Access Inyo County Mugshots

Inyo County busted mugshots are managed by the sheriff's office in Independence, the tiny county seat nestled in the Owens Valley east of the Sierra Nevada. Inyo is the second largest county in California by land area but one of the smallest by population, with only about 19,000 residents. The sheriff's office handles all law enforcement for the vast majority of the county. Arrests are rare compared to urban areas. Public access to booking photos requires a direct request to the sheriff. This page covers how to find busted mugshots in Inyo County, from the sheriff's office to state databases and CPRA filings.

Inyo County Sheriff and Busted Mugshots

The Inyo County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. The main office is at 550 South Clay Street in Independence. Call (760) 878-0383 to reach the department. The sheriff patrols the vast desert and mountain terrain of Inyo County. With such a small population spread over more than 10,000 square miles, the department is lean. Bookings happen at the Inyo County jail in Independence.

Bishop is the largest town in Inyo County, located about 40 miles north of Independence. The Bishop Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits. However, arrests made by Bishop PD get booked into the county jail. So the sheriff holds the booking record and mugshot for all local arrests in the county, no matter which agency made the stop.

There is no online inmate search tool for Inyo County. The population and arrest volume are too low to justify a web database. You need to call the sheriff or visit in person to ask about someone in custody.

Searching for Inyo County Busted Mugshots

Start with a phone call to the sheriff at (760) 878-0383. Ask whether the person is in the jail. Give the full name. In a county this small, the staff often know who is in custody without having to search a database. They can tell you the charges and booking date on the phone. For a copy of the booking photo, you need to file a written request.

Send your CPRA request to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office at 550 South Clay Street, Independence, CA 93526. Include the person's name and approximate arrest date. The agency has 10 days to respond under the California Public Records Act. In Inyo County, the response usually comes fast. The office gets very few records requests compared to a county like Los Angeles or Fresno. A straightforward request for one booking record should be simple for them to handle.

The Inyo County Superior Court handles all criminal cases in the county. The court is at 168 North Edwards Street in Independence. Court records show charges, case progress, and outcomes. You can call the clerk for case information. A second court location in Bishop serves the northern part of the county. Court records do not include mugshots, but they show the full legal picture for a case.

Special Considerations for Inyo County Records

Inyo County's huge size and remote location create some unique situations. Death Valley National Park takes up a large portion of the county. The National Park Service handles law enforcement within the park. Arrests made by NPS rangers in Death Valley are federal matters. Those records go into the federal system, not the county jail. If you are looking for someone arrested in Death Valley, contact the federal courts or the NPS directly.

The same applies to arrests on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Much of Inyo County is federally owned. Incidents on BLM land may involve federal law enforcement. But standard arrests on state roads or in towns and cities go through the Inyo County Sheriff. The key is knowing where the arrest took place. If it was in Bishop, Lone Pine, Big Pine, or on a state highway, it is a county matter. If it was in a national park or on federal property, check federal databases first.

Visitor arrests are another factor. Thousands of tourists pass through Inyo County each year for outdoor recreation. Some get arrested for DUI, trespassing, or other offenses. These show up in the county system like any other arrest.

State Resources for Inyo County Mugshots

The California DOJ maintains criminal history records from all counties, including Inyo. Submit a public records request through the DOJ online form. For your own record, use Live Scan fingerprints with form BCIA 8016RR and a $25 fee. The closest Live Scan sites to most Inyo County residents are in Bishop.

The California legislature's website has the full text of AB 1475, which expanded record sealing protections for Californians including those in rural counties like Inyo.

This legislation strengthened the rules around mugshot removal and expanded eligibility for arrest record sealing statewide.

The CDCR CIRIS database covers state prison inmates. If someone convicted in Inyo County was sent to prison, you can search for them here. The tool shows the facility, sentence, and release date. It does not cover people held in the Inyo County jail or federal custody. For a small county like Inyo, the number of people sent to state prison each year is very small, but CIRIS still covers them.

Removing Inyo County Busted Mugshots

Even in a tiny county, booking photos can end up online. SB 1027 protects you from mugshot extortion. No website can charge to remove your booking photo. Send a removal request and the site must take it down within five business days for free.

To seal the arrest record itself, petition the Inyo County Superior Court under Penal Code section 851.87. This covers arrests where charges were not filed, were dismissed, or ended in acquittal. The Clean Slate Act (SB 731) adds automatic sealing for some arrests. One year for misdemeanors without charges. Three years for felonies without charges. Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 clears a conviction but does not seal the arrest record or mugshot.

Legal aid in the eastern Sierra region is limited. The California Courts self-help center offers forms and instructions for people who want to file sealing petitions on their own. The Inyo County Superior Court clerk can also provide guidance on which forms to use, though they cannot give legal advice.

Nearby Counties

Inyo County borders several counties across a vast area. The county shares boundaries with Nevada to the east.