Santa Clara 72 Hour Booking
Booking records in Santa Clara are public under California law. The Santa Clara Police Department handles arrests in the city, but the Santa Clara County Sheriff runs the main jail. People arrested by Santa Clara PD are typically booked at the county's main jail facility in San Jose. The 72 hour booking log includes names, charges, bail, and custody details. Under Government Code 7923.610, all of this data must be shared with anyone who asks. Santa Clara is home to about 127,000 people and sits in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Santa Clara Booking Quick Facts
Santa Clara Booking in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara is in Santa Clara County, which is one of the most populated counties in California. The county covers much of the South Bay and includes San Jose, Sunnyvale, and several other cities. The Santa Clara County Sheriff operates the jail system. The main jail is in San Jose at 150 West Hedding Street. There is also a facility in Milpitas called the Elmwood Correctional Complex.
When Santa Clara PD makes an arrest, the person is transported to one of these county facilities. That is where the formal booking happens. Jail staff take prints and a photo, record all charges, and set bail. The booking record is created at that point. It goes into the county's inmate database and becomes public information right away.
The city of Santa Clara shares a name with the county, which can cause some confusion. The city is just one of many cities in Santa Clara County. When searching for booking records, make sure you are looking at the county-level jail system, not just city police records.
Search Santa Clara Booking Records
The Santa Clara County Sheriff has an online inmate locator. You can search for anyone in county custody by name or booking number. The results show charges, bail amount, facility, and booking date. The search is free and does not need an account. It works on both computers and mobile devices.
The California DOJ records request form provides another path to access booking and arrest data for Santa Clara and other California cities.
The inmate locator at eservices.sccgov.org is the best tool for recent Santa Clara bookings. If someone was arrested by Santa Clara PD and booked at the county jail, they will appear here. Processing can take a few hours, so do not panic if a very recent arrest does not show up right away. The system updates throughout the day.
Once an inmate is released, they eventually drop off the active search. For past booking records, you would contact the sheriff's records division or file a public records request.
Santa Clara Booking Law
Government Code 7923.610 makes booking records public across all of California. The law applies to every booking facility in Santa Clara County. When someone is processed at the main jail or Elmwood after a Santa Clara arrest, the record must be available. The law specifies what data gets released. That includes the full name, date of birth, all charges, bail amount, booking date and time, and where the person is held.
Penal Code 851.5 covers phone call rights. Each person booked in the county system gets at least three free phone calls within three hours. Those calls can go to a lawyer, bail agent, or family member. The facility cannot block or charge for them.
The California Public Records Act gives you the right to challenge a denial if any agency refuses to hand over booking data. In practice, the county's online search makes most recent data easy to access, so formal disputes are uncommon.
Santa Clara Police Department
The Santa Clara Police Department is at 601 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050. You can reach them at (408) 615-4700. The department handles all law enforcement in the city, from patrol to investigations. Officers make arrests and transport people to county facilities for booking.
Santa Clara PD keeps its own arrest reports and case files. If you need a copy of a police report from a Santa Clara arrest, contact the department's records division. The booking record itself is held by the county sheriff. So for jail and custody data, you go through the county. For the police side of things, you go through the city.
The city has a moderate arrest volume. Events at Levi's Stadium can spike the numbers on game days and concert nights. DUI, theft, and drug charges make up a large share of the bookings that come from Santa Clara PD arrests.
Get Santa Clara Booking Data
Start with the county's online inmate locator for recent bookings. If the person is no longer in custody, contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff's records section for past booking data. Put the request in writing. Include the person's name, date of arrest, and what you want. The agency has 10 days to respond under the Public Records Act.
- Santa Clara County inmate locator for current custody
- Santa Clara PD at (408) 615-4700 for arrest reports
- Sheriff records division for older booking data
- California DOJ for statewide history
- Certified copies available for an extra fee
Nearby City Booking Records
Other cities near Santa Clara also have booking records available through this site. Most are in Santa Clara County and use the same jail system.
San Jose is the county seat and the largest city in the area. Sunnyvale is right next door and has its own police department. Fremont is in Alameda County, so it uses a different jail system. All three follow the same state rules on public access to booking data.