Los Angeles County Inmate Search

Los Angeles County runs the largest jail system in the United States, and the Sheriff’s Department publishes a free public search called the Inmate Information Center. It is genuinely useful, but it has one rule that explains most panicked phone calls: a booking made in the last two hours will not be there. This page covers how to search, what the results mean, and where to go when the search comes back empty.

The official search, at a glance

Source: the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Inmate Information Center. Verified 18 September 2026.

The two-hour rule — the single most useful thing on this page

The Sheriff’s Department states it on the search screen itself: “Inmate Records will not be available for bookings that occured within the last 2 hours.”

If someone was arrested twenty minutes ago and the search says nothing, the search is working correctly. Reloading it will not change that. This is also why the two figures people compare — “he was arrested at 11” and “the website says no records” — are not in conflict.

The practical move in that window is the phone, not the browser: (213) 473-6100 for custody questions and inmate location, or call us and we will keep checking so you do not have to.

Why the site asks you to solve a puzzle

LASD explains the reCAPTCHA step directly: “Accessing data on the LASD Inmate Information website requires solving reCAPTCHA questions. This feature is used to prevent automated systems from cyber-attacks and commercially exploiting the data.” It is a normal part of the search, not a sign that something is wrong with your connection.

How to search, step by step

1. Wait out the first two hours if the arrest was very recent, or call instead.
2. Open the Inmate Information Center and pass the reCAPTCHA check.
3. Enter the legal name and date of birth. Date of birth is what separates the many people who share a common name in a county of ten million.
4. Read the housing location carefully. LA County moves people between facilities, and where someone is today is not always where they were booked.
5. Write down the booking number. Everyone you speak to afterwards will ask for it.

They are not in the system. What that usually means

• Less than two hours since booking. The published rule above. This is the most common answer by a wide margin.
• They are still at a city police jail. Long Beach, Downey, Montebello, Pomona, West Covina and many other cities run their own holding facilities, and a person held there is not yet in LASD custody.
• They are at a Sheriff’s station, not a jail. Stations such as Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Industry and Walnut / Diamond Bar hold people before transfer.
• They were released before booking completed. Since Los Angeles County adopted its pre-arraignment release protocol, a large share of misdemeanour and non-violent felony arrests are cited and released rather than held for bail.
• The name is recorded differently. Try each surname separately if the person has two, and try without the middle name.
• Juvenile, federal or immigration custody. None of these appear in the county adult system.

Where people are held in Los Angeles County

Nearly everyone entering county custody passes through one address in downtown Los Angeles.

• Inmate Reception Center — 450 Bauchet Street, Los Angeles. The county’s intake hub for men.
• Twin Towers Correctional Facility — 450 Bauchet Street, sharing the same site.
• Century Regional Detention Facility — Lynwood. The county’s facility for women.

Sheriff’s stations and city jails serving the communities we cover are listed on our Los Angeles County jails hub.

Finding the bail amount

The search tells you where someone is. It does not decide what it costs to get them out. Bail in Los Angeles County comes from the charge, read against the county’s bail schedule, and is affected by any hold. Start with Los Angeles County bail amount lookup, then the LA County bail schedule explained.

One LA-specific point worth knowing before you assume a number: the county’s pre-arraignment release protocol means many arrests no longer carry a cash bail figure at all. Confirm the situation before paying anyone anything.

Questions we get asked most

Why does the LA County inmate search say no records found?

Most often because the booking happened less than two hours ago — LASD states that records are not available for bookings within that window. It can also mean the person is still at a city jail or a Sheriff’s station, or was cited and released.

Is the Los Angeles County inmate search free?

Yes, and no account is needed. You only have to complete a reCAPTCHA check.

What number do I call about someone in LA County custody?

(213) 473-6100 for general custody questions and inmate location, and (213) 473-6080 for 24-hour inmate information and intake. For urgent medical concerns the medical command centre is (213) 893-5544.

Can I put money on someone’s books online?

Not through the Sheriff’s own site. LASD states that it has not accepted online deposits for inmates since 15 February 2015.

Does the search show the charges and the bail?

The Inmate Information Center is a custody locator first. Do not rely on it as a legal record of the charge — confirm the charge and the bail figure with the court or with a licensed bail agent before acting on it.

Related resources

Find an inmate — step by step · Orange County inmate search · LA County bail amount lookup · Los Angeles County jails · Los Angeles County courthouses · Pre-arraignment release · How bail works in California · Los Angeles County bail bonds