Access San Francisco Booking Reports

San Francisco booking reports come from a unique system because the city and county are one and the same. Unlike most California cities, San Francisco is both a city and a county. That means the San Francisco Sheriff's Department runs the jail right here in the city. Searching for booking reports does not require going to a separate county agency. The SFPD handles arrests and the SF Sheriff handles booking and custody, but both operate within the same jurisdiction. This makes the search process more direct than in other large California cities.

San Francisco Sheriff Booking System

San Francisco County and the city share one government. The SF Sheriff's Department operates the county jail at 850 Bryant Street and other facilities in the city. When the SFPD or any other agency arrests someone in San Francisco, the sheriff's office handles booking. The booking report goes into the sheriff's system with the person's name, date of birth, charges, bail, and the date and time of booking.

The sheriff runs an online Find Person in Jail tool. Search by the first three letters of a first name and last name. You can also search by SF number or booking number if you have those. Results show current custody status, charges, and bail. The Central Records and Warrants Unit at 850 Bryant Street, Room 460, handles in-person requests. Call (415) 553-1430 or (415) 553-9505 for phone inquiries about San Francisco booking reports.

Note: Search the SF Sheriff's jail database using at least three letters of the first and last name.

SFPD Records for San Francisco Arrests

The San Francisco Police Department keeps arrest reports, incident reports, and other case files. These are the police records, not the booking records. The SFPD main number is (415) 837-7000. For records requests, the department has an online public records request portal. Submit your request there and the department will process it under the California Public Records Act.

The SFPD public records portal is available through the San Francisco Police Department website.

Use this portal to request copies of SFPD arrest and incident reports for events that happened in San Francisco.

Understanding the difference matters here. The SFPD arrest report tells you what happened. It has the officer's account, witness statements, and evidence notes. The sheriff's booking report tells you the basics: who was booked, when, what charges, and how much bail. Both are public records. If you want the full picture of a San Francisco arrest, you may need to request from both agencies. The SFPD portal handles the police report side. The sheriff's jail search handles the booking side.

San Francisco Booking Report Laws

Government Code Section 7920.000 establishes the California Public Records Act. It applies to every agency in San Francisco. Both the sheriff and the SFPD must comply. They have 10 days to respond to records requests. Government Code Section 7923.600 lists exactly what booking data law enforcement must release. That covers the arrested person's name, physical description, date and time of arrest, booking time, charges, bail, and where they are held.

San Francisco follows these rules like every other California jurisdiction. The city-county structure does not change the law. What it does change is convenience. You deal with one local government instead of splitting requests between a city and a separate county. For people searching San Francisco booking reports, this simplifies the process quite a bit compared to cities like Los Angeles or San Jose where the county is a completely separate entity.

Criminal History Records in San Francisco

A booking report from San Francisco shows one arrest event. A criminal history shows all of them across the state. Penal Code Section 13300 defines criminal history records and limits who can see them. If you want your own full record, submit a request to the California DOJ Record Review with Live Scan fingerprints and $25. The DOJ mails you a report that shows every arrest in the state, not just San Francisco incidents.

For third parties, the restriction is clear. You can see the public booking report. You cannot see someone else's full criminal history. The San Francisco Sheriff releases current booking data on its website. Past booking records may need a formal Public Records Act request. The DOJ's copy fee is 10 cents per page for records released under the Public Records Act, as stated on their PRA information page.

Sealing San Francisco Booking Records

People booked in San Francisco who were not convicted can petition to seal the arrest record. Penal Code Section 851.91 covers this right. File the petition in San Francisco Superior Court. If the court grants it, the booking report and related records get sealed. They will not appear in future searches of San Francisco booking data.

Penal Code Section 13665 also matters in San Francisco. It stops police from posting booking photos on social media for nonviolent arrests, with limited exceptions. If a photo is posted, it must be taken down within 14 days. These rules balance public access with privacy for people who have been arrested but not yet convicted of anything in San Francisco.

Track San Francisco Custody Changes

California VINE provides free custody alerts for San Francisco. Sign up by name or booking number. Choose phone, email, or text alerts. The service tells you when someone is released from SF County jail or transferred to another facility. The Medical and Mental Health Crisis Line at (415) 558-4443 is a separate resource for families concerned about a person's wellbeing while in San Francisco custody.

Nearby Cities Booking Reports

The Bay Area has several large cities near San Francisco with their own booking report resources. These cities fall under different county jurisdictions.