San Luis Obispo County Mugshots

San Luis Obispo County busted mugshots come from a mid-size Central Coast county with a population near 283,000. The county seat is the city of San Luis Obispo. The sheriff's department runs the county jail and handles all bookings. No city in the county has a population over 100,000, so this is a county where the sheriff is the central player for arrest records. The area stretches from Paso Robles in the north to Nipomo in the south along the coast. This page covers how to search for busted mugshots and booking data in San Luis Obispo County.

SLO County Sheriff's Office

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office operates the county jail and manages all booking records. The jail is located in San Luis Obispo near the courthouse complex. When someone is arrested by the sheriff's deputies, city police, or California Highway Patrol within the county, they are booked at this facility. The mugshot is taken during the booking process.

The sheriff's office phone number is (805) 781-4540. Call this number for general inquiries about inmate information or records. The department provides patrol services to the unincorporated areas of the county and contracts with some smaller communities for law enforcement. Cities like San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Atascadero, Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, and Morro Bay have their own police departments, but all bookings go through the county jail.

The sheriff's website has information about the custody division, how to look up inmates, and how to contact specific units within the department. Check the website first for any online tools before calling.

How to Search for Booking Records

Check the SLO County Sheriff's website for any available inmate search or custody log. Some California counties publish daily booking logs that show recent arrests with charges and mugshots. If the sheriff posts this type of data, it will be on the corrections or custody page of the site.

If no online tool is available, contact the sheriff's office at (805) 781-4540. Ask for the records or custody division. You can request booking information for a specific person by name and approximate date of arrest. Staff can tell you if someone is currently in custody and provide basic details about the booking.

You can also file a California Public Records Act request. Put your request in writing and include as much identifying information as you can. The sheriff has 10 days to respond under the CPRA, with a possible 14-day extension. Send requests to the sheriff's main office in San Luis Obispo. In-person requests can be made during normal business hours at the administration building.

SLO County Court Records

The San Luis Obispo Superior Court handles all criminal cases filed in the county. Court records provide details beyond what the booking record shows. You can find charges, pleas, trial outcomes, and sentencing information through the court. The main courthouse is in San Luis Obispo, with a branch courthouse in Paso Robles for north county cases.

The court's website may offer online case lookup. Search by defendant name or case number. Certified copies of court documents cost a fee, but basic case information is often accessible at no charge. If you are trying to piece together the full story behind a busted mugshot, court records fill in the gaps about what happened after the arrest.

For older cases, records may be archived. Contact the court clerk's office to ask about historical records and what access options exist for cases that are no longer in the active system.

State Resources for SLO County Records

The California Department of Justice keeps statewide criminal history records including data from San Luis Obispo County. Submit a request through the DOJ public records form for records held at the state level. To check your own criminal history, use Live Scan fingerprints with form BCIA 8016RR and a $25 fee.

The DOJ also provides a request form for public records under the California Public Records Act. This is useful for records that span multiple counties or involve state-level data.

Fill out the form with specific details about the records you need, including names, dates, and the county involved.

The CDCR CIRIS tool only covers state prison inmates. Most people arrested in San Luis Obispo County remain in county jail or are released. Only those sentenced to state prison show up in CIRIS. For local booking records, the sheriff's office is your primary source.

Clearing Records in SLO County

California provides paths to clear arrest and conviction records. Penal Code section 851.87 lets you seal an arrest record when charges were not filed or the case was dismissed. Once sealed, the mugshot is no longer accessible. File your petition with the San Luis Obispo Superior Court. The Clean Slate Act under SB 731 may also automatically seal certain older arrests without requiring a petition.

Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 applies to convictions. It withdraws the plea and dismisses the case. This helps with jobs and housing but does not seal the arrest record or mugshot on its own. For full relief, you may need to file separate petitions for sealing and expungement. Legal aid organizations on the Central Coast can help with these filings if you cannot afford a lawyer.

Mugshot Laws in California

California law protects people from mugshot exploitation. Under SB 1027, no website can charge you a fee to take down your booking photo. This applies to all California mugshots including those from San Luis Obispo County.

Penal Code section 13665 restricts law enforcement from posting booking photos on social media for most nonviolent arrests. Under AB 1475, agencies face rules on sharing mugshots with third parties. These state laws apply equally to the SLO County Sheriff's Office and every other law enforcement agency in California. The goal is to reduce the harm caused by booking photos being spread widely online before a person has been convicted of anything.

Cities in San Luis Obispo County

San Luis Obispo County has seven incorporated cities. None of them reach the 100,000 population threshold, so there are no separate city pages for this county. The largest cities include San Luis Obispo (about 47,000), Paso Robles (about 30,000), and Atascadero (about 30,000). Other cities are Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, and Morro Bay.

All city police departments in the county book arrestees through the county sheriff's jail. Regardless of which city the arrest occurs in, the booking record and mugshot are in the sheriff's system. Contact the sheriff's office at (805) 781-4540 for any booking records from cities in San Luis Obispo County.

Nearby Counties

San Luis Obispo County sits on the Central Coast between Santa Barbara and Monterey counties. Arrests near county borders may be processed in a neighboring jurisdiction.