Santa Maria Busted Mugshots

Santa Maria busted mugshots are processed through the Santa Barbara County jail system since Santa Maria is in Santa Barbara County. With a population over 111,000, Santa Maria is actually the largest city in the county by population, bigger than the city of Santa Barbara itself. The Santa Maria Police Department handles city arrests, while the Santa Barbara County Sheriff operates the jail. This page covers how to search for busted mugshots from Santa Maria, which tools are available online, and how to request copies of older booking records.

Where Santa Maria Busted Mugshots Are Kept

The Santa Maria Police Department patrols the city and handles arrests. After an arrest, the person gets transported to a Santa Barbara County jail facility for booking. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office runs the jails. Santa Barbara County operates the Main Jail in Santa Barbara and the Northern Branch Jail near Santa Maria. The Northern Branch Jail opened in 2019 and serves the northern part of the county, which means Santa Maria arrests often get booked there.

The Northern Branch Jail is at 2301 Black Road near Santa Maria. This is a newer facility that was built to reduce overcrowding at the main jail to the south. Having a booking facility close to the city means shorter transport times for Santa Maria arrests. The mugshot gets taken during booking and stored in the county database. All agencies in Santa Barbara County feed into the same system.

For more on the county system, see our Santa Barbara County busted mugshots page.

Search Santa Maria Busted Mugshots Online

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff provides online inmate search tools through their website. You can search by name to find current inmates in the county jail system. Results include booking photos, charges, bail amounts, and housing information. The search is free and covers all inmates booked through Santa Barbara County, including Santa Maria PD arrests. Both the main jail and Northern Branch Jail feed into the same search tool.

The California DOJ provides guidance on requesting public records, including criminal history data from Santa Maria and other California jurisdictions.

California legislation like AB 1475 established rules for how booking photos are handled and shared by law enforcement agencies.

The online search covers current inmates only. Once someone is released, they drop from the results. Santa Maria has moderate arrest volume for a city its size. Property crime, DUI, and drug offenses make up a good portion of the cases. For past arrests where the person is no longer in jail, file a public records request with the sheriff's office for historical booking data.

Santa Maria Police Department Records

The Santa Maria Police Department keeps its own arrest reports and incident records. These are separate from the county booking record. The arrest report covers the events leading to the arrest. The booking record at the county jail covers intake and the mugshot. You may need records from both agencies for the complete picture.

Call SMPD at (805) 928-3781 for records inquiries. File a California Public Records Act request for arrest reports and other documents. They have 10 days to respond under state law. Santa Maria PD is the largest law enforcement agency in the northern part of Santa Barbara County. The department handles a range of cases from traffic stops to serious crimes. Gang-related activity has been a focus for the department in recent years.

Some press releases and crime data from SMPD are available on the city website.

How to Request Santa Maria Busted Mugshots

For a booking photo from a Santa Maria arrest, contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's records division. Give them the name and approximate arrest date. The CPRA requires a response within 10 days. Booking records are generally public for adult arrests in California.

The California DOJ is another option. Use the DOJ online form for state-held criminal history data. The DOJ database covers all California agencies. Personal record checks cost $25 via Live Scan. The state records are broader than what the county alone can provide, especially useful if someone has arrests in multiple jurisdictions.

State Resources for Santa Maria Arrest Records

The California DOJ PRA page explains the state-level records request process. The DOJ holds criminal history from every law enforcement agency in California. It is a good fallback when county records are not enough.

The California DOJ request form is the online portal for submitting CPRA requests for state-held criminal history records.

Submit your CPRA request through the DOJ form for records held at the state level.

The CDCR CIRIS tool covers state prison inmates. If someone from Santa Maria was sentenced to state prison, they will show up in CIRIS after transfer from the county jail. Santa Barbara County Superior Court handles criminal cases from Santa Maria. The court has a branch in Santa Maria at 312-C East Cook Street that handles local cases. Court records include case outcomes, plea deals, and sentencing information that booking data does not contain.

Removing Santa Maria Busted Mugshots

SB 1027 makes it illegal for websites to charge for mugshot removal. Report any site asking for payment to the Attorney General.

For the arrest record itself, Penal Code section 851.87 allows petitions to seal an arrest when charges were not filed, dismissed, or you were acquitted. The Clean Slate Act (SB 731) automatically seals some arrests. Misdemeanor arrests without charges seal after one year. Felony arrests without charges seal after three years. Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 clears a conviction but not the arrest. For Santa Maria cases, file petitions with the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. The Santa Maria branch makes it convenient for local residents. Legal aid organizations in Santa Barbara County can help with the paperwork for qualifying applicants. The process takes a few months from filing to a court order in most situations.

Nearby Cities

These cities in the region have their own busted mugshots pages. Oxnard and Ventura are in neighboring Ventura County to the southeast.