Imperial County Booking Reports

Imperial County booking reports are held by the county sheriff's office in California's far southeast corner along the Mexican border. The Imperial County Sheriff's Office manages the county jail and makes booking data available to the public. You can find Imperial County booking reports through the sheriff's jail page online. The jail has a combined bed space of 876 beds and processes bookings from all law enforcement agencies in the county. Imperial County is one of the smaller population counties in Southern California, but its location on the international border means the jail system stays active. Phone and in-person access to booking records are also available if you need more than what the website shows.

Find Imperial County Booking Records Online

The Imperial County Sheriff's Office provides jail and booking information through its corrections page. The site gives an overview of the jail system and access to current custody data. The combined jail facilities in Imperial County have 876 beds. Search for people in custody to find booking dates, charges, and bail amounts. The website is free to use and does not require any account or sign-in.

View the Imperial County Sheriff's Office jail and corrections page below.

The corrections page provides jail details and links to booking data for Imperial County.

For more detailed booking information, call the Imperial County Sheriff's Office records division at (442) 265-2125. Visitation information is at (442) 265-2266. Staff can look up booking records by name and date of birth. If you need a copy of an Imperial County booking report mailed to you, the records division handles that too.

Imperial County Booking Report Fees

Imperial County charges specific fees for record copies. A copy of a crime or incident report costs $22. A local clearance letter runs $65. Live Scan fingerprinting costs $40 plus additional DOJ and FBI processing fees. These fees apply to formal record requests. Looking up booking information online or by phone is free.

If you are a crime victim in California, you may be able to get your first copy of a report at no charge. Check with the Imperial County Sheriff's records division about fee waivers or victim exemptions. Pay by check or money order. Some offices also accept cash. The records division at (442) 265-2125 can tell you the exact payment methods they take for Imperial County booking report copies.

How Imperial County Bookings Work

When someone is arrested in Imperial County, they are taken to the county jail for booking. The process creates a record with the person's name, date of birth, physical description, charges, arrest time, booking time, and bail amount. Law enforcement agencies in the county, including city police in El Centro, Calexico, and Brawley, all send arrested people to the county jail. The sheriff's office handles the booking and enters data into the system. One database covers all Imperial County bookings regardless of which agency made the arrest.

Imperial County's border location adds some complexity to the booking system. Federal agencies like Border Patrol and ICE operate in the area and sometimes transfer people into county custody. Those bookings also go into the Imperial County system when the person is held at the county jail. If you are searching for someone and think they may have been arrested near the border, the county jail booking search is the place to start.

Note: Federal detainees held in Imperial County may or may not appear in the county booking search depending on custody arrangements.

Imperial County Booking Record Laws

California's Public Records Act covers all Imperial County booking reports. The sheriff must respond to record requests within 10 days. Government Code Section 7923.600 specifically lists booking data as public information. Names, charges, bail amounts, arrest and booking times, and custody locations are all part of the public record for anyone booked in Imperial County.

There is a difference between a booking report and a criminal history. Penal Code Section 13300 defines criminal history records and limits who can access them. A booking report from Imperial County shows one arrest event and is public. A full criminal history needs authorization. For your own history, submit fingerprints and $25 to the California DOJ.

People arrested in Imperial County who are not convicted can petition to seal their records under Penal Code Section 851.91. Factually innocent people can use Penal Code Section 851.8 to have booking records sealed and eventually destroyed. Once sealed, those Imperial County booking reports no longer show up in public searches.

Track Imperial County Custody Changes

The California VINE system covers Imperial County. Register for free to get alerts by phone, email, or text when an inmate is released or transferred. This is useful for crime victims who want to track someone booked into Imperial County jail without having to check the website constantly. VINE works alongside the sheriff's custody search. Use the sheriff's site for a quick lookup of Imperial County booking reports. Use VINE for ongoing tracking.

People sentenced to state prison after being booked in Imperial County can be found through the CDCR inmate search. The state database shows commitment counties, making it possible to trace someone back to their original Imperial County booking.

Nearby County Booking Reports

Imperial County borders two other California counties and the international border with Mexico. If the arrest may have happened outside Imperial County, try these neighbors.