Find inmates in California state prisons and county jails. Search the official CDCR inmate locator, county jail rosters, and custody status databases.
The CDCR maintains an online inmate locator allowing the public to search for individuals currently incarcerated in California state facilities. This directory also links to county jail rosters, federal inmate search tools, and victim notification programs for California.
Use these steps to locate someone in a California state prison or county jail.
Visit the official CDCR website and navigate to the inmate search tool. You can search by first name, last name, or DOC number. Results show facility location, custody level, and projected release date.
If the person was recently arrested or awaiting trial, they may be held at a California county jail. Most California county sheriffs publish online jail rosters searchable by name. Visit the county sheriff's website for the county where the arrest occurred.
For individuals sentenced to federal crimes, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate locator at bop.gov/inmateloc. Federal inmates are held in separate facilities from state prisoners.
The VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) system notifies registered victims when an inmate's custody status changes. Register at VINELink.com or through the California VINE program.
Yes. The CDCR official inmate locator is free to use online. County jail roster searches are also typically free. Third-party aggregate sites may charge fees but are not official sources.
The CDCR locator typically shows full name, DOC ID number, current facility, custody level, offense(s), sentence length, earliest release date, and sometimes a photo. County jails may show booking date, charges, and bond amount.
If you can't find someone, they may be: held in a county jail not linked to the state system; held in a federal facility (check BOP); recently released or transferred; or the name may be spelled differently. Try searching with partial names or alternate spellings. You can also call the CDCR directly.