San Benito County Booking Reports

San Benito County booking reports are kept by the sheriff's office, which operates a small jail facility in Hollister. The county is one of the least populated in the Central Coast region, and its jail has a rated capacity of just 124 inmates. Despite its size, San Benito County follows the same California public records laws as larger counties. You can request booking reports through the sheriff's Corrections Division. The county seat is Hollister, and most booking activity comes from arrests by the Hollister Police Department and the sheriff's patrol. This page covers how to access San Benito County booking reports, what fees apply, and what legal rights you have.

Access San Benito County Booking Records

The San Benito County Sheriff's Office provides information about its Corrections Division on the county website. The jail facility at 710 Flynn Road in Hollister is where all bookings take place. To check on an inmate or request booking report data, call (831) 636-4060. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody and provide basic booking details over the phone.

San Benito County does not currently operate a full public online inmate search like some larger counties. That makes the phone and in-person options more important here. You can visit the jail during business hours to ask about booking records. Written requests under the California Public Records Act are also accepted. For a quick statewide search, the California VINE service shown below may help you locate someone in San Benito County custody.

VINE provides a statewide search that includes San Benito County inmates and can send custody change alerts.

Because the jail has only 124 beds, the volume of bookings is much lower than in larger California counties. That can work in your favor when requesting records. Staff have fewer requests to process, and response times tend to be faster. If you call during normal business hours, there is a good chance someone can help you right away with San Benito County booking report inquiries.

San Benito County Jail and Booking Details

The San Benito County jail opened in 1992. It is a 28,000 square foot facility at 710 Flynn Road in Hollister. With a rated capacity of 124 inmates, it serves as the sole booking location for all arrests in the county. The Hollister Police Department, San Juan Bautista police, and sheriff's deputies bring all arrested people to this one jail. During booking, staff take fingerprints, photographs, and record the person's identifying information along with their charges and bail amount.

The small size of the facility means it can sometimes reach capacity during busy periods. When that happens, inmates may be transferred to other county jails under contract agreements. If you are looking for someone who was booked in San Benito County but has been moved, the sheriff's office can tell you where they went. Call (831) 636-4060 for current information about any San Benito County booking report.

Legal Rights to San Benito County Bookings

The California Public Records Act gives you the right to request San Benito County booking reports. The sheriff's office must respond within 10 days. Government Code Section 7923.600 requires that booking details be made public, including the arrested person's name, charges, bail, arrest time, booking time, and custody location. You do not need to state why you want the records.

Penal Code Section 13300 restricts access to full criminal history records. Those are available only to authorized agencies or to the individual. A San Benito County booking report is a single-event record and falls into the public category. Anyone can request one. If you need a broader criminal history check, the California DOJ offers a Record Review service for $25 that requires fingerprinting.

People booked in San Benito County who were not convicted can petition to seal their records. Penal Code Section 851.91 allows this when charges are dropped or dismissed. The petition goes to the San Benito County Superior Court. Once sealed, the booking report is no longer publicly accessible.

Note: San Benito County booking photos posted on social media are subject to Penal Code Section 13665 restrictions for nonviolent offenses.

State Resources for San Benito County Records

Since San Benito County is a smaller jurisdiction, state-level tools can be especially useful. The VINE system lets you search for inmates across all California counties including San Benito. Register for free alerts when someone's custody status changes. The CIRIS database from the California Department of Corrections can help if someone was sentenced to state prison after being booked in San Benito County. CIRIS shows current locations and parole hearing dates for state inmates.

The California State Sheriffs' Association also provides resources and links related to county jail operations statewide. For San Benito County specifically, the sheriff's Corrections Division page remains your best starting point for booking report requests.

Cities in San Benito County

Hollister is the county seat and largest city. San Juan Bautista is the only other incorporated city. Neither has a population over 100,000. Both cities' police departments bring arrested people to the county jail at 710 Flynn Road. All San Benito County booking reports are held by the sheriff regardless of which agency made the arrest. For any booking record in the county, contact the sheriff at (831) 636-4060.

Nearby County Booking Reports

San Benito County is a small county between the Central Coast and the Central Valley. These neighboring counties have their own booking report systems.