Santa Maria Booking Lookup

Santa Maria 24 hour booking records are available through the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's inmate search and the Santa Maria Police Department's records division. Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County by population. When someone gets arrested here, they are booked into the county jail system run by the sheriff. The county has a "Who Is In Custody" search tool that lets you look up anyone currently held in jail after a Santa Maria arrest or any arrest in the county.

Santa Barbara County Jail System

Santa Maria is in Santa Barbara County. The county sheriff handles all jail operations for the region. People arrested in Santa Maria by city police are transported to a Santa Barbara County jail for booking and processing. The county runs the Northern Branch Jail near Santa Maria as well as the Main Jail in Santa Barbara. Depending on the charges and capacity, a person arrested in Santa Maria may be held at either facility.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff has an online "Who Is In Custody" search at sbsheriff.org/home/who-is-in-custody. This tool covers all county jails and shows anyone currently being held. You search by name and get back results with the booking date, charges, bail, and facility. The sheriff's general number is (805) 683-2724 and the Main Jail line is (805) 681-4260. For people booked through Santa Maria, these are the numbers to call if you cannot find what you need online.

The county booking database is updated as new people come into the jail. Records for people who have been released rotate out after a period, so the online search is best for finding current or very recent bookings from Santa Maria.

Santa Maria Police Booking Records

The Santa Maria Police Department handles arrests within city limits. Their records division can be reached at (805) 928-3781. When officers make an arrest, the initial paperwork starts with the police department, but the actual jail booking takes place in the county system. This is how it works across most of California. The city police manage the arrest report while the county sheriff manages the booking record and jail custody.

To get a copy of an arrest report from the Santa Maria Police Department, you can call the records line or visit the department in person during business hours. The department processes requests under the California Public Records Act. There is no dedicated online portal for Santa Maria police records, so phone and in-person requests are the standard methods. Copy fees are typically around 10 cents per page. If you want to check the status of someone who was recently arrested in Santa Maria, the fastest route is the county's online inmate search or a call to the jail.

The California DOJ records request form shown above can be used for state-level criminal history checks that complement local Santa Maria booking records.

Access Santa Maria Booking Data

Booking records in Santa Maria are public under Government Code Section 7923.610. This law requires law enforcement to release the name, charges, booking time, bail amount, and other basic facts about every arrest. It applies to both the Santa Maria Police Department and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff. Anyone can request this data without giving a reason.

The California Public Records Act gives agencies 10 days to respond to a request. A 14-day extension is possible. The California DOJ public records page has full details on the process. For Santa Maria booking records, start with the county sheriff's online search for current inmates. If you need older records or copies of arrest reports, contact the Santa Maria Police Department or the county sheriff's records division directly.

Under Penal Code Section 851.91, a person who was arrested in Santa Maria but not convicted can petition to have the arrest record sealed. Sealed records are removed from public databases.

Note: The county online search shows current inmates only; older Santa Maria booking records require a formal records request.

Santa Maria Arrest Record Details

A booking record from a Santa Maria arrest contains several key pieces of information. The record shows the person's name, date of birth, physical description, time and date of arrest and booking, charges, and bail amount. Under Government Code Section 7923.615, complaint details related to the arrest are also subject to disclosure, including the location, nature of the incident, and descriptions of injuries or property involved.

Santa Maria booking records typically include:

• Full name and date of birth
• Booking date and time
• All charges filed
• Bail amount
• Arresting agency
• Current custody location

These details are the same whether the arrest was made by the Santa Maria police or by county deputies operating in the Santa Maria area. The county jail system records all of this during the booking process.

Contact Santa Maria Records

For Santa Maria booking questions, the police department is at (805) 928-3781. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's general line is (805) 683-2724 and the Main Jail is at (805) 681-4260. Both can help with custody checks and booking record requests.

For state-level criminal history records, the California DOJ is at (916) 227-3849. You can use the DOJ request form at oag.ca.gov/contact/publicrecords_form to submit requests for statewide records that go beyond what Santa Maria and the county provide. The DOJ charges 10 cents per page for copies.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Santa Maria on the Central Coast and in nearby counties.