Access San Mateo County Mugshots

San Mateo County busted mugshots are processed through the county sheriff's office, which runs the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City. The county sits on the San Francisco Peninsula between San Francisco to the north and Santa Clara County to the south. With about 767,000 residents, it is one of the wealthier and more densely populated counties in California. The sheriff handles bookings for the entire county, even when city police make the arrest. This page covers how to find busted mugshots and booking records in San Mateo County.

San Mateo County Sheriff's Office

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office operates the Maguire Correctional Facility, which is the main jail for the county. Located in Redwood City near the courthouse, this facility handles all bookings. When someone is arrested by any law enforcement agency in San Mateo County, they are brought here for processing. The mugshot is taken at booking along with fingerprints and personal information.

The sheriff's main phone number is (650) 363-4911. The department provides law enforcement to unincorporated areas of the county and operates the jail for all jurisdictions. San Mateo County has 20 incorporated cities, many with their own police departments. Daly City, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Redwood City, and others all run city police forces. But every arrest in the county is booked through the sheriff's jail system.

The sheriff's website has sections covering the corrections division, patrol operations, and administrative services. Look for the corrections or custody page for information about inmate lookup and booking records access.

Searching for Booking Records

Check the San Mateo County Sheriff's website for any online inmate search tools. If the county offers a public-facing lookup, you can search by name to find people currently in custody at the Maguire Correctional Facility. Results typically include the booking photo, charges, bail, and next court date.

If no online search is available or the person has already been released, contact the sheriff's office directly. Call (650) 363-4911 and ask for the records unit. You can also visit the Maguire Correctional Facility or the sheriff's administrative office during business hours. Staff can confirm if someone is or was recently in custody.

For a formal request, file under the California Public Records Act. Write to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office records division. Include the person's name and estimated arrest date. The agency has 10 days to respond under the CPRA. A 14-day extension is allowed if the department needs extra time. Keep your request specific to help the staff find the record faster.

San Mateo County Court Records

The San Mateo Superior Court in Redwood City handles criminal cases from across the county. Court records provide the legal details behind an arrest, including charges filed by the district attorney, plea bargains, trial verdicts, and sentencing. These records supplement the booking data from the sheriff's office.

The court may offer online case access through its website. Search by defendant name or case number to find case information. Certified copies of documents carry a fee, but basic case indexes are often available at no cost. The court clerk's office in Redwood City can assist with in-person requests during business hours.

Court records do not include the mugshot itself, but they show what happened after the arrest. For a complete picture of a busted mugshot situation in San Mateo County, you want both the sheriff's booking record and the court case file.

State Resources for San Mateo County

The California DOJ holds statewide criminal history records that include San Mateo County data. You can request records through the DOJ public records form. For your own criminal history, use Live Scan fingerprints with form BCIA 8016RR and pay a $25 fee at any authorized location.

The CDCR CIRIS tool lets you search for people in California state prisons. This does not include county jail inmates in San Mateo. Only those sentenced to state prison from a San Mateo County case would appear in CIRIS. For local custody records, the sheriff's office is the source.

The DOJ also offers a record review process for people who want to check their own criminal history for errors. The record review page explains the steps to dispute inaccurate information on your state rap sheet, which may include records from San Mateo County arrests.

Use this process to correct errors in your state criminal history record.

Clearing Records in San Mateo County

California law provides several ways to clear your criminal record. Penal Code section 851.87 allows you to seal an arrest record if charges were never filed, the case was dismissed, or you were found not guilty. Once sealed, the mugshot and booking data become inaccessible. File your petition with the San Mateo Superior Court in Redwood City.

Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 clears a conviction by withdrawing the guilty plea and dismissing the case. This helps with employment and other background checks. However, expungement alone does not seal the arrest record or the mugshot. For that, you need the sealing petition under 851.87 or automatic relief under the Clean Slate Act.

SB 731, the Clean Slate Act, provides automatic sealing for many older arrests. Misdemeanor arrests where charges were never filed are sealed after one year. Felony arrests without charges are sealed after three years. This happens automatically in many cases. Check with the San Mateo County public defender's office or a legal aid organization if you need help navigating these options. The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County may be able to assist at no cost.

Mugshot Distribution Rules

SB 1027 makes it illegal for third-party websites to charge a fee to remove your mugshot in California. This applies to booking photos from San Mateo County and every other county in the state. The law targets the exploitative mugshot industry that profited from publicly available arrest data.

Under Penal Code section 13665, California law enforcement agencies cannot post booking photos to social media in most cases. Exceptions exist for wanted fugitives and people who pose an active public safety risk. Under AB 1475, additional limits apply to how law enforcement shares mugshots with outside parties. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office follows these state requirements.

Cities in San Mateo County

San Mateo County has 20 incorporated cities along the Peninsula. These two cities have populations over 100,000 and have their own pages on this site. All arrests in the county are booked through the sheriff's Maguire Correctional Facility.

Other notable cities include Redwood City (the county seat), South San Francisco, San Carlos, Burlingame, Foster City, Menlo Park, and Half Moon Bay. These smaller cities do not have separate pages, but their booking records are all in the county sheriff's system.

Nearby Counties

San Mateo County is on the San Francisco Peninsula. San Francisco is directly to the north and Santa Clara County to the south and east. Arrests near county borders may be handled by a neighboring jurisdiction.