Find San Francisco Arrest Records

San Francisco recent arrest records are handled differently than most California cities. San Francisco is both a city and a county, so the San Francisco Sheriff's Department runs the jail system and the police department handles street-level arrests. You can search for people in San Francisco jails through the sheriff's online inmate search. The tool lets you look up current inmates by name, SF number, or booking number. San Francisco processes a significant number of bookings each week. The search is free and does not require an account. It runs day and night from any device with a browser.

San Francisco Sheriff Inmate Search

The San Francisco Sheriff's inmate search is the main way to find recent arrests in the city. You enter the first three letters of the person's first and last name. The system pulls up matches from the jail population. You can also search by SF number or booking number if you have either one. Results show booking data for people currently held in San Francisco County Jail facilities.

San Francisco County has two main jail locations. County Jail #1 and County Jail #2 are both at 425 7th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Jail #1 can be reached at (415) 553-1430. Jail #2 is at (415) 554-7225. County Jail #3 is at 1 Moreland Drive in San Bruno, CA 94066. All three facilities feed into the same online search system. When someone is booked at any San Francisco jail, their record appears on the sheriff's site.

Note: The search shows only people currently in custody at San Francisco County jails, not those who have been released or transferred.

San Francisco Arrest Records Online

Because San Francisco is a combined city and county, you do not need to check separate systems. The sheriff handles the jail side. SFPD handles the policing side. But arrest records from both end up in the county system. This makes it simpler than in places where city police and county sheriff operate under different databases. If SFPD makes an arrest, the person is booked into a San Francisco County jail, and the record shows up on the sheriff's inmate search.

The San Francisco Sheriff's inmate search portal is the primary database for checking who is currently in custody in the city.

The state-level CDCR system shown above covers people in state prison. For San Francisco county jail inmates, use the sheriff's local search tool instead.

If you need a copy of an arrest report from SFPD, you can request one through the department's records division. The California Public Records Act applies. Agencies must respond within 10 days of receiving your request. Fees may apply for copies.

How to Search San Francisco Arrests

Looking up recent arrests in San Francisco is straightforward. Here are the steps you can take depending on what information you need and how quickly you need it.

• Go to the sheriff's inmate search page and enter at least three letters of the first and last name
• Call County Jail #1 at (415) 553-1430 for phone inquiries
• Submit a records request to SFPD for copies of arrest reports
• Use VINE at 877-411-5588 to register for inmate release notifications
• Contact the California DOJ to review your own criminal history for $25

For people in state prison rather than San Francisco County jail, the CIRIS system from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation lets you search by name or CDCR number. This covers anyone serving time in a state facility, regardless of where the arrest took place.

Arrest Disclosure in San Francisco

Government Code 7923.610 applies to all law enforcement in San Francisco. It requires SFPD and the San Francisco Sheriff to release arrest details including the full name, physical description, date and time of arrest and booking, location, circumstances, bail amount, and charges. This law took effect January 1, 2023. It replaced older disclosure rules and made the requirements more specific. In San Francisco, this means booking information from recent arrests is public.

There are limits. If disclosing a particular detail would put someone at risk or compromise an investigation, the agency can hold that piece back. But the default is disclosure. Most arrest information in San Francisco is available to anyone who asks for it or searches the online tool.

Note: California law also restricts law enforcement from posting booking photos on social media for nonviolent arrests under Penal Code 13665.

Sealing San Francisco Arrest Records

If you were arrested in San Francisco and not convicted, you may qualify to seal that record. Penal Code 851.87 allows petitions to San Francisco County Superior Court. A sealed record is hidden from most background checks. You can tell people you were not arrested for that charge. The process involves filing paperwork with the court and may require a hearing.

California's automatic relief program also helps. The DOJ reviews records monthly and clears eligible misdemeanor arrests from 2021 onward. Dismissed charges and arrests with no case filed within a year qualify. No petition needed. The state handles it. This applies to San Francisco arrests just like any other part of California.

San Francisco Booking Photo Rules

California has specific laws about booking photos. Under Civil Code 1798.91.1, no one can charge you money to remove your booking photo from a website. That practice is illegal in the state. If a website publishes your San Francisco booking photo and demands payment to take it down, you can sue for at least $1,000 per violation plus your actual damages and attorney fees.

There is also Penal Code 13665. It stops police departments and sheriff's offices from posting booking photos on social media for nonviolent arrests. Exceptions exist for fugitives, imminent threats, and court orders. But in most cases, SFPD and the San Francisco Sheriff cannot share your booking photo on their social media pages if the charge is nonviolent. These protections are specific to California and apply across San Francisco.

San Francisco Arrest Records County Info

San Francisco is a consolidated city-county. The San Francisco Sheriff's Department runs the jail system and processes all bookings for the city.

Nearby California Cities

These cities are close to San Francisco across the Bay Area. Each has its own police department and arrest records system.