Find San Francisco Jail Roster Records
San Francisco jail roster records are managed by the San Francisco Sheriff. The city and county are combined in San Francisco. This means the sheriff handles both city police bookings and county jail operations. When someone gets arrested in San Francisco, they go to a county jail facility run by the sheriff's department. The main jail is on Seventh Street near the Hall of Justice. You can search for inmates online using the sheriff's free tool. San Francisco books thousands of people each year into its jail system and all those records are public under California law.
San Francisco Quick Facts
San Francisco County Jail System
San Francisco is unique in California. It is both a city and a county. San Francisco County covers the same area as the city. The sheriff runs the jail system for the whole region. There is no separate city police jail. All bookings go through county facilities operated by the San Francisco Sheriff's Department.
The main jail is County Jail No. 5 on Seventh Street. This facility sits next to the Hall of Justice in the South of Market area. Other jail facilities exist around the city. The sheriff manages all of them. When SFPD or other agencies arrest someone, that person goes to one of these county jails for booking and custody.
San Francisco jails hold people before trial. They also keep inmates serving sentences under one year. Longer sentences go to state prison. The county jail population changes daily as people post bail, go to court, or get released on their own recognizance.
San Francisco Sheriff Inmate Locator
The San Francisco Sheriff offers a free inmate search tool. Visit sfsheriff.com/find-person-jail to look up anyone in custody. Type the person's name into the search box. The system shows current inmates at all San Francisco jail facilities.
Search results include the booking date and charges. You see the inmate's housing location within the jail. Bail amounts show up if one was set. The database updates regularly as new bookings come in and releases happen. You can access this tool any time at no cost.
If someone is not in the county system, they may have been moved to state prison. Use the CDCR search at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov for state inmates. County jails and state prisons keep separate records in California.
You can also call the sheriff's department at (415) 553-1430 to ask about an inmate. Have the full name ready. A date of birth helps staff find the right person faster. They will tell you if that person is in custody and which facility holds them.
VINE Notification Service
VINE works in San Francisco just like all California counties. Go to vinelink.dhs.gov and select California. Enter the inmate's name. The site tells you if they are in custody and where. This service is free for everyone.
VINE lets you sign up for alerts. Give your phone number or email address. The system sends a message when the inmate's status changes. This could be a release, transfer, or court appearance. Many people use this feature to know when someone leaves jail.
The phone number for VINE is 877-411-5588. Call any time to search by voice. The automated system walks you through the steps. You can search and set up alerts over the phone without a computer.
VINE covers San Francisco County jails and all state prisons. If an inmate moves from county to state custody, VINE keeps tracking them. The updates happen fast when someone's location or status changes in California.
Contact Information for San Francisco
The San Francisco Police Department handles arrests in the city. Their main headquarters is at 1245 Third Street. You can call SFPD at (415) 553-0123 for general info. Police do not keep jail records though. For inmate questions, contact the sheriff.
The San Francisco Sheriff's Department runs the jails. Their main office is at 425 Seventh Street near the Hall of Justice. Call (415) 553-1430 to speak with jail staff. They can tell you if someone is in custody. They also answer questions about visiting hours and how to send money to inmates in San Francisco facilities.
Bay Area Cities Near San Francisco
Other large Bay Area cities are close to San Francisco. Oakland sits across the bay in Alameda County. Daly City is just south of San Francisco in San Mateo County. Each county runs its own jail system with separate inmate search tools.
Berkeley and Richmond are north of Oakland in Alameda County and Contra Costa County. San Jose is the largest city in the Bay Area down in Santa Clara County. All these cities book arrestees into their respective county jails. You need to check each county's website to search for inmates arrested in those cities.