Search Fresno Booking Records
Fresno 72 hour booking records show who has been arrested and processed through the jail system in the city. Fresno is the fifth largest city in California with over 540,000 residents. The Fresno Police Department handles arrests within city limits, but the Fresno County Sheriff runs the main jail. When someone is arrested by Fresno PD, they go to the Fresno County Jail for booking. You can search current booking data through the sheriff's online blotter tool at no cost. Under California Government Code 7923.610, booking records must be made public within 72 hours of an arrest.
Fresno Booking Quick Facts
Fresno Booking in Fresno County
Fresno is the county seat of Fresno County, which sits in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. The county runs its jail system through the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. The main jail facility is the Fresno County Jail at 1225 M Street in downtown Fresno. This is where most people arrested by Fresno PD are taken for booking. A second facility, the North Annex Jail, handles overflow and lower-security inmates.
The Fresno Police Department is a large agency with over 700 sworn officers. They handle all law enforcement within the city. But once an arrest is made, the booking happens at the county jail. Jail staff record the person's name, date of birth, charges, bail amount, and booking photo. All of this data becomes part of the public booking record. The same process applies whether the arrest was for a misdemeanor or a felony.
Fresno Sheriff 72 Hour Blotter
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office runs an online booking blotter. You can access it at publicinfo.fresnosheriff.org to see recent bookings at the county jail. The blotter shows the name, booking date, charges, and bail for each person. It covers the last 72 hours of bookings, which lines up with the state law that requires this data to be public.
The Fresno Police Department also has a records division where you can request police reports and arrest records. The Fresno PD records page explains how to submit requests.
Through the Fresno PD records page, you can request copies of police reports that go along with an arrest. These reports give more detail about what led to the arrest. Booking records from the sheriff's blotter focus on the jail side of things. The two types of records together give a full picture. Fresno PD charges fees for report copies, which vary based on report type and length.
The sheriff's blotter is the fastest way to check on recent Fresno bookings. It is free, public, and does not require an account. For older records or records of people who are no longer in custody, you need to submit a formal records request to either the sheriff or the police department, depending on what you are looking for.
Fresno Booking Process
When Fresno PD makes an arrest, the person is transported to the Fresno County Jail. At the jail, staff begin the booking process. This includes taking fingerprints and a booking photo. The person's personal information is recorded along with the charges filed by the arresting officer. Bail is set according to the Fresno County bail schedule, which lists standard amounts for each type of offense.
For misdemeanors, many people can bail out within a few hours. Some misdemeanors allow for release on a citation, which means the person does not go to jail at all. Felony charges usually mean a longer stay. Some felonies have no bail, which means the person must wait for a court hearing. The booking record is created regardless of how the case plays out after that point.
Note: Bail amounts in Fresno County follow the county's own bail schedule. They can differ from other counties in California for the same charge.
Fresno Booking Law
Government Code 7923.610 is the main law that governs public access to booking records in Fresno. The statute lists the specific data points that must be released: full name, date and time of arrest, charges, bail amount, arresting agency, and booking location. This law applies to the Fresno County Sheriff just as it applies to every other booking agency in the state.
Penal Code 851.5 covers the rights of people being booked. Each person gets at least three free phone calls within three hours of being booked. The calls can go to an attorney, a bail bond agent, or a relative. The Fresno County Jail must provide these calls at no charge. This is not optional. It is a statewide requirement.
If the Fresno County Sheriff or Fresno PD refuses to release booking data, the person requesting it can use the California Public Records Act to challenge the denial. The PRA sets a 10-day deadline for agencies to respond to record requests. Most of the time, the online blotter covers what people need for recent bookings, so formal requests are mainly needed for older data.
Request Fresno Booking Records
You can get older Fresno booking records by filing a public records request. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office and the Fresno Police Department both accept written requests. Include the person's full name, date of birth if you have it, and the approximate date of arrest. The agency must respond within 10 days. There may be fees for copies.
The Fresno PD records division is located at police headquarters. Walk-in requests are accepted during business hours. You can also submit requests by mail or email. For county-level records, the sheriff's office has its own records unit. If you are not sure whether an arrest was handled by Fresno PD or another agency in the county, check the sheriff's blotter first since all bookings go through the county jail.
For statewide criminal history checks, the California Department of Justice processes those through its background check system. That is a separate process from local booking record requests and takes longer to complete.
Nearby City Booking Records
Other cities near Fresno have their own police departments but use the same county jail for bookings. Here are links to nearby city booking pages.
Clovis is right next to Fresno and is also in Fresno County. Arrests in Clovis go to the same county jail. Bakersfield, Visalia, and Modesto are in different counties and have their own booking systems. For any arrest in the Fresno area, the Fresno County Sheriff's blotter is the best place to start your search.