Search Costa Mesa Booking Records
Booking records from Costa Mesa are public under California state law. The Costa Mesa Police Department handles arrests in the city and runs its own jail. Costa Mesa is one of the few cities in Orange County that operates a city-level detention facility. When someone is booked at the Costa Mesa jail, the record becomes public information. Government Code 7923.610 requires that names, charges, bail, and booking details be shared with anyone who asks. Costa Mesa is in central Orange County with a population of about 112,000.
Costa Mesa Booking Quick Facts
Costa Mesa Booking in Orange County
Costa Mesa is in Orange County, between Huntington Beach and Irvine. The city has its own police department and jail, which gives it more control over the booking process than cities that rely entirely on the county sheriff. The Costa Mesa city jail at police headquarters handles initial bookings for all arrests made by Costa Mesa PD.
People held on more serious charges or for longer periods are transferred to the Orange County jail system run by the sheriff. The main county facility is in Santa Ana. Once someone moves to county custody, their record shifts to the Orange County Sheriff's inmate database. For the initial booking and short-term holds, the Costa Mesa PD manages the records.
Costa Mesa has an active nightlife scene and hosts events at the OC Fair & Event Center. That leads to periodic spikes in arrests and bookings, especially during large events. The city also sees steady arrest activity from drug offenses, theft, and DUI throughout the year.
Search Costa Mesa Booking Data
Costa Mesa PD provides crime information through its website at crimeinfo.costamesaca.gov. This tool shows recent police activity in the city, including arrests. For people currently in the Costa Mesa jail, you can call the department to check on custody status.
Once someone transfers to the county jail system, the Orange County Sheriff's inmate search takes over. You can search by name and see booking details, charges, bail, and current facility. The search is free and available around the clock.
The California DOJ records request form provides a path to access booking data from state-level sources, which supplements the local search tools in Costa Mesa and Orange County.
The key thing to know is that Costa Mesa has two systems. People at the city jail show up in the city's records. People at the county jail show up in the sheriff's system. If you are looking for someone and cannot find them in one system, try the other. The transfer between the two can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or so.
Costa Mesa Booking Law
Government Code 7923.610 requires public access to all booking data in California. This applies to Costa Mesa PD, the city jail, and the Orange County Sheriff. Every booking record created at either facility is public. The law lists the required information: full name, date of birth, charges, bail, booking date and time, and the facility name.
Penal Code 851.5 addresses rights during booking. Each person gets three free phone calls within three hours. Calls go to a lawyer, bail agent, or family member. The facility cannot charge or block them. This applies at the Costa Mesa jail and at every other booking facility in the state.
If your booking records request is denied by Costa Mesa PD or the county sheriff, you can challenge it under the California Public Records Act. Agencies have 10 days to respond to written requests. Booking data is almost never withheld.
Costa Mesa Police and Jail
The Costa Mesa Police Department is at 99 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The phone number is (714) 754-5280. The department runs its own jail at the same location. The jail is a Type I facility, meaning it handles short-term holds. People stay there during booking and while waiting for bail or a court appearance. Longer holds go to the county.
Booking at the Costa Mesa jail follows standard California procedures. Officers bring in the arrested person. Jail staff take prints, a photo, and log all charges. Bail is set based on the Orange County bail schedule. For misdemeanors, people can often bail out within a few hours. Felony charges may require a longer hold.
You can call the police department to check on someone at the Costa Mesa jail. Staff can tell you if the person is in custody. For formal copies of booking records, file a written request with the department's records division. There may be a fee involved.
Get Costa Mesa Booking Records
For someone at the Costa Mesa jail right now, call the police department. For someone transferred to the county system, use the Orange County Sheriff's inmate search. For past records, file a written request with either the city or the county depending on where the booking happened.
- Costa Mesa PD at (714) 754-5280 for city jail status
- Orange County Sheriff inmate search for county custody
- Costa Mesa crime info page for recent arrest activity
- Written request for older booking records
- California DOJ for statewide criminal history
Nearby City Booking Records
Several other cities near Costa Mesa in Orange County have their own booking pages on this site.
Huntington Beach borders Costa Mesa to the west. Irvine is to the south and east. Santa Ana is where the main county jail sits and is the county seat. Anaheim has its own police department and city jail. All are in Orange County and follow the same state laws on public booking data access.