Kern County Recent Arrests Search
Kern County recent arrest records are handled by the Kern County Sheriff's Office Arrest Records Unit. Based in Bakersfield, Kern County is one of the larger counties in California by both land area and population. The sheriff's office processes every person booked into the Inmate Reception Center and publishes arrest information to the public. Kern County is required by California law to share this booking data. You can access arrest records through the sheriff's website, call the records section, or visit in person. The county sees high booking volume and keeps its arrest records system well organized.
Kern County Quick Facts
Kern County Arrest Records Unit
The Kern County Sheriff's Arrest Records Unit is responsible for processing bookings at the Inmate Reception Center. Every person booked into a Kern County jail goes through this unit. Staff enter the booking data into the system, which includes the person's name, date of birth, charges, bail amount, and arrest details. The Arrest Records Unit works out of 1350 Norris Road in Bakersfield. You can reach the records section directly at (661) 391-7624 for questions about specific arrest records or the booking process.
The sheriff's website notes that California Government Code Section 7923.610 dictates they must make arrest information available to the public. This is something Kern County calls out specifically on their arrest records page. The law covers nine categories of booking data that every California law enforcement agency must share. Kern County takes this obligation seriously and provides access to contemporaneous arrest information as required.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office provides arrest records information through its dedicated unit page.
This page from the Kern County Sheriff explains how the Arrest Records Unit processes bookings and makes data available to the public.
Note: If you were arrested by the Kern County Sheriff's Office, you can purchase your own booking photo for a $5 fee through the arrest records unit.
How to Look Up Kern County Arrests
There are several ways to search for recent arrest records in Kern County. The most direct method is to call the records section at (661) 391-7624. Give them a name and approximate date, and they can pull up the booking information. You can also visit the Kern County Sheriff's Office at 1350 Norris Road in Bakersfield during business hours. The staff at the front counter can help with records lookups. For written requests, you can submit a California Public Records Act request to the sheriff's office. They have ten days to respond under state law.
Kern County handles a large number of bookings. Bakersfield alone has a significant population, and the county stretches from the southern San Joaquin Valley up into the mountains. Multiple law enforcement agencies feed into the Kern County jail system, including the Bakersfield Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Kern County Sheriff's deputies, and smaller city departments. All of these arrests end up processed through the same Inmate Reception Center. The arrest records unit keeps track of everything.
If you need to confirm someone is in custody right now, call the main sheriff line at (661) 391-7500. They can connect you with custody staff who have real-time information on who is in the jail. Online resources may have a slight delay.
Kern County Booking Procedures
When someone is arrested in Kern County, the arresting officer transports them to the Inmate Reception Center for processing. The booking procedure involves several steps. First, the person is identified through fingerprints and photographs. Personal items are inventoried and stored. Medical screening takes place. Then the arrest records unit enters the charges, bail amount, and personal details into the system. The entire process creates the booking record that becomes part of the public record.
Bail in Kern County follows a schedule set by the Kern County Superior Court. Each charge has a preset bail amount. Judges can adjust bail at the person's first court appearance. The bail amount shows up in the arrest record. For misdemeanors, some people may be released on their own recognizance without bail. For serious felonies, bail can be very high. Kern County processes both misdemeanor and felony bookings at the same facility.
Kern County Arrest Record Laws
Kern County operates under the same California disclosure laws as every other county. Government Code Section 7923.610 is the key statute. It lists what must be released: full name, occupation, physical description, date of birth, arrest and booking times, arrest location, circumstances, bail amount, release information, and all charges including warrants and holds from other places. The sheriff's website specifically references this law on their arrest records page.
California also has strong protections for people whose arrests did not lead to conviction. Penal Code Section 851.87 lets a person petition to seal their arrest record. The automatic relief program under Penal Code Section 851.93 removes eligible records without a petition. There are also rules about booking photos. California law prohibits commercial websites from charging people to remove their booking photos, and law enforcement agencies in Kern County face restrictions on posting booking photos to social media for nonviolent offenses.
State Databases for Kern County
Beyond local records, two state tools are useful for Kern County arrest searches. The California DOJ Record Review lets anyone check their own statewide criminal history. It costs $25 and requires Live Scan fingerprints. Kern County has multiple Live Scan locations, including the sheriff's office and local police departments in Bakersfield and surrounding cities. After submitting your fingerprints, the DOJ processes the request and mails back your complete record from across the state.
The CIRIS database from CDCR covers people in the California state prison system. If someone from Kern County was convicted and sent to prison, CIRIS shows their current facility, admission date, and scheduled parole hearings. This free tool is searchable by name or CDCR number. It does not include people at the Kern County Jail. For victim alerts, VINE is available at 877-411-5588. You can register to get notified when an inmate's custody status changes.
Kern County Arrest Record Contents
Every booking record created at the Kern County Inmate Reception Center follows the same format. Here is what a Kern County arrest record typically includes:
- Full legal name and any known aliases
- Date of birth and physical description
- Date and time of arrest and booking
- Location of the arrest
- All charges with penal code sections
- Bail amount per the county schedule
- Arresting agency name
The arresting agency can be any number of departments in Kern County. The Bakersfield PD, Kern County Sheriff, CHP, Ridgecrest PD, Taft PD, Wasco PD, Delano PD, and others all book people into the county system. Each arrest shows which agency made it. This helps when you need to get additional details about the case from the specific agency that handled the arrest.
Cities in Kern County
Bakersfield is the only city in Kern County with a population over 100,000. It has its own police department that handles arrests within city limits, but all bookings go through the Kern County jail system.
Nearby Counties
Kern County shares borders with several other California counties. Check their arrest records here: