Whittier City Jail

The Whittier Police Department runs one of the most clearly documented city jails in the area, and the single most useful fact about it is the time limit: as a Type I facility, the department states it is authorized to hold inmates a maximum of 96 hours. That is a real window, and it is the thing to plan around.

Facility details

Details above are published by the City of Whittier. Procedures change and the department is the authority on its own operations — call the jail directly, or call us and we will make the calls for you.

What a Type I facility and a 96-hour limit mean for you

A Type I jail is a local facility with a defined ceiling on how long someone can be held. Whittier states that ceiling as 96 hours. That is longer than the six-hour and 24-hour windows at some neighbouring city facilities, which cuts both ways: there is more time to act, but it also means somebody can sit there over a weekend rather than being moved along quickly.

The department also notes that its jailers are responsible for transporting inmates to the appropriate courts. Where someone goes at the end of the 96 hours depends on the case, and the department does not publish a single transfer destination — so we are not going to invent one. We will call and find out.

How bail is posted at the Whittier jail

This is the part Whittier documents better than almost any other local agency, and it is worth reading before you do anything.

The full bail amount can be deposited in cash, cashier’s check, money order, or a personal check drawn on a California bank. The department is explicit about what happens next: deposited money is returned after the person bailed out appears, according to the rules of the court receiving the bail, and bail money is returned only by the court — not by the jail.

How to check whether someone is held here

Call the jail on (562) 567-9220, or the jail questions line on (562) 567-9221. The police business line is (562) 567-9200.

One thing worth knowing about this area: Whittier is split between agencies. The Whittier Police Department covers the city itself. Unincorporated areas around it are covered by the Sheriff — South and East unincorporated Whittier fall under the Norwalk Sheriff’s Station, and West Whittier falls under the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station. If you are not sure which, tell us the street or the cross streets and we will establish it rather than send you to the wrong building.

What happens after booking

1. Transport and intake. The person is brought in, searched, and property is inventoried.
2. Booking. Identity, charges, fingerprints, photographs. Until booking finishes, records commonly show nothing — families calling in the first hour are told there is no record. It is normal.
3. The charge is set. This determines the scheduled bail figure. It is not always the charge described at the scene.
4. Release, bail, or court transport. Within the 96-hour ceiling, one of these happens.

We will not promise you a release time. Once bail is posted the remaining wait is the facility’s own process, and that varies by hour and by how busy the shift has been.

Do not assume a bond is needed

Whittier is in Los Angeles County, and since 1 October 2023 the Superior Court’s Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols have meant that many people arrested for non-violent, non-serious offenses are released without money bail — through citation or magistrate review rather than a bond. That applies here.

It does not apply to everything, and domestic violence is a significant exception. The honest first step is establishing the booking charge rather than assuming you need to raise money. If a bond is not required, we will tell you.

Domestic violence arrests in Whittier

Domestic violence is the charge type where the rules genuinely differ. Under Penal Code § 1270.1, these offenses require a hearing in open court before release on own recognizance or at any amount other than the published scheduled figure. It is statewide.

In practice: posting the scheduled amount does not require a judge and can proceed at any hour. Asking a judge to reduce it waits for a court day — and with a 96-hour ceiling, a Friday evening arrest can genuinely mean sitting until Monday. Our domestic violence bail page lists the current scheduled amounts by charge and explains the protective order that begins at release. Charge detail is on PC 273.5, PC 243(e)(1) and PC 273.6.

Other charges we are called about

• DUI — clustered in exactly the hours when courts are closed.
• Warrants and failures to appear — arranging the bond before surrendering is almost always the better order of operations.
• Felony and misdemeanor bail, including PC 1275.1 source-of-funds reviews on larger bonds.
• Drug charges.

Where the case will be heard

Los Angeles County cases from this area are commonly heard at the Whittier Courthouse, with some matters routed to the Norwalk Courthouse or Downey Courthouse. The department states that its jailers handle transport to the appropriate courts.

What we need from you to start

• The full name of the person arrested, and date of birth if you have it.
• Roughly where the arrest happened — particularly important here, given the city/unincorporated split.
• The booking charge if you were told it. If not, we will find it.
• Details for whoever will sign as indemnitor — identification and something showing stable local ties.

Nights, weekends and holidays

Arrests cluster in the evenings and at weekends, exactly when courts are closed — and with a 96-hour ceiling, a weekend arrest is precisely the scenario where knowing your options early matters most. Our La Habra office is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and a licensed agent answers the phone at 3am on a holiday.

State classification: Type I

The California Board of State and Community Corrections classifies this facility as Type I. Under California Code of Regulations, Title 15, § 1006, that means not more than 96 hours, excluding holidays, after booking.

The classification is the regulatory limit for the building, not a prediction for any individual — but it tells you how much time the situation realistically allows. What kind of jail is holding them? sets out every classification and the class of every facility we cover in both counties.

Common questions

How long can someone be held at the Whittier jail?

The department states that as a Type I jail facility it is authorized to hold inmates a maximum of 96 hours.

How is bail paid at the Whittier jail?

The full bail amount can be deposited in cash, cashier’s check, money order, or a personal check drawn on a California bank. The department states that bail money is returned only by the court, after the person appears and according to that court’s rules.

How many people does the jail hold?

The department states the facility accommodates 22 males and 9 females.

Is all of Whittier covered by the Whittier Police Department?

No. The city is covered by Whittier PD, but surrounding unincorporated areas are policed by the Sheriff — South and East unincorporated Whittier from the Norwalk Station, and West Whittier from the Pico Rivera Station.

There is no record of the person. What does that mean?

Usually booking has not finished. Records typically appear only once booking is complete, which can take a few hours.

Where we work from

Our nearest office is La Habra at 510 E La Habra Blvd, open 24 hours and a short drive from Whittier, with Brea and Anaheim behind it. We serve Whittier, La Mirada, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs and Norwalk, and post bail across Los Angeles County and Orange County.