Tulare County Booking Report Lookup

Tulare County booking reports are held by the sheriff's office, which operates two detention facilities in the area. The Main Jail and the Bob Wiley Detention Facility both process bookings for arrests throughout the county. You can search for Tulare County booking reports online through the sheriff's inmate search tool, which is free to use. The system shows current inmates along with their charges, booking dates, and bail information. Visalia is the county seat and the largest city. All arrests across Tulare County end up in the sheriff's booking system, making it the one place to check for any booking record in the county.

Search Tulare County Booking Reports Online

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office has an Inmate Search page on its website. This is the primary tool for looking up who is currently in the Tulare County jail system. Enter a name and the search returns inmates who match. Results show charges, booking information, and facility location. The tool is free and open to the public. No account is needed. It covers both the Main Jail and the Bob Wiley Detention Facility, so you get a full picture of Tulare County bookings in one search.

The Tulare County Sheriff posts booking data through the Inmate Search system shown here.

This search covers both Tulare County detention facilities and their current inmate population.

Like most county systems, the online search only shows current inmates. Once someone leaves Tulare County custody, they disappear from the results. For past booking records, contact the Main Jail at (559) 636-4655 or the Bob Wiley Detention Facility at (559) 735-1750. The staff can check older records and explain how to get copies of Tulare County booking reports that are no longer visible online.

Tulare County Jail Booking Process

Tulare County has a lot of ground to cover. The county stretches from the Valley floor up into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Law enforcement agencies across this area include the Visalia Police Department, Tulare Police, Porterville Police, Dinuba Police, and the sheriff's patrol. When any of these agencies makes an arrest, the person is booked at one of the sheriff's two detention facilities. The booking creates a record with the person's name, date of birth, charges, bail, physical description, and arrest details.

Having two facilities means inmates can be at either location. The Main Jail handles most initial bookings. The Bob Wiley facility serves as a secondary location. When you search for Tulare County booking reports online, the results tell you which facility holds the person. Under Penal Code Section 851.5, everyone booked into a California jail has the right to make at least three phone calls within three hours. This applies to both Tulare County facilities.

Tulare County Booking Records and the Law

Under the California Public Records Act, Tulare County booking reports are public documents. Government Code Section 7923.600 spells out exactly what booking data must be released: the person's full name, occupation, physical description, date of birth, arrest date and time, booking date and time, charges, bail, and custody location. The Tulare County Sheriff's Office provides this data through its inmate search and through its records division upon request.

There is an important distinction between a booking report and a criminal history. Penal Code Section 13300 defines local criminal history records and limits who can see them. A complete criminal history shows every arrest, charge, and case outcome for a person. Only authorized agencies or the individual can access that level of detail. A Tulare County booking report, on the other hand, covers just one arrest event and is available to the general public.

People who were booked in Tulare County and not convicted can ask the court to seal their arrest records. Penal Code Section 851.91 provides the process. Once sealed by the Tulare County Superior Court, those booking reports are removed from public access.

Note: Booking photos shared on social media by Tulare County agencies are subject to restrictions under Penal Code Section 13665.

Track Tulare County Inmates

The VINE notification system is active in Tulare County. It is free. Register with a person's name or ID number and choose how you want to receive alerts. VINE will notify you when an inmate at either Tulare County facility is released, transferred, or escapes. This service is especially useful for crime victims but anyone can use it. Pair it with the sheriff's inmate search for the most complete picture of who is in custody and what changes have happened.

For inmates who have left Tulare County custody and entered the state prison system, use the CIRIS search tool from the California Department of Corrections. CIRIS shows current state prison inmates, their locations, and parole hearing dates. It does not cover county jail bookings.

Cities in Tulare County

Visalia is the county seat and the largest city in Tulare County, with a population over 140,000. It is the only city in the county with more than 100,000 residents. Other cities include Tulare, Porterville, Dinuba, and Lindsay. All of these communities rely on the Tulare County Sheriff for jail bookings. City police departments make the arrests, but the booking records are held at the county level. For booking reports from any city in the county, use the sheriff's tools.

Nearby County Booking Reports

Tulare County shares borders with several Central Valley and mountain counties. Check these areas if you think the arrest may have happened outside Tulare County.