Contra Costa County Booking Report Lookup

Contra Costa County booking reports are managed by the sheriff's Records and ID Unit in Martinez. When someone is arrested anywhere in the county, from Richmond to Concord to Walnut Creek, their booking report goes into the sheriff's records system. Searching for Contra Costa County booking reports starts with the sheriff's office, which serves as the main records hub for all official police reports, warrants, and booking data. The Records and ID Unit handles public requests and can help you get the booking information you need.

Contra Costa County Records Unit

The Records and ID Unit is the central repository for all Contra Costa County booking reports. This office stores police reports, warrants, and countywide restraining orders alongside booking records. It is located at 2530 Arnold Drive, Suite 170, Martinez, CA 94553. You can call them at (925) 335-1570 or email recordsinfo@so.cccounty.us. The Records Unit has ten days to respond to all records requests under California law. That timeline applies to requests for Contra Costa County booking reports just like any other public record.

Payment for copies is limited. Contra Costa County accepts cash with exact change only, or checks. No credit or debit cards. If you plan to visit in person for booking report copies, bring the right payment. Fees cover the cost of copying, and the exact amount depends on how many pages your record request involves. Calling ahead helps because the staff can let you know what to expect before you make the trip to Martinez.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office makes booking records available through its Records and ID Unit page.

California's Public Records Act ensures Contra Costa County must respond to booking report requests within the legal timeframe.

How Contra Costa County Bookings Work

Contra Costa County covers a large stretch of the East Bay. Cities like Richmond, Concord, Walnut Creek, Antioch, and Pittsburg each have their own police departments. When those departments make an arrest, the person gets booked into the Contra Costa County jail. The booking creates a report with the person's name, charges, bail, physical description, and time of arrest. All of this information feeds into the sheriff's records system. Even though many different agencies make arrests throughout the county, the Records and ID Unit keeps everything in one place.

Under Penal Code Section 851.5, a person booked into the Contra Costa County jail has the right to make at least three phone calls within three hours of arrest. This is a statewide rule, but it applies to every booking that happens in Contra Costa County. The booking report itself documents when these steps occur, along with all the other standard data points.

Note: Contra Costa County uses a centralized records system, so one request covers bookings from all agencies in the county.

Contra Costa Booking Report Access Laws

The California Public Records Act requires Contra Costa County to release booking reports when asked. Government Code Section 7920.000 sets the rules. Government Code Section 7923.600 lists the specific booking details that are public: full name, occupation, physical description, date of birth, arrest time, booking time, charges, bail amount, and custody location. Contra Costa County law enforcement agencies must share all of this. You do not need a reason to ask for it.

A booking report is different from a criminal history. Penal Code Section 13300 defines local criminal history information as a master record covering all of a person's arrests and case outcomes. That data is restricted. In Contra Costa County, you can get individual booking reports through the sheriff. Full criminal histories need a personal request through the California DOJ with fingerprints and a $25 processing fee. The DOJ is in Sacramento and handles these requests by mail.

Sealing Contra Costa County Records

Arrests that do not lead to a conviction can sometimes be sealed. Penal Code Section 851.91 gives people the right to petition a court to seal their arrest records in Contra Costa County. If the court grants the petition, the booking report and all related records are sealed from public view. The Contra Costa County Sheriff's office then removes the data from any public-facing search tools. People who prove factual innocence under Penal Code Section 851.8 can have records sealed and eventually destroyed entirely.

Track Contra Costa County Bookings

The California VINE system covers Contra Costa County. You can sign up for free alerts when a person in custody is released, transferred, or escapes. Choose phone, email, or text alerts. This is especially useful for crime victims who need to know when someone gets out of Contra Costa County jail.

If someone from Contra Costa County is sent to state prison after sentencing, their records move to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The CIRIS database tracks people in state prison. It shows name, CDCR number, facility location, and parole hearing dates. Check CIRIS if you cannot find someone in the Contra Costa County sheriff's system and believe they may have been transferred to state custody.

Cities in Contra Costa County

Several cities in Contra Costa County have populations over 100,000. Local police make arrests, but the county sheriff handles the booking. These cities have their own booking report pages.

Nearby County Booking Reports

Contra Costa County shares borders with several Bay Area counties. If the arrest may have happened in another jurisdiction, check these counties.