Santa Barbara County Arrest Records

Santa Barbara County busted mugshots are handled by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, which runs the main county jail in Santa Barbara. The county stretches along the central coast of California, with a population near 450,000 people. Arrests in unincorporated areas and several contract cities go through the sheriff. City police departments in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and other towns handle their own arrests, but booking ends up in the county system. This page explains how to search for busted mugshots and booking records in Santa Barbara County using local and state tools.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Custody Search

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and handles booking for arrests across the county. You can call the custody operations division at (805) 681-4260 to check on an inmate or ask about recent bookings. The main jail is in Santa Barbara, with a satellite facility in Santa Maria for the northern part of the county. Both facilities process bookings and hold inmates for court appearances.

The sheriff's office provides some online search tools. Their website has links to custody information and booking logs. The sheriff publishes press releases about major arrests, which sometimes include mugshot photos. For a direct inmate lookup, the county uses a system that lets you search by name. Results show the charges, bail amount, booking date, and facility location. If someone was just arrested, it may take a few hours before the record shows up in the system.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office website has information about custody operations, booking searches, and how to contact the jail for inmate information.

California's Public Records Act gives you the right to request booking records from the sheriff's office and other law enforcement agencies.

Finding Busted Mugshots in Santa Barbara County

The simplest way to start is by calling the sheriff's custody line. Dial (805) 681-4260 and ask about a specific person by name. Staff can tell you if the person is in custody and give basic booking information. For a written record, you need to submit a public records request. The California Public Records Act applies to all law enforcement agencies in the county.

Send your request to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office at 4434 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93110. You can also call the main line at (805) 681-4100. Put the request in writing. Include the person's full name, date of birth if you have it, and the date of arrest or a date range. Ask for the booking record and booking photo. The agency has 10 days to respond. They can take up to 14 more days if they need an extension. Fees for copies are usually small, around 10 to 25 cents per page.

The Santa Barbara Police Department handles arrests within the city of Santa Barbara. They have their own records division at (805) 897-2300. The Santa Maria Police Department covers the city of Santa Maria. Both agencies book through the county jail system, so the mugshot should be in the sheriff's records regardless of which department made the arrest.

Santa Barbara County Court Records

The Santa Barbara County Superior Court handles criminal cases filed in the county. Court records go beyond what a booking record shows. They include charging documents, plea deals, trial outcomes, and sentencing details. If you want the full picture on a case tied to busted mugshots in Santa Barbara County, the court file fills in what the booking data does not.

The court has locations in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. You can search case information through the court's online portal. Criminal case records are generally public unless sealed by a judge. There is a small fee for copies of court documents. The clerk's office can help you find a case if you have a name or case number. Call the court for details on how to access records at each location.

State Resources for Santa Barbara Mugshots

The California Department of Justice keeps criminal history records from agencies statewide. You can file a CPRA request through the DOJ online form for state-level records. To check your own criminal record, submit Live Scan fingerprints with form BCIA 8016RR and a $25 fee. The DOJ RAP sheet shows arrest history across all California agencies, including Santa Barbara County.

The CDCR CIRIS tool covers state prison inmates only. It does not include people held in the Santa Barbara County Jail. Use CIRIS when someone has been sentenced to state prison after a conviction in Santa Barbara County. The search is free and shows the inmate's name, CDCR number, current facility, and admission date. For people still in county custody or released from the county jail, CIRIS will not help.

You can review the California DOJ's information about the Public Records Act and how to submit requests for criminal history data on their website.

The DOJ form lets you submit a written request online for records held at the state level.

Removing Santa Barbara County Busted Mugshots

California law offers paths to clear your record. Penal Code section 851.87 lets you petition to seal an arrest if charges were never filed, dropped, or you were found not guilty. Once sealed, the mugshot is no longer public. The Clean Slate Act under SB 731 provides automatic sealing for some arrest records. Misdemeanor arrests seal after one year with no charges filed. Felony arrests seal after three years.

Expungement under Penal Code section 1203.4 dismisses a conviction but does not seal the arrest record or mugshot. The booking data can still exist in the system. For Santa Barbara County cases, file your petition with the Superior Court. Legal aid groups in the area can help if you cannot afford a lawyer. Third-party mugshot sites cannot charge money to take down your photo under SB 1027. Report any site that tries to charge you to the California Attorney General.

Under Penal Code section 13665, law enforcement in California cannot post booking photos on social media for nonviolent arrests. Exceptions exist for fugitives and people who pose a public safety threat. This rule does not affect the official sheriff's custody database.

Cities in Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County has eight incorporated cities. City police departments make arrests, but bookings go through the county jail system. Santa Maria is the largest city in the county by population and the only one over 100,000.

Other cities in the county include Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc, Guadalupe, Buellton, Solvang, and Carpinteria. Arrests in those cities are booked through the sheriff's jail system as well.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Santa Barbara County. Arrests near county lines may be processed in a neighboring jurisdiction.