Oakland Arrest Mugshot Search

Oakland busted mugshots are processed through the Alameda County jail system after arrests by Oakland Police or other agencies operating in the city. Oakland is the largest city in Alameda County with roughly 443,000 people. The Oakland Police Department handles most arrests within city limits, but the Alameda County Sheriff's Office runs Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where bookings take place. This page covers how to find busted mugshots for Oakland arrests, the databases available, and the steps to request booking records from county and state agencies.

Alameda County Inmate Search for Oakland

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office operates the inmate lookup system online. This tool lets you search for people currently held at Santa Rita Jail or the Glenn Dyer Detention Facility in downtown Oakland. Enter a name and the system returns matches with booking information, charges, and bail amounts. The search is free.

Santa Rita Jail in Dublin is the main booking facility for Alameda County. It processes arrests from Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward, and all other cities in the county. The Glenn Dyer facility in Oakland handles some bookings too, especially for people arrested downtown. Both facilities feed into the same online lookup system. If someone was arrested by OPD yesterday, you can probably find their booking record through this tool today.

The Alameda County Sheriff's website has additional details on how to access booking records and file public records requests for older data that no longer shows in the active inmate search.

State-level records requests go through the DOJ online form when county resources do not have what you need.

Oakland Police Department Arrest Records

The Oakland Police Department is one of the busiest in the East Bay. OPD makes thousands of arrests each year. The department keeps arrest reports, incident records, and case files separate from the county booking system. To request OPD records, call (510) 238-3455 or file a California Public Records Act request in writing.

OPD has been under a federal consent decree since 2003, which has led to increased transparency and data reporting. The department publishes crime data and some arrest statistics online. However, individual booking photos are not part of OPD's records. Those live in the Alameda County jail system. If you want the arrest report from OPD and the mugshot from the county, you need to make two separate requests.

The arrest report from OPD will have the officer's account of the incident, charges at the time of arrest, and witness details. It can provide context that the booking record alone does not capture. Processing times for OPD records requests can vary depending on volume and the nature of the request.

How to Find Oakland Busted Mugshots

Start with the county inmate search for current bookings. That covers anyone in custody right now. For people who have been released, contact the Alameda County Sheriff's records division. Write to them at 1401 Lakeside Drive, 12th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Include the person's full name, date of birth if known, and approximate arrest date.

The sheriff's office will process your request under the California Public Records Act. They have 10 days to respond. Some records may be withheld if the case is still under investigation or involves a juvenile. Fees for copies are typically small but depend on the volume of records requested.

For court records tied to an Oakland arrest, the Alameda County Superior Court has an online portal for case lookups. Court records show the charges that were actually filed (which can differ from the booking charges), case outcomes, plea agreements, and sentencing information. The main courthouse is at 1225 Fallon Street in Oakland.

California State Records for Oakland Arrests

The California DOJ maintains statewide criminal history data. File a public records request through the DOJ request form for state-level information. For your own record, use the Live Scan fingerprint process with form BCIA 8016RR and a $25 fee to get your personal criminal history summary.

The CDCR CIRIS tool covers state prison inmates. It does not include people held at Santa Rita Jail or Glenn Dyer in Oakland. If someone was convicted and sent to state prison after an Oakland arrest, you can find them in CIRIS. But for the booking photo from the arrest itself, stick with the county system.

California law under SB 1027 prevents mugshot websites from charging removal fees. Penal Code section 13665 limits law enforcement social media posts of booking photos for nonviolent offenses. Oakland PD has its own internal policies on mugshot distribution that align with these state rules. The department has been cautious about releasing booking photos publicly since the consent decree increased oversight of its practices.

Clearing Oakland Arrest Records

Penal Code section 851.87 allows you to petition for arrest record sealing if charges were never filed, were dismissed, or you were acquitted. A sealed arrest means the busted mugshot is no longer publicly available. The Clean Slate Act (SB 731) offers automatic sealing for certain older records.

Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 dismisses a conviction but does not seal the underlying arrest record or mugshot. File petitions with the Alameda County Superior Court. Several legal aid organizations serve Oakland residents, including some that focus specifically on record clearing for people in Alameda County. Check with the court's self-help center for free resources and guidance on the paperwork.

Nearby Cities in Alameda County

Other Alameda County cities use the same jail system for bookings. Here are nearby cities with their own pages on this site.

See the Alameda County page for full countywide booking and court information.