Search Alpine County Busted Mugshots

Alpine County busted mugshots are handled by the smallest sheriff's office in California. With a population of roughly 1,200 people, Alpine County is the least populated county in the state. The county seat is Markleeville, a small mountain community in the Sierra Nevada. Arrests here are rare, and there is no online booking search tool. If you need to find busted mugshots from Alpine County, you will need to contact the sheriff's office directly or use state-level databases. This page covers every available method for accessing Alpine County arrest and booking records.

Alpine County Sheriff's Office and Booking Records

The Alpine County Sheriff's Office is the sole law enforcement agency in the county. There are no city police departments here. The sheriff handles all patrol, investigations, and jail operations. The office is located at 270 Laramie Street in Markleeville. You can call them at (530) 694-2231. Staff levels are very small, with just a handful of deputies covering the entire county.

Alpine County does not have a large jail facility. The county operates a small holding area for short-term custody. People arrested on more serious charges are often transported to a neighboring county jail. This means busted mugshots from Alpine County arrests might be in the booking system of El Dorado County or Amador County, depending on where the person was taken. If you search the Alpine County sheriff and find nothing, check with neighboring county systems too.

Because the population is so small, the volume of arrests is very low. In any given year, the total number of bookings might be in the dozens rather than hundreds or thousands. This means third-party mugshot aggregation sites rarely have Alpine County data. Your best bet is to go straight to the sheriff's office for any booking information you need.

How to Find Busted Mugshots in Alpine County

There is no online inmate search for Alpine County. The sheriff's office does not maintain a public booking database on its website. To find busted mugshots, you need to contact the office by phone or in writing. Call (530) 694-2231 and ask about booking records for a specific person. Provide the full name and approximate date of arrest. The staff can tell you if they have a record on file and how to get a copy.

You can also file a California Public Records Act request. Put your request in writing and mail it to the Alpine County Sheriff's Office at 270 Laramie Street, Markleeville, CA 96120. Under state law, the agency has 10 days to respond. Include as much detail as you can about the person and the arrest. The CPRA covers booking records, which include mugshots, charges, bail amounts, and arrest circumstances. Copying fees are usually minimal.

The California DOJ online request form lets you submit records requests to the state, which can include criminal history data from Alpine County and other agencies.

Use this form when you need records beyond what the Alpine County Sheriff's Office holds locally.

State Resources for Alpine County Mugshot Records

The California Department of Justice maintains statewide criminal history records. File a CPRA request through the DOJ online form for records at the state level. For your own record, submit Live Scan fingerprints with form BCIA 8016RR and a $25 fee. The DOJ does not release individual mugshots, but the RAP sheet shows arrest history across all California agencies. Fee waivers are available if you qualify based on income or public assistance.

The CDCR CIRIS tool lets you search for people in state prison. This only covers those sentenced to CDCR custody, not people held in county jails. If someone arrested in Alpine County was later sent to state prison, you can find them through CIRIS. The search is free. It shows the person's name, CDCR number, current facility, and admission date. No booking photo is displayed through this tool, but it confirms incarceration status.

The Alpine County Superior Court handles criminal cases filed in the county. Court records can show case outcomes and sentencing details. These records supplement what the booking data contains. For a complete picture of someone's case, you may need both the booking record from the sheriff and the court file from the superior court.

Removing Alpine County Busted Mugshots

California provides several ways to clear arrest records. Under Penal Code section 851.87, you can petition to seal an arrest record if charges were not filed, were dismissed, or resulted in an acquittal. Once the record is sealed, the mugshot and all booking data become closed to the public. The arrest is treated as if it never happened. This is different from expungement, which only applies to convictions.

The Clean Slate Act under SB 731 created automatic record sealing for many arrests. Misdemeanor arrests are sealed after one year if no charges are filed. Felony arrests without charges are sealed after three years. This happens without you having to file anything. The DOJ handles the automatic process. For Alpine County, this means older arrests that never went anywhere may already be sealed in the system.

Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 applies to convictions. It sets aside the guilty plea or verdict and dismisses the case. But it does not seal the arrest record or the mugshot. The booking photo can still exist in the sheriff's files even after expungement. For Alpine County cases, file expungement petitions with the Alpine County Superior Court.

Under SB 1027, no website can charge you money to take down your mugshot. This law applies across all of California, including Alpine County. If any third-party site demands payment, report the violation to the Attorney General's office.

Alpine County Records Request Process

Filing a CPRA request is the most reliable way to get busted mugshots from Alpine County. The law requires agencies to respond within 10 days of receiving your request. An extension of up to 14 days is allowed for complex requests. Given the small size of Alpine County's operations, most requests should be straightforward. The sheriff's office handles a tiny fraction of the records volume that larger counties deal with.

When you write your request, be specific. Include the full name of the person, any known aliases, date of birth if available, and the approximate date of arrest. Ask for the booking record including the booking photograph. Under Government Code section 7923.610, agencies must release the person's name, physical description, date and time of arrest, booking information, charges, and bail amount. The mugshot itself falls into a gray area, but most agencies release it when directly asked.

If the sheriff denies your request, ask for a written explanation citing the specific exemption. You have the right to challenge denials. The DOJ public records page has more details on your rights under the CPRA.

Nearby Counties

Alpine County borders several other Sierra Nevada counties. Because Alpine's jail capacity is limited, some arrestees may be booked in a neighboring county.