Free California Arrest & Criminal Records: Search Every CA County

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Free California Arrest Records & Criminal Records Search

Access California Records: background checks, mugshots, warrants, probation and parole, court records, and all criminal and arrest records.

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Search free California criminal records and arrest records in every county and through official channels today.

While these records are made available to the public in the state of California thanks to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the California Public Records Act (CPRA), the process can be convoluted due to countless record custodians (agencies that host and provide records), processes, restrictions, privacy laws and other nuances that come along with public record lookups on anyone in California.

This resource streamlines this process to make access to all types of records quick and easy.

The remainder of this article will cover how to:

• Determine if someone is on probation, parole, or has a warrant out for their arrest
• See if someone is in a California state prison or federal prison
• Find arrest records and post bail
• Locate criminal records to see if someone has a criminal history
• Seal and expunge criminal records
• Check for sexual predators nearby

Accessibility of Criminal & Arrest Records in California

When determining if someone has a criminal record or an arrest record in California, searches can benefit from knowing what the differences between arrests vs criminal records because they entail slightly different information.

For example, all juvenile records are confidential and inaccessible to the public and adult criminal records are only granted to law enforcement agencies and other authorized applicant agencies through the California Department of Justice (DOJ).¹ Individuals may request their own criminal records to assure their accuracy but are prohibited from accessing others’.

Adult arrest records, on the other hand, are viewable by any citizen in accordance with state FOIA laws including the California Public Records Act (CPRA) although in some cases a redacted version may be given to protect personal information, ongoing litigation details, and other information exempt from public disclosure.²

Californians may access public records held by state and local governments, so arrest records and inmate information are often available from local courthouses, sheriff’s offices and the Department of Justice.³

The deadlines, copying fees, and exceptions for public requests from the DOJ will be honored as follows:

However, criminal records are confidential and will not be disclosed by the DOJ to the general public unless an individual requests their own. The California DOJ Guide to Accessing Public Records can offer direction to searchers as well.⁴

Information on past and current arrests can be requested or viewed without any stated purpose via local police and sheriff’s department offices or local courthouses in person and, when available, online.

All records requests, including criminal history, background checks, and any other public information, must be used in alignment with federal rules and regulations outlined and overseen by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) as a protection measure against discrimination and misuse.^{5, 6}

What Information Is Shown on Criminal Records Searches vs Arrest Records in California?

An arrest record and a criminal record or “rap sheet” may show some of the same information, but arrest records involve misdemeanor and felony arrest information once a suspect is in custody, while a criminal record holds both arrest information and conviction details–meaning the individual was found guilty of a crime–so criminal records are more comprehensive.

California arrest records include the following information:

• Full Name & Known Aliases
• Gender
• Date of Birth
• Arrest Details (Location, Arresting Officer, Time, Date, Reason)
• Detainment Information & Location

Criminal records in California will not show any criminal convictions from other states or at the federal level and are only available to authorized parties or for requesters wanting their own record, so they are barred from public viewing.

Searchers who use third-party sites are not limited by California search restrictions and may, therefore, be able to access more information than government sites will disclose. These third-party options can be valuable and useful when searching for criminal records outside of CA or when the person’s past residences aren’t known.

California criminal records include:

• Active Warrants
• Arrests
• Criminal Cases & Outcomes in California
• Criminal Charges
• Date of Birth
• Detainment & Incarceration Details
• Ethnicity
• Fingerprints
• Full Name & Known Aliases
• Gender
• Identifying Tattoos, Scars, Birthmarks
• Prior Convictions

How To Check for Recent Arrests & Mugshots in California (Look Up Why Someone Is in Jail for Free)

Concerned friends and family members wondering how to find recent arrests in CA or how to find out someone’s charges can do so via several methods, such as by using the state’s inmate locator tool or contacting the sheriff’s office or arresting agency local to where the arrest was made.

These offices and resources will have information on daily arrests and current inmates along with their mugshots (if available) and can be contacted by phone or in person. Many county sheriff’s offices also have a website that provides an online inmate lookup tool similar to the statewide version – both of which are detailed below. In either case, searchers should know the name of the arrestee and the county or city where the arrest was made.

Find Arrest Records Through County Jails & Sheriff’s Offices: See CA Mugshots

Searchers wanting to find someone who’s in jail anywhere in California — along with their arrest report — can do so at the county level via the local sheriff’s office or online county search tool, as county jails are overseen by the California Board of State & Community Corrections but run by the local sheriff’s departments.⁷

While many county jails do have their own website and lookup tool (which can be found below, if available), not all counties have these online search options, so individuals could call the numbers listed below or visit the local sheriff’s office in person instead:

County Inmate Search Tool or Contact Page	County Jail or Sheriff’s Office Phone Number	Shows Mugshots?
Alameda County	Jail: 925-551-6500 Sheriff’s Office: 510-272-6878	X
Amador County	Jail: 209-233-6522 Sheriff’s Office: 530-694-2231	√
Calaveras County	Jail: 209-754-6499 Sheriff’s Office: 209-754-6500	X
Contra Costa County	Jail: 925-335-4600 Sheriff’s Office: 925-655-0000	X
Del Norte County	Sheriff’s Office: 707-464-4191	√
​​El Dorado County *2 County Jails	South Lake Tahoe Jail: 530-573-3030 Placerville Jail: 530-621-6000 Sheriff’s Office: 530-621-5655	X
Fresno County	Jail: 559-475-9491 Sheriff’s Office: 559-600-8400	X
Kern County	Sheriff’s Office: 661-861-3110	X
Kings County	Jail: 559-584-1431 ext 2812 Sheriff’s Office: 559-584-1431	X
Lake County	Jail: 707-262-4240 Sheriff’s Office: 707-262-4200	√
Los Angeles County	Jail: 213-473-6100 Sheriff’s Office: 213-229-1700	X
Madera County	Jail: 559-675-7951 Sheriff’s Office: 559-675-7703	√
Marin County	Jail: 415-473-6655 Sheriff’s Office: 415-499-6653	X
Mariposa County	Jail: 209- 966-3616 Sheriff’s Office: 209-966-3615	X
Mendocino County	Jail: 707-463-4423 Sheriff’s Office: 707-463-4085	√
Merced County	Jail: 209-385-7410 Sheriff’s Office: 209-385-7445	√
Mono County	Jail: 760-932-7549 Sheriff’s Office: 760-932-7549	√
Monterey County	Jail: 831-755-3782 Sheriff’s Office: 831-755-3700	X
Napa County	Jail: 707-253-4401 Sheriff’s Office: 707-253-4509	X
Nevada County	Jail: 530-265-1291 Sheriff’s Office: 530-265-1471	X
Orange County	Jail: 714-647-4666 Sheriff’s Office: 714-647-7000	X
Riverside County	Jail: 951-955-4500 Sheriff’s Office: 951-955-2400	X
Sacramento County	Jail: 916-874-6752 Sheriff’s Office: 916-874-5115	X
San Bernardino County	Jail: 909-887-0364 Sheriff’s Office: 760-956-5001	X
San Diego County	Jail: 619-610-1647 Sheriff’s Office: 858-974-2222	X
San Francisco County	Jail: 415-553-1430 Sheriff’s Office: 415-554-7225	X
San Joaquin County	Jail: 209-468-4562 Sheriff’s Office: 209-468-4400	X
San Luis Obispo County	Jail: 805-781-4600 Sheriff’s Office: 805-781-4588	X
San Mateo County	Jail: 650-363-4311 Sheriff’s Office: 650-363-4911	X
Santa Barbara County	Jail: 805-683-2724 Sheriff’s Office: 805-681-4100	X
Santa Clara	Jail: 408-808-2800 Sheriff’s Office: 408-299-8890	X
Santa Cruz County	Jail: 831-454-7800 Sheriff’s Office: 831-454-7600	X
Shasta County	Jail: 530-245-6100 Sheriff’s Office: 530-225-5561	X
Siskiyou County	Jail: 530-842-8157 Sheriff’s Office: 530-842-8300	X
Solano County	Jail: 707-784-7100 Sheriff’s Office: 707-784-7000	X
Sonoma County	Jail: 707-565-1400 Sheriff’s Office: 707-565-2121	X
Stanislaus County	Jail: 209-491-8727 Sheriff’s Office: 209-525-7216	X
Sutter County	Jail: 530-822-7302 Sheriff’s Office: 530-822-7307	√
Tehama County	Jail: 530-529-7910 Sheriff’s Office: 530-529-7933	√
Tulare County	Jail: 559-636-4655 Sheriff’s Office: 559-802-9400	X
Ventura County	Jail: 805-933-8501 Sheriff’s Office: 805.654.2380	X
Yuba County	Jail: 530-749-7740 Sheriff’s Office: 530-749-7777	X

Here are the California counties that do not have online inmate lookup tools, along with their phone number and a link to their contact page:

• Alpine County Sheriff 530-694-2231
• Butte County Sheriff 530-458-0200
• Glenn County Sheriff 530-934-6441
• Humboldt County Sheriff 707-445-7251
• Imperial County Sheriff 442-265-2021
• Inyo County Sheriff 760-878-0383
• Lassen County Sheriff 530-251-8013
• Modoc County Sheriff 530-233-4416
• Placer County Sheriff 916-409-8100
• Plumas County Sheriff 530-283-6375
• San Benito Sheriff 831-636-4080
• Sierra County Sheriff 530-289-3700
• Trinity County Sheriff 530-623-2611
• Tuolumne County Sheriff 209-533-5855
• Yolo County Sheriff 530-668-5280

When searching California arrest records or attempting to figure out what someone was arrested for, contacting the county law enforcement from the table above provides the broadest and most reliable results.

For example, someone trying to find arrest records in Orange County has the option of using the inmate search tool, calling the county sheriff, or reaching out to the jail. More in-depth information on how to utilize each of these resources to find arrest information can be reviewed in the process of looking up Orange County arrest details.

Further examples can be reviewed by checking out the steps for finding Riverside County arrest information or the overview of tracking down arrestees’ records in Fresno County, California.

Check Local Police Departments in California: Look Up Arrests & Inmate Rosters in City Jails

Searchers wanting to find recent arrests in California’s city jails should contact the city police department as these are the agencies responsible for operating city jails. If the city is unknown, individuals can start their search at the county level and then narrow it down to the city.

Searchers should note that not all city police departments have online inmate locator tools; in such cases, individuals can call or visit the department office in person to inquire about how to find out if someone was arrested and if they’re being held at the city jail.

California arrest records and city jail inmates can be found by following these steps:

Step 1: Google “[City Name] California inmate search”.

For example, a citizen seeking information or arrest records on an inmate that was detained in South Pasadena would type “South Pasadena California inmate search”.

Step 2: The search results can be reviewed to find the city’s official police department or law enforcement agency website (these may end with “.gov” but not always).

From the example above, the City of South Pasadena’s Jail website will come up.⁹

Step 3: Review the website to see if there is an inmate registry or search tool for recent arrests.

In the case of South Pasadena, there is not an online search tool but the Jail Information page states that the South Pasadena Police Department (SPPD) can be contacted at (626)403-7270 for general inmate status information.

Step 4: Use the online search tool to type in an inmate’s full name or ID number (if available); if not, call the police department’s non-emergency phone number to ask about a specific inmate or arrest. Department offices can also be visited for in-person inquiries.

Individuals still unsure of how to perform a search or in need of assistance could opt to seek the help of a bail bondsman to check whether an inmate is in a certain jail and help with navigating the process of bail.

Learn How To Contact California Jail Inmates & Bail Them Out

Friends, family members, and other interested persons may contact jail inmates during regular phone hours between 8 a.m. and 9:45 p.m. at most locations unless inmates have had phone access restricted for disciplinary reasons.

All inmate phone usage is available via Global Tel Link (GTL)/ViaPath and outgoing calls must be either collect or prepaid and are subject to monitoring unless to an attorney or ombudsman. Relatives and other inmate contacts must create a GTL account to be able to receive calls.

The state of California prohibits any detained person from being held for the sole reason of not being able to afford bail. Evidence must be given to prove that the inmate is a threat to public safety or released without being charged any fee, but there may be stipulations such as losing firearm access.

Though the bail amount and process in California varies based on the alleged crime and the county it occurred in, the generic steps to post bail for inmates include:

Step 1: Confirm the location of the inmate by contacting the jail or using a search tool on the sheriff’s department website, if available. A full name, date of birth, and booking number will be needed.

For example, an interested party wanting to post bail for an inmate in El Dorado County would check the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department website from the table above and could type the individual’s name into the search bar or call the sheriff’s office directly at 530-621-5655 to inquire about which jail the inmate is held in (El Dorado County has two jails).

Step 2: Find out the exact bail amount by checking if it’s listed on the county search site, calling the sheriff’s department or jail, or requesting the help of a bail bondsman.

Continuing the El Dorado example, if the searcher found out that the inmate was held at Placerville Jail, they could call 530-621-6000 and ask how much is bail for [name of inmate]”.

Step 3: Choose a method of paying bail; in California, there are three options. Cash bail must be paid in full, bail bonds require both a set fee and collateral, and property bail (more rare) means that real estate is given as collateral instead of money.

Bail set at $20,000 for a Placerville Jail inmate would have to be paid in full by an individual choosing to pay cash.

Step 4: Post (pay) bail through a bail bondsman (they can expedite the process but will usually charge at least a 10% non-refundable fee) or directly to the jail.

Step 5: The inmate will be released usually within a time frame of 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on processing time.

How To Search CA Criminal Records

California criminal records are kept by county courts as well as the California Department of Justice, but background checks may also show some criminal history information as well.¹

However, criminal records are not available to the public in California, so any individual can only request their own record copy. Though the public cannot access criminal records aside from their own report, official law enforcement agencies and other officials or specific employers authorized by the Department of Justice can access criminal records either online or in person.

Perform a Criminal Record Search via the County’s Court Case Access or Clerk of Court (California)

As previously mentioned, individuals may only access their own criminal records in California, so others’ records will be inaccessible to the general public; however, by contacting other states’ courts, online criminal record systems or other record custodians, citizens may find other criminal records that originated outside of the state of California.

Organizations, certain employers, and other authorized officials or entities may go through FCRA-compliant background check companies to obtain certain criminal information and records in regards to determining employment, volunteering, housing and licensing verification.

California residents who wish to review their own criminal records can do so by contacting the local courthouse. All California Superior Courts can be found in the table below (alphabetically by county):

County Criminal Record Search	County Courthouse Address	Shows Mugshots?
Alameda*	2233 Shore Line Drive Alameda, CA 94501	X
Alpine**	14777 State Route 89 Markleeville, CA 96120	X
Amador*	500 Argonaut Lane Jackson, CA 95642	X
Butte	One Court Street Oroville, CA 95965-3303	X
Calaveras	400 Government Center Drive, San Andreas, CA 95249	X
Colusa**	547 Market St Colusa, CA 95932	X
Contra Costa	725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553	X
Del Norte	450 H Street Crescent City, CA 95531	X
El Dorado*	495 Main Street Placerville, CA 95667	X
Fresno	2317 Tuolumne Street Fresno, CA 93721-1220	X
Glenn	526 West Sycamore St Willows, CA 95988	X
Humboldt**	825 5th Street Eureka, CA 95501	X
Imperial*	220 Main Street Brawley, CA 92227	X
Inyo	301 West Line Street Bishop, CA 93514	X
Kern	1122 Jefferson St Delano, CA 93215	X
Kings	1640 Kings County Drive Hanford, CA 93230	X
Lake	7000-A South Center Drive Clearlake, CA 95422	X
Lassen*	2610 Riverside Drive Susanville, CA 96130	X
Los Angeles	5925 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028	X
Madera*	200 South G Street Madera, CA 93637	X
Marin	3501 Civic Center Vera Schultz Dr San Rafael, CA 94903	X
Mariposa	5088 Bullion Street Mariposa, CA 95338	X
Mendocino	100 North State St Ukiah, CA 95482	X
Merced*	1159 G St Los Banos, CA 93635	X
Modoc*	205 S East Street Alturas, CA 96101	X
Mono**	100 Thompson Way Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546	X
Monterey	240 Church St Salinas, CA 93901	X
Napa	1111 Third Street Napa, CA 94559	X
Nevada*	201 Church Street Nevada City, CA 95959	X
Orange	700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701	X
Placer	10820 Justice Center Drive Roseville, CA 95678	X
Plumas**	520 Main Street Quincy, CA 95971	X
Riverside*	311 E. Ramsey Street Banning, CA. 92220	X
Sacramento*	720 9th Street Sacramento, CA 95814	X
San Benito*	450 Fourth Street Hollister, CA 95023	X
San Bernardino	247 W 3rd St San Bernardino, CA 92415	X
​San Diego	1100 Union StSan Diego, CA 92101	X
San Francisco	400 McAllister St. San Francisco, CA 94102	X
San Joaquin	180 E. Weber Ave. Stockton, CA 95202	X
San Luis Obispo**	1050 Monterey Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93408	X
San Mateo	400 County Center Redwood City, CA 94063	X
Santa Barbara	118 E. Figueroa Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101	X
Santa Clara	191 North First Street San Jose, CA 95113	X
Santa Cruz	701 Ocean Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060	X
Shasta	1500 Court Street Redding, California 96001	X
Sierra**	100 Courthouse Square Downieville, CA 95936	X
Siskiyou*	411 Fourth Street Yreka, CA 96097	X
Solano*	600 Union Ave Fairfield, CA	X
Sonoma*	600 Administration Drive Santa Rosa, CA 95403	X
Stanislaus*	800 11th Street Modesto, CA 95354	X
Sutter	1175 Civic Center Blvd Yuba City, CA 95993	X
Tehama**	1740 Walnut St. Red Bluff, CA 96080	X
Trinity**	11 Court Street Weaverville, CA 96093	X
Tulare*	300 E. Olive Porterville, CA 93257	X
Tuolumne**	12855 Justice Center Dr. Sonora, CA	X
Ventura	800 South Victoria Avenue Ventura, California 93009	X
Yolo	1000 Main Street Woodland, CA 95695	X
Yuba	215 Fifth Street Marysville, CA 95901	X

* denotes that a free account must be created to use the case or inmate search tool
** denotes that the court website does not have an online criminal record search tool

Though contacting the county Superior Courts listed in the table above or using their online directory of cases are the most effective options for obtaining criminal record information, county clerks may also be able to give guidance.

Find Inmates in a CA State Prison or a Federal Penitentiary

Although California criminal records can only be obtained by the public when it is for a person’s own report, this only applies to crimes prosecuted by state and local law enforcement.

Federal criminal records do not fall under the same rules, so federal criminal history information can be accessed through a Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate search, available by either name or BOP number, by filling out the required fields.¹¹

Additionally, this tool provides federal inmate records for anyone released after 1982, not just current prisoners.

Users can search either by CDCR number (if known) or by an inmate’s last name. For example, a search for “James Brown” will bring up the following results:

The online mugshot database may be incomplete in which case searchers can visit the relevant county police department or sheriff’s office to request to view a mugshot since these are legally available to the public per the CPRA.

Individuals can also try the Federal Bureau of Prisons search tool to aid in their search for federal prisoners’ houses within or outside the state.¹¹

Since this is a federal website, searches will show more results with just name searches, so knowing an inmate’s full name, age, and sex can help narrow down these results.

How To Request & Obtain a Copy of Criminal Records: See Your Own CA Criminal History Report

California allows residents to request their own criminal records by filling out an Application for Criminal History Report. These records can be requested out of pure curiosity or to see if there are any inaccuracies before applying for a job.^15,16

Applications must be accompanied by a $25 processing fee payment to the Department of Justice, and applicants are required to submit fingerprints from any of the statewide Live Scan Fingerprinting Locations.

Authorized locations must fill out their portion portion of the form before criminal records will be released.

To check eligibility to have the $25 application fee waived, applicants who fall into the categories listed below may opt to apply for a fee waiver but will still have to pay the separate fingerprinting fee to the live scan service provider.¹⁸

Requesters should be aware that certified copies of criminal records are only made available to law enforcement agencies, the Attorney General, and other authorized agencies.¹⁹

How To Determine if Someone Is on Probation or Parole in California

Probation usually refers to a release from jail, while parole often means a release from prison, but since there isn’t often a dedicated parolee database or online probation search, the following guidance can assist searchers wanting to find out whether someone is on either probation or parole in California.

The Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) is tasked with conducting parole suitability hearings and nonviolent offender parole reviews in California, as well as managing foreign prisoner transfers and investigating any requests for pardons and commutations of sentences.²⁰

The BPH is overseen by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) office. The CDCR site has an online search tool called the CDCR Public Inmate Locator System, which can provide searchers with information on parole status as well.¹²

As a final option, searchers could call the probation or parole offices directly.

Greater insight on supervised offenders can be found by checking out the instructions for searching California probation information or by reviewing the tutorial on looking up CA parolees.

How To Seal or Expunge Criminal Records in CA

In California, criminal records can be much more easily sealed and expunged than in most other states.

Records of misdemeanor arrests and convictions are automatically sealed after one year if all requirements are met and new charges have not been added or if the arrest did not result in a guilty conviction. A majority of felony arrest and conviction records are also sealed automatically if an offender has avoided trouble for 4 years.

Although records are not automatically sealed for serious or violent felons, these offenders can still petition for a record to be sealed but it will not be closed without action taken. Offenders hoping to have their records sealed must complete and submit Form CR-409, which will be approved or denied by a judge.

On the other hand, sex offenders are not able to seal the offense that landed them on the registry.

To expunge records, prior offenders can use the California Guide to Clearing Criminal Records, which will explain the full process and steps for requesting dismissals.²² A summary of the process is as follows:

Step 1: Fill out CR-180 Petition for Dismissal

Step 2: Pay the appropriate court fees or submit fee waivers (found on pages 16-28 of the Guide to Clearing Criminal Records)²²

Step 3: Serve the City or District Attorney one copy of the expungement petition if required by the court

Step 4: The court will make a decision on whether or not to expunge the record within 3 months; if the petition is denied, a request for reconsideration may be filed within 60 days, or the petition may be filed again at a later time

How To Perform an Active Warrant Search in California (Find Anyone Wanted in CA)

Federal warrants issued by the U.S. Marshals show up in the WIN database but are not available to the public; thankfully, there are other ways for individuals to check if there is a warrant out for their arrest.

Interested parties can request their own record through the Department of Justice by submitting their fingerprints and a $25 fee.¹⁵

Others’ records are not accessible to the public through the DOJ but many sheriff’s offices and department websites do have a warrant list, so local offices can be contacted or their webpages checked for a potential database.

For example, the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department website has an “inmate finder” tool that shows inmate information and arrest details, including warrants and warrant bail amounts.²³

Additionally, warrant details can be requested for free either in person by appointment or via mail through the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office Records. The same lies true for most counties in California.

More information on local warrant lookups can be viewed via the process of accessing free warrant details in Santa Clara County.

A Rundown of California Background Checks

The California Department of Justice operates the state’s criminal record repository and is in charge of overseeing background checks for the FBI as well, as an authorized entity; these background checks can be used for an array of both personal and public purposes, including but not limited to:

• Employment
• Purchase of Firearms
• Housing
• Adoption
• Security Clearance

Professional checks into an applicant’s or potential renter’s history must adhere to state and federal laws and the subject of the background check must authorize it beforehand.

A Level 1 background check uses the subject’s name to search local county or state criminal and employment history, while Level 2 checks are much more in-depth and comprehensive; these return information at the national level and are performed with the subject’s fingerprint instead of a name-based search.

Other than employment and criminal history, Level 2 background checks show previous residences, employers, education, credit history, marital status, and all criminal charges and prior arrests and detainments. These more comprehensive checks are usually reserved for jobs in the healthcare sector, caring for or teaching children or the elderly, and some C-level positions.

The DOJ can run a Level 1 Fingerprint Background Check but forwards some fingerprints to the FBI for deeper Level 2 checks via the national criminal history database.²⁴

When an employer or other agency provides individuals with a BCIA 8016 Form requesting a live scan fingerprint, the individual must then complete the form and have the fingerprint scan done.

These may be performed at any Live Scan Fingerprinting Locations, which will forward fingerprints to the DOJ electronically on the individual’s behalf. The applicant agency will usually receive the results of the background check within 48-72 hours unless it needs further review.

Background check laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, protect against discrimination regarding checks done for professional purposes.

Personal background checks can be accessed without giving a reason but information within them cannot be used to harass, stalk, or otherwise negatively impact the subject of the record.

How To Use the California Sex Offender Registry To Check for Sexual Predators Nearby

Searching a sex offender registry in California can either be done at the national level via the United States Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Website or through the statewide search system.²⁵

The California Megan’s Law website gives the public access to a statewide sex offender registry based on information from the California Sex and Arson Registry (CSAR) sex offender repository.²⁶

Concerned individuals who choose to perform a statewide sex offender search should either type the subject’s first and last name or search by address and radius on the right side of the California Megan’s Law website homepage and click “Search.”

For example, a name-based search for “John Smith” would be submitted in the pictured format.

Information provided by offender profiles on the Megan’s Law site includes all of the following, if available:

• Name
• Mugshot
• Known Aliases
• Date of Birth
• Sex
• Height
• Weight
• Eye Color
• Hair Color
• Ethnicity
• Offense Code
• Offense Description
• Year of Last Conviction
• Year of Last Release
• Risk Assessment
• Last Reported Address
• Scars, Marks & Tattoos

Users should then review the search results and click “More Info” or “Map” to see details about any offender and their location.

California’s Laws Pertaining to Criminal & Arrest Records

The California Public Records Act allows the public to access records of government bodies in California without giving a reason, but California arrest records and criminal records are not always fully available for privacy and safety reasons, as well as cases of ongoing or pending litigation or charges.²

Public agencies have 10 days to fulfill records requests, and requesters should note that law enforcement investigations and some personal information is confidential and exempt from the Public Records Act.

California’s “ban the box” law is formally called the Fair Chance Act and was codified in the state’s Assembly Bill 1008 as an anti-discriminatory statute prohibiting employers from considering any potential employee’s prior non-conviction arrests.²⁷

Replevin Law also allows for state and local government agencies to recover any public records in possession of an unauthorized organization, person, or other entity.²⁸

Any member of the public may perform a personal background check on another person without their consent to review their criminal records, but any employer, landlord, or other entity performing a background check for professional purposes must first attain the subject’s consent and abide by all local, state, and federal laws. Additionally, background checks for professional purposes must abide by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

California arrest records are available to the public via county search tools or local law enforcement agencies; alternatively, California criminal records can be obtained by the subjects themselves through the California DOJ or for others via the Bureau of Prisons or third-party sites.

Frequently Asked Questions