Find Fullerton Booking Records
Booking records in Fullerton are public and accessible through two main sources. The Fullerton Police Department operates its own city jail, and the Orange County Sheriff runs the county jail system. When someone is arrested in Fullerton, they may be booked at the city jail or at a county facility depending on the charges. Either way, the booking record is public under California law and can be searched for free. Fullerton is one of the few cities in Orange County that maintains its own jail. This page covers the search tools, legal rules, and how to access records from both the city and county levels.
Fullerton Booking Quick Facts
Fullerton Booking in Orange County
Fullerton is in Orange County. The city has its own police department and operates a city jail. The Fullerton city jail handles bookings for many arrests made within city limits. For more serious charges or longer holds, people are transferred to the Orange County jail system in Santa Ana. The Orange County Sheriff runs that system.
For people in county custody, use the Orange County Sheriff's inmate search. Enter the name and the tool shows current inmates across all county facilities. Charges, bail, and booking information are all listed. The search is free and runs 24 hours a day.
For people still at the Fullerton city jail, you can check the Fullerton PD's inmate information page. This resource provides details about people in city custody and how to access booking data from the Fullerton jail.
Fullerton Police Jail Records
The Fullerton Police Department is at 237 West Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92832. The department runs a city jail that is classified as a Type I facility. That means it handles short-term holds, typically up to 96 hours. After that, inmates are moved to the county system. The jail has its own booking process with fingerprints, photos, and charge logging.
The California Department of Justice provides public records request guidance for accessing arrest and booking data through formal channels when online tools do not have the records you need.
This statewide resource outlines the process for requesting records that are not available online. It applies to all California agencies, including Fullerton PD.
You can call Fullerton PD at (714) 738-6800 for questions about someone in the city jail. Staff can confirm if a person is being held at the city facility. If the person has been moved to county, the Orange County inmate search would be the next step. The city and county systems are separate, so you may need to check both.
For a written copy of an arrest report, file a records request with the Fullerton PD records section. Include the person's name and arrest date. The department has 10 days to respond under the California Public Records Act.
Fullerton Booking Law
Government Code 7923.610 makes all booking records public in California. The law requires release of the full name, date of birth, charges, bail amount, physical description, arrest time, booking time, and custody location. Both the Fullerton city jail and the Orange County Sheriff must follow this law. Anyone can ask for this data. No reason is needed.
Penal Code 851.5 gives arrested people the right to phone calls. Within three hours of being booked at the Fullerton jail or any other facility, each person gets at least three free calls. Those calls go to a lawyer, bail agent, or family member. No fees. No restrictions.
If you are denied booking data, you can challenge it under the California Public Records Act. In practice, though, the online tools and phone calls usually give you what you need for recent bookings.
Fullerton City Jail Details
The Fullerton city jail is at the police department headquarters on Commonwealth Avenue. It operates as a Type I facility for short-term holds. People arrested for misdemeanors may be booked and released from the city jail without ever going to the county system. Those held on felony charges or with bail holds are more likely to be transferred to the Orange County jail after the initial booking.
Bail at the Fullerton jail follows the Orange County bail schedule. For minor charges, bail can sometimes be posted within a few hours of booking. More serious cases may require a higher amount or come with a no-bail hold. The booking record is created during intake at the city jail and is available as a public record from that point forward.
Search Tips for Fullerton Bookings
Start by calling Fullerton PD if the arrest was very recent. The city jail handles the first few days. For longer holds, check the Orange County inmate search. People transferred from the city jail to county will show up there.
- Call Fullerton PD at (714) 738-6800 for city jail bookings
- Use the Orange County inmate search for county custody
- Check the Fullerton PD inmate information page online
- Use full legal names when searching
- Allow several hours for new bookings to appear in any system
Nearby City Booking Records
Fullerton borders several other large cities in Orange County. All of these cities route county-level bookings through the same Orange County Sheriff system.
Anaheim also has its own city jail. The other cities rely on the county system for most bookings. One search through the Orange County Sheriff's tool covers county-level bookings from all of these cities.