Modoc County 72 Hour Booking

Modoc County 72 hour booking records are kept by the Modoc County Sheriff's Office in Alturas. Unlike most California counties, Modoc does not have a dedicated online inmate search tool or booking log on its website. This makes Modoc one of the hardest counties in California to search for booking records online. The county is extremely rural and sits in the far northeast corner of the state. The population is small and bookings are infrequent. To get booking records from Modoc County, you will likely need to call the sheriff's office directly. This page covers your options for finding Modoc County booking data, what California law says about access, and which tools work as alternatives.

Modoc County Booking Access

Modoc County does not run an online inmate search tool. This is not unusual for very small California counties. With a population under 10,000, Modoc is one of the least populated counties in the state. The jail in Alturas handles a low number of bookings each week. The Modoc County Sheriff has not set up a public web portal for searching jail inmates the way larger counties have. That does not change the law. Booking records in Modoc County are still public. You just need to get them through other means.

The best way to find Modoc County booking records is to call the sheriff's office. Ask about recent bookings or a specific person. Staff at the jail can look up who is in custody and share the details that California law requires them to release. You can also visit the sheriff's office in person at 404 West Second Street in Alturas. In-person requests tend to get fast answers in small counties like Modoc where the office is not overwhelmed with calls.

The Modoc County Sheriff has at times posted updates on social media, including Facebook. Arrest announcements and booking information sometimes appear there. This is not a formal booking log, but it can be a useful source for recent arrest data in Modoc County. Check the sheriff's Facebook page for any recent posts about arrests or booking activity.

Note: Modoc County booking records are public by law even though there is no online search tool available.

California Jail Data for Modoc

While Modoc County lacks its own booking search portal, some statewide resources provide data about the Modoc County Jail. The BSCC Jail Profile Survey tracks jail statistics for all 58 California counties. You can look up Modoc County to see monthly booking counts, average daily population, and jail capacity. This data does not list individual names, but it shows how active the Modoc County Jail is over time.

The BSCC data confirms that Modoc County has very low jail activity compared to other California counties. Monthly bookings often number in the single digits or low double digits. This explains why the county has not invested in a full online inmate search system. The demand simply is not there. But the data that the BSCC collects still covers Modoc, so you can track trends over time if you need that level of detail.

Modoc Booking Disclosure Law

Government Code 7923.610 applies to Modoc County the same way it applies to Los Angeles or any other California county. The law requires all law enforcement agencies to release booking information to the public. The data includes the full name, date of birth, physical description, arrest and booking times, arrest location, bail amount, charges, and custody location. Modoc County cannot refuse to share this data. The fact that they lack an online tool does not change the legal requirement.

If the Modoc County Sheriff's Office does not respond to your request for booking records, you have options. The California Public Records Act gives you the right to file a formal written request. The agency has 10 days to respond. You can also contact the California Attorney General's office for guidance on how to enforce your public records rights. This is rarely needed, but the option exists. Modoc County must comply with the same disclosure laws as every other county in the state.

Arrest Process in Modoc County

Arrests in Modoc County are handled by the sheriff's office, the Alturas Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol. All bookings go through the Modoc County Jail in Alturas. The booking process is the same as anywhere in California. Staff record the person's information, take fingerprints and a photo, and enter the charges. The booking creates the public record that the law requires to be shared.

Under Penal Code 851.5, every person booked at the Modoc County Jail has the right to at least three completed phone calls within three hours. These calls can go to a lawyer, bail agent, or family member. The jail cannot charge for them. This right exists at every California jail, including Modoc County's small facility in Alturas.

Because the county is remote, court proceedings take place at the Modoc County Superior Court in Alturas. The court is the only one in the county. There are no branch courthouses. People in custody wait at the Modoc County Jail until their hearing. The jail population stays low, usually holding fewer than 20 people at a time.

Note: Modoc County's remote location means that state agencies like the CHP play a significant role in local arrests.

Modoc County Sheriff Contact

Since there is no online search tool, contacting the Modoc County Sheriff directly is the best path to booking records.

• Modoc County Sheriff's Office: 404 W. Second Street, Alturas, CA 96101
• Main phone: (530) 233-4416
• Jail: (530) 233-4416
• Victim notification: VINELink

Call during business hours for the best response. Ask for the jail division or records section. In a county this small, the staff usually know who is in custody without needing to run a search. You can ask about recent bookings, a specific person, or how to submit a formal public records request. The Modoc County Sheriff is legally required to share booking data under California law.

Alternative Search Options

VINELink is probably the most useful online tool for checking Modoc County custody status. The statewide system tracks who is in jail across California. You can search by name and see if someone is held at the Modoc County Jail. VINELink also lets you sign up for alerts when a person's custody status changes. This is a free service open to everyone.

The California Department of Justice holds statewide criminal history data but does not publish a public 72 hour booking log. For individual Modoc County booking records, calling the sheriff's office remains the most reliable option. The DOJ Public Records page explains how to file formal records requests with state agencies if you need broader criminal history data. Copies from the DOJ cost 10 cents per page and the agency has 10 days to respond. For most people searching for recent Modoc County booking data, a quick phone call to the sheriff will get you what you need faster.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Modoc County in northeast California. Each has its own sheriff and booking records.