Bakersfield Booking Record Search
Bakersfield 72 hour booking records are public and show who has been arrested and processed in the city. Bakersfield is the largest city in Kern County with about 400,000 residents. The Bakersfield Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits. People arrested by BPD are booked at the Kern County jail, which is run by the Kern County Sheriff's Office. You can search for current inmates and recent bookings through the sheriff's online arrest records page. Under California Government Code 7923.610, all booking data must be available to the public within 72 hours of the arrest.
Bakersfield Booking Quick Facts
Bakersfield Booking in Kern County
Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern County, one of the largest counties in California by land area. The Kern County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail system. The main facility is the Lerdo Justice Facility, which sits north of Bakersfield and serves as the primary booking and detention center for the county. There is also the Central Receiving Facility in downtown Bakersfield, which handles initial processing for many arrests made in the city.
The Bakersfield Police Department has roughly 450 sworn officers. BPD covers the city, while the Kern County Sheriff handles unincorporated areas and smaller cities that contract for service. Both agencies use the same county jail for bookings. When BPD makes an arrest, the person goes to the Central Receiving Facility or Lerdo for processing. Staff take fingerprints, a booking photo, and record the charges and bail amount. All of this becomes part of the public booking record.
Note: The Central Receiving Facility downtown handles initial bookings. Inmates are then transferred to Lerdo for longer holds.
Kern County Arrest Records Search
The Kern County Sheriff's Office has an online arrest records page. You can access it at kernsheriff.org/Arrest_Records to look up recent booking data. The tool shows the person's name, booking date, charges, and bail amount. It covers bookings from the Lerdo Facility and Central Receiving. The search is free and open to the public.
The Bakersfield Police Department also has a records section. You can find information about requesting reports at the BPD records page.
Government Code 7923.610 is the state law that requires Bakersfield booking records to be public. The statute lists exactly what must be shared: the arrested person's name, date and time of booking, charges, bail, and the arresting agency. This law applies equally to BPD and the Kern County Sheriff. The image above shows the relevant section of the California Government Code.
The Kern County Sheriff's arrest records page is the fastest way to look up recent Bakersfield bookings. For older records or more detailed data, you can file a written request with either agency. BPD handles police reports. The sheriff handles booking sheets and jail records. The two agencies keep separate files but both respond to public records requests.
Bakersfield Booking Process
When BPD arrests someone, the person is transported to a county jail facility for booking. At intake, jail staff collect personal information, take fingerprints, and snap a booking photo. The charges are entered into the system along with the bail amount from the Kern County bail schedule. This information creates the booking record.
For misdemeanor arrests, many people can post bail and get out within a few hours. Some low-level offenses allow cite and release, which means the person never goes to the jail at all. They get a citation with a court date and are free to go. Felony arrests typically mean a longer stay. Certain felony charges have no bail set, so the person must wait for a judge to decide bail at a hearing. The booking record exists no matter what happens after intake.
Kern County also processes bookings from the California Highway Patrol and other agencies that operate in the Bakersfield area. All bookings go into the same system. If you are searching for someone arrested on a highway or in an unincorporated area near Bakersfield, the sheriff's arrest records page will still show the booking.
Bakersfield Booking Law
California Government Code 7923.610 is the main law that makes booking records public. The statute spells out each data point that agencies must release. It covers the full name, date and time of booking, charges, bail amount, arresting agency, and booking location. The Kern County Sheriff must follow this law for every booking at its facilities.
Penal Code 851.5 gives people being booked the right to phone calls. Within three hours of being booked at any Kern County facility, each person can make at least three free calls. The calls can go to a lawyer, a bail bond agent, or a family member. The jail must provide access to a phone and cannot charge for these calls.
If a request for booking records is denied, the California Public Records Act allows the requestor to challenge the denial. Agencies must respond to PRA requests within 10 days. The Kern County Sheriff and BPD both accept public records requests. For recent bookings, the online arrest records page usually has what you need without a formal request.
Request Bakersfield Records
To get booking records that are not on the online search, file a public records request. The Kern County Sheriff accepts requests in writing. Include the person's full name, approximate date of arrest, and any other details. The office must respond within 10 days. Copy fees may apply.
BPD has its own records section at police headquarters. You can request police reports in person during business hours or by mail. Police reports cover the details of what happened during an arrest. Booking records from the sheriff cover the jail side. You may need records from both agencies to get the full picture of an arrest in Bakersfield.
The California Department of Justice handles statewide criminal history checks. That is a separate process that takes longer and requires fingerprints. It is mainly used for employment and licensing background checks, not for looking up a single recent booking.
Nearby City Booking Records
Bakersfield is the main city in Kern County. The nearest major cities are in other counties. Here are links to nearby city booking pages.
Fresno is about two hours north in Fresno County. Visalia is in Tulare County, roughly an hour and a half north. Both cities have their own booking systems run by their respective county sheriffs. For any arrest within Bakersfield or Kern County, the Kern County Sheriff's arrest records page is the place to search.