Modesto Booking Record Search
Modesto 72 hour booking records show who has been arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County jail system. Modesto is the county seat and largest city in Stanislaus County with about 215,000 residents. The Modesto Police Department handles law enforcement in the city. People arrested by Modesto PD are booked at the Stanislaus County jail, which is run by the sheriff's department. You can search for inmates through the sheriff's online inmate list. California Government Code 7923.610 requires booking information to be made public within 72 hours of an arrest.
Modesto Booking Quick Facts
Modesto Booking in Stanislaus County
Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County, located in the Central Valley between Sacramento and Fresno. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department runs the county jail. The main facility is the Public Safety Center at 250 East Hackett Road in Modesto. This jail handles all bookings for the county, including people arrested by the Modesto Police Department.
The Modesto PD is a mid-sized agency with a steady arrest volume. When officers make an arrest, the person is taken to the county jail for processing. Jail staff handle the fingerprinting, booking photo, and recording of charges. Bail is set based on the Stanislaus County bail schedule. Once the booking is complete, the record enters the county's database and becomes available to the public.
Besides Modesto PD, the Stanislaus County Sheriff, CHP, and smaller city police departments in the county all book people into the same jail. The inmate database covers all of these agencies. If you are looking for someone arrested anywhere in Stanislaus County, the same search tool works.
Stanislaus County Inmate List
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department provides an online inmates list. You can access it at scsdonline.com to see who is currently in custody at the county jail. The list shows the person's name, booking date, charges, and bail amount. It is free and open to anyone.
The California Department of Justice accepts public records requests for statewide criminal history data. For Modesto bookings specifically, the county sheriff's inmate list is the faster option. The DOJ process is mainly for background checks that cover a person's full criminal history across the state. If you just need to check on a recent Modesto booking, the county tool is the way to go.
The sheriff's inmate list shows current inmates only. Once someone is released from the Stanislaus County Jail, they are removed from the online list. For records of past bookings, you need to file a public records request with the sheriff's office. Modesto PD can provide police reports for incidents that happened in the city, but the booking data comes from the sheriff.
Note: The Stanislaus County Jail on Hackett Road is the only booking facility in the county. All Modesto arrests end up there.
Modesto Booking Process
When Modesto PD makes an arrest, the officer drives the person to the Stanislaus County Jail. At the jail, the booking process follows standard state procedures. Staff collect personal information, take fingerprints, and snap a booking photo. The charges are entered into the system. Bail is set from the county's bail schedule.
For misdemeanor arrests, many people post bail and get out within hours. Cite and release is used for some low-level crimes, so the person gets a court date without going to jail. When someone is booked on a felony, the hold is usually longer. Some felony charges carry no bail, meaning the person stays until a judge sets bail at a hearing. The booking record is created at intake no matter what happens afterward.
Stanislaus County processes thousands of bookings each year. The jail has dealt with crowding issues at times, which can slow down the booking process. Despite this, the electronic system generally gets booking data into the online database within a few hours of processing.
Modesto Booking Law
California Government Code 7923.610 makes booking records public in Modesto. The statute requires release of the person's full name, date and time of booking, charges, bail amount, and arresting agency. The Stanislaus County Sheriff must follow this law for every booking at the county jail.
Penal Code 851.5 gives booked individuals the right to phone calls. Within three hours of booking, each person gets at least three free calls. They can call a lawyer, a bail bond agent, or a family member. The Stanislaus County Jail must provide these calls at no charge. This is a statewide requirement that applies everywhere.
If a request for Modesto booking data is denied, the California Public Records Act provides a path to challenge it. Agencies have 10 days to respond to PRA requests. For recent bookings, the sheriff's inmate list usually provides what you need without a formal request.
Request Modesto Booking Records
For records not on the inmate list, submit a public records request to the Stanislaus County Sheriff. Put it in writing with the person's full name, approximate arrest date, and any other details. The sheriff has 10 days to respond. Copy fees may apply.
Modesto PD handles its own records for police reports and incident reports. Contact the MPD records section at headquarters for those documents. For booking sheets and jail records, the sheriff's office is the right place. The two agencies keep different parts of the record. You may need to contact both to get everything related to a Modesto arrest.
The California Department of Justice handles statewide criminal history checks separately. That process takes longer and requires fingerprints. It is mainly used for employment and licensing background checks rather than for checking on a single recent booking.
Nearby City Booking Records
Cities near Modesto are in neighboring counties. Here are links to nearby city booking pages.
Stockton is about 30 miles north in San Joaquin County. Fresno is roughly two hours south in Fresno County. Sacramento is about 90 minutes north. Each city has its own county jail system with separate booking databases. For any arrest in Modesto or Stanislaus County, the sheriff's inmate list at scsdonline.com is the starting point.