Search Arrest, Mugshot & Inmate Records by Name
Search by name and state for arrest, booking, mugshot, inmate, jail roster, prison, criminal and court-record search categories.
Independent records-search resource. This website is not a government agency, police department, sheriff's office, jail, prison or courthouse. Search coverage varies by source and jurisdiction. Some links may lead to third-party services, and compensation may be received when a partner service is used.
Find the Right State Inmate Record Without Searching the Wrong System
A state jail inmate search usually means finding someone held by a state Department of Corrections, but the correct database depends on where the person is actually being held. Someone arrested yesterday may still be in a county or city jail, while a person serving a state sentence will normally appear in a state corrections locator.
If the person is serving a state sentence, use the official state Department of Corrections inmate or offender locator. If the arrest was recent, search the county jail where the arrest occurred first. Federal prisoners use the Bureau of Prisons locator, while immigration detention uses a separate federal system.
The terminology is not identical nationwide. Agencies may call the tool an Inmate Search, Offender Search, Incarcerated Individual Search, Resident Lookup, Offender Locator or Corrections Search. Texas also uses “state jail” as an actual correctional and sentencing category, while in many other states people use “state jail” informally when they mean a state prison.
Official locator links and procedures reviewed October 27, 2026. Custody location, supervision status, projected release dates and facility assignments can change.
First Identify Which Custody System Has the Person
This is the most important step. There is no single public inmate database containing every county jail, state prison, federal prisoner and immigration detainee in the United States.
| Situation | Start Here | Typical Information |
|---|---|---|
| Recently arrested, awaiting court or serving a local jail sentence | County sheriff, county jail or city detention system | Booking date, charges, bond, local jail, booking number and sometimes court information |
| Serving a state prison sentence or under state corrections supervision | State Department of Corrections locator | DOC number, facility, custody status, sentence, offenses and available release or parole information |
| Convicted or detained in the federal system | Federal Bureau of Prisons | Register number, federal facility and available release information |
| Immigration detention | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee locator | Immigration detention location when publicly available |
| Need the final outcome of a criminal case | State or county court records | Filed charges, hearings, plea, judgment, sentence and disposition |
For examples of how local custody differs from state custody, see our Ohio jail inmate search guide, Bexar County jail inmate search, Martin County, Florida jail guide, and San Bernardino County inmate search guide.
How to Search for a State Prison Inmate
- Identify the state. Use the state where the person was sentenced or is believed to be incarcerated, not automatically the state where they normally live.
- Open the official state locator. Use the directory below. It links to a state corrections agency, government-hosted locator or a custody service specifically recommended by that state.
- Start with less information. Enter the legal last name and, when required, first name. Adding too many filters can hide a correct match if one detail is wrong.
- Use the DOC or inmate number when known. A unique corrections ID is normally more reliable than a common name.
- Open the matching profile. Compare date of birth or age, correctional number, status, facility and other available identifiers. Never identify someone from a common name alone.
- Recheck the live record before acting. Confirm the current facility immediately before visiting, sending money, mailing documents or relying on a projected release date.
Information to have before searching
- Full legal first and last name
- Middle name or initial, if known
- Date of birth or approximate age
- State where the person was sentenced
- DOC, inmate, offender, SID or other correctional number
- Possible alias or alternate spelling
- County of arrest or conviction when the state search allows that filter
Official State Inmate Search Directory
Select the state connected with the person’s incarceration. Most links below go directly to an official corrections locator. Where a state officially relies on VINE or another custody-notification service, the link goes through the state agency’s recommended route.
- Alabama — ADOC Inmate Search
- Alaska — DOC / VINE
- Arizona — Inmate Data Search
- Arkansas — Inmate Search
- California — CDCR CIRIS
- Colorado — CDOC Offender Search
- Connecticut — Inmate Information
- Delaware — Inmate Locator
- Florida — FDC Offender Search
- Georgia — Find an Offender
- Hawaii — SAVIN / VINE
- Idaho — Resident/Client Search
- Illinois — Individual in Custody Search
- Indiana — IDOC Offender Locator
- Iowa — Offender Search
- Kansas — KASPER Search
- Kentucky — KOOL
- Louisiana — State-Recommended VINE Search
- Maine — Adult Resident Search
- Maryland — Incarcerated Individual Locator
- Massachusetts — Prison Locator
- Michigan — OTIS
- Minnesota — Individual Search
- Mississippi — MDOC Inmate Search
- Missouri — Offender Search
- Montana — Offender Search
- Nebraska — Incarceration Search
- Nevada — NDOC Inmate Search
- New Hampshire — Inmate Locator
- New Jersey — DOC Inmate Finder
- New Mexico — Offender Search
- New York — DOCCS Lookup
- North Carolina — Offender Search
- North Dakota — Resident Lookup
- Ohio — ODRC Offender Search
- Oklahoma — Offender Search
- Oregon — Offender Search
- Pennsylvania — Inmate Locator
- Rhode Island — Incarceration Search
- South Carolina — Inmate Search
- South Dakota — Offender Locator
- Tennessee — FOIL
- Texas — TDCJ Inmate Search
- Utah — Offender Search
- Vermont — DOC Offender Locator
- Virginia — Inmate & Supervisee Locator
- Washington — Incarcerated Search
- West Virginia — Offender Search
- Wisconsin — DOC Locator
- Wyoming — WDOC Locator
- District of Columbia — Locate an Inmate
A failed state search is often a jurisdiction problem rather than proof that no custody record exists. If the arrest was recent, switch to the sheriff or jail for the county where the arrest occurred.
What Information Can a State Inmate Lookup Show?
The available fields differ by state. A public state corrections profile may contain some or all of the following:
| Field | What It Usually Means |
|---|---|
| DOC / offender number | A state corrections identifier assigned to the person. It is often the most accurate way to repeat a search. |
| Custody status | May indicate incarcerated, supervised, parole, probation, released, absconded or another agency-specific status. |
| Current facility | The correctional institution or other location currently associated with the record. |
| Admission or sentence information | Dates and sentence information connected with state custody when the agency makes those fields public. |
| Offense information | Conviction or correctional offense information maintained by the state system. Court records remain the better source for the complete case history. |
| Projected or scheduled release | An available release estimate or scheduled date. It can change because of sentence calculations, court action, credits, parole decisions or other factors. |
| Parole information | Eligibility, hearings or supervision information in states that publish it. |
| Photograph | Some state systems display a correctional photograph; others do not. |
For example, Alabama’s current official search supports an AIS number or name search and states that its public database contains currently incarcerated inmates. Idaho permits name or IDOC-number searches and says its database is updated daily. Washington allows a name or DOC-number search for currently incarcerated individuals. Florida maintains separate inmate population, release, escape, supervised-population and absconder searches.
No Results? Work Through These Checks
- Search the last name only. A middle name, suffix, date of birth or spelling error can eliminate an otherwise valid result.
- Try a legal or former name. Some systems include aliases, but not all search interfaces automatically search them.
- Check the county jail. Someone arrested recently may not have entered state prison custody.
- Allow for transfer processing. A person moving from a county jail to a state reception center may temporarily be difficult to locate online.
- Check for release. Some state locators retain former offenders while others limit public searches to current or recently supervised people.
- Try the federal system. A federal case will not normally appear in the state’s corrections database.
- Use the court case. If the real question is what happened in the criminal prosecution, search the court rather than repeatedly searching the inmate locator.
Different states publish different historical ranges. Michigan, for example, explains that its OTIS system generally displays people currently under MDOC jurisdiction and certain people discharged within the previous three years, subject to its disclosure rules. Alabama states that its online inmate search contains currently incarcerated inmates rather than historical data.
How to Find Older State Inmate and Prison Records
A current inmate locator is not the same thing as a complete criminal-history or archival record search. If the person was released years ago, use this order:
- Search the state corrections locator to see whether it includes former inmates.
- Look for the corrections agency’s records, public-information, FOIA or open-records page.
- Use the state or county court system for the conviction, judgment and final disposition.
- If the incarceration was federal and old, review the Bureau of Prisons and National Archives guidance for older federal records.
A corrections profile answers a different question from a court docket. The corrections record focuses on custody and supervision; the court record is the stronger source for what was filed, decided and sentenced.
County Jail vs State Prison vs Federal Prison
| System | Who Usually Operates It | Who May Appear There | Best Search |
|---|---|---|---|
| County or local jail | Sheriff, county corrections agency, regional jail or city | Recent arrests, pretrial detainees and some locally sentenced inmates | Official sheriff or jail roster |
| State corrections | Department of Corrections or equivalent state agency | People serving state sentences and, in some states, people under correctional supervision | Official state offender locator |
| Federal prison | Federal Bureau of Prisons | People in BOP custody for federal matters and other qualifying federal custody | BOP Inmate Locator |
The Bureau of Prisons states that its locator contains federal inmate information and does not serve as a database for ordinary state or county inmates. It provides searchable federal records for people in BOP custody from 1982 to the present.
Likewise, a state prison locator cannot be assumed to search every county jail in that state. Maine’s Department of Corrections, for example, specifically tells families of recently arrested people to contact the jail for the county where the offense occurred rather than relying on the state corrections search.
Before Sending Money, Mail or Traveling for a Visit
Use the inmate locator to identify the person first, then verify the facility’s current instructions. Do not rely on an old address, old screenshot or third-party directory for a transaction.
- Run the inmate search again and confirm the current facility.
- Write down the exact DOC or inmate number.
- Open the facility page from the official corrections website.
- Check the current mailing address; some agencies use centralized mail-processing addresses.
- Confirm which money-deposit provider the agency currently accepts.
- Review visitor approval requirements and the current visitation schedule.
- Verify the inmate is still at that facility before making a long trip.
Transfers can occur with little notice to the public. New York DOCCS, for example, advises users to confirm an incarcerated person’s location shortly before visiting because a transfer can change the assigned facility.
Official National Resources
These federal resources are useful when you are unsure which jurisdiction to search:
- National Institute of Corrections — Find Someone Who Is Incarcerated: federal government directory connecting users to state correctional systems.
- U.S. Department of Justice — Locate a Prison or Inmate: federal guidance for locating prisons and federal inmates.
- Federal Bureau of Prisons — Inmate Locator: search federal inmates by name or federal identification number.
State Jail Inmate Search FAQs
1. How do I search for a state jail inmate?
Choose the state where the person is believed to be incarcerated, open that state’s official Department of Corrections locator, and search by legal name or correctional ID. If the arrest was recent and no state result appears, search the county jail where the arrest occurred.
2. Is there one inmate search for every state in the United States?
No. Each state maintains its own corrections system, and county jails maintain separate local records. Federal prisoners also use a separate Bureau of Prisons database.
3. Can I search a state inmate by name?
Yes, most state corrections systems allow a name search. Start with the last name and add the first name only when necessary. A DOC, offender or inmate number is usually more precise when you have it.
4. Why can’t I find someone who was just arrested?
A newly arrested person may still be in a county or city jail and therefore may not appear in a state corrections database. Intake and transfer processing can also delay an online record.
5. Does a state inmate search show release dates?
Some states publish projected, earliest, scheduled or other release information, while others publish less detail. Any displayed date can be subject to change, so verify the live state record before relying on it.
6. Can a state inmate search show charges and convictions?
Many state systems display offense or sentence information, but a corrections locator is not a complete court record. Use the appropriate criminal court database to verify filed charges, judgments and final case disposition.
7. How do I find an inmate if I do not know the state?
Start with the place of arrest, conviction or sentencing. If the person may be in federal custody, check the Bureau of Prisons locator. The National Institute of Corrections also provides a government directory of state correctional search resources.
8. How can I find an inmate who was released years ago?
Check whether the state’s locator includes former inmates. If it does not, look for the corrections agency’s public-records process and search the relevant court record. Historical availability varies substantially by state.
9. Is a state jail inmate search the same as a county jail search?
No. A state corrections search generally covers people under state corrections jurisdiction, while a county jail search covers people held by a local sheriff, county detention center or regional jail. Recent arrests are commonly found in the local system first.
10. What should I verify before visiting or sending money to an inmate?
Confirm the person’s identity, current facility and DOC or inmate number using the live official locator. Then use that facility’s current official instructions for visitation, mail, telephone service and deposits because procedures and vendors can change.
Use the Search That Matches the Person’s Current Custody
The quickest state jail inmate search is not necessarily the database with the most records; it is the database operated for the person’s actual custody system. Use the state directory above for sentenced state inmates, the local sheriff for recent county-jail custody, and the Bureau of Prisons for federal inmates. Once you find the correct record, verify the live facility and inmate number before taking the next step.