Modoc County Booking Records

Modoc County 24 hour booking records are managed by the Sheriff's Office corrections division. This is one of California's most remote and least populated counties, sitting in the far northeast corner of the state. Booking data from the Modoc County jail is public information under state law. The Sheriff's Office maintains a corrections page with jail details, though online booking search tools are limited compared to larger counties. Finding recent Modoc County arrest records may require calling the jail directly. The information is still public, and the county must provide it upon request.

Modoc County Booking Search Options

The Modoc County Sheriff's Office provides jail information through its corrections division page. This page covers the basics of the Modoc County detention facility, which has a capacity of 48 beds. Unlike larger California counties that run full online booking search databases, Modoc County does not have a live inmate search tool on its website. The small population and low volume of arrests mean there are fewer bookings to track. On many days, the Modoc County jail may process only one or two new bookings, if any.

To look up a specific 24 hour booking record in Modoc County, your best option is to call the Sheriff's Office at (530) 233-4416. Jail staff can check the system and tell you if someone is in custody. They can also share booking details like charges, bail amounts, and booking dates over the phone. This is public information under California law, and staff must provide it when asked. While calling is less convenient than an online search, it is the most direct way to get current Modoc County booking data.

The California DOJ provides statewide information about public records access, which you can see through the DOJ public records page shown in the image below.

The image above shows the California DOJ page that explains public records access rights, which apply to booking records in Modoc County and every other California county.

Modoc County Arrest Record Requirements

Even though Modoc County is small, it follows the same state laws as every other California county when it comes to booking records. Government Code Section 7923.610 requires all law enforcement agencies to disclose arrest information to the public. This covers the person's name, physical description, date and time of arrest, charges, bail amount, and custody status. The Modoc County Sheriff's Office must share this data when you ask for it.

A Modoc County 24 hour booking record includes the same types of information you would find in any California county:

• Full name and date of birth
• Height, weight, and physical description
• Arrest date, time, and location
• All charges at the time of booking
• Bail amount set by the court schedule
• Whether the person is still in custody or has been released

The California Public Records Act, laid out in Government Code Sections 7920.000 through 7931.000, gives you the legal right to request these records. Modoc County must respond within 10 days. Copy fees are typically low, around 10 cents per page at the state level, though Modoc County may have its own rate.

Booking in a Rural California County

Modoc County stands apart from most of California. With fewer than 9,000 residents spread across nearly 4,000 square miles, it is one of the most sparsely populated counties in the state. The city of Alturas is the county seat and the only incorporated city. Law enforcement is handled almost entirely by the Modoc County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol. There are no large city police departments. When someone is arrested in Modoc County, the Sheriff's deputies or CHP officers bring them to the county jail at 102 South Court Street in Alturas for booking.

The 48-bed jail is small but handles all local bookings around the clock. Arrests in Modoc County tend to be infrequent compared to urban areas. This means the booking log on any given day may be very short. Despite the low volume, the same state disclosure rules apply. Every Modoc County booking creates a public record that you have the right to access. The process just looks a bit different in a rural county where phone calls and in-person visits replace online databases as the primary way to get booking information.

Note: Modoc County does not offer a live online inmate search, so phone or in-person inquiries are the main way to access current booking records.

Modoc County Record Privacy Rules

Some booking records in Modoc County may not be available to the public. Under Penal Code Section 851.91, a person who was arrested but never convicted can petition the court to seal the arrest record. If the court grants the petition, the record is removed from public access. This applies to Modoc County booking records the same as it does everywhere else in California.

Investigative records can also be withheld under Government Code Section 7923.600 if they are part of an active investigation. Basic booking data like names and charges is usually not affected by this exemption, but there are cases where the Modoc County Sheriff may limit what is released. Juvenile records are always confidential. Bookings involving minors will not appear in any public Modoc County booking record.

Modoc County Jail Contact

The Modoc County jail is at 102 South Court Street in Alturas, California 96101. Call (530) 233-4416 to ask about a booking, check custody status, or start a records request. Phone staff can look up the information in the system while you wait. For a written public records request, you can mail it to the same address or contact the Sheriff's Office to ask about email submission options.

The California OpenJustice data portal provides arrest statistics for all California counties, including Modoc. This state-run dashboard breaks down arrests by year and demographics. While it does not show individual booking records, it gives context for how many arrests happen in Modoc County each year compared to the rest of the state. For individual Modoc County 24 hour booking records, calling the jail remains the best approach.

Cities in Modoc County

Modoc County has no cities with a population over 100,000. Alturas is the only incorporated city and serves as the county seat. All arrests in the county are processed through the Modoc County jail. There are no city police departments, so the Sheriff's Office handles nearly all law enforcement activity.

Nearby California Counties

These counties border Modoc County in California's far northeast region.