El Monte Booking Records
Booking records from El Monte are public information under California law. The El Monte Police Department handles arrests in the city, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff runs the county jail system. People arrested by El Monte PD are booked at LA County detention facilities. Government Code 7923.610 requires that all 72 hour booking data be available to the public. That includes names, charges, bail amounts, and custody details. El Monte is in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County and has about 113,000 residents.
El Monte Booking Quick Facts
El Monte Booking in Los Angeles County
El Monte sits in Los Angeles County, in the San Gabriel Valley east of downtown Los Angeles. The city is surrounded by other communities in the valley and has its own police department. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department runs the massive county jail system, which is one of the largest in the country. People arrested by El Monte PD are taken to a county facility for booking and custody.
The LA County jail system includes several facilities. The closest to El Monte include the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles and other regional facilities. Where a person ends up depends on the charges, space, and classification. Jail staff handle the full booking process at the county level: fingerprints, photos, charge entry, and bail setting based on the LA County bail schedule.
El Monte PD processes a moderate number of arrests each year. The city sits at the junction of several major freeways, which contributes to traffic-related stops and arrests. Drug offenses, theft, and DUI are common charges that lead to bookings from El Monte PD activity.
Search El Monte Booking Records
The Los Angeles County Sheriff has an Inmate Information Center where you can search for anyone in county custody. You look up people by name and the system shows booking details, charges, bail, and facility. The tool is free and available around the clock. It covers all LA County detention facilities.
The California CDCR Inmate Locator tracks inmates who move from county jail to state prison, which may apply to people originally booked through El Monte arrests.
When someone is arrested by El Monte PD and booked at a county facility, they show up in the Inmate Information Center after processing. That can take several hours in the LA County system because of the high volume. The system is massive and processes thousands of bookings every week. Be patient if a recent arrest does not show up right away.
The tool shows current inmates. Released people drop off the active search. For past booking records, you file a request with the LA County Sheriff's records division or visit the records office.
El Monte Booking Law
Government Code 7923.610 requires public access to booking data everywhere in California. This law applies to both El Monte PD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff. Every time someone is booked at a county facility after an El Monte arrest, the record becomes public. The law mandates release of the full name, date of birth, charges, bail amount, booking date and time, and facility name.
Penal Code 851.5 covers phone call rights during the booking process. Each person gets three free calls within three hours of being booked. The calls can go to a lawyer, a bail bond agent, or a family member. The jail cannot charge for them or prevent them from being made. In the LA County system, where facilities are large and processing times can be long, this right still applies from the time the person is formally booked.
If a booking records request is denied, the California Public Records Act gives you the right to challenge it. Booking data is clearly public under state law and is almost never withheld when properly requested.
El Monte Police Department
The El Monte Police Department is at 11333 Valley Boulevard, El Monte, CA 91731. The phone number is (626) 580-2100. The department covers all law enforcement in the city, from patrol to investigations. Officers arrest people and transport them to LA County facilities for booking.
El Monte PD keeps its own arrest reports and case files. If you need the police report from an El Monte arrest, go through the department's records division. The booking record from the county jail is handled by the LA County Sheriff. For jail and custody questions, you check the county system. For police reports and case information, you go through the city department.
The department serves a densely populated area with a mix of residential and commercial zones. Gang activity, drug crimes, vehicle theft, and DUI make up a significant portion of the arrests that lead to county bookings from El Monte PD work.
Get El Monte Booking Data
The LA County Sheriff's Inmate Information Center is the best tool for recent bookings. For older records, submit a written public records request to the sheriff's records division. Include the person's name, arrest date, and what records you want. The office has 10 days to respond. Fees may apply.
- LA County Sheriff Inmate Information Center for current inmates
- El Monte PD at (626) 580-2100 for arrest reports
- Written request to sheriff's records for past bookings
- California DOJ for statewide criminal history
The DOJ handles statewide checks separately. That process takes longer and may require fingerprints. For most El Monte booking searches, the county website and a call to the police department will take care of it.
Nearby City Booking Records
Other cities near El Monte in Los Angeles County have their own pages on this site. All use the same LA County jail system.
West Covina is just east of El Monte in the San Gabriel Valley. Pomona is further east near the county line. Pasadena is to the north and has its own police department and jail. All three are in Los Angeles County and use the same county booking system run by the sheriff.