Of the 780,000 arrests that occur in California each year, about 13,000 are reported in Sonoma County. The California Public Records Act permits the public to view, examine, and copy arrest records in the county. However, to preserve privacy or protect individuals involved, California law exempts certain records from public access, including expunged records, sealed records, records of active investigations, and juvenile records.
Depending on the information needed, Sonoma County arrest record copies cost between $1.00 and $25.00. Only authorized parties, such as law enforcement agents, the people listed in the record, their attorneys, judicial officers, and the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office, may view restricted records.
Sonoma County arrest records can be obtained from various agencies, including local police departments, the County Sheriff's Office, and the California Department of Justice.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office allows the public to access the county's arrest records. Individuals may request arrest records online by downloading and filling out the Report/Public Records Request Form. They can submit the completed form by mail or in person at:
Sonoma County Sheriff's Office
2796 Ventura Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Additionally, they can use the Jail Inmate Search portal to search for persons incarcerated in the county's jail. Record seekers can contact the Records Division by phone at (707) 565-2204 for more details.
Arrest records are available to anybody who requests them from local police departments in Sonoma County. The name of the arrestee and the date of the arrest are usually required. Many police departments in Sonoma County also make their arrest and incident logs available online to the public. Major police departments in Sonoma County include the following:
The Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Analysis (BCIA) under the California Department of Justice (DOJ) collects and maintains criminal records provided by county and local law enforcement agencies. Per state law, only law enforcement officers, the people listed on the records, their attorneys, and entities approved by the record owners may access criminal records in the county. To obtain criminal history records from the BCIA, eligible individuals must submit the fingerprint of the record subject and a $25 processing fee to:
California Department of Justice
Attn: Custodian of Records
Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Analysis
P.O. Box 160207
Sacramento, CA 95816-0207
Fax: (916) 731-3618
Individuals interested in Sonoma County arrest records can find them in the county's criminal court records for arrests that led to formal charges. The Sonoma County Superior Court handles criminal cases in the county and the Superior Court Clerk maintains the records. Sonoma County criminal records may be accessed online through the Sonoma County Superior Court Case portal, which allows searches by defendant's name, case number, or filing date. Record seekers can also visit the courthouse where the case was filed to access the records, but they may be required to pay a nominal fee to obtain copies.
Additionally, third-party platforms like InfoTracer offer a more convenient and faster way of accessing Sonoma County arrest records.
Sonoma County has an arrest rate of 27.7 per 1,000 residents and a crime rate of 2,988 per 100,000 residents. Below are some arrest figures recorded in Sonoma County.
| Arrest Type | Number of Arrests |
|---|---|
| Homicide | 15 |
| Robbery | 229 |
| Rape | 266 |
| Aggravated Assault | 890 |
| Burglary | 962 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 710 |
| Larceny | 4,122 |
| Arson | 81 |
| Total Number of Arrests | 13,336 |
Source: California Department of Justice
| Department | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Cloverdale Police Department | 112 Broad St | (707)894-2150 |
| Cotati Police Department | 201 W Sierra Ave | 707-792-4611 |
| Healdsburg Police Department | 238 Center St | 707-431-3377 |
| Petaluma Police Department | 969 Petaluma Blvd N | (707)778-4370 |
| Santa Rosa Police Department | 965 Sonoma Avenue | (707) 543-3600 |
| Sebastopol Police Department | 6850 Laguna Park Way | 707-829-4400 |
| Sonoma Police Department | 175 First St W | (707)996-3602 |
| Windsor Police Department | 9291 Old Redwood Hwy | (707)838-1234 |
| Name | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Sonoma County Main Adult Detention | 2777 Ventura Avenue | 707-565-1400 |
| Sonoma County North County Detention | 2254 Ordinance Road | 707-565-1400 |
| Sonoma County Probation Camp | 7400 Steve Olson Lanne | 707-565-8900 |
| Sonoma County Sierra Youth Center | 538 Eliza Way | 707-537-6306 |