Butte County Busted Mugshots Search

Butte County busted mugshots are processed through the sheriff's office jail in Oroville, the county seat. With a population of about 211,000, Butte County is a mid-sized jurisdiction in northern California. The county includes Chico, the largest city and home to Cal State Chico. The sheriff's office handles bookings for arrests made throughout the county, including those by the Chico Police Department and other local agencies. This page explains how to search for busted mugshots in Butte County using the sheriff's tools, public records requests, and state-level databases.

Butte County Sheriff Inmate and Booking Records

The Butte County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and manages all booking records. The main office is at 33 County Center Drive in Oroville, CA 95965. Call (530) 538-7321 for general inquiries or (530) 538-7070 for the jail division. The sheriff provides patrol services for unincorporated areas and operates the county detention facility where all bookings are processed.

When someone is arrested in Butte County, the booking process includes taking a mugshot, recording personal details, and entering charges into the system. The jail holds people awaiting court appearances, serving short sentences, or waiting for transfer. The Butte County jail has dealt with capacity issues in recent years, which has led to early releases in some cases. Regardless of how long someone stays, the booking record and mugshot remain in the system.

The sheriff's website may have an online booking search. Check under the corrections or jail section of the site for any available search tools. If an inmate lookup is available, you can search by name and view booking details for people currently in custody. For released inmates, the online tool may not show results, and you will need to request records directly.

How to Find Busted Mugshots in Butte County

Start by checking the Butte County Sheriff's website. Look for an inmate search or booking log under the corrections section. Some California counties publish daily arrest logs that list names, charges, and booking dates. These logs do not always include photos, but they confirm an arrest occurred and give you the details needed to request the full record.

If no online search is available, contact the jail division at (530) 538-7070. Give the staff a name and approximate date of arrest. They can tell you if the person was booked and provide information on getting copies of the booking record. For a formal request, file a CPRA request in writing. Mail it to the Butte County Sheriff's Office at 33 County Center Drive, Oroville, CA 95965. The agency has 10 days to respond under state law.

Chico Police Department is the largest city agency in the county. CPD handles its own arrests, but bookings go through the sheriff's jail. So the mugshot for a Chico PD arrest is in the county system. If you need a police report from CPD rather than the booking record, contact the Chico Police Department directly. Other city departments in the county, including Oroville PD and Gridley PD, follow the same pattern.

The California DOJ Public Records Act FAQ page answers common questions about requesting arrest records from agencies like the Butte County Sheriff.

This FAQ covers response times, fees, and the types of records that agencies must release under California law.

Butte County Public Records Requests

Under the California Public Records Act, you can request booking records from the Butte County Sheriff's Office. Your request should include the person's full name, date of birth if known, and approximate date of arrest. Ask specifically for the booking record including the booking photograph. Put the request in writing for documentation purposes. You can send it by mail, email, or drop it off in person at the sheriff's office in Oroville.

The agency must respond within 10 days. An extension of up to 14 additional days is possible for complex requests. Under Government Code section 7923.610, the sheriff must release basic arrest information including the person's name, physical description, charges, bail, and how they were released. Copying fees are usually 10 cents per page. If the agency denies your request, they must cite a specific legal exemption. You can challenge denials through the court system or by filing a complaint with the Attorney General.

State Resources for Butte County Mugshots

The California Department of Justice maintains criminal history records from all agencies statewide. File a CPRA request through the DOJ online form for state-level data. To get your own criminal record, use the Live Scan process with form BCIA 8016RR and a $25 fee. The DOJ does not release individual mugshots to the public, but the RAP sheet covers arrest history from every California agency, including Butte County.

The CDCR CIRIS tool covers people in state prison only. It does not include Butte County jail inmates. Use CIRIS when someone has been sentenced to state custody after a Butte County conviction. The Butte County Superior Court has court records that show case outcomes, charges, and sentencing. Court files add context to what the booking record shows. The court has locations in Oroville and Chico.

Removing Butte County Busted Mugshots

California law offers paths to clear your record. Penal Code section 851.87 allows you to petition to seal an arrest record if charges were never filed, were dismissed, or ended in acquittal. Sealing makes the mugshot and all booking data inaccessible to the public. The Clean Slate Act (SB 731) provides automatic sealing for many arrests. Misdemeanor arrests seal after one year without charges. Felony arrests seal after three years without charges. The DOJ handles the automatic process.

Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 applies to convictions. It sets aside the verdict and dismisses the case, but it does not seal the arrest record or mugshot. For Butte County convictions, file expungement petitions with the Butte County Superior Court. Under SB 1027, no website or third party can charge money to remove a booking photo. Penal Code section 13665 also limits how law enforcement shares mugshots on social media. For nonviolent arrests, photos cannot be posted unless the person is a fugitive or poses a danger. All social media posts of booking photos must come down within 14 days.

Cities in Butte County

Butte County has five incorporated cities. Chico is by far the largest, with a population over 100,000. The other cities are Oroville (the county seat), Gridley, Biggs, and Paradise. Paradise was devastated by the Camp Fire in 2018 and has a much smaller population now than before the fire. City police departments handle arrests within their limits, but all bookings go through the sheriff's jail system.

Oroville, Gridley, Biggs, and Paradise do not have populations over 100,000 and are not listed as major cities on this site. However, their arrest and booking records are all handled through the Butte County Sheriff's Office.

Nearby Counties

These counties neighbor Butte County. Arrests near county lines may be processed by a different sheriff's office.