Bakersfield 24 Hour Booking Records

Bakersfield 24 hour booking records cover arrests made in the largest city in Kern County. The Bakersfield Police Department handles arrests within city limits, and the Kern County Sheriff manages the main jail where most people end up after booking. You can search for recent Bakersfield bookings through the Kern County inmate search tool or request records directly from the Bakersfield Police. Both options are free. Booking data gets updated as new arrests are processed through the system, so recent booking entries show up within hours of the arrest.

Bakersfield Arrests and Kern County

Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern County, and the two are closely tied when it comes to booking records. The Bakersfield Police Department makes the arrest, but most people booked on serious charges or held past initial processing end up at a Kern County jail facility. The Kern County Sheriff's Office runs the jail at 1350 Norris Road in Bakersfield. Because the county jail sits right in Bakersfield, there is often overlap between city and county booking records.

The Kern County Sheriff operates an inmate search portal at kernsheriff.org/Inmate_Search. The site notes that California Government Code Section 7923.610 requires them to make contemporaneous arrest information available to the public. This is the best tool for finding anyone currently in custody after a Bakersfield arrest. It covers bookings from the Bakersfield Police as well as other agencies in the county.

Note: If the person was cited and released at the scene, they will not appear in the Kern County jail system.

Searching Bakersfield Booking Data

To find a recent Bakersfield booking, start with the Kern County Sheriff's inmate search. Enter the person's name and the system will return matching records for anyone currently held in county custody. The results show the booking date, charges, bail amount, and the facility where the person is held. This works for all arrests processed through the Kern County jail, which includes most Bakersfield bookings.

The Bakersfield Police Department also has a records division. You can reach them at (661) 327-7111. Their records page provides information about how to request copies of arrest reports and booking records. Walk-in requests are accepted at the police station. For written requests, the city uses JustFOIA to manage public records submissions. This system lets you track the status of your request online after you file it.

State law gives agencies 10 days to respond to a public records request. The California DOJ's public records information page explains this in more detail. A 14-day extension is allowed if the agency needs more time to gather the records. For Bakersfield booking data, most requests get processed within the standard time frame since the records are fairly straightforward.

Bakersfield Booking Record Details

A 24 hour booking record from Bakersfield contains the core facts about an arrest. Under Government Code Section 7923.610, police must share specific data points with the public whenever someone gets booked. This applies to the Bakersfield Police Department the same as any other law enforcement agency in California. The information is not optional. It is required by state law.

The California DOJ publishes statewide arrest statistics on its OpenJustice data portal, which includes Kern County data. The image below shows the state-level system that tracks these records.

The data portal breaks down arrest numbers by county, age, gender, and other factors that help put Bakersfield booking numbers in context with the rest of California.

A typical Bakersfield booking record will show the person's full name, date of birth, physical description, time and date of arrest, booking charges, bail amount, and current custody status. Some records also list the arresting officer's agency, which helps distinguish between Bakersfield Police arrests and those made by other law enforcement working in the area. The Kern County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, and state parole agents all operate in the Bakersfield area and their arrests funnel through the same county booking system.

Sealed Records and Bakersfield Bookings

People arrested in Bakersfield who are never convicted can ask to have their arrest records sealed. Penal Code Section 851.91 created this process, sometimes called the CARE Act. The petition goes through the Kern County Superior Court. If the judge grants it, the Bakersfield booking record gets sealed and pulled from public search tools.

This does not happen right away or automatically. The person has to file paperwork and wait for a court hearing. But once sealed, the record will not show up in the Kern County inmate search or in response to a public records request from the Bakersfield Police. It is as if the arrest never occurred, at least from a public records standpoint. Sealed records can still be accessed by certain law enforcement agencies for specific purposes, but the general public will not see them.

Bakersfield Booking Contact Info

You have a few options for reaching the right office about Bakersfield booking records. The Bakersfield Police Department Records Division is the place to start for city-level arrest records and copies of reports. The Kern County Sheriff's Office handles questions about anyone currently in county jail custody.

Call the Bakersfield Police at (661) 327-7111 for general records questions. The Kern County jail line is (661) 391-7500, and the jail is at 1350 Norris Road, Bakersfield, CA 93308. You can visit either office during business hours to request booking records in person. Phone inquiries work for confirming whether someone is currently in custody, though staff may not read off detailed booking information over the phone for every request. For a complete copy of a booking record, filing a written request through JustFOIA or the California Public Records Act process is the most reliable path.

Nearby Cities

These Central Valley and Southern California cities also have publicly searchable booking and arrest records.