Contra Costa 72 Hour Booking
Contra Costa County 72 hour booking records are available through the sheriff's office online inmate search system. This large East Bay county has a population of over one million people and processes a high volume of jail bookings. The sheriff runs two main detention facilities and provides public access to in-custody reports through a free web tool. You can search for anyone currently held at a Contra Costa County jail by name. The tool shows booking dates, charges, bail amounts, and custody status. Contra Costa County is one of the more transparent counties in California when it comes to publishing jail data online.
Contra Costa County Booking Quick Facts
Contra Costa In-Custody Reports
The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office runs an online tool that shows who is currently in custody at county jails. You can access the Contra Costa County In-Custody Reports page to search for inmates by name. The system pulls data from the county's jail management software and displays it in a clear format. You get the person's name, booking number, booking date, charges, bail amount, and which facility holds them. It is free to use and works on any device.
The Contra Costa County Sheriff's in-custody reports page provides a searchable database of everyone currently held in the county's jail facilities.
This tool is updated throughout the day. New bookings show up within hours of processing. When someone posts bail or is released, they eventually drop off the in-custody list. For the most current results, search during business hours when jail processing is most active. If a booking just happened, give it a little time before searching.
Contra Costa Booking Law
Government Code §7923.610 is the California law that makes booking records public in Contra Costa County and every other county in the state. The law says law enforcement must share booking data when asked. The required information includes the person's full name, date of birth, a physical description, the time and date of arrest, the time and date of booking, where the arrest took place, the bail amount, every charge filed, and the custody location.
Contra Costa County meets this requirement by posting in-custody reports online. This goes beyond what the law technically requires. The statute says agencies must release the data when requested. Contra Costa takes it a step further and publishes it proactively so anyone can access it without making a formal request. That saves time for the public and for sheriff's office staff.
Contra Costa County Jails
Contra Costa County operates two main detention facilities. The Martinez Detention Facility is in Martinez, the county seat. The West County Detention Facility is in Richmond. Both jails process bookings and house inmates. Which jail a person ends up in can depend on where they were arrested, the type of charges, and which facility has space. Both facilities feed into the same in-custody reports system, so one search covers bookings at either location.
The county handles bookings from many different law enforcement agencies. The Contra Costa County Sheriff patrols unincorporated areas, but the county also has cities with their own police departments. Concord, Richmond, Antioch, Walnut Creek, Pittsburg, and other cities all have their own police forces. When those agencies make arrests, the people they arrest are booked into one of the two county jails. All of those bookings appear in the same online search tool.
The Martinez facility is at 1000 Ward Street. The West County facility is at 5555 Giant Road in Richmond. Both can be reached through the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office main phone line at (925) 646-2441. Staff at either jail can answer questions about current inmates and booking status.
Note: Bookings from all Contra Costa County police agencies go through the county jail system, so one search covers arrests made by any local department.
Contra Costa Booking Search Tips
When searching the Contra Costa County in-custody reports, start with the last name. The system may return multiple results if the name is common. You can narrow it down by checking the booking date, charges, or age against what you already know. If the person's name has alternate spellings, try each variation.
The system shows current inmates only. If someone was booked and released quickly, they may not appear in the search by the time you check. For people who posted bail the same day they were arrested, the in-custody report might not capture them unless you search within a few hours of the booking. Past booking records that are no longer in the active system can be obtained through a records request to the sheriff's office.
Rights After Booking in Contra Costa
Every person booked into a Contra Costa County jail has rights guaranteed by California law. Penal Code §851.5 says the person gets at least three completed phone calls within three hours of booking. The calls can go to an attorney, a bail bond company, or a family member. The jail cannot charge for these calls. This applies at both the Martinez and West County facilities.
Bail is set based on the Contra Costa County bail schedule. Serious felony charges carry high bail amounts. Misdemeanors are lower. A judge can change the bail amount at a hearing, but the initial figure comes from the schedule. If someone posts bail at the jail, they are released and told when to come back for court. The booking record stays on file and remains public regardless of whether bail was posted.
Contra Costa Records Requests
You can request copies of Contra Costa County booking records through a formal public records request. The California Public Records Act gives you the right to ask for these documents, and the sheriff must respond within 10 days. Send your request to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, Records Division, at 651 Pine Street, Martinez, CA 94553. Include the person's full name, an approximate booking date, and a description of what records you need.
Fees may apply for copies. The exact amount depends on how many pages you request. For most people, the online in-custody search is the best first step. It is free and gives instant results. A written records request is better suited for situations where you need official copies, historical booking data, or records for legal proceedings.
Cities in Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County has several cities with populations over 100,000. These cities have their own police departments, but all jail bookings flow through the county sheriff's detention facilities. Whether someone is arrested in Concord, Richmond, or Antioch, the booking record ends up in the same Contra Costa County system.
Other cities in the county like Walnut Creek, Pittsburg, San Ramon, and Pleasant Hill also have their own police but use the county jail for bookings. All records are searchable through the same in-custody reports tool.
Contra Costa County VINELink
VINELink is available for tracking inmates in Contra Costa County. This free service lets you register to receive notifications when an inmate's custody status changes. You can sign up with the person's name or booking number. The system sends alerts by phone, email, or text when the person is released, transferred, or has a change in status. VINELink covers both Contra Costa County jail facilities and works around the clock. It is designed for crime victims but is open to anyone.
Nearby County Booking Records
Contra Costa County borders several Bay Area and Central Valley counties. Find booking records for nearby areas below.