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California Arrest Records

The following is for informational purposes only

How to Look Up Criminal Records in California

According to the California Public Records Act, anyone can obtain public records, including arrest records for the state. Government agencies maintain arrest records for the state. To find someone’s arrest record, the requestor will need their name and birth date. It is better to have more information like their social security number, address, or other defining details, and it will be easier to locate their CA arrest records.

Are Arrest Records Public in California?

The state guarantees its citizens the right to information through the California Public Records Act (CPRA). Therefore, all California arrest records maintained by local and state law enforcement are available for public access and review. When requesting copies, someone must fill out special forms and pay a fee.

What Information Does California Criminal Records Report Include?

California arrest records are packed with information on arrests and criminal charges. A typical report will contain details about the arrest such as where it occurred, the date of arrest, what agency arrested them, the charges filed, the arresting officer’s information, if any vehicles were involved, and the booking details. Additionally, a profile for the person arrested will be included with name, age, address, gender, height, weight, and more. Often included are also other California mugshots, warrants and booking details including fingerprints as well as other police and criminal records associated with this person. At the same time, there may also be California public court records related to any arrests, fines, convictions, and sentencing.

California Police Records and Mugshots

Are California Police Reports Public Record?

Not all police reports are public records in California. The state has strict laws about privacy and aims to protect citizens’ rights. For example, the Los Angeles police department will supply police reports to anyone involved in the incident and anyone authorized by the subjects of the incident report. You may have to have a signed consent form to gain access to some police records. In terms of crime reports, those are public record, and you can get copies of those. Coroner’s reports, search warrants, arrest warrants, and arrest logs are also open to the general public.

Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, or abuse of an elder or a dependent adult can get a free copy of their own incident report up to five years after the event.

With a little information such as name, date, incident, you can get a copy of someone’s criminal record, vehicle crash report, and other items. There are fees associated with those documents as well.

The Richmond California police department offers citizens a phone line to submit police reports that way for things like property damage, lost property, telephone harassment, thefts, and supplements (adding information to a completed report).

Mugshots California

California mugshots are considered public records. However, each individual police department has control over how soon they release them and how they are distributed. That being said, some newspaper websites post California mugshots online as soon as they are available. Mugshots are also available online from every state in informational portals and database websites along with some government sites.

Mugshots originated in the early 1880s and then were made a part of the regular booking process by a French police officer named Alphonse Bertillon. Mugshots are taken to be used as identification of criminals for the public, victims, and sometimes witnesses. Investigators also use them, as they quickly become an important part of the police record and criminal records. Mugshots consist of two photos. The first is a front-facing picture that captures the details of the person’s appearance, and the second is a profile picture (side view).

California Arrest Booking Process

The California arrest and booking process is similar to other states. When someone is arrested, they are immediately taken into custody and transported to the local county jail or detention center. While there, the intake officer takes down vital information like their name, address, phone number, and other details such as an emergency contact. The booking process entails:

They are allowed one phone call and access to a lawyer.
They are fingerprinted, and mugshots are taken.
Their person is searched for weapons, drugs and other contraband.
A medical person may give them a quick health check as well.
Their clothes and other personal items are taken and stored.
The suspect is provided with jail clothing.
The officer in charge assigns them a jail cell, and they remain there until their bail has been paid.

Violent Crime Rates for the last 10 years

The crime rate has decreased over the past decade in California, going from 162,135 crimes in 2006 to 148,260 by 6% lower than it was back in 2006. The largest percentage of violent crimes falls into the Aggravated Assault category, with Revised Rape being the least popular crime in the state.

California Violent Crime Rate Change

Arrest Law

Being arrested means, someone is taken into custody and cannot leave. Most often it entails being detained for questioning about a crime that has been committed. A California warrant search can be done by local law enforcement. They can also arrest someone if they have probable cause to believe a crime has been committed, or one was committed in the presence of the officer, the person has committed a felony that the officer is aware of, or the police officer believes the suspect is guilty of committing a felony, misdemeanor, or other crime based on some evidence. Later, that person will be found guilty or innocent in a court of law.

Who has a Power of Arrest in California?

Any law enforcement officer has the power to arrest someone, even when they are off-duty. Both parole and probation officers can also arrest someone if they have probable cause that they committed a felony or misdemeanor. They do not need an arrest warrant to take someone in. If they suspect them of a felony, they can arrest them, but in the case of a misdemeanor, they must witness it before arresting them. Instead of arrest, if someone commits an infraction such as speeding, they will get a ticket or citation. Any regular citizen can also make a “citizen’s arrest.” Again, they must witness a misdemeanor when arresting and have good evidence of a felony before taking anyone to the police.

How Long Does an Arrest Stay on Your Criminal History Record in California?

The state’s Department of Justice retains the right to keep all criminal and arrest records in their database until the person reaches the age of 100. All local law enforcement agencies are required to file arrest records with the DOJ so they may keep them on file for their full retention period.

Can you Expunge your California Records?

According to the Penal Code section 1203.4, someone does have the right to file to have their arrest records expunged. However, they must contact the arresting agency or the court where they were tried to request an update. The state leaves it up the discretion of these agencies to decide whether or not to expunge California criminal case records.

The Arrest Rate in California

The state keeps considerable data on arrests for the state. In 2017, there were 306,024 felony arrests and 784,229 misdemeanor arrests. 36% of those were for violent offenses (111,478), and 25% were for property offenses (77,223). Another 29,955 were drug-related charges, 5,519 were arrested on sex offenses, and the remainder 81,849 included a variety of other crimes, not fitting in any category. 75% of misdemeanors and 80% of the felonies were committed by men, the rest by females. White people committed 95,913 of the felonies, 63,146 by African Americans, 128,271 Hispanic and the remainder (18,694) other races.