Search San Francisco Mugshots

San Francisco busted mugshots are handled differently than most California cities because San Francisco is both a city and a county. The SF Sheriff's Department runs the jail, SFPD makes most arrests, and the same court system covers the entire jurisdiction. With a population of about 828,000, San Francisco processes a large volume of bookings through its county jail facilities. SFPD was the first major California agency to restrict mugshot releases in July 2020, making San Francisco an important case study in how booking photo access works under changing state and local policies.

San Francisco Sheriff Jail and Booking Records

The San Francisco Sheriff's Department operates the county jail and handles all bookings. When SFPD or any other agency makes an arrest in San Francisco, the person goes to the county jail for processing. The booking photo is taken and stored in the sheriff's records system.

San Francisco does not have a public-facing online inmate search tool like many other California counties. To find out if someone is in custody, you can call the jail at (415) 553-1430. For booking records and mugshots, you need to file a formal records request. The SF Sheriff accepts California Public Records Act requests by mail or through their office. Include the person's full name, date of birth if known, and approximate arrest date.

The lack of an online search tool makes San Francisco harder to search than counties like Alameda or Santa Clara, which have web-based inmate locators. This is partly by design. San Francisco has been more restrictive about public access to booking photos than many other jurisdictions in California. The city's approach reflects concerns about how mugshots can be misused by third-party websites and the impact on people who are arrested but never convicted.

SFPD Arrest Records and Mugshot Policy

The San Francisco Police Department was the first major California law enforcement agency to restrict the release of booking photos. In July 2020, SFPD announced it would no longer routinely release mugshots to the public or media. The policy change came after years of advocacy around racial bias in how booking photos are used.

SFPD's website is the starting point for public records requests related to San Francisco arrests.

Under the SFPD policy, booking photos are only released in limited situations. These include cases where the person is a fugitive, poses an imminent threat, or the release serves a specific law enforcement purpose. The policy does not prevent you from requesting a booking photo through the CPRA process. It just means SFPD will not proactively share mugshots with media outlets or post them publicly the way some agencies do.

For arrest reports and other SFPD records, file a request through their records division. Call the non-emergency line or visit the station to ask about the process. SFPD has 10 days to respond under state law. The arrest report includes the officer's narrative, charges, and circumstances of the arrest. It does not include the booking photo, which is a sheriff's department record.

San Francisco Court Records

The San Francisco Superior Court handles all criminal cases in the city-county. Because San Francisco is a combined city and county, there is only one trial court for the entire jurisdiction. You can search for case information through their online system by name or case number.

Court records show what happened after the arrest and booking. They include the charges the DA filed (which may differ from the booking charges), plea agreements, trial outcomes, and sentencing. The San Francisco District Attorney's Office has been known for its approach to criminal justice reform, which affects how cases are charged and prosecuted. This can influence what shows up in the court record for any given arrest.

The main courthouse is at 400 McAllister Street. The Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street also handles criminal matters. Both locations have clerk's offices where you can request copies of court records in person.

California State Resources for SF Mugshots

The California DOJ maintains statewide criminal history records. You can file a request through the DOJ online form for state-level data. For your own criminal history, use Live Scan fingerprints with form BCIA 8016RR and the $25 fee.

The state system complements local San Francisco records. If someone has arrests in multiple counties, the DOJ record will show all of them. The California Public Records Act information page explains what types of records you can access through the state.

The state PRA page covers the process for making public records requests to the California Department of Justice.

Under SB 1027, no website can charge to remove a mugshot. Under Penal Code section 13665, law enforcement agencies statewide are restricted from posting booking photos on social media for nonviolent offenses. San Francisco's SFPD went further than the state minimum with its own internal policy. AB 1475 also added protections by limiting the circumstances under which booking photos can be shared publicly.

Clearing San Francisco Arrest Records

Penal Code section 851.87 allows petition-based arrest sealing when charges are not filed, dismissed, or end in acquittal. A sealed record restricts public access to the busted mugshot. The Clean Slate Act (SB 731) provides automatic sealing for some older arrests and convictions.

Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 dismisses a conviction but leaves the arrest record accessible. File petitions with the San Francisco Superior Court. The city has several legal aid organizations that help with record clearing, including the SF Public Defender's office which runs clinics specifically for expungement and record sealing. Given the city's reform-oriented justice system, resources for clearing records tend to be more accessible here than in some other California jurisdictions.

Nearby Cities

San Francisco is surrounded by water on three sides, but connects to several nearby cities through bridges and the peninsula.

See the San Francisco County page for additional booking and court information.