Search Alpine County Bookings
Alpine County 72 hour booking records work differently from most California counties because Alpine does not operate its own jail. This tiny mountain county in the Sierra Nevada has a population of about 1,100 people, which makes it the smallest county in the state by population. When someone is arrested in Alpine County, they get transported to a neighboring county jail for booking and detention. El Dorado County and Calaveras County handle these bookings on behalf of Alpine. To find Alpine County arrest and booking records, you need to search the jail databases of those neighboring counties.
Alpine County Booking Quick Facts
Alpine County Has No Jail
Alpine County is one of the few California counties that does not run its own jail. The county is so small and remote that building and staffing a full detention facility would not make financial sense. Instead, Alpine County contracts with neighboring counties for jail services. When the Alpine County Sheriff makes an arrest, the person is driven to either El Dorado County Jail in Placerville or Calaveras County Jail in San Andreas. This depends on where the arrest took place and which facility has space at that time.
The Alpine County Sheriff's Office still handles law enforcement within the county. Deputies patrol the area, respond to calls, and make arrests. The sheriff's office is based in Markleeville, which is also the county seat. But once someone is arrested, the booking happens at the receiving county jail. That means the 72 hour booking record for an Alpine County arrest shows up in the records of El Dorado or Calaveras County, not Alpine.
The Alpine County Sheriff's website shows the department's structure and services, but it does not have a local inmate search since there is no jail in the county.
This arrangement works for Alpine County. With so few residents and arrests, the cost of running a county jail would be far too high for the local budget. Other very small California counties face similar challenges, though Alpine is unique in just how small its population is.
Booking Records Law in Alpine County
Government Code §7923.610 still applies to Alpine County arrests. The law requires all booking data to be made public. It does not matter where the booking physically happens. If an Alpine County deputy arrests someone and the person gets booked into El Dorado County Jail, the booking record is public under California law. You just search for it in the El Dorado system instead of an Alpine one.
The booking record must include the person's full name, date of birth, physical description, time of arrest, time of booking, arrest location, bail amount, all charges, and custody location. Alpine County cannot avoid this by using another county's jail. The data is still public.
Search El Dorado County Bookings
If someone was arrested in Alpine County and taken to El Dorado County Jail, you can search for their booking record through the El Dorado County Sheriff's inmate search tool. El Dorado County uses the Citizen RIMS system for its online jail data. You enter a name and get results showing who is in custody, their charges, and booking date. This is where many Alpine County arrests end up getting processed.
El Dorado County Jail is in Placerville, which is about an hour's drive from Markleeville on a good day. In winter, the mountain roads between Alpine and El Dorado can be difficult. Despite the distance, this is one of the two facilities Alpine County relies on for detention.
Note: Alpine County booking records appear in El Dorado or Calaveras County databases depending on which jail received the person after arrest.
Search Calaveras County Bookings
Calaveras County is the other neighbor that handles Alpine County jail bookings. The Calaveras County Sheriff runs a jail in San Andreas. Like El Dorado, Calaveras uses the Citizen RIMS system for online inmate searches. You can look up booking records at the Calaveras County inmate search page by entering a name. If someone was arrested in the southern part of Alpine County, they may have been taken to Calaveras instead of El Dorado.
San Andreas is closer to Alpine County than Placerville in some cases, depending on which part of Alpine County the arrest happened in. The route through Highway 4 connects the two counties directly. When checking for Alpine County booking records, it helps to search both El Dorado and Calaveras databases to make sure you find the right person.
Alpine County Sheriff Contact
The best way to get direct answers about Alpine County arrests and bookings is to call the sheriff's office. They can tell you which jail a specific person was taken to and help you find the booking record. The Alpine County Sheriff's Office is at 75B Diamond Valley Road in Markleeville, CA 96120. Phone calls are the quickest option since the office is small and staff may not respond to email requests as fast.
Alpine County has only a handful of deputies. Law enforcement calls range from traffic stops on the mountain highways to incidents at Bear Valley ski resort. The low crime rate means there are not many bookings to track in any given week. But when an arrest does happen, Penal Code §851.5 still gives the arrested person the right to three phone calls within three hours. That right applies even though the booking may happen in a different county's facility.
Alpine Booking Records by Request
You can submit a public records request to the Alpine County Sheriff for booking information. Under the California Public Records Act, the sheriff must respond within 10 days. Since the actual booking records may be held by El Dorado or Calaveras County, the Alpine County Sheriff may direct you to the correct agency. You can also file requests directly with those neighboring county sheriff offices.
Written requests should include as much detail as you can give. The full name of the person, the approximate date of arrest, and any other identifying details all help. Mail your request to the Alpine County Sheriff's Office in Markleeville, or call ahead to ask about the best way to submit it. For most people, searching the online inmate databases at El Dorado or Calaveras will be faster than a formal written request.
Note: Written records requests to Alpine County may be forwarded to El Dorado or Calaveras County since those counties hold the actual booking data.
Nearby County Booking Records
Alpine County sits in the Sierra Nevada near several other counties. These neighbors have their own jail search tools and booking databases.