Costa Mesa Mugshot Search

Costa Mesa busted mugshots are stored in the Orange County Sheriff's booking database. This central Orange County city has about 109,000 residents and sits between Santa Ana and Huntington Beach. The Costa Mesa Police Department handles local law enforcement, but all jail booking and mugshot creation happens at Orange County Sheriff facilities. You can search for current inmates online for free through the county sheriff's Inmate Information System. Older booking records are available through public records requests under California law.

Costa Mesa Busted Mugshots and County Booking

Arrests in Costa Mesa result in booking at the Orange County Sheriff's Department jail facilities. The mugshot gets taken during intake along with fingerprints, charges, and personal information. The booking record is stored in the county's jail management system. Costa Mesa Police Department is listed as the arresting agency on the booking record for local arrests.

The Inmate Information System on the sheriff's website lets you search for current inmates for free. No login or account is needed. Enter a first and last name to check for matches in Orange County jails. Each result shows the booking photo, charges, bail amount, and facility. The database updates as new bookings come through the system.

Costa Mesa's central location in Orange County means it shares borders with several other cities. Arrests near city boundaries can sometimes involve multiple agencies. Regardless of which agency makes the arrest, the booking goes through the same county system. The mugshot ends up in the same database.

Costa Mesa Police Department Records

The Costa Mesa Police Department provides law enforcement services for the city. Their phone number is (714) 754-5280. CMPD handles patrol, investigations, and community programs. The department keeps police reports and arrest documentation that are separate from the county booking records.

Police reports from CMPD contain the details of an arrest that the booking record does not have. The report includes what the officer saw, why the arrest was made, what evidence was gathered, and any witness statements. The booking record from the county sheriff contains the mugshot and intake data. For a complete picture of a Costa Mesa arrest, you may want to request records from both CMPD and the county sheriff.

To get a police report, file a California Public Records Act request with the Costa Mesa Police Department. Provide the person's name, date of the incident, and any case or report number you have. The department must respond within 10 days under California law. They can request a 14-day extension if the request involves a large number of records or is particularly complex.

How to Find Costa Mesa Booking Records

The county inmate search covers current bookings from Costa Mesa. For past records and released inmates, here are the main ways to get the information:

• Submit a CPRA request to the Orange County Sheriff for booking records
• Contact Costa Mesa PD at (714) 754-5280 for police reports
• Search Orange County Superior Court case records
• File a state-level request with the California DOJ

The Orange County Superior Court maintains criminal case records that cover Costa Mesa arrests. Cases are typically heard at the Central Justice Center in nearby Santa Ana or the Westminster Justice Center. Court records show charges, hearing dates, plea entries, and sentencing. Use the online case lookup to find records by name. The case number helps when requesting booking records from the sheriff.

When filing a CPRA request with the sheriff, include the person's full name and estimated date of arrest. The more specific you can be, the faster the agency can locate the record. Booking photos are public records in California for the most part. The sheriff must respond within 10 days.

California State Records for Costa Mesa

The California DOJ keeps a statewide criminal history database that includes arrests from Costa Mesa. The DOJ PRA information page explains your rights when requesting records from the state. You can submit requests online through the Attorney General's website.

The Orange County Sheriff's Inmate Information System is the county-level tool for searching current jail inmates booked from Costa Mesa and other cities.

This free search tool shows booking photos, charges, and jail location for current inmates in Orange County.

For personal criminal history checks, the California DOJ record review process requires Live Scan fingerprints and a $25 fee. This gives you a copy of everything the state has on file for you, including any Costa Mesa arrests. The record review page has the instructions.

The CDCR CIRIS tool covers state prison inmates. If someone from Costa Mesa went to state prison, you can find them there. County jail records are handled through the Orange County Sheriff separately.

Removing Costa Mesa Arrest Mugshots

California law provides ways to clear arrest records from Costa Mesa. Penal Code section 851.87 lets you petition to seal an arrest when there was no conviction. This removes the record from public view, including the mugshot. File the petition with the Orange County Superior Court. The court reviews the petition and decides whether to grant the sealing order.

For convictions, Penal Code section 1203.4 offers expungement after completing probation. It updates the court record but does not seal the arrest itself. You may need additional petitions for full cleanup. Legal aid organizations in Orange County provide assistance with record clearing for qualifying individuals. The process involves paperwork and court appearances, but it is manageable with the right guidance.

Third-party mugshot websites that charge removal fees violate SB 1027 in California. No site can legally demand payment to take down a Costa Mesa booking photo. Report violations to the state Attorney General.

Other Orange County Cities

These nearby cities in Orange County have populations over 100,000 and use the same county booking system for arrest records and mugshots.

Orange County Booking Records

For the full overview of the Orange County sheriff's booking system, visit the Orange County busted mugshots page.