Los Angeles Custody Records

Los Angeles bookings and releases get handled through Los Angeles County Sheriff systems. With nearly 4 million people in the city, Los Angeles sees thousands of bookings each week. Booking logs update daily and show arrests from both LASD and LAPD. Release information appears when someone leaves custody. You can search booking records online using the county inmate locator and booking log. Most systems are free to use and show current inmates plus recent releases. Los Angeles County runs the largest jail system in California with several facilities across the region.

Which Agency Handles Los Angeles Bookings

Los Angeles County Sheriff processes all jail bookings for the city of Los Angeles. Even when LAPD makes an arrest, the booking happens through LASD facilities. The county runs several jails in the region. Twin Towers Correctional Facility and Men's Central Jail are the two biggest in downtown Los Angeles. North County Correctional Facility and Pitchess Detention Center serve areas outside the city but still handle bookings from Los Angeles residents.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff Inmate Information Center is where you look up booking and release data. Go to app5.lasd.org/iic to search. You need either the last name and first name, or the booking number. The system shows current inmates and some recent releases. It updates multiple times per day as bookings happen across all LASD facilities in Los Angeles.

Booking information includes full name, booking date, booking number, and charges. Bail amount appears when set by the court. The facility location shows which jail currently holds the person. For Los Angeles arrests, most bookings go to downtown jails first. Inmates may move to other facilities later based on classification and space in the system.

LASD also runs a booking log at app5.lasd.org/bklog/ that shows recent arrests. This log lists bookings from the past several days across all Los Angeles County facilities. You can see who got booked, where they were arrested, and what charges they face. The booking log works well when you want to check recent activity in Los Angeles without doing a full name search.

LAPD Records and Sheriff Bookings

LAPD handles arrests within Los Angeles city limits. But LAPD does not run jails. After an arrest, the person goes to a county jail. LASD takes over custody at that point. This means booking records appear in the county system even when LAPD made the arrest in Los Angeles.

If you need a copy of the arrest report from LAPD, that is separate from the booking record. LAPD Records and Identification Division processes report requests. Their office is at 100 West 1st Street in downtown Los Angeles. You can call (213) 486-8380 for questions about getting reports. LAPD also has an online portal for some records requests, but booking logs come from the county system at lasd.org/records-faq/.

Los Angeles residents arrested by LAPD will show up in the LASD Inmate Information Center once booked into a county jail. If you cannot find someone in the system right away, wait a few hours. Booking can take time when facilities are busy. The system updates as new bookings finish processing in Los Angeles.

LASD provides public access to booking information under Government Code section 7923.610. This law requires disclosure of arrestee details including name, physical description, arrest time and location, booking time, charges, bail amount, and release status. Some information may be withheld if disclosure would endanger an investigation or a person involved in the case.

Finding Release Information in Los Angeles

Release data appears in the LASD Inmate Information Center when someone leaves custody. The system shows release date and time for recent departures. Releases happen for many reasons in Los Angeles. Bail posted, charges dropped, sentence served, and court orders all lead to release from county jail.

VINE is a notification service that alerts you when someone releases from custody. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. You register for free at vinelink.com using the inmate's booking number from Los Angeles County. The system sends alerts by phone, email, or text when a release happens. This helps victims and family members stay informed about custody status in Los Angeles.

If someone shows "pending release" in the system, that means paperwork started but the person remains in the facility. Release processing can take several hours at busy Los Angeles jails. Do not assume release is complete until the system shows an actual release date and time. Call the facility directly if you need to confirm release status for someone booked in Los Angeles.

Inmates released on bail will show the bail amount and release date. Those released on their own recognizance will have a release type code. Time served releases show when the sentence ended. Los Angeles County jails process hundreds of releases every day across all facilities in the system.

Requesting Booking Records in Los Angeles

You can request copies of booking documents through the LASD Records Bureau. Basic booking info is public, but detailed records may require a formal request. The records office is at the Sheriff Headquarters Building in Monterey Park, not in downtown Los Angeles. Call (323) 526-5541 to ask about the request process for Los Angeles bookings.

Some records are exempt from disclosure under Government Code section 7923.600. Investigatory files and active case files may not be available to the public. But basic arrest and booking information must be disclosed under the mandatory disclosure statute for Los Angeles arrests.

For online records requests, LASD has a public records request portal. You submit the request online and track its status through the system. Some records can be emailed to you. Others require pickup or mailed copies. Processing times vary based on the complexity of your request and how busy the records staff is in Los Angeles.

Note: Most online inmate searches are free, but formal records requests may have copy fees.

Additional Booking Resources in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has several resources beyond the county booking system. Legal aid groups can help if you need info about someone in custody. Public defender offices handle cases for people who cannot afford a lawyer in Los Angeles. The court system has case search tools that connect to booking records once charges are filed.

The Los Angeles Superior Court has an online case search at lacourt.org. This shows criminal cases filed in Los Angeles County. Case info includes charges, court dates, and bail status. You need the case number or the defendant's name to search. Court records tie back to booking records when someone gets arrested in Los Angeles.

For people who need help with legal issues related to bookings and arrests, Public Counsel offers free legal services in Los Angeles. Their Criminal Record Clearing Project helps with expungement and record sealing. Call (213) 385-2977 to ask about services. Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles also provides assistance at multiple offices across the city. Their main line is (800) 399-4529.

If you have questions about someone booked in Los Angeles, start with the LASD Inmate Information Center. That system has the most current data. If you cannot find what you need there, call the facility where the person is held. Jail staff can check their internal records for Los Angeles bookings and releases. Keep the booking number handy when you call since that speeds up the search in Los Angeles County jails.

Los Angeles County Bookings and Releases

Los Angeles is in Los Angeles County. The county sheriff handles all jail operations for the region. Los Angeles County runs one of the largest jail systems in the United States with multiple facilities and thousands of bookings each month. For more on the county jail system, facility locations, visiting info, and additional resources, visit the Los Angeles County bookings and releases page.

View Los Angeles County Bookings Releases