person you found in the jail system.
6. Use the court record—not a third-party jail page—when you need filed charges, hearings or the court disposition.

Older Arrest Records, Booking Records and Mugshots

If the inmate is no longer shown as currently held, choose the source based on the record you actually need:

The San Bernardino County Sheriff states that it generally does not release booking photographs. That is important if you are specifically searching for a San Bernardino County mugshot. A commercial mugshot website should not be treated as an authoritative county record.

When requesting a Sheriff record, provide as much useful identifying information as possible, such as the person’s name, approximate incident or arrest date and booking or report number when known. Some records are restricted by law and may require identification or proof that you are an authorized requester.

County Jail, State Prison, Federal Custody or ICE?

A failed county-jail search sometimes means the person is in a different custody system. Use this table before assuming no record exists.

Useful Related Jail Searches

If the arrest happened outside San Bernardino County, use the jail system for the actual arrest or detention jurisdiction. These related guides may help when the location is uncertain:

• Los Angeles County Jail Inmate Search & Roster
• Orange County Jail Inmate Search & Roster
• Riverside County Jail Inmate Search & Roster

San Bernardino County Jail Inmate Search FAQs